Chickenshit

I'm going to try not to get all fire and brimstone-y on this one but the subject is one that really raises my hackles, so I hope you'll bear with me.

If there is one thing that I utterly despise, that fills me with detestation and loathing and drives me into paroxysm of incoherent wall-punching fury, it is when a player does things in-character that draws the ire of other players and then drops the character in an attempt to escape judgement. Or worse, punches out when he realizes that the hammer is coming down, only to turn up 4 weeks later, acting as if nothing had happened, and why is everyone so upset anyway?

As a player, I loathe you. As an ST, I loathe the narrative hole you've left in my game, and as a direct result I will likely, publicly, speculate on your parentage and your parents marital status and/or species. In addition, I will likely speculate about your particular sexual proclivities involving barnyard animals and old school G.I. Joes with Kung-Fu Grip.

It is utter, base, abject cowardice. And it should be called what it is. If you play in a game somewhere and you make few moves and realize that you have called down the whirlwind, then you should by god stand up and take your medicine. If you can't manage actual bravery in an online game, then you might be too cowardly to live in the real damn world. In fact, On more than one occasion, when leaving a game, I have offered to allow my character to be hunted by the Vigil characters rather than leave a narrative hole. Oddly, No storyteller has ever taken me up on this.

This happens a great deal less in Larps of of course, but it still does occur. And even players who OUGHT to know better, end up throwing a fool fit that makes the game seriously un-fun. I mean, you had to realize that your serial diablerie was going to be found out sooner or later. What did you think was going to happen NEXT?

Which would be better, to pull your character out of a game because you messed something up and you don't want to see him die, or to go out in some sky-lighting grand guignol affair that people end up talking about for years…I know which way I'd go.

OK....Breathing now....

In a more charitable vein. I get how people tend to get attached to their characters and how it’s hard to watch them die or lose. but if your character is never at risk, then you’re not really playing are you? You’re just half-assing a novel that you’ll never finish, mainly because sooner or later your going to run up against ME, or someone like me. Someone with their own attitudes and agendas. If you’re in the way, i’ll figure out a way to move you or remove you.

And you know what, It’s not personal.
I may or may not KNOW you in person.
It’s got NOTHING to do with you and me. 

To my way of thinking it’s got EVERYTHING to do with our characters. In almost all cases of conflict with other players I have no knowledge of you or what your deal is, and if you think i’m pissed at you because I don’t like your face or whatever, then you are VASTLY overestimating how much thought i’m giving to YOUR part in this conflict.

It’s gotten so bad, that I might make an enemy out of another character, but I wouldn’t want to make a Nemesis out of anyone who wasn’t a close friend.