Advice/Help Problem Character Maybe

[FliesandSpiders]

So, I have this fantasy group on another site. We're in the middle of an attack on the city, and almost all the other players are like reacting to the setting and actually managing to build the plot. We've started forming the main group and are in an awkward getting to know each other stage while they try and figure out who might be behind the attack. And everyone is very excited about where we're going with the roleplay.

But I have this one person who joined as an assassin. Which is fine, we worked out that he could have been hired to kill off random people in the crowd(i.e. NPCs). Except they used this as an excuse to hound the other player characters with attacks(like every five minutes which started halting events of the main plot) until at least one of the people complained. And then this guy out of no where auto-hit and then killed off another player character(while probably not reading the posts of any other of the character which indicated they were all moving in a group towards a safety zone, and I was forced to erect an anti-dark magic barrier to try and keep them out). .

We talked and they agreed to tone down what they were doing a little bit. Because I wanted to give them another chance. I then wrote another post to invite them in another location to interact with an NPC about a different job to do. Like I was pretty blatantly waving a let's switch tactics on the character interaction.

Which they ignored. They decided to attack a random group of people in an attempt to draw out my character(who is involved with main event things and can't go deal with that)

I don't know what to do any more. Like how many times should I warn this player to back off before I kick them out? Or should I just kick them out now in the beginning before things get out of hand? Like does anyone think this character might improve?

 

[Crayons]

Throw them out. You discussed things with them, you gave them a second chance. They blew it. By this point they are obviously an incredibly bad roleplayer who is going to piss you off at every turn whether it's intentional or not, or a troll. Either way, eject them.

 

[M.J. Saulnier]

They are not likely to improve on a whim. Maybe the next GM can get through a bit more after this experience.

I recommend being a little constructive about breaking the news. Frame it as a group dynamic thing. In-that other players are uncomfortable, and that their actions have broken cardinal RP rules.

It can help to gentlely explain the reasons behind terminations. It may even lead to a convo where you can change that player's habits a bit going forward.

GMing is about people more than anything. Some don't conduct themselves with a sense of responsibility toward the community, and will just toss & ghost people, never addressing the problematic elements of their play or behavior. The best way players begin to learn from others is by recognizing the areas they need to improve.

 

[FliesandSpiders]

Throw them out. You discussed things with them, you gave them a second chance. They blew it. By this point they are obviously an incredibly bad roleplayer who is going to piss you off at every turn whether it's intentional or not, or a troll. Either way, eject them.

I'm not really 100% sure if it's intentional or not because I'm not in their head. But like with the other players they just wanted to try and kill them. And with my posts it's almost like they're picking and choosing the spots to respond to. And it seems to be spots where they can just start fights. Which is getting irritating because we are having discussions OOC about where we're moving the events and specifically how the event is going to conclude(which doesn't include my spy leaving her group of five to go deal with a random attack-my character has already been attacked twice by his and nearly killed by him already...like it's old now).

And it's like I'm getting a vibe like I'll be spending a lot of time trying to explain to this person what I meant my post. And I'm left feeling completely exhausted by the time I finish their post.

So, yeah...I just can't deal with it anymore.

They are not likely to improve on a whim. Maybe the next GM can get through a bit more after this experience.

I recommend being a little constructive about breaking the news. Frame it as a group dynamic thing. In-that other players are uncomfortable, and that their actions have broken cardinal RP rules.

It can help to gentlely explain the reasons behind terminations. It may even lead to a convo where you can change that player's habits a bit going forward.

GMing is about people more than anything. Some don't conduct themselves with a sense of responsibility toward the community, and will just toss & ghost people, never addressing the problematic elements of their play or behavior. The best way players begin to learn from others is by recognizing the areas they need to improve.

Thank you for the advice. I haven't done GMing since I was in highschool and I didn't toss people then because I was a very different person.

I feel as an adult better equiped to handle it. I do feel extreme anxiety at having to actually do it, but I will try to frame it in a constructive manner.

 

[Crayons]

Welp if he keeps trying to kill the other PCs I don't see how it can't be intentional.

 

[BriiAngelic]

Really at that point you gotta toss them. Even the newest Rpers that have problems with accidentally god-modding know the difference between ok and straight up wrong. Like if they’re trying to kill off other characters without discussing it they’re not going to get better because they don’t want to.

Really like if you gave that liberty and someone used it on them they’d be mad and quit or straight up ignore it because that’s obviously not okay.

 

[welian]

Would a script help? Let's pretend his name is Kyle.

"Kyle, I know you like combat scenes, but you can't just derail the scene like this because you're bored. It's disrespectful to the other players. Delete your post and write a new one. Or, if you'd prefer, I can write your character out so you can go join a different campaign that's more your style."

 

[FliesandSpiders]

Would a script help? Let's pretend his name is Kyle.

"Kyle, I know you like combat scenes, but you can't just derail the scene like this because you're bored. It's disrespectful to the other players. Delete your post and write a new one. Or, if you'd prefer, I can write your character out so you can go join a different campaign that's more your style."

Thanks for the advice. I did try that method when they straight up ripped the head off our alchemist.

It wouldn't have been such a big deal if it were just the combat but they pretty much disregarding anything anyone else wrote, except for me. I think it came down to mostly a mismatch in writing styles because they wrote rather simplistically and everyone else was more doing paragraphs/plot heavy things.

I kindly suggested they seek other projects.

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M.J. Saulnier

Thank you for the very good advice. I used your method of providing them with areas I thought they could improve in.

I was a massive ball of anxiety over the termination but they actually ended up taking what I wrote extremely well.