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Old 08-10-2020, 01:53 PM   #11
Mark Skarr
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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I think the one thing I would call a central takeaway from my experience is that players want to have and portray agency. Give them opportunities to make choices and produce outcomes, and make sure that all of them have such opportunities. And that's not something that can be accomplished by a system of game mechanics; it depends on the GM's care in managing a social group. I was a lot less practiced in that back in the 1990s than I am now . . .
I would agree with this. The last thing I would want from a game is for it to tell me how it is to be played. That's been a weakness I've seen from a lot of the new-breed of games, which include a lot of mechanics trying to force players and GMs into specific behaviours (MonsterHearts 2 comes immediately to mind). Much of this seems to be the removal of agency in the characters to facilitate game-design/-designer conceits.

A game system should be neutral and provide you a method of conflict resolution. It shouldn't be trying to enforce game designer's personal/political beliefs on the players.

To answer your basic question of "What are ways that you all try to help players feel included, confident and comfortable when playing?"

I listen to them, and I talk to them. Which is exactly what Bill said, only he said it much nicer than I did. I expect my players to be adults, and they expect the same from me. If they don't like something, they'll tell me and we'll discuss it like adults.

If Player A doesn't like Event C, that doesn't mean that Event C is being removed. It may have been something that Player B asked to have happen because they want to explore the ramifications it may have upon their character.

My advice is to tell the story you want to tell. Write the game you want to write. Don't let political pressure push you into compromising what you want, because politics is never happy.
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Old 08-10-2020, 03:47 PM   #12
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

For every new player at the table we have a New-Player-Mother. Someone that helps them find things on their character sheet, supports them in rules disagreements and is just generally their advocate until they're not new anymore. It's generally the person that brings them to the table but not the GM so that their advocate is a peer. I try to choose New Player Mom's that share features with the player, but ultimately the thinking is that having a single person to confide in is much easier than bringing your concerns to a whole table of strangers and gives a channel of communication to address worries or questions in a way that's accessible to a stranger at the table.
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Old 08-11-2020, 04:28 AM   #13
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

Thank you so much! These have all been such great responses! So supportive and inspiring!
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Old 08-11-2020, 04:40 PM   #14
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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What are ways that you all try to help players feel included, confident and comfortable when playing?
If a setting has inherent bias, warn players up front.
If the setting has mechanical overrides on player action (esp. Morale or Sanity rules), inform players ahead of time.

Let players know it's ok to play characters that are like or unlike themselves.

Avoid content that makes religion, sex, or gender relevant in play, unless players ask for it ahead of time. Same for real world politics and parental relationships.

Remind players that play or side discussion that makes others at the table uncomfortable is not appropriate.

Remind players that it's ok to say, "I'm not comfortable with this ___" where ___ is a topic, scene, or activity - both ahead of time and at the time. And both players at the table and characters in the setting.

When a scene is emotionally problematic for a player, they have several options...
... Ask for the scene to fade to black
... Not participate in the scene
... Take a break from the table to allow others who aren't bothered to continue.
... Stick it out and see if it pays off.
... one of the above, change their mind midway through.

If a player has an issue, they have the right to tell the GM, either at the table, or privately.
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Old 08-11-2020, 05:01 PM   #15
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

I think one thing that is important to remember is that not everything has to include everyone. It's okay for a group of friends to have subsets that occasionally do their own thing that the rest don't care to be a part of. If some of the group really likes science fiction and the others don't, the SF fans should never be made to feel guilty for pursuing that interest even if it means they are doing something some of their friends choose not to join them for.

A game which no one can fault is very likely one that no one will praise.
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Old 08-11-2020, 06:08 PM   #16
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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Avoid content that makes religion, sex, or gender relevant in play, unless players ask for it ahead of time. Same for real world politics and parental relationships.
That part I disagree with. I have run campaigns that have dealt with many of these issues. I do mention that they will do so in the prospectus, where I list possible campaigns, but I don't wait for players to ask. Those who don't want to deal with such content can vote for other campaigns.
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Old 08-11-2020, 06:31 PM   #17
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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That part I disagree with. I have run campaigns that have dealt with many of these issues. I do mention that they will do so in the prospectus, where I list possible campaigns, but I don't wait for players to ask. Those who don't want to deal with such content can vote for other campaigns.
I don't have a large enough player base to run anything that has any significant shoe-leather veto among them. To help with that, I like to build a bit of a must/can't list before building a set of campaign pitches.
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Old 08-11-2020, 06:51 PM   #18
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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I don't have a large enough player base to run anything that has any significant shoe-leather veto among them. To help with that, I like to build a bit of a must/can't list before building a set of campaign pitches.
It's no longer the case now that I'm in Lawrence, but when I was in San Diego, I had enough players to run as many as three parallel campaigns. What I did was to sort players out into campaigns they preferred.
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Old 08-12-2020, 12:29 AM   #19
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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That part I disagree with. I have run campaigns that have dealt with many of these issues. I do mention that they will do so in the prospectus, where I list possible campaigns, but I don't wait for players to ask. Those who don't want to deal with such content can vote for other campaigns.
I've dealt with various such issues as well... Participation in campaigns with prior theme disclosures really is a variation on asking for it.
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Old 08-12-2020, 07:36 AM   #20
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Default Re: Bringing Inclusivity into TTRPGs

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Remind players that it's ok to say, "I'm not comfortable with this ___" where ___ is a topic, scene, or activity - both ahead of time and at the time. And both players at the table and characters in the setting.
Next time I run a face-to-face game for strangers I'll have an X-card. I don't think my players will need to use it, but I'd rather go to the trouble and not need it than have a player made unhappy because it's not available.

Haven't yet found a good way to do this in a videoconference game though.
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