Annoying player in my group?

[MuscaDomestica]

I posted this in another thread, think it should be in its own, didn't seem to be the right place. A player in my group that I game with has a problem. The player is somewhat annoying he hates the combat system in HERO so he makes a combat monster that ends combats very quickly. The GM doesn't pay attention so the 10d6 killing attack ended up going through which makes almost all combats quick and uninteresting. It is strange because not in combat he usually does the exact opposite of what the party does. Thankfully, this usually makes some interesting plot points but it is getting very old. (and it doesn’t help that he plays in every game with similar characters) Any tips that I should tell the GM to deal with him?

[Mightybec]

You could always beat the character senseless and remove the 10d6 KA. :D

Mightybec

[lemming]

Originally posted by Mightybec
You could always beet the character senseless and remove the 10d6 KA. :D

I'd use a rutabega myself.

I think the GM needs to have a talk with the player. If it's making the game unfun for everyone else, then something should be done.

[winterhawk]

Let me ask this, does the GM seem annoyed with the player as well? If he does, he may just be waiting for another player to come forward and say something. He may have realized his mistake.

On the other hand, is the annoying player the GMs best friend or relative? This may be a problem.

Most GMs (the good ones IMHO) want the entire group to have fun. If one player is detracting from it, he may be more than willing to have a sitdown with the problem player. Especially if more than one player feels the same as you.

If he isn't, maybe this isn't the game for you.

[DoctorItron]

Not knowing the dynamics of your group, this advice may or may not work...

Bring up the topic at the next game session. Let the offending player, GM, and all the other players know how the 10d6 killing attack is hurting your enjoyment of the game. Get their opinions. If the GM and offending player do not want to change things, then your options are:

a) Leave things as they are.

b) Quit the game.

c) Consider changing your character to the type of game the GM wants to run. If he wants 10d6 killing attacks, so be it. Or, if combats are ending very quickly, build a character with no combat skills so you'll be busy during the rest of the game.

Good luck.

[Syberdwarf2]

Originally posted by DoctorItron
Not knowing the dynamics of your group, this advice may or may not work...

Bring up the topic at the next game session. Let the offending player, GM, and all the other players know how the 10d6 killing attack is hurting your enjoyment of the game. Get their opinions. If the GM and offending player do not want to change things, then your options are:

a) Leave things as they are.

b) Quit the game.

c) Consider changing your character to the type of game the GM wants to run. If he wants 10d6 killing attacks, so be it. Or, if combats are ending very quickly, build a character with no combat skills so you'll be busy during the rest of the game.

Good luck.

Exactly.
Ask the player politely to change things or play a different PC. If it's still a problem, tell him to leave. Doing that may be difficult, but for the group as a whole, it'll be for the best IMHO.

[DarkGreen]

We had a player like that for a while. It took us over a year to finally kick him out, then we couldn't figure out why we waited so bloody long.

I could list his crimes, but this would turn into a ten page rant.

-DG

[Supreme]

They only thing you should ever tell the GM, or anyone else in the group, is that you'e not enjoying the game and why. Simple, direct, and honest. It's the only way to go (and part of the Eight-Fold Path of Buddhism, but that's another story). You may want to be more diplomatic and phrase what you don't like about the game as "combats are too short/predictable/etc." as opposed to "your character/style of play is ruining the game for me." If this character is hi-jacking the game it's all right to object openly. It's your game too. Your character should be just as important as everyone else's. If the GM doesn't want to take any action on this -and the GM is the only person who should- then you can either leave the game (don't threaten, just leave) or you can volunteer to take over for a while.

[Agent X]

There is another option: Role-playing. If this player has his/her character constantly oppose or interfere or ignore everyone elses' game plan - seems to me, your characters may get fed up with his/her character and kick them out. It is a wonderful tactic. It is "in game," totally fair, and a very blunt assessment of what is going on (It is also the most likely outcome of such behavior if you were to play your characters realistically.) A player will either get the message or get the message the next round with the same kind of character. The player might get upset, make a scene, and leave - oooh what a shame.:rolleyes: Their character is obviously unconcerned with every other character - why are your characters concerned about theirs.

