Overall thoughts on player to player conflict in story [Archive] - Wizards Community

Overall thoughts on player to player conflict in story [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Usiris
09-23-06, 08:43 PM How do you all feel about characters fighting each other possibly to death as a part of the story. I'm not talking about jerk-player mentality but as part of the story. Think Fahn vs. Beld in Record of Lodoss War if you've seen it.
Sikyanakotik
09-23-06, 08:52 PM You mean player characters? The players are probably going to be understandably furious at being forced into a situation where one of their characters has to die. If the characters have decided to fight each other on their own, of course, more power to them.
Nightwalk
09-24-06, 03:05 AM Normally I am against PvP, because it ends up in someone being sad about losing his beloved character, and maybe mad about the player who did this to him.

But in case it is inevitable for the plotline and both players agree in that with their DM, it´s ok and can be fun for everyone.

Actually, a character of mine, will die rather soon, I am fond of being killed by the rest of the evil group, because I am a traitor. I am the only one without evil alignment, no one knows about it (Lawful Neutral monk), and I am a spy for a duke they are fighting...

Wel, it is sad to lose him, I really like him, but it was very much fun playing him in many sessions just sitting there with a pokerface and bursting from laughter from the inside when something of utmost importance happened to the group and I initiated it.

But normally I hate it when two players start killing another out of no reason.
Lyinginbedmon
09-24-06, 06:35 AM I love to write, it's as simple as that. The players know that, and they love the stories that I come up with for them to run. Therefore, whenever a character dies it's something good for the storyline.

For example, I assassinated one of the PCs quite a few weeks ago. They were dismayed that it happened, sure, but they knew I wouldn't stop there with them. A few weeks afters, and a few before now, the same PC shows up again, as the vampiric servant to the BBEG. Brainwashed and tormented, the PC has been twisted purposefully by the BBEG to work against the PCs. They LOVE IT!!

Now, I could have killed him and let the player still use him, but given that the average character level is about 7 in the group, that would have been unbalancing, so I had to make him an NPC and give the player a new character (Which he likes even more), but it is possible to successful player VS player events and situations without anyone feeling betrayed or harmed (At least, OOC :P). But in my group, story comes first.
zioth
09-25-06, 03:01 PM There have been multiple conflicts between PCs in my long-running PBeM campaign. Each one has been an interesting role-playing experience, and has only added to the game. Then again, none of them resulted in PC deaths, my players are all mature enough to take it, and a PBeM is probably an ideal format for such things.

So in my own game, I'm in favor of player conflict.

I played the double-agent in a game once, though, and that was one of a few factors that made the campaign fall apart. The DM didn't drop enough clues, and made the effects of my intervention too severe.

In the end, player conflict can be a good thing if you have mature players who care about the story, and a DM who can handle things well. If you're missing either of those things, it will turn out poorly.
Book5
10-04-06, 10:02 PM I am pro PvP, its the only way I have ever successfully run more than 6 players at a time.. they were busy trying to mess with each other.

Now, when things get deadly.. yeah.. that can have some fallout, but "stealing, cheating, tricking, and generally messing with each other" no problem.

One time I even had a player whos character was working for the villians the entire time.. they always wondered how the bad guys knew what they were up to... until the day the cat was let out of the bag.. that was a fun game.

I have found PvP particularly nice if everyone has two characters, and your going through a meatgrinder of a dungeon. The goals are "fortune and glory" and since everyone has a backup you never have to stop playing cause your primary died.
OldManWinter
10-04-06, 10:19 PM We haven't had much in the way of PvP conflict in our group. In our new campaign I'm going to be playing as a Quickling who will more than likely have chaotic and evil tendancies and we're going to have a Paladin in the group so I'm sure that conflict will be abudant.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Usiris 09-23-06, 08:43 PM	How do you all feel about characters fighting each other possibly to death as a part of the story. I'm not talking about jerk-player mentality but as part of the story. Think Fahn vs. Beld in Record of Lodoss War if you've seen it.
Sikyanakotik 09-23-06, 08:52 PM	You mean player characters? The players are probably going to be understandably furious at being forced into a situation where one of their characters has to die. If the characters have decided to fight each other on their own, of course, more power to them.
Nightwalk 09-24-06, 03:05 AM	Normally I am against PvP, because it ends up in someone being sad about losing his beloved character, and maybe mad about the player who did this to him. But in case it is inevitable for the plotline and both players agree in that with their DM, it´s ok and can be fun for everyone. Actually, a character of mine, will die rather soon, I am fond of being killed by the rest of the evil group, because I am a traitor. I am the only one without evil alignment, no one knows about it (Lawful Neutral monk), and I am a spy for a duke they are fighting... Wel, it is sad to lose him, I really like him, but it was very much fun playing him in many sessions just sitting there with a pokerface and bursting from laughter from the inside when something of utmost importance happened to the group and I initiated it. But normally I hate it when two players start killing another out of no reason.
Lyinginbedmon 09-24-06, 06:35 AM	I love to write, it's as simple as that. The players know that, and they love the stories that I come up with for them to run. Therefore, whenever a character dies it's something good for the storyline. For example, I assassinated one of the PCs quite a few weeks ago. They were dismayed that it happened, sure, but they knew I wouldn't stop there with them. A few weeks afters, and a few before now, the same PC shows up again, as the vampiric servant to the BBEG. Brainwashed and tormented, the PC has been twisted purposefully by the BBEG to work against the PCs. They LOVE IT!! Now, I could have killed him and let the player still use him, but given that the average character level is about 7 in the group, that would have been unbalancing, so I had to make him an NPC and give the player a new character (Which he likes even more), but it is possible to successful player VS player events and situations without anyone feeling betrayed or harmed (At least, OOC :P). But in my group, story comes first.
zioth 09-25-06, 03:01 PM	There have been multiple conflicts between PCs in my long-running PBeM campaign. Each one has been an interesting role-playing experience, and has only added to the game. Then again, none of them resulted in PC deaths, my players are all mature enough to take it, and a PBeM is probably an ideal format for such things. So in my own game, I'm in favor of player conflict. I played the double-agent in a game once, though, and that was one of a few factors that made the campaign fall apart. The DM didn't drop enough clues, and made the effects of my intervention too severe. In the end, player conflict can be a good thing if you have mature players who care about the story, and a DM who can handle things well. If you're missing either of those things, it will turn out poorly.
Book5 10-04-06, 10:02 PM	I am pro PvP, its the only way I have ever successfully run more than 6 players at a time.. they were busy trying to mess with each other. Now, when things get deadly.. yeah.. that can have some fallout, but "stealing, cheating, tricking, and generally messing with each other" no problem. One time I even had a player whos character was working for the villians the entire time.. they always wondered how the bad guys knew what they were up to... until the day the cat was let out of the bag.. that was a fun game. I have found PvP particularly nice if everyone has two characters, and your going through a meatgrinder of a dungeon. The goals are "fortune and glory" and since everyone has a backup you never have to stop playing cause your primary died.
OldManWinter 10-04-06, 10:19 PM	We haven't had much in the way of PvP conflict in our group. In our new campaign I'm going to be playing as a Quickling who will more than likely have chaotic and evil tendancies and we're going to have a Paladin in the group so I'm sure that conflict will be abudant.