Friday 17 August 2018

#RPGaDay2018: Day 17 - Describe the best compliment you've had while gaming

Purple RPGaDay2018 graphic

Firstly, this question makes me realise how rarely I compliment others in games. I mean, really compliment them. I'll say when I like something they've done, or think they've got a clever solution, or whatever, and implicitly I'll compliment a GM by the extent of my engagement, but I don't often give good compliments. I'll look at what other people say for today and try to learn how to do this from that.

Anyway, the best compliment I've received. I certainly felt complimented when I was invited to the Awesome World of Darkness Game I played in at uni - its players were so fond of it it felt like a really big deal to be invited, and it was a wonderful game.

When I was invited from Buffy to Shadowrun, the Shadowrun GM complimented me for the details I gave when designing my character, but I was a voracious reader and they were the sort of detail I'd expect to see. The character was very clear in my mind. It was a great compliment because it encouraged me to consider my characters' backgrounds and appearances, shaping the way I like to play.

The best compliment - the one that really stays with me - was for the same character, from the same GM, and had the same long-term impact in that it affected how I play.

I talked about Tark's death on Day 4, and on Day 9 commented that this was the first time I really felt with my character, so it might not surprise you that this is where that best compliment was received.

Kamaya's best friend's head exploded in front of her. She knew it was Ares, knew she should take steps to get herself and her other friends safe, knew she should start plotting revenge, but instead got drunk. I was 17, maybe 18, and hadn't ever really been drunk, not the way she was getting, and had never wanted to be drunk the way she did, but I knew how she felt in that moment.

The compliment wasn't just in what the GM said, which I forget but was along the lines of how impressed he was that I was doing this in character rather than doing what was smart from a player point of view, but also in his face as I described her actions, which I remember precisely - the surprise and pride, I guess, in his normally cheerful or passive expression.

Yeah, I've never forgotten that. It's made it a lot easier to want to react in character rather than sensibly in subsequent games, which has led to more character-driven games, and more interesting stories.

What about you? How did you respond to today's question? Share a link below!

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