tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170674472098446028.post803838924024888884..comments2024-03-27T03:18:19.290-04:00Comments on Aeons & Augauries: Murder Hoboing as Reaction.JDJarvishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07691101939920824546noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170674472098446028.post-74187073485447562002015-08-23T12:13:43.493-04:002015-08-23T12:13:43.493-04:00"Murder hoboing" is the natural result o..."Murder hoboing" is the natural result of a poorly run game. You can tell the game is poorly run if you have an information vacuum, if the players are allowed to do whatever the crap they want without regard for rational consequences, if the only player agency is in the form of the "Kill it!" response, etc.<br /><br />That being said, I have to make a contrary claim: sometimes it's okay for the players to play the game as it was originally written. Sometimes the players enter a dungeon with the understanding that there will be no consequences for their actions beyond the immediate risk/reward mechanics of the game. And that's okay. That is a social contract that we should be careful about changing, lest we change the very nature of the game we play.Ozymandiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01065642299277380465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170674472098446028.post-13809548780894113302015-06-15T16:42:02.832-04:002015-06-15T16:42:02.832-04:00I think these are the primary roots:
1. The game ...I think these are the primary roots:<br /><br />1. The game world is fictional, and therefore there is no inherent ethical consideration for its inhabitants.<br /><br />2. Therefore, if there are no consequences for the PCs' actions (either short- or long-term), you've functionally eliminated all ethical consideration. A lot of GMs don't do consequences, or handle them poorly so that the players are experiencing inconsistent feedback/punishment (which has been shown to create behavioral chaos in animals and humans alike).<br /><br />3. The murder-hobo behavior is, in fact, rewarded in many games. So you can often end up with a consistent carrot (mechanical rewards) and an inconsistent stick (the GM failing to implement consequences). The result is predictable.<br /><br />4. Finally, in a lot of games the only sure mechanical solution to a problem is "kill it". This mechanical default is significant all by itself, but when you couple it with a GM who is trying to railroad the players, the players will often take control over their fate by pushing the mechanical button they can control.<br /><br />And what you're talking about ends up addressing a lot of these roots.Justin Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02227895898395353754noreply@blogger.com