Anybody play with some people that drive them nuts? My Friday group is great, which consists of 5 of us normally and 2-3 others that play now and then. But I also have a Wednesday group that I think just played their final Wednesday game last night. I can't handle it anymore. Only 1 player is also a Friday player, so he is fine, but the other 3 play as if they don't really want to. They want to watch TV while playing, they're constantly talking about anything other than the game (videogames usually), and I have to read everything twice because they don't pay attention the first time. I'm not against socializing, but they're the ones getting angry at things happening to their players because they're not paying attention to skill penalties from cards and events. And then they complain when the game goes too late into the night. Well if we didn't have to repeat everything twice, we would have been done an hour sooner.

It's a shame, because I've known these people for over a decade, and I have no problem hanging out with them any other time, but they just aren't cut out to play a game like this. They just don't have the attention span for it. They get so excited to play the game, until it comes time to actually play, when they seem to want to do anything but.

So it's caused me to go onto Craigslist and some Facebook board gaming groups in my area to try to recruit some new players. Hopefully I'll get some takers. I still have the Friday group, but I need me some more Arkham Horror than that.

Just to get some discussion going, anyone else have any bad players you want to rant about? Any nightmare stories to share?

I have a friend whom I've told that she can't play certain games with us anymore.

She wants to play, in fact, she's excited, she'll state, "Oh, I LOVE that game!"

So we start playing. About 15 minutes in she's say, "I HATE this game!" and then play with my cat, so when it's her turn, we have to convince her to focus and pay attention. Then she'll ask what she should do, and I'll tell her, and she gets mad at me because she thinks I'm trying to control the game and that she's not actually playing.

95+% of my games are solo, so, umm, no ?

I am like Dam cause most of my games are solo. This is mainly cause all my friends don't want to spend the time setting up or playing a board game for 2+ hours that has a lot of rules. They like monopoly though, which can take longer and is boaring after awhile.

Innsmouth13 said:

After a while?

I had an issue with this in a group that played Pen & Paper RPGs a couple of the players were exactly like Doom Turtle described, to a couple of us formed a different group and don't play those games with them anymore. Funny thing is they are fine playing Arkham Horror.

Dam said:

I'm glad there was a question mark to indicate the occasions you attempted to strangle yourself ;'D

Personally I'm in similar circumstances. But my number one pet peeve is players who waste most of their resources to fulfill their personal stories for a lousy effect. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU JUST SPENT FIFTEEN DOLLARS TO PASS YOUR PERSONAL STORY— YOU JUST TOOK OUT A BANK LOAN TO GET IT! AND YOUR CHARACTER HAS NO USEFUL ITEMS!" Is how I'd usually want to say it, but instead I hold my occasionally diplomatic tongue as my ulcer just grows and grows and grows ;')

I have a problem with a person in my gaming group. Almost everytime we play, she chooses an investigator and decides that that investigator *has* to be something. For example, Marie *has* to be a spellcaster. And maybe Marie receives skills and tons of useful stuff for doing anything but not casting spells. Nevertheless, this person still pretends her to be a spellcaster, and so instead of playing with the party, she plays the most insane way for obtaining what she thinks she really needs. I can still remember the last time we played together, last sunday: she had only one spell for the whole game - summon monster. With 3 sanity and 1 stamina left she pretended to cast it even with no weapons to fight, because *she had a spell and had to use it".
Or... "we need money. I'll go to the Newspaper, searching for a rental". "Please no! we have four gate sealed, two to go, Atlach Nacha is about to awaken - or destroy our work - we have Norman in the Dreamlands but we still need another character to enter Leng at Unvisited Isle to close and seal the sixth and none is able to go there but you". "I still think we need money"... ::shock::

Julia said:

::Laughter:: it's funny because it's not happening to me (that sort of playing would drive be berserk). Seriously though, it sounds like that friend would be better off playing a roleplaying game, not a strategy board game with heavy thematic elements.

Actually Julia—your friend might be making glaringly insane choices, but she's doing a good job of "getting into character." The less common way to play Arkham Horror is to do what you think your character would do, rather than what s/he can do, but there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

After all, it's not the mechanics that keep me coming back to the game, it's the theme. Someone who gets into the role-playing spirit is a-ok with me.

