Quote from: Tod13;923495I'm also factoring in the fact they've never responded.

There's the possibility that he just got scared by the backlash, the remote option that he went to read on improv in order to enhance his playstyle, or the possibility of it being a troll job. Any of these would be enough to explain the silence, but there's more than one option.

Quote from: Omega;923503Though I wonder what the reaction would have been had the OP said they were a girl and the GM was a guy.

Odds are half the posters calling troll would have instead been backing her in her battle against the vile railroading DM.

None of my reactions would have changed, except for switching the genders, although I said already that it doesn't matter to me whether he intended to troll people.

Quote from: Omega;923503Though I wonder what the reaction would have been had the OP said they were a girl and the GM was a guy.

Odds are half the posters calling troll would have instead been backing her in her battle against the vile railroading DM.

I think you may be overestimating that a bit

Quote from: AsenRG;923453I don't know how deep are the problems you're perceiving:).

Well, the purest indication to me that it's a troll is how much it seems specifically crafted to throw up red flags. Starts with intense juvenile homophobia, of the kind I'd attribute to someone who hasn't progressed emotionally beyond the age of 13, which draws doubt into the likelihood of a girlfriend existing (though some girls do have low enough self esteem to put up with that kinda crap at a young age). The specific mention of making an OOC choice on a forum notable for being heavily populated by the immersionist camp.  The specific calling attention to the game being rules lite on a board also generally swayed against high crunch games like D&D 4th edition (without actually mentioning the system itself). And the completely exaggerated antagonism towards a hypothetical first time GM who the person is supposedly in a close relationship with. Also the nature of the scenario itself which could, other factors ignored, be the amateurish scenario of a first time GM trying to create "hooks", but in context seems wildly unfocused serving more than anything just to illustrate and highlight the douchebaggery of the player at every turn.

To even engage it as anything besides a trolling attempt seems mildly pointless, but to go there....if someone I knew in real life came to me and told me this story, that wouldn't just be an indication I'd never want to roleplay with this person, I'd probably end the friendship. This is the story of someone who is so lacking in maturity that they either are an adolescent (hence my comment about it taking several years for them to grow out of it), or they are an emotionally stunted manchild (in which case they're unlikely to ever grow out of it).

QuoteAnd I don't need more players than already live with me, so "desperate for players" is about as far from true as it could be. It's a matter of principle to me to not push people away, unless I perceive them as truly hopeless cases.
Well, or unless we get into a personal conflict, but in that case, they just don't count;).

I'd alternatively be tempted to reach out to the GF and offer to include her in some real games, because when it comes to valuing new people in the hobby, the OP seems like exactly the sort of person that could ruin the hobby for a new person and keep them away from it. I'm not a huge proponent of inclusivity, there are lots of people I think the hobby would be better off without.

Frankly if they are not a troll the best way to disprove us is to keep posting.

Quote from: kosmos1214;923522Frankly if they are not a troll the best way to disprove us is to keep posting.

Yeah, if there was any shred of doubt, the lack of further posts cemented it.

Thank you to all of you who were willing to engage with me and give constructive advice, even if you did suspect me of being a troll.  Skywalker, Omega, mAcular Chaotic, robiswrong, thank you for your advice.  Edgewise and AsenRPG especially, thank you.

Sniderman, yes, I realize I handled that wrong.  If this entire thread is any indication, I handled the entire situation wrong.

Ratman_tf, thanks for that.  Made me laugh.  

AsenRP, Edgeless, and Headless: thank you for sticking up for me (or at least giving me the benefit of the doubt).  You were right; the biggest reason I didn't respond was because of the backlash.  I hadn't planned to respond, but then my silence was being used as evidence that I was a troll, so... I guess I felt like I had to prove to random people online that I'm not a troll?  I probably didn't think that one through very well.

Going forward, I'm going to work on treating the game as a collaborative work.  "Yes, and" instead of "no, because".  

Thank you again to those of you who gave me the benefit of the doubt.

-abcd_z

Quote from: TristramEvans;923518I think you may be overestimating that a bit

Considering some of the past rabid reactions of members here to even the hint of railroading and storyganing?

Quote from: kosmos1214;923522Frankly if they are not a troll the best way to disprove us is to keep posting.

Indeed.

I'd like to hear what happened after or the OPs reasons for being so against that style of play.

Quote from: abcd_z;923538Thank you to all of you who were willing to engage with me and give constructive advice, even if you did suspect me of being a troll.  Skywalker, Omega, mAcular Chaotic, robiswrong, thank you for your advice.  Edgewise and AsenRPG especially, thank you.

