The Player-GM Contract
There are as many different ways to approach the dynamic of roleplaying games as their are people who play them.
When I was young I was very much the autocrat, and, I’m ashamed to say, an adversarial GM. Maybe I can place the blame on the context the games gave us back in the 80s and early 90s. Or maybe I was just an asshole.
I don’t get to game very often these days, but when I do, I prefer something with a little less artificial distinction between “people who are playing” and “the guy making it happen.” I’m not there to entertain you. I’m not there to frustrate you. You’re not here to engage in wish-fulfillment fantasies.
Why do we even bother?
We’re here, all of us, to have a good time, amuse one another, and engage in a social recreation. That’s it. Every element of the game should be orchestrated to increase the fun of everyone involved. That’s the simple litmus we have to ask ourselves: does this choice make the game more fun, or less fun? I’d recommend going with more fun.
The players are not their characters.
Fun for the players, that is. And that’s an important distinction for the players. “The most fun for everyone involved” doesn’t mean “the characters get everything they want.” It might mean “Horrible things happen that terribly scar the characters” which, admittedly, can be quite entertaining for the players who control them.
So separate what you want, as a player, from the desires of your character. Yeah, I guess “I want my player to see all their dreams come true” is a legitimate drive, but it’s honestly a little solipsistic. This isn’t your story. It’s the story of the ensemble.
We really can’t make any broad generalizations that cover all gaming groups, but what we can do is examine what makes good stories. The general pattern for narrative fiction is:
“Someone wants something and they are repeatedly thwarted in getting it until they either overcome their flaws, embrace change, and succeed, or fail to adapt and fail.”
Clearly a roleplaying game isn’t static narrative fiction, but we can agree that the struggle is usually more entertaining than the reward, and that the reward is only given merit by how hard the characters had to work to get it.
So yes. Your goals as a player should not be your goals as a character. Your goal, in my opinion, should be to tell an entertaining story about fictional characters with your friends.
The Contract
This isn’t so much a literal contract as it is an understanding between equals.
Your Job, as Players is to portray a driven character whose choices and actions are interesting, entertaining, and enhance the play experience for your fellow gamers. Roleplaying is choices. Make the choices that make the game better for everyone.
Your Job, as GM is to provide the players with a context in which to tell this story. Give them goals that appeal to their drives. Reward their trust by playing fair. Design encounters to allow them to shine. Make the choices that make the game better for everyone.
And remember. Failure can be just as interesting as success. You, players, are not here to succeed. You are here to express character in an interesting and entertaining fashion. And you, GM, are here to provide them with opportunity to do so.
Questions? You are invited to either leave a comment below, or ask directly through the comment form.
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