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10:46, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Vents with allowed responses - 3.

Posted by GamerHandle
NowhereMan
member, 411 posts
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 07:27
  • msg #1737

Re: It's a waste of time...

In reply to Draegnoth (msg # 1736):

Kind of hard to agree with you when you're wrong.
ShadoPrism
member, 1361 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 07:28
  • msg #1738

Re: It's a waste of time...

In reply to Draegnoth (msg # 1736):

For that to happen you need to use the Other vent thread - replies are forbiddon on it. Otherwise we all will discuss such things here.
bigbadron
moderator, 15991 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 08:11
  • msg #1739

Re: It's a waste of time...

In reply to Draegnoth (msg # 1736):

It's a public forum.  It happens.  Only way to avoid it, really, is to not post.  *shrugs*
praguepride
member, 1745 posts
"Hugs for the Hugs God!"
- Warhammer Fluffy-K
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 16:27
  • msg #1740

Re: It's a waste of time...

I absolutely hate being assigned work I know is useless. For the next two weeks I am assembling documentation on something that nobody is ever going to use because it is going to be completely replaced. Even if I assemble the best documentation in the world about it, it is so complicated that nobody is going to read it and instead just look at the thing I am documenting directly and take their own notes.

Like it is so stupid and dumb that I feel dumb for even writing about it. I have tried for weeks to explain that nobody is going to look at this documentation because nobody is going to even want to use this thing and anyone with half a brain is going to look at it, dump it in the trash bin and start from scratch but because it is part of a larger work effort to "document everything" i drew the short straw.

I am very, VERY tempted to half-ass the documentation knowing no one is ever going to use it and just blow off work the next week but that goes against my personal ethics and so here I am procrastinating the shit out of this assignment because it is stupid and the people assigning it to me are stupid and the thing is stupid :D
DBCowboy
member, 48 posts
Played rpgs since about
'81 (D&D Basic ed)
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 17:04
  • msg #1741

Re: It's a waste of time...

Hate those kinds of tasks but props to you for having high standards for your work ethic

This too shall pass
jkeogh
member, 92 posts
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 17:17
  • msg #1742

Re: It's a waste of time...

agreed... I have done my fair share of busy work but documenting a process or technology that is about to be eliminated is incredibly frustrating. But if there isn't proper documentation, how will they know what they eliminated :)
GreenTongue
member, 939 posts
Game Archaeologist
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 18:23
  • msg #1743

Re: It's a waste of time...

On the other hand, if you are paid by the hour, it's their dime to waste.
You do you and in time, even important things end up in the same place any way, the trash.
As was said, it may be a historical record at some point.
OceanLake
supporter, 1150 posts
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 18:55
  • msg #1744

Re: It's a waste of time...

Consider it practice.
If another organization is using the whatever-it-is, they may be glad to benefit form your expertise/write-up one way or another.
MelJill
member, 62 posts
Sat 23 Jan 2021
at 21:28
  • msg #1745

Re: It's a waste of time...

praguepride--I don't know if it's any comfort, but here is a story from my distant past (high school).

In my junior year, we took US history, and our tests came every week and consisted of 30 multiple choice questions and your choice of answering 1 long essay (2 pages) out of 5 question choices or 2 short essays (1 page each) out of a different set of 5 questions.

So, as the school year progressed, it became increasingly obvious that our teacher was not actually reading the essays.  We would turn in the scantron sheets with our 30 questions first, then write the essays, and he'd leave the room, run the machine and then start putting everyone's initials and number correct on the board.  Several of my classmates really started pushing the envelope--writing things like "if you read this I'll buy you a Coke" or writing out lyrics to songs, and so forth.  I kept on writing real essay answers figuring that it was possible he was sampling an essay here or there, or would get time to read them all.

Well, of course, we had a test right before a long weekend, and he did get time to read all the essays.  I was the only one in the class who got my full points for the essays.  Writing real essay answers (as if I expected them to be read) kept me sharp enough to write good answers when it did count.
praguepride
member, 1749 posts
"Hugs for the Hugs God!"
- Warhammer Fluffy-K
Mon 25 Jan 2021
at 20:46
  • msg #1746

Re: It's a waste of time...

