@Thenomain said in Consent in Gaming:
GASP! Mass Effect?
No. I mean, I could, but -- no.
These are good suggestions. We can all have better communication skills, but part of what you're either going to have to get used to or not (that's my I-M-Smrt comment of the day) is that a lot of people don't.
I understand that a lot of people don't. The reasonable step forward is to blame the players. Like, everyone else. I'd like to avoid that if I could, but --
If anyone wants to see a barrier to newcomers, it's this kind of nitpicking which is not the slightest bit useful.
Is that so? Okay, let's say it is so. And let us say, then, that a lot of newcomers -- players, even -- have poor communication skills, and that this is why we still have fist-shaking arguments about consent.
At what point is it considered reasonable for me to put my foot down and request in firm tones that people either start to or learn to communicate better in a hobby that is undoubtedly reliant upon one's ability to effectively communicate?
You said all the points I could dance around, but let's be brief:
- Players generally have poor communication skills.
- We can solve an important social issue or two if we all communicated better.
But nitpicking about how we communicate is not addressing the problem?
Please.
But let me put my hands up and sue for peace here with the following statement:
If you want to engage in RP on a game, reacting to a proffered suggestion with "that doesn't sound like fun" will likely paint you as a petulant child. It is safe to presume that the people you are engaging with can handle a mild amount of constructive criticism. Instead, try the following reaction: "I'm not really interested in engaging in that kind of RP." And then, if you actually want to engage in RP, offer a suggestion of your own rather than demand that you prospective player-partner produce another for your review and scrutiny.
Going back to the topic at hand.
Every part of this hobby is consensual. No one should be personally offended to the core if you decide not to RP with them or go down a particular path of RP. If you elect to avoid that path, though, there may be consequences, which may include being excluded from RP if what you want to engage in is what others do not. In my opinion, the best way to react to those consequences is to either find players that want to engage in the kind of RP you do, or find another game.