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sobriqueHmm, about time for my monthly SINergy whinge.
Here goes.
When I first started 'getting in' to SINergy, it was because I saw Darren and Graham losing the enthusiasm. Oh, I'm not talking so much about in session, but more in the general sense of keeping track of return sheets, following up long term plot, developing characters, that kind of thing.
And several people at the time, mentioned they'd not touch the reffing thing. I'm beginning to see why. Now one way or another Darren and Graham have been largely out of the loop for a while. Mostly due to real life issues, that were unavoidable (or perhaps, they were, but they are better off not avoided). That, as far as I'm concerned, is fair enough. Reffing SINergy really does take a lot of work.
The problem though, really isn't the amount of work. However much I grumble, I do enjoy running SINergy. It's a great feeling when things 'work' and you have 30 people all having a damn good time.
No, my problem is that when you're reffing, you can never get stuff right. Of those 30 people, they've all got opinions. A fair fraction of them have _conflicting_ opinions. Since you can never please everyone, you're left with trying to please the most. Or you have the choice of pissing everyone off, but with the aim of making it 'better' long term.
Time and again, you hear the same complaints, that things are 'unfair', or that 'my character is unplayable' or that 'you let me do it last time', or that 'you let so and so get away with it'.
And then, I stop for a moment. And I think "well, fuck'em. I volunteered to try and do this. So I'm going to. If I do a sufficiently bad job that everyone hates me enough to give it a go themselves, then so much the better. If I don't then they're just being backseat drivers, happy to criticise others, but lacking the will to 'do it better'".
Today, I've managed to brighten someone's day.
Tonight, I'm off for a birthday meal in pleasant company.
Tomorrow, I'll be in the Beer Engine with a group of people I consider friends.
These things are important.
SINergy is something I put time and effort in to. The fact that it's still in existance is a tribute to the hard work of the people who've been keeping it going. Regardless of various opinions, they can't take that away from me. All the fussing and moaning, at the end of the day, isn't all that important.
Here goes.
When I first started 'getting in' to SINergy, it was because I saw Darren and Graham losing the enthusiasm. Oh, I'm not talking so much about in session, but more in the general sense of keeping track of return sheets, following up long term plot, developing characters, that kind of thing.
And several people at the time, mentioned they'd not touch the reffing thing. I'm beginning to see why. Now one way or another Darren and Graham have been largely out of the loop for a while. Mostly due to real life issues, that were unavoidable (or perhaps, they were, but they are better off not avoided). That, as far as I'm concerned, is fair enough. Reffing SINergy really does take a lot of work.
The problem though, really isn't the amount of work. However much I grumble, I do enjoy running SINergy. It's a great feeling when things 'work' and you have 30 people all having a damn good time.
No, my problem is that when you're reffing, you can never get stuff right. Of those 30 people, they've all got opinions. A fair fraction of them have _conflicting_ opinions. Since you can never please everyone, you're left with trying to please the most. Or you have the choice of pissing everyone off, but with the aim of making it 'better' long term.
Time and again, you hear the same complaints, that things are 'unfair', or that 'my character is unplayable' or that 'you let me do it last time', or that 'you let so and so get away with it'.
And then, I stop for a moment. And I think "well, fuck'em. I volunteered to try and do this. So I'm going to. If I do a sufficiently bad job that everyone hates me enough to give it a go themselves, then so much the better. If I don't then they're just being backseat drivers, happy to criticise others, but lacking the will to 'do it better'".
Today, I've managed to brighten someone's day.
Tonight, I'm off for a birthday meal in pleasant company.
Tomorrow, I'll be in the Beer Engine with a group of people I consider friends.
These things are important.
SINergy is something I put time and effort in to. The fact that it's still in existance is a tribute to the hard work of the people who've been keeping it going. Regardless of various opinions, they can't take that away from me. All the fussing and moaning, at the end of the day, isn't all that important.
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 03:48 am (UTC)I guess this is why I find freeforms more rewarding. Usually they are fixed around one or two key ideas about the game and its effective metareality; Concepts to which everyone can agree to. The most recent example being the Buffy tv show. Due to this it allows the players and the refs to go forward with a virtual social contract of what the game will be, thus stopping the angst and grit above.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 05:24 am (UTC)Time and again, you hear the same complaints, that things are 'unfair', or that 'my character is unplayable' or that 'you let me do it last time', or that 'you let so and so get away with it'.
Let's face it, that's more or less the NRT players.
In most systems it tends to be the vocal minority who do the most damage. It was certainly the case on Than.
You're absolutely right in your reasoning though. You've pretty much kept the game going since you took over, and you should have a large proportion of the say in what happens - with possible deference to Graham, it supposedly being 'his' system.
Think of it like this, if you will: For every person who complains about a ruling (or whatever) there are ten or so people who are happy about how the game works, and agree with who works it.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 07:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 08:02 am (UTC)Remember, it takes a wise man to make a big mistake, since no one trusts a fool with the responsibility.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 10:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 09:03 am (UTC)Of course, it has to be vaguley flexible, otherwise that opinion can be a tad too arrogant.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 09:08 am (UTC)Tad dangerous way of doing things. Think 'terrorism' for example...
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 10:52 am (UTC)But the terrorist believes, against all argument that his cause is worth killing and dying for.
It takes a lot to gain that level of 'focus'.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-25 08:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-21 09:51 am (UTC)I think your doing a damn good job. you listen to my whinges and give objective advice etc.. if the dvice you give me is similar in content to the advice or comments you give to others then if they're actually paying attention to what you say they can't complain. if they are complaining then they havn't listened to what you've said, and its their problem