That feeling when your players get completely distracted by the wrong thing. For example they enter a library with gargoyles and bookshelves and no matter how much you try and point them towards the bookshelf with the important tome on it, the party becomes obsessed with the idea that the gargoyle statues are traps or secret enemies and spend hours poking them and testing them and prodding them and you're sitting there like

"THEY'RE JUST STATUES. READ THE STUPID BOOK RIGHT HERE SO WE CAN ALL MOVE ON!"

But no, they take that as a challenge and think I'm trying to distract them so now they know not only is the gargoyle a trap but the book is as well!

Quit getting in the way of your own fun!!!

Its my personal interaction with the infamous Wild Gazebo story:

https://web.archive.org/web/20...le=article&sid=8
ladysharlyne
subscriber, 2993 posts
You get out of a game the
effort you put in it !!
Mon 25 Jan 2021
at 21:31
  • msg #1747

Re: It's a waste of time...

WoW, I just had some of this in my Marvel game.  No matter how much I tried to get them to see the whole picture and go with the flow they were tied up on fighting not seeing the prompts, the leads, the important move forward.  It really wore me out like trying to pull hen's teet.  I agree with you Praguepride!
ShadoPrism
member, 1364 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Mon 25 Jan 2021
at 23:33
  • msg #1748

Re: It's a waste of time...

In reply to praguepride (msg # 1746):

Unfortunetly I have run in to that level of Stupid in several games I have played over the years. Many left me wanting to bang my (or the players) head against a wall.
jdtucker
member, 58 posts
Tue 26 Jan 2021
at 00:01
  • msg #1749

Re: It's a waste of time...

And then you play "The temple of Elemental Evil" where your character gets hosed with a Gargoyle with a sphere of annihilation in its mouth.

Honestly, my trust level has to be pretty high, and I'm still going to make sure the environment is safe before checking out the book.
dparasol
member, 27 posts
looking to uh have fun
and destroy civilization
Tue 26 Jan 2021
at 00:08
  • msg #1750

Re: It's a waste of time...

In reply to jdtucker (msg # 1749):

In my games over Discord, I've been known to have people do similar things, and if I think it's going to seriously slow things down, I tend to say something like "Well, you spend forty minutes testing the gargoyle and eventually determine to the absolute best of your ability that it is completely benign."

I wonder how that would go over in PbP...
Isida KepTukari
member, 377 posts
Elegant! Arrogant! Smart!
Tue 26 Jan 2021
at 01:24
  • msg #1751

Re: It's a waste of time...

Honestly, at that point, you may just want to pivot to face their expectations, but also give them the direction you, as a DM, need. Obsessed with the gargoyle instead of the tome? The gargoyle now has the needed inscription in a hidden place on it, or has a secret compartment with a scroll. Heck, have it attack them and have it drop the book from its wings or something when it does. Makes the players feel important, and they still end up with the information they need for the next phase of the adventure. Otherwise everyone just gets frustrated!
ShadoPrism
member, 1365 posts
OCGD-Obsessive-Compulsive
Gamer-Disorder
Tue 26 Jan 2021
at 01:55
  • msg #1752

Re: It's a waste of time...

In reply to Isida KepTukari (msg # 1751):

If you want to be mean about it - have the statue actually be made of something like Jade. While examining it they accidently knock it over and it breaks - whole it was worth a good chunk of change, now the owner will want their heads cause its all but worthless now. (no one said the gargoyals were 'normal sized', they could easily be only a foot tall after all.
praguepride
member, 1750 posts
"Hugs for the Hugs God!"
- Warhammer Fluffy-K
Tue 26 Jan 2021
at 02:08
  • msg #1753

Re: It's a waste of time...

dparasol:
"Well, you spend forty minutes testing the gargoyle and eventually determine to the absolute best of your ability that it is completely benign."