Sniderman, yes, I realize I handled that wrong.  If this entire thread is any indication, I handled the entire situation wrong.

Ratman_tf, thanks for that.  Made me laugh.  

AsenRP, Edgeless, and Headless: thank you for sticking up for me (or at least giving me the benefit of the doubt).  You were right; the biggest reason I didn't respond was because of the backlash.  I hadn't planned to respond, but then my silence was being used as evidence that I was a troll, so... I guess I felt like I had to prove to random people online that I'm not a troll?  I probably didn't think that one through very well.

Going forward, I'm going to work on treating the game as a collaborative work.  "Yes, and" instead of "no, because".  

Thank you again to those of you who gave me the benefit of the doubt.

-abcd_z

Welcome to RPGsite. Here is your complimentary WWII trench helmet for surviving the shelling. :cool:

Quote from: abcd_z;923538Going forward, I'm going to work on treating the game as a collaborative work.  "Yes, and" instead of "no, because".

Rofl, nicely played.

Quote from: Omega;923540Indeed.

I'd like to hear what happened after or the OPs reasons for being so against that style of play.

Immediately afterwards, nothing.  We hung out and eventually went to bed.  Later I did some online searches to figure out what went wrong, and came to the conclusion that my character just didn't have any explicit motivation, and that *that* could be remedied by fleshing out the world and connecting my character to the world through his backstory.

It's not entirely wrong, but neither is it the root of the problem.  If I don't engage with the GM, the backstory and motivations could just as easily be turned into, "my character wouldn't do that, and here's why."  Obviously not the best outcome.

As for why I was so against her plot hooks?  I'm not entirely certain.  I could give you a few guesses, but that's all they'd be; guesses.  Maybe I was passive-aggressively indicating that I didn't like her plot hooks.  Maybe I've been the GM for so long that I've picked up some bad habits as a player.  Maybe I'm afraid of becoming emotionally vulnerable, so I have to keep my character safe no matter what happens. (Don't laugh; I've had some messed up stuff happen in my past.)

Quote from: abcd_z;923547As for why I was so against her plot hooks?  I'm not entirely certain.  I could give you a few guesses, but that's all they'd be; guesses.  Maybe I was passive-aggressively indicating that I didn't like her plot hooks.  Maybe I've been the GM for so long that I've picked up some bad habits as a player.  Maybe I'm afraid of becoming emotionally vulnerable, so I have to keep my character safe no matter what happens. (Don't laugh; I've had some messed up stuff happen in my past.)

As a player I've had quite a few instances where plot hooks just didnt appeal to me and I didnt bite. Thats fairly common. But usually its just one of many hooks and I know to move forward Im going to have to take one or bite the bullet and essentially forge off into the unknown and hope the DM doesnt fold.

Could be the lack of alternatives was a problem. One hook isnt a hook really since theres nothing else to get caught on.

"The town sheriff wants to talk to you...now..." er... and? Thats all? Nothing else? Depending on my character I'll likely follow that lead just to see whats up. Curiosity is my bane I know.

Id rather see
- the town sheriff wants to talk to me, and theres a rumour that strange lights were seen over old man Pearsons farm, and Nora has some hysterical tale of a worm monster eating her dog. -

Quote from: abcd_z;923538Going forward, I'm going to work on treating the game as a collaborative work.  "Yes, and" instead of "no, because".  

Quote from: Omega;923539Considering some of the past rabid reactions of members here to even the hint of railroading and storyganing?

OK, I can see that PoV, I just don't see it from a gender bias. OTOH, if the GM was a guy and he kept wanting a girl player to "ride the worm" I might regard that a bit differently...

Quote from: Headless;923335Of course he's not back.  He asked for help and he got three pages telling him he sucks a role playing.  With a couple of 'you're a bad person' and 'why are you such a dick to someone tring to spend time with you' thrown in for good measure.

You guys are ass holes to people who come here asking for help.  And it seams you are just about as clueless as the OP about what you are doing wrong.

Total exaggeration. There have been plenty of posts here where people are sincerely seeking advice, comments, opinions or reviews and "the site abides". We're just smart enough to smell a troll when we read one. Or see a troll when we smell one. Or, you get what I'm saying. Just because I don't hug every person at the door does NOT mean I'm an asshole. When I admonish you or belittle you for having the apparent IQ of a brick THEN I'm being an asshole. I'm perfectly aware of when I'm being an asshole thank you very much and I will NOT spare the rod. I've noticed not too many of the posters here spare the rod either, so I'm obviously in good company. "Boo Hoo - you're all mean - Boo Hoo" is a lame argument.