Character flaws

[Ezram]

When I approach a group of players, whether i'm a part of them, of going to be heading the game, I don't go in with a "me vs them" state of mind, nor think up ways to punish them.

The greatest quality any RPGer can have is patience.

[Forcegypsy]

I don't agree. Discernment is more valuable, to a GC anyway. Patience is a virtue, but too much of it allows disruptive personalities to ruin an otherwise good gaming session. This is more of an issue when dealing with unfamiliar players/groups/gc's obviously. Time, especially as you get older is valuable. I may, if I'm lucky get 4-6 hours in any given week to devote to gaming. There is a limit to how much time I'm willing to spend being frustrated or allowing a group to be disrupted.

Sorry, OP I feel this has gone OT and not in the good/fun way.

[Ezram]

The problem here is that you're used to this cyncial view of players, so it appears normal to you. Now, I don't know if you advocate physical threats, but I advise you to not be so quick to judge them.

[Forcegypsy]

Like I said, I feel we're in OT space. Also we're talking past each other. Your inference about my view of players indicates this. Humour doesn't have anything to do with how I look at the specific players in my groups. That's like saying that if I follow Order of the Stick, my game will resemble that comic strip. Last clarification: humour= general, my reactions= specific. I don't get the two confused, please do me the favour of not telling me what I view as normal.

[Ezram]

I didn't specify your group, you did.

[Forcegypsy]

I'm just going to say I don't understand you. Sorry. It happens. My group has been stable for a long time, this doesn't negate the almost 20 years of gaming experience and exposure to all types of players and gm's which given the right forum/context can evoke all kinds of humorour reminiscing. Sorry that wasn't clear to you and I wasn't even the person who made the joke in this thread. Can we just agree to leave this alone now? No I don't advocate physical threats against people, but again context...

[Ezram]

Well, mostly because I was referring to players in general, not specific groups. Of course certain gaming circles will be better or worse in cooperation and temperament than others, so I can't speak for yours  .

[Psion]

My experience with rewarding for flaws is that it's too easily "gamed" unless you do what some recent games have done: only reward when the flaw actually causes a detriment. NWOD and 7th sea are two examples of this. I've always seen subplots as Spycraft's take on this.

[MDL]

In addition to subplots, some of the feats(the Gorgeous line for instance) come with benefit and complimentary detriment all prepackaged together.  I believe some of the non-core Spycraft 2.0 books have origin options that provide some degree of similar paired strength and weakness.

Shoot, the normal talents provide this to a limited extent in the +2 to one attribute, - 2 to another Attribute in a sense.

[Antilles]

I agree with the others, flaws are best represented by Subplots. You could probably replicate any kind of mental flaw you want, with the Unhinged subplot (from Fragile Minds), along with a couple in the core book (compulsion, fear). Physical flaws, however, I'm a bit unsure as to how best represent it in-game.

[Ezram]

Flaw (OCD)

"Yes, he rearranged all the magazines. Again..."

[Antilles]

Unhinged subplot. Even mentions OCD in its list of examples. Or a Compulsion subplot, that'd probably work too.