Trust and the Boink moment

[Itse]

Actually, what I wanted to say was that commitment varies greatly (in RPG's like in every hobby) but a lot of people out there just don't get it that rpg's can also be taken very seriously, especially not by level-headed adults. If you say you got a band which practises twice a week and you make sure everyone is present, people find this to be quite normal. If you say "I play RPG's twice a week, everyone must be present at every session and do their best", many people will look at you weird; some of those people being other roleplayers.

That's the thing. Many people still don't recognize roleplaying as a serious hobby, and because of that they just can't their heads around the fact that yes, you have to be present every time, yes it's important that you're on time and that you do your best and that no bullshit allowed is an actual rule. If people consider joining a band, they very often start by asking "how often do you train". Many still don't consider the "level of involvement -issue" when joining a campaign. The process of getting roleplaying recognized as worthwhile hobby is still unfinished, even if I do feel that we are pretty close. While waiting, this is just one of those things.

Also, I believe that at an adult age many roleplayers tend to get more serious about their hobby, when instead many people in bands or doing sports get less serious. I believe this is one reason for misguided expectations and the reason why so many people go "boink" the first time they get it that a roleplaying session isn't necessarily a social event.

Noon:

...perhaps trust is important just a little too much.

Yes. Not all GM's can create that feeling of trust in the playgroup, and many people are just generally not good at trusting people. Some level of trust is always required, but it's good to have some rules and guidelines to help.

[Callan S.]

Or that it isn't the authors job to tell you how to arrange your friends... which may be a fair point. No-one writing a "play the guitar my way" book writes about how to get all of the band to turn up to practice. But they often mention playing in a band somewhere...

Ah well. Another section for the introduction to roleplaying.

Perhaps authors should dare to presume more, just like they can be presumptuous and not put a combat section in an RPG which isn't about combat. But then most fail to be presumptious that way.

After all, an RPG expects several people to be there. A manual teaching you how to play guitar doesn't expect anyone else but you there (hell, you were to cheap to even have a guitar instructor there! ;) )

After all, if a book asks for resources, it should help you with any difficulties you might have in finding them and managing them. People are resources.

[pete_darby]

Yeah, "author's job" should have been in inverted commas: the creation of a funcitonal game group really should merit more attention, especially in supposedly "beginners" games.

Not having a copy of "the most popular  RPG in the world," i can't check what it says there... Is it time for a new thread on explicit Social contract information in RPG texts?