In a D&D Game, we had a player who just about got us killed for the fourth time, attempted to "charm" another character, AND stole from us. This character lost their spell book and was put aboard a ship heading far from our destination. The player was livid and left our game - and we found peace.:)

[Chaghatai]

Right off the bat I have to wonder what kind of campaign it is for the GM to be allowing a 150 active attack! Killing no less! What happens to the vilians that get hit by it? Leaving a battlefield littered with villians possessing 15 body wounds doesn't sound very heroic, I know most of my charecters would have an in charecter problem with this...

[Mightybec]

Originally posted by Chaghatai
Right off the bat I have to wonder what kind of campaign it is for the GM to be allowing a 150 active attack! Killing no less!

Maybe he needs it to open up child proof containers. :D

Mightybec

[Patriot]

I know how you feel, Although I do run a high end-ed game, I still have players wanting more power.(think mid-range JLA)
The best way short of dusting them is run a few detective scenarios...10 d6 Rka aint worth a hill of beans when your trying to find out Whoses fault all the ritual killings are...and it will get them to spend points else where......Hmmm, May be since we are doing this, I should see if i can buy lockpicking based off str as a skill.....or deduction....

[tiger]

Have the GM use his powers to give all the villians personal immunity to his attack. Not legal by the rules, unless the GM gives himself permission :)

[Cybernaut]

1) a 10d6 Killing Attack? Without knowing the specifics of this power, I'm going to guess that the player loaded it down with limitations to make it cheaper. If this is the case, the GM needs to bring the force of those limitations to bare at the next session.

2) I agree with Patriot's idea, the GM should run a senerio that puts a greater enphasis on brains then brawn, leaving the overly-powerful killing machine to stand around looking like a dope.

3) If the player doesn't get the message from all this- and talking to him/her straight up hasn't worked- then it is time to give him/her the boot.

Good luck.

[ZootSoot]

The suggestion of running a agme that emphasises other aspects of play, while good generally, seems to miss the point of the initial complaint. That complaint was that the player did this in order to make combat quicker and less of a focus of play. The initial poster seems to want more, or at least longer lasting, combat. This may not be achievable in a way that leaves both satisfied.

[MarkusDark]

I don't see how a ref could let a 10d6 KA slip by without seeing it unless there are some disads on it that kept it from leaping out of the page when he was looking at active costs. I would find out what those disads are and exploit them.

[Agent X]

Originally posted by ZootSoot
The suggestion of running a agme that emphasises other aspects of play, while good generally, seems to miss the point of the initial complaint. That complaint was that the player did this in order to make combat quicker and less of a focus of play. The initial poster seems to want more, or at least longer lasting, combat. This may not be achievable in a way that leaves both satisfied.

Yeah, I don't like the sound of this player who has decided that what he wants is so important, he is willing to be so heavy-handed in his character construction to "force" his view of what is important in the game down everyone's throats. I don't like gaming groups with that kind of dynamic and the best advice I can give is to get in a group that feels such behavior is unacceptably inconsiderate of others.

[Old Man]

Mehods of dealing with the combat monster:

1) Situations for which raw damage or combat ability is inappropriate. Oh no, the school bus is out of control and is about to plunge off the cliff! And the dam is about to break! And the chemical plant is on fire! And there's an old lady in the express checkout line with 11 items! Well, that last scenario would be perfect for a 15d6K, but you get my drift.

2) Totally outclass the combat monster. As the GM you have unlimited points, so why not unleash an unstoppable juggernaut on their hometown, who is only vulnerable to Diet Coke or some other weird noxious substance? Wow, too bad you sunk 150 points into an attack that does nothing. What do you do now?

3) Mind control the combat monster and turn him loose on the rest of the group. Let them deal with it as they see fit. Bahahaha!

[lunahq7]

^.^

I have the opposite problem. I have a couple of players that ran GURPS characters that were equivalent to 150-200 point characters in a 300-350 pt campaign (after I converted them to HERO 5th Ed).

So, I am considering dropping the low-ball characters in a vat of acid teeming with radioactive spiders...

John B.