Re: [HOE] Powergaming v. Roleplaying

[Michael Watson <mwatson1@bigpond.net.au>]

At 04:24 PM 19/02/02, you wrote:
>Hey,
>
>Some of you may know that I've been Marshallin' a Hell on Earth campaign at my
>university's RPG club since late September '01.
>
>Last week, it took a turn for the worse, and after a week or so [we didn't 
>have
>a game tonight for many reasons], I thaught I'd ask my question here:
>
>Half the group has become very powerful and the other half is very into
>roleplaying. Last Monday, the roleplayers {all of whom are good friends of 
>mine
>outside the game, too} more or less decided to quit; they felt overrun by the
>more powerful players. And, to an extent, they're right... the others did 
>steal
>the show a few times.
>
>Anyway, I'm not sure what to do. I've got half my group - and they're really
>powerful. One of them even admitted that the characters shouldn't be this
>powerful, but they abused the system {somewhat. I'm also a good bit at 
>fault as
>Marshall, as I let them do this}.
>
>What should I do? An easy answer is "show them that you can abuse the system
>better than they can". And I can't.
>
>As far as point in story: they're currently making an armored assault on
>Denver. I need to get a copy of the book, but one of the _players_ is the only
>perosn in the group with a copy {I've borrowed it before, I'm tempted to
>reborrow it and look through and keep throwing things at them 'til they 
>run out
>of ammo and/or die}...
>
>... and, naturally, I prefer to play in a roleplaying game than a rollplaying
>game.

What are we talking here? Massive damage is the best way to bleed 
characters of chips, I really dont know if you can make characters that can 
take too much of it. Headshots can get very nasty also. Especially with 
shotguns. Radiation can kill, and its invisible. Have something haunt their 
dreams perhaps? Something that they cant fight physically. Or allow them 
to, but switch their physical and mental traits around.

Hope this might help somewhat. I'll think about some other options, less 
combatty ones.

- michael


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