I made this list of rules for myself because I remembered once upon a time reading a list similar to this made by Jim Ghiloni (I think that's how his name is spelled), sort of a 'New Player Help Guide'. And, well, they did help. With some recent troubles we had in the game, I was reminded of that list and put some thought into making one of my own, a 'Top Ten Rules for Playing Amber Games'.
1) Be kind, courteous, and respectful to your GM. The GM puts in a lot of work to entertain his or her players. Often, the job is long, difficult, and thankless. Take some time out and thank your GM. When responding OOCly to stuff, be nice about it. Yes, you may have a genuine grievance about something in the game, but being pissy about it