(larp) Responsibility for genre
I recently got into a discussion with someone. They told me a character idea, and I asked why they couldn't just play a standard vampire concept. They said that playing standard vampire stuff gets boring. I made a comment that players with attitudes like that are the reason we have so many genre problems
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To my mind, it is a lack of creativity on the part of the player. Yes, 'been there, done that' does factor in, but so many of the players who have been around forever and a day still play normal character concepts as their alts, because it is something different than their main.
It's altogether too easy to discard a conventional concept and instead run to the furthest reaches of what's possible (or beyond). I should know, I have done it plenty of times in my own career. But in the long run your answer from my perspective is that the fault lies with the player for not being able to breathe life into a known concept... and for the STs who let them do it.
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Strange character concepts don't indicate lack of creativity, but a lack of focus. Shouldn't a ST help provide it, as the organizing factor of a chronicle? Character creation is a collaborative effort, as it must ultimately be subject to ST approval.
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The ST's first responsibility is to then work with the character to try to dissuade them from playing a half-human half-vampire hunter who sold out and joined the Camarilla, and to instead bring them more in line. But it has been my experience that there is no guidance like that in the organization, simple 'pass or veto'.
Shit, I still have yet to see STs actually pay attention to a character's concept and background unless forced to by the player. Focus does not seem to be much of a provided element in 'the land of write your own fun'.
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The cop out line "Well, they could have told me no" does not absolve anyone of anything. The only response to that is "Well, you could have not been a complete and utter douche bag."
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is an idea you can really get behind and I am fine with
that. To say that the standard vampire concept just gets
boring however is just laziness on the players part. Any
clan or concept can be made fun if your creative enough
and really get behind the concept. Playing John Keats
was one of the most rewarding roles I ever had and his
place in history made him rare. I have also played a
genre skin nos for ten years and a tow the line genre
ventrue for over six. Both of them have been amazingly
fun and rewarding. I have been on both sides of rarity.
The player is at fault for not being imaginative enough
and the st is at fault for not making them be so.
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boring however is just laziness on the players part."
calling players lazy is as easy as saying standard things are boring; neither are really conducive to a healthy playing environment.
"The player is at fault for not being imaginative enough
and the st is at fault for not making them be so."
Having a strange and unusual character concept is not, in my opinion, indicative of a lacking imagination. Possibly an unfocused one, but not a weak one.
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Just because you /can/ do something does not mean you /should/ do something. Yes, a ST should be able to tell players 'no,' but as the 'no' ST in my game, that's not always the fun job to have. A player ultimately bears the responsibility for making the character they play...even the most generic character evolves over time, and it's only then that the player can choose to keep their shit legit.
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Where is the line drawn? It seems fairly subjective thus far.
"A player ultimately bears the responsibility for making the character they play...even the most generic character evolves over time, and it's only then that the player can choose to keep their shit legit."
'legit' in this context needs to be defined, as at first glance I take 'legit' to mean 'approved', and I'm sure you meant it as 'consistent with archetypes'. Do I have it right?
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