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Sling
2008-07-27, 06:36 PM
Okay. Not sure if this is the best place to post it, but I guess Storyteller counts as a general RPG.

Due to my friends being martial arts fanatics, I picked up a long-since out of print Street Fighter RPG made by White Wolf. After a few weeks of preparation, we finally began last night.

It started off simply enough, in a tournament to find the next Street Fighter. My guy got knocked out in the first match, and had to spend the rest of the event in the infirmary, watching the fights through a big screen. Bit of a bummer, yes, but someone had to lose. Plus, when the fighting was over, I could use this setback to flesh out my character in roleplaying.

Two hours pass and the PCs have all fought. Time for the people who have been on the sidelines to see some action again, right?

Well, then the canon characters from the games all started fighting each other, and before we could do anything, M. Bison set off a bomb that leveled part of Tokyo. (By the way, I should also note that the Storyteller explained how everyone else escaped certain death but me, who he just quickly said that I was fine and teleported me to the next scene).

We wind up at another hospital where Ryu, Ken, and the other good guys give us a choice: either train to combat this new threat, or go home and risk being killed horribly. Needless to say, rather then give the illusion of free choice, our fate had kinda already been chosen.

After both a plane ride and a car ride (neither of which were spent actually roleplaying or fighting, just listening to the Storryteller humorously narrate the experience), we arrive in America where Guile personally sends us through boot camp.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, that sequence was two hours long. During that time, I did not get to utter a single line of dialog, or do a single action that wasn't immediately met with failure. We rolled no dice. We fought no one. We just sat through a Hideo Kojima lengthed cutscene.

I should also note that this whole thing feels out of character to me. My character is a kickboxer from the city who just joined the tournament to prove he was tough enough to. Now he's doing push ups while dodging Sonic Booms to fight someone he never was even aware he wanted to fight.

Eventually, I got tired of this blatant railroading. I mean, if the game's playing so well by itself, it certainly doesn't need me. So, much to the irritation of the other players, I left the game. Now, they're mad at me for being so whiny, and now I have to play another round of this so they'd leave me alone.

What should I do? Talk to the Storyteller and tell him that I don't like how he's handling this, and make an even bigger scene then I did last night? Do I have my character forcefully leave the camp and go off for his own adventures and risk being kicked out? Do I just refuse to play altogether and confirm that my months of excitement were for a lie? Should I just offer to be Storyteller next time (something we agreed we'd take turns on), a role I've never taken before and risk driving the whole thing into the ground with a shift in tone? Or, am I just being a sore player and I should enjoy this ride along the Street Fighter railroad and take comfort in the fact that no free will makes things easier?

What do you all think?

erikun
2008-07-27, 06:48 PM
Tell the other people in the group that if they enjoy watching the RP that much, they really shouldn't be whining at you about it. Also, explain that you don't want to sit through another 2 hours of listening to the Storyteller narrate what happens.

I'm sure the Storyteller has planned a rather long an in-depth storyline, but that is probably because he things that a basic Street-Fight brawl would bore everyone. And unfortunately, he's probably right. Would you prefer fighting again, losing again, and sitting on the sidelines for another X fights next session?

However, if you're going back, let the Storyteller know that you'd like for your character to do something. Not just sit at base and grind for skill points (let's face it, that is EXACTLY what you're doing right now). Let him know that you want to pick a fight with the locals, hit on the barmaids, uncover a Shadoloo spy, ANYTHING other than just ducking Sonic Booms for another full session. And if it was your first session, try not to assume too much. Perhaps it was just a one time, introductory railroad. Give it a second shot, and see how things turn out. Start complaining if you're still on the same track.

Jayngfet
2008-07-27, 06:51 PM
Two hours of nothing? Wow, that's gotta be tough, try to spar with another player, at least they you can roll some dice.

holywhippet
2008-07-27, 07:11 PM
The main point of playing RPGs is to have fun. If you aren't having fun, the DM is wasting your time. Tell them the problem you have with the campaign so far and let them worry about it. Give them one more chance, if they fail to deliver or act pissy because you left before then tell them "You had your chance" and just walk away.

Jade_Tarem
2008-07-27, 07:16 PM
Show them (your friends) this message from me:

No one is obligated to sit through two hours of expository narraration. Especially in a game about Street Fighter. Either fix the campaign or quit badgering Sling. So there. :smallyuk:

Raum
2008-07-27, 08:48 PM
Eventually, I got tired of this blatant railroading. I mean, if the game's playing so well by itself, it certainly doesn't need me. So, much to the irritation of the other players, I left the game. Now, they're mad at me for being so whiny, and now I have to play another round of this so they'd leave me alone.If you left discourteously you may well owe them an apology. That's up to you. If you were courteous when you left I'd just tell them the game wasn't for you. Don't explain unless they ask specific questions.

Whatever else you do, don't play the next session unless you're certain you'll have fun. Showing up and sitting through a game with a bad attitude is worse than not showing up at all.

Out of curiosity, are all this GM's sessions run on rails? If not, he may just be getting used to a new system.

EndlessWrath
2008-07-27, 09:18 PM
A game's not worth playing if you don't enjoy playing it... I still think you should let the last meeting (and the other players whining) drop and give it a second go... if its not your thing, tell them its not your thing and get off... if it has a chance to be..stay on.

also....

If you choose to stay with the game... i would talk to the DM asap about why you didn't like the last meeting. Don't make him be defensive and don't blame him or be accusatory. Just explain that you're tired of being a side character and not being able to do anything but train train train (this oddly sounds like a show i once knew... something with kamehameha and blond hair...) anyways... I'm gonna skip my dbz rant...for your sake.

Talk to the DM and explain calmly but firmly what you don't like about the game. Explain RPGs are meant for the players to do stuff...not watch movie-style cut scenes.