I wonder how that would go over in PbP...


Hmmm. I have done that before but not nearly as much as I should. I don't want to take away player agency and I don't want them to play on easy mode but on the flipside it is a good way to just "move on".
RanzarthPhx
member, 46 posts
Wed 27 Jan 2021
at 15:41
  • msg #1754

Constantly the victim lol

Gotta love a DM whose story every time a player leaves their game makes themselves out to be the victim...

(Not saying I'm innocent in anyway here. I wouldn't back down from the disagreement either.)
This message was last edited by the user at 15:48, Wed 27 Jan 2021.
praguepride
member, 1751 posts
"Hugs for the Hugs God!"
- Warhammer Fluffy-K
Wed 27 Jan 2021
at 16:38
  • msg #1755

Constantly the victim lol

As the ultimate arbiter of truth in a game, it is pretty common for GMs to set the tone for why a player is booted. It's not like the now-booted player can defend themselves. Let's be honest, if you try calling out the GM in their game you likely will be booted too!
RanzarthPhx
member, 47 posts
Wed 27 Jan 2021
at 17:20
  • msg #1756

Constantly the victim lol

In reply to praguepride (msg # 1755):

Oh no I'm not surprised. And I asked to be removed as well. I was just more laughing about the always a victim.
RanzarthPhx
member, 48 posts
Thu 28 Jan 2021
at 17:45
  • msg #1757

Constantly the victim lol

So certain events transpired that I allowed my temper to flare and frustrations cloud my reason, leading to comments. Things I disagreed with and still do. But how I responded was not correct. There were/are better ways to respond. I tried to apologize for that.
Starchaser
member, 845 posts
Shoda mo tsumoreba taibok
Fri 29 Jan 2021
at 06:52
  • msg #1758

Constantly the victim lol

In reply to RanzarthPhx (msg # 1757):

I often have the same problem, RanzarthPhx. It tends to happen when I'm at my lowest and most stressed. I even lost two good friends on here because of it and I still miss them really badly.

I have another friend on here that recommended this book - Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss. I'm about half way through and its a very good read. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I still default to my old way of annoying people during an argument when I'm stressed though :/
Piestar
member, 815 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Fri 29 Jan 2021
at 19:37
  • msg #1759

Constantly the victim lol

In reply to RanzarthPhx (msg # 1754):

So very true. The last few games I quit were because the GM's felt 'persecuted' that I expected them to read my posts and respond to my questions. When asked to stop reminding them, I simply asked to be removed from the game, that is the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM that is expected of a GM in my book, but to demand respect AND the right not to show respect to the players in a deal breaker for me.
Piestar
member, 816 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Fri 29 Jan 2021
at 19:39
  • msg #1760

Constantly the victim lol

Current peeve: GM's who advertise for a high posting game, and players who will be there regularly, then vanish for days (or weeks) on end and doesn't understand why the players are a bit miffed.

In a game now with a GM who posts several times, every day, and it is such a joy!
SunRuanEr
subscriber, 365 posts
Fri 29 Jan 2021
at 19:45
  • msg #1761

Constantly the victim lol

It's important to be sure to give GMs (and players) the benefit of the doubt sometimes, however. RL hasn't been kind to pretty much everyone the past year or so, and sometimes GMs need to take some time to deal with things other than RPoL.

Just because a game is regularly high-posting doesn't mean it will always be high-posting, and no one should get their knickers in a twist if people need to tend to their lives away from RPoL now and then. Operative words being 'now and then', because of course, if a game is supposed to be high-posting and it's getting maybe one post a month, consistently, for months and months and months on end without explanation...well, that's different.

By the same token, to continue with a side vent of my own: Players that are playing in a game that isn't high-posting, and is in fact slow-posting (and advertised as such) that won't wait more than 48 freakin' hours for another player to respond to a post before they steamroll over them and take away the opportunity for anyone else to do anything - even when they were the ones that had asked the other character/s a question/given them something that needed responding to in the first place.
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