QUOTE (SamVDW)
What are common mistakes that less-skilled roleplayers make when playing a roleplaying game?
(This question is directed on the player aspect of roleplaying, not the game master aspect)
Possible Examples:
- Too combat oriented, treats roleplaying like a video game where everyone must be killed
But that's what a good chunk of the rules cover. Also, what if that's the game that you want to play? Playing a high-combat game doesn't make someone a bad roleplayer, any more than playing a face adept makes someone a good roleplayer.
QUOTE (SamVDW)
- Overzealous rules lawyer, thinks the book runs the game not the game master
The gamemaster should be as subject to the rules as the players are, and the players should be able to call the GM out if he's not playing by the rules.
QUOTE (SamVDW)
- Rambo syndrome, runs into every scenario as if life has no meaning
Unless he's playing a character who sees his life as meaningless. This is ultimately the fault of the group not accounting for the game that everyone wants to play.
QUOTE (kzt)
Uses player knowledge.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you mean.
Here's some additions to the list.
*Keeping secrets. If your character has a super-secret past, it should come out in play, and it should happen quickly. Secrets aren't interesting if nobody knows what they are.
*Not being connected. Usually this results from not talking to the other players. Characters should have a reasons to be together, and reasons to be in whatever situation they're in. This doesn't mean writing a novella as a background.
*Not talking to the other players. It's everyone's game, take everyone's ideas and priorities into consideration. Everyone is responsible for everyone else's fun.
*Turtleing. Being passive. Don't rely on the GM to feed you a game. Take some responsibility and push the game forward in new and interesting directions. Turtleing also covers being passive as a
player. Don't let the loudest players run the game if they're doing stuff that isn't fun for you.
*Not knowing the rules. Excusable when you start a new game. If you've been playing for a while, you should at least know the basic dice mechanics, and how to find specific rules in the books.
Edited for readability