On the other hand, playing with someone like Doom Turtle described would depress me. I hate having to re-read an encounter because someone wasn't paying attention. I think next time I'll just make them choose without reading it again, being deliberately vague:

"So, do you open it?"

"Uhhh....?"

Generally speaking, a RPG-like behaviour is ok even for me (the reasons why we're still playing together and having every time a great fun). I simply think that sometimes you should consider carefully some actions, relating them to the contest you are (it's not a good roleplaying idea going shopping when the world will probably end in a couple of rounds) ::laughing::

Anyway, some years ago I used to play a Rolemaster campaign with a couple of players like the one described by DoomTurtle. One girl in particular, spended almost all her time knitting and asking over and over the same questions because she didn't listen to what I was saying ::laughing (again)::

Game playing would be great if it weren't for the friends! I kid, mostly, but the ideal situation for me would be to clone a few copies of myself. It's just the worst if people aren't paying attention, or just go through the motions while their mind is set on something else, because it pretty much takes everyone out of the whole game. It becomes less a story of adventure, and more a game of just rolling dice for the sake of rolling dice.

It's funny you mention the personal stories though, our Friday night group has used them a few times, and I don't think we've won a game yet with them. We are always trying to fulfill them, and the next thing we know, too many gates have opened. But I think its just because they were new to us, and we got to get back to basics and focus on the main job at hand.

Oh well, I'm just happy people are playing. And if I can find more willing players, I can slowly weed out the "unwilling" players.

DoomTurtle said:

We cultists always has a tough time finding virgin players to sacrafice to the AO's.

Innsmouth13 said:

Ah but what is your success rate in hooking them? I've only introduced about 6 or so players to the game but every single one comes back for more.

DoomTurtle said:

My regular group is pretty good about not doing this, but there are certainly nights when some or all of us just can't seem to keep focused. I don't know how often you see these guys outside of your Wednesday night game, but maybe spending a few weeks just hanging out would help. If they insist on "playing Arkham Horror" and watching TV at the same time, perhaps suggest one week that you just watch a movie thematically linked to AH. Something about monsters and insanity, whatever. Basically, let your friends hang out for a bit and see if they can refocus on the game after a couple weeks of not playing. Everybody needs a break sometimes.

When we run RPGs we usually set aside an hour or so at the start of evening to chat and socialize, then we stop all that and get to the game. Again, there are some nights we just can't stay focused, but most of the time it helps to vent our distractions up front before playing. I would be very annoyed at someone wanting to watch TV while playing a game, probably to the point where I would just stop and ask if people would rather watch TV. I would not allow both to continue because I agree it's very irritating when people insist they can do two things at once when they totally can't.

Julia said:

I have a problem with a person in my gaming group. Almost everytime we play, she chooses an investigator and decides that that investigator *has* to be something. For example, Marie *has* to be a spellcaster. And maybe Marie receives skills and tons of useful stuff for doing anything but casting spells.

I don't think a player like this would annoy me too much, unless her antics routinely caused us to lose the game. If that were the case (especially if we're picking investigators in a non-random fashion) I would be inclined to ask her what type of character she wants to play and help her pick one that's at least half-decent in that role before we began. It doesn't sound like your friend is deliberately making bad choices to ruin things, her brain just seems to connect the dots in a different pattern. =)

I can't really complain about any of the people I game with. Sometimes we have our outs, but that's friendship for you. Most of the time we're able to resolve our differences with a short chat about what each of us is thinking and find some kind of compromise.

Julia said:

Well... To be fair, some people really like shopping and find it stress relieving, and when better to go shopping than when there's a %50 off End of the World sale?

DoomTurtle said:

With death I hope ;') or at least mace.

I think this thread is triggering PTSD, I'm trembling from all the stories of bad Arkham players ;')

We have a player who's sort of our own personal herald. Instead of being a team player, he gets some random idea in his head and acts on it. He's a horrible strategist, but at least he makes the game more interesting. It's like, "Wow, we've never lost *that* way before. Thanks Nate!"

He really shines in RPGs

Nate: "I'm going to see what happens if I stick my finger in there"

The rest of us, in unison: "No!!!"

GM: "Too late"

I would probably freak out at Avi if we ever played together. I'd be all like: "Gates, get Clues, seal Gates!"

Avi: "Shopping, shopping, then maybe some gates."

I have recently had a bad experience with a gaming group. I was looking for like minded board gamers and discovered a local group that gets together once a month. The first fear I had walking in was to be surrounded by what I term, "Wargamers". Let me define. What I consider to be a "Wargamer" is a stereotypical wargamer who treats the playfield with a holy reverance and is quick to discipline any who despoil the sacred grounds with actions that go against their stringent code of conduct. They often play like their units or tokens are real people and generally suck all of the fun out of a social gaming experience.

As fate would have it, most of the people at this gathering were "wargamers". I was invited to watch a miniatures game and watched as when one player spoke up, the GM snapped "No talking at the F'n table until your turn is finished". This is why I enjoy board games and not RPG's and I quickly got up and left the meetup.

THESE are the kind of players that drive me nuts.

Most anoing player ever was dude who bought two twohanded magic swords in curiosity shop and then someone asked to give him one he said "How much are you going to pay me for it?" That was total game stoper. Player who has his own copy of Arkham, played, played with me 4 times ( He himself asked me to bring MY copy) and still haven't read the rules stands close second best. (well he also spent half of last game lost in time in space, and was devoured before final battle for that by jumping into same gate 3 times in a row without any preparation).

Dam said:

::Rolls eyes:: clearly you've never played a game with me because then you'd know it'd be "Shopping, shopping, Fire of Ashurbanipal, then maybe some gates."

Um, but seriously, I don't have *everyone* shop, I send one or two investigators to deal with gates.

Redblock said:

Was this person named Dam by any chance? ;'D

Wrong continent, but I see you get the point

Redblock said:

Wow. Sounds almost like you played with our group. At our shop, we have a group of regulars who get together and play games all the time, and Arkham gets played ona very regular basis. But we also have other players who stop in here and there and join in games. The annoying ones are the ones who don't cooperate (like Mr. Swords above) with the other team members. We had a player who played Wilson Richards in the first league who would constantly use his ability to get $1 instead of having encounters. Any encounters. He did this for nearly two full sessions before we told him if he didn't actually play the game with us he didn't need to bother showing up next week. And some players just always seem to act contrary to the game tht is being played like the person who goes to the newspaper to attempt to get a retainer when we have plenty of money, instead of focusing on the immediate threats.

Of course, we play Arkham for the storytelling aspect and don't usually get into the nitty-gritty meta-gaming unless things are totally going against us. AH fills that rpg niche that we all have (and rarely get to encounter).

I have a player who always plays a kill-the-monsters character. Now, don't get me wrong, there is a place for monster-whacking, but often it's just as important to dive down a gate with five clues and get a seals on the board. Furthermore, if everyone devotes themselves purely to monster clobbering, you will lose as a team.

Don't bother looking for decent Allies - once he has the trophies, he'll nip off to Ma's and grab The Messenger, even when Professor Rice would be more effective by refreshing all the clues on the boards. If you're sitting downstream from him on one Stamina and he has a healthy character who can either fight a Cthonian or a Migo, he'll go for that treasure-on-a-stick every time, even though the Cthonian will kill if it moves. Need a weapon, in case you jumped by something nasty in the Outer Worlds. Forget it, he needs that Magic Sword, that .38 and that .45! Does your rumour call for some kind of sacrifice. Well I hope you've got the materials to do so, cos he's never going to. Cursed and hanging around a Ry'leh gate with an Explored Token hoping you roll a six so you can trade in your five clues before the inevitable monster surge. Don't expect him to burn his precious trophies praying for your soul.

No monsters in town. Fine, he'll camp out the Newspaper for a Retainer, so he can buy more gear for himself. If he does get five Clues, he'll happily burn those on a small chance to win a Common Item before he ever thinks about diving down a gate to seal it. If he does dive down a gate, it's usually because he wants the gate trophy to grab an Ally, bless himself or become the Deputy, not because he wants to seal it and win the game.

Need a coordinated effort to win the game by seals before the Doom Track runs out. He'll be the one preparing for the final battle. It doesn't matter if there is a character that calls for a different playstyle, if he can't chop up monsters, he doesn't want to play that character and will hapilly suicide them so he can get a Joe or a Tommy or a Hank. In short, in a team game, he's not a team-player. He always take actions which improves his "Hero", regardless of the cost to the rest of the team.