[Rant]
I honestly do not understand why it's so hard for some of my friends to take gaming more seriously. I mean, I know the point is to have fun, but doing stupid shit is only fleetingly entertaining, and then only for the people involved.
I should probably go into what I'm talking about. In my EarthDawn campaign last night, two of the characters needed to figure out the password to enter a suspected black market house, and decided to make a bet on it in character. This I had no problem with; it added a little bit of flavor, and fit with what the characters would have done. However, once one of the player's dice decided not to like him and it was obvious he would lose, he started trying to sabotage the other, which after a bunch of stupid crap resulted in the characters wrestling. This I do have a problem with. Aside from being completely out of character, it derailed the session for a good hour with nothing productive and left me and two of the other players unable to do anything while they yelled at each other. And then, when I simply asked if I should just pack up my stuff and let them dick around, complained at me with "It was fun, and that's the point of the game." True enough, but just because I'm the GM doesn't mean I'm putting my fun on hold. I actually get entertainment out of the storytelling aspects of the game, and I don't just want to be a referee for when they fight someone (including themselves). Anymore, I really haven't been putting in the effort I'd like to with my game because it just goes unrewarded. In fact, every time I throw in something clever to try and make them think their way out of a puzzle, I get complaints. Damn it, my whole game world is not just about rewarding them.
And apparently this disrespect doesn't only stem to me. I was trying to play with friends over Skype tonight, and my roommate and friend decided that they needed to have their conversation directly behind me, rather than in his room where they have entertainment and could leave me be. I understand that the living room is common ground, but I was there first, had been there all day, and only had a short while left to game. And THEN the friend that was over proceeded to bitch at me for going to my room and not staying to talk to him. I was in the middle of something, and he interrupted. I don't care that he's a guest, at the time he was not MY guest. My life does not revolve around him.
I really wish I could get them to take gaming a little more seriously. Not to the point of removing the fun, but enough to keep focus for more than five seconds. I hate to say it, but next time I get a massive distraction like that, I'm considering just dropping the session there and denying them any awards. It sucks, because not all my players are like that. But I'm getting fed up with them thinking they are the only ones that are supposed to have fun.
[/Rant]
I should probably go into what I'm talking about. In my EarthDawn campaign last night, two of the characters needed to figure out the password to enter a suspected black market house, and decided to make a bet on it in character. This I had no problem with; it added a little bit of flavor, and fit with what the characters would have done. However, once one of the player's dice decided not to like him and it was obvious he would lose, he started trying to sabotage the other, which after a bunch of stupid crap resulted in the characters wrestling. This I do have a problem with. Aside from being completely out of character, it derailed the session for a good hour with nothing productive and left me and two of the other players unable to do anything while they yelled at each other. And then, when I simply asked if I should just pack up my stuff and let them dick around, complained at me with "It was fun, and that's the point of the game." True enough, but just because I'm the GM doesn't mean I'm putting my fun on hold. I actually get entertainment out of the storytelling aspects of the game, and I don't just want to be a referee for when they fight someone (including themselves). Anymore, I really haven't been putting in the effort I'd like to with my game because it just goes unrewarded. In fact, every time I throw in something clever to try and make them think their way out of a puzzle, I get complaints. Damn it, my whole game world is not just about rewarding them.
And apparently this disrespect doesn't only stem to me. I was trying to play with friends over Skype tonight, and my roommate and friend decided that they needed to have their conversation directly behind me, rather than in his room where they have entertainment and could leave me be. I understand that the living room is common ground, but I was there first, had been there all day, and only had a short while left to game. And THEN the friend that was over proceeded to bitch at me for going to my room and not staying to talk to him. I was in the middle of something, and he interrupted. I don't care that he's a guest, at the time he was not MY guest. My life does not revolve around him.
I really wish I could get them to take gaming a little more seriously. Not to the point of removing the fun, but enough to keep focus for more than five seconds. I hate to say it, but next time I get a massive distraction like that, I'm considering just dropping the session there and denying them any awards. It sucks, because not all my players are like that. But I'm getting fed up with them thinking they are the only ones that are supposed to have fun.
[/Rant]