Friendship is Dragons
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Page 1995 - Gaming Nemesis
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Newbiespud
25th Apr 2024, 6:00 AM
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There are definitely gamers out there that feel it's their purpose to make tables burn and watch with a smile on their face.
Also, "Spike.exe has crashed"
Also, "Spike.exe has crashed"
Some people just want to watch the world burn; others just want to be warm, but didn't realise that hugging was also an option...
How dare you drop this poetry in a webcomic comment section. This needs to be enshrined somewhere.
Comic pages like this have me remembering just how often TTRPGs stood in for therapy in my experience. If nothing else, the socialization by itself is therapeutic for my mind.
...assuming a decent group without Discords and Glimmers of course. >.>
...assuming a decent group without Discords and Glimmers of course. >.>
Most of the 'Glimmers' I've known generally have one issue really chewing on them, often stemming from a single disastrous game experience (top two games being D&D and Vampire LARPs). Once you get them through that they can mellow a lot.
Which now that I reread that is pretty much the arc for Starlight Glimmer.
Which now that I reread that is pretty much the arc for Starlight Glimmer.
Heh, yeah that is the Glimmer arc, although in Glimmer's case she could have written letters or something.
In my experience the few Glimmers I've come across didn't really want to be there, so breaking the game was just... how to put it? I remember I flat out got in one's face and asked "Why the eff are you even here then?" And for that particular one they were just lonely and lashing out for dumb reasons, but once I threatened them with expulsion they settled down and became a bit more cooperative. So yeah, they can mellow out if you get through.
I think I've dealt with more Discords though.
In my experience the few Glimmers I've come across didn't really want to be there, so breaking the game was just... how to put it? I remember I flat out got in one's face and asked "Why the eff are you even here then?" And for that particular one they were just lonely and lashing out for dumb reasons, but once I threatened them with expulsion they settled down and became a bit more cooperative. So yeah, they can mellow out if you get through.
I think I've dealt with more Discords though.
Yeah, I know many similar stories, most doesn't end well...
If only they had actually bothered to sit down and talk their issues out back when Spike was still the DM, instead of gaslighting him into believeing he has control issues and needed therapy, becuase he couldn't magically read the minds of the others and pick up on issues he never even was aware were a thing, because they never bothered to actually voice any complaints out loud untiol it was way too late for it...
Well, bright side is that it seems that the group actually learned their lesson on properly communicating. Better late than never, I suppose.
Well, bright side is that it seems that the group actually learned their lesson on properly communicating. Better late than never, I suppose.
Oh good, this again! Seriously, why is it that so many people exclusively pity the GMs in this situation? I am genuinely confused. I primarily run games, so I understand the effort that goes into it, and the vulnerability that comes with the control you exercise from that position. And I have had games that went very poorly because I was so concerned with telling my story that I ignored my group.
I suppose the adversarial mindset goes in both directions: not just “Aww, the GM is trying to kill us and/or keep us on the rails!”, but also “Aww, these darn players won’t do what I want! Why do they insist on doing what interests *them* instead of following my script beat-for-beat?” And none of this does any of us any good.
I hopes this doesn’t meet your definition of gaslighting, but as I remember it, the GM in this situation broke his own group by abusing his power, bringing in a partner spike if ally to punish his table, and then decided to step away for his own health. I’m pretty sure it was that very abuse of power which helped him realize that he *does* have some control issues, and it was *his* choice to work on them. I wish more people would remember that a GM does a lot of work, but they don’t count more than the rest of the players at the table. Without a group, who does a GM have to entertain?
I suppose the adversarial mindset goes in both directions: not just “Aww, the GM is trying to kill us and/or keep us on the rails!”, but also “Aww, these darn players won’t do what I want! Why do they insist on doing what interests *them* instead of following my script beat-for-beat?” And none of this does any of us any good.
I hopes this doesn’t meet your definition of gaslighting, but as I remember it, the GM in this situation broke his own group by abusing his power, bringing in a partner spike if ally to punish his table, and then decided to step away for his own health. I’m pretty sure it was that very abuse of power which helped him realize that he *does* have some control issues, and it was *his* choice to work on them. I wish more people would remember that a GM does a lot of work, but they don’t count more than the rest of the players at the table. Without a group, who does a GM have to entertain?
Probably because, while there were some communication issues on both sides, Spike GM seemed much more willing to try and adapt to what the players wanted, than the players were ever willing to try to adapt to Spike GM's way of doing things.
Spike GM has repeatedly shown that he's willing to change his plans to make things fit more with the players preferences, yet I don't remember even one instance where the players went, "Okay, let's try to do things your way this time". It's always Spike GM who has to accommodate them.
There isn't a give and take in their relationship, just a very clear "take" mentally displayed by the players at the cost of Spike GM. Hence, why I called it gas-lighting, despite it technically not being that.
But to be fair, I kind of have a personal vendetta against this group, ever since what happened with Discord DM.
Spike didn't bring Discord DM in "to punish" the group; he brought him in because after Twilight's player completely derailed his campaign, partially by figuring out the plot twist way too early, partially by fast-talking the DM into accepting her reasoning, he felt insecure and asked a trusted and more experienced friend for help, to show them how much fun playing his way can be.
So Discord DM showed up, and, while once again there were some obvious issues with communication, with Spike GM and Discord DM clearly not making sure they were on the same page regarding their plans for the session, the guy was nothing but friendly and considerate towards the group.
Not only did he make sure the girls were comfortable being alone with some guy they had never met before, when he took them aside to talk to them for the one-on-one scenes, he also let THEM decide how far to push the whole corruption thing, after it was brought up.
When they returned to the library from the labyrinth, he gave them the choice to either have the curse on them start to lift or, IF THEY WANTED, to have the effect worsen. They then CHOSE to have the effects worsen, reasoning it might give some good opportunities for RP, but when things didn't turn out the way they wanted, instead of voicing their complaints and giving Discord DM a chance to adapt, they waited until Discord DM was gone, and then immediately started bad-mouthing him the moment he was gone and couldn't defend himself anymore.
They even brought him back later to "teach him a lesson", since they decided he deserved it, because they weren't happy with the consequences OF THEIR OWN DECISION.
As someone who had something similar happen to him once, I absolutely hate that kind of attitude. If you aren't comfortable or dislike something, fine. Go ahead and say so. But don't just sit there in silence and later complain, once the person isn't around to defend themselves. It's the once thing I absolutely despise most, and something this particular group is guilty of more than once.
Spike GM has repeatedly shown that he's willing to change his plans to make things fit more with the players preferences, yet I don't remember even one instance where the players went, "Okay, let's try to do things your way this time". It's always Spike GM who has to accommodate them.
There isn't a give and take in their relationship, just a very clear "take" mentally displayed by the players at the cost of Spike GM. Hence, why I called it gas-lighting, despite it technically not being that.
But to be fair, I kind of have a personal vendetta against this group, ever since what happened with Discord DM.
Spike didn't bring Discord DM in "to punish" the group; he brought him in because after Twilight's player completely derailed his campaign, partially by figuring out the plot twist way too early, partially by fast-talking the DM into accepting her reasoning, he felt insecure and asked a trusted and more experienced friend for help, to show them how much fun playing his way can be.
So Discord DM showed up, and, while once again there were some obvious issues with communication, with Spike GM and Discord DM clearly not making sure they were on the same page regarding their plans for the session, the guy was nothing but friendly and considerate towards the group.
Not only did he make sure the girls were comfortable being alone with some guy they had never met before, when he took them aside to talk to them for the one-on-one scenes, he also let THEM decide how far to push the whole corruption thing, after it was brought up.
When they returned to the library from the labyrinth, he gave them the choice to either have the curse on them start to lift or, IF THEY WANTED, to have the effect worsen. They then CHOSE to have the effects worsen, reasoning it might give some good opportunities for RP, but when things didn't turn out the way they wanted, instead of voicing their complaints and giving Discord DM a chance to adapt, they waited until Discord DM was gone, and then immediately started bad-mouthing him the moment he was gone and couldn't defend himself anymore.
They even brought him back later to "teach him a lesson", since they decided he deserved it, because they weren't happy with the consequences OF THEIR OWN DECISION.
As someone who had something similar happen to him once, I absolutely hate that kind of attitude. If you aren't comfortable or dislike something, fine. Go ahead and say so. But don't just sit there in silence and later complain, once the person isn't around to defend themselves. It's the once thing I absolutely despise most, and something this particular group is guilty of more than once.