Recently our group began a new game. A few players decided to secretly make their characters as comedic references to characters from a sitcom. This plays out as repeated catch phrases and mannerisms. It seems to be in conflict with the tone of Star Wars as a whole. My question is, how do you all deal with players insistent on playing against the game's tone? A joke here and there seems fine to break the tension (gallows' humor and whatnot) but when every choice and dialog seems to be to get a laugh, it takes me out of the experience.

Talk to them. Tell them you arent having fun and why. That is the only fix. You need to have an adult conversation with them.

What Daeglan said (seriously. Talk to them), but also maybe you need to be willing to adapt the tone of your game. Perhaps they don't want to play a super serious game and just want to goof off. This is something I've struggled with in life in general, but sometimes you've just go to exhale and go with the flow, letting go of how you wanted it to happen.

I'm not saying that that is how you should play, but if most of the others just want to goof off a little, maybe that is what works for your group. Then you've got to decide whether you are able to GM that. If you aren't, you should either tell them that and step aside, maybe making your own character and joining in on the joke, or let them know that you can't GM that, so it's just not going to work to play that way.

Best case scenario, everyone is happy either playing jokingly or playing seriously. Worst case scenario, you may have to change how you GM or step aside.

Personally, I prefer a more serious tone. If those players have played more serious games with you in the past, perhaps they just want to shake things up a bit. I'm more of the camp that the GM should try to accommodate the players (within reason), and I'm saying this as someone who primarily GMs. I'm also of the camp that players should try to accommodate their GM. That sounds like a contradiction, but it really isn't. Both should try to work alongside the other to foster a game that works for everyone.

All of that said, I'm not saying you're in the wrong, I'm just trying to offer a different perspective. Talk to them and see if you can work something out.

2 hours ago, Haleron said:

Recently our group began a new game. A few players decided to secretly make their characters as comedic references to characters from a sitcom. This plays out as repeated catch phrases and mannerisms. It seems to be in conflict with the tone of Star Wars as a whole. My question is, how do you all deal with players insistent on playing against the game's tone? A joke here and there seems fine to break the tension (gallows' humor and whatnot) but when every choice and dialog seems to be to get a laugh, it takes me out of the experience.

Like Daeglan said, the best thing to do is sit down with those players (preferably away from the table and most certainly NOT on the day/night of the game itself), and have an open conversation with them.

Make it clear that while they may find such antics to be fun, it's ruining the fun for you as the GM given how frequently it's breaking the mode that you as the GM are aiming for, and ask if they can dial it back. As you said, the occasional bit of humor is fine (the films add sprinklings of humor throughout their runtime), but you didn't sign up to be the GM for a low-budget sitcom. If they refuse to relent and insist that you "get over it," then politely inform that you're ending the campaign as their antics have made it so that being the GM is no longer fun for you. Too many players just assume the GM will roll with whatever they bring to the table, be it in terms of mechanical builds or character personalities, and overlook that the GM is also a player and is there to have fun, having just as much right to enjoy themselves as everyone else in the group.

I am curious at just how much of the group comprises these players. If it's only a couple of them, see how the rest of the group feels. If the majority of the players are also getting annoyed at their antics, mention it to the comedic players that the rest of the group has come to find their antics anywhere from distracting to out-and-out annoying, and that if they persist they may well be asked to find a different Star Wars game to play in. However, if the majority of the group are either these specific players or are otherwise onboard with their antics, you may simply have to swallow the bitter pill that you'll need to step down as GM, since their antics are ruining your fun.

It's important to talk to your players before you even start the campaign to know what kind of game they want to play as well.

Some might want a lot of combat, others might hate role playing in character. Others will want it dark and gritty, others less so.

Everyone should get their expectations out there.

9 hours ago, StriderZessei said:

It's important to talk to your players before you even start the campaign to know what kind of game they want to play as well.

Some might want a lot of combat, others might hate role playing in character. Others will want it dark and gritty, others less so.

Everyone should get their expectations out there.

The benefits of a session zero can't be understated.

At least that way, if one or more player suddenly decides to take a left turn, such as bringing a brooding grimdark vigilante to what was previously agreed upon to be a four-color supers game, the player can't claim to be surprised when the rest of the group calls him out on going against the grain and causing friction simply for his own amusement.

On 12/26/2019 at 12:37 PM, Haleron said:

It seems to be in conflict with the tone of Star Wars as a whole.

It doesn't come into conflict with the tone of Star Wars, as Star Wars has always been goofy, and silly, and comical. It's why so many of the characters in all the variations are nothing but comic relief characters. It's why in both Empire and Attack of the Clones, R2 and 3PO both spent their entire involvement with epic battles, bumbling around in literal pieces, making jokes and quips at each other. "I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me." *R2 chirps* "Of course I've looked better!!" *R2 giggle chirps* And in AotC, where 3PO's head is being tossed around like a ball, getting stuck on random droid bodies and causing him to yell out "Die Jedi Scum!! Whut...what did I say?!" Jar Jar Binks blundering his way through a war like some Avatar of the 3 Stooges, taking out enemy tanks in the process.

Star Wars is overflowing with goofy comedy stuff. So, the two players are not "out of theme/tone" in my opinion, not of the franchise as a whole. Now, out of tone for your gaming table , is a different matter. If you are trying to do an Edgy Edgelord Grimdark Sith campaign, and they are playing Jay and Silent Bob, then yeah, that's a bit odd. But if you are just doing a standard SW theme story, 2 goofballs bumbling around while the more capable PC's get stuff done, is entirely fitting.

If it's really a big issue for you, you have 2 options:

1. As others have stated above, just talk to them about it. Express your concerns, and see if you can all come to a mature resolution that is satisfactory for everyone.

2. Lighten up. I'm not saying that as a criticism of you, I mean it literally. Lighten up the tone of the game a bit. Try to have more fun with it, allow for more comical results to actions taken by the party, the 2 goofballs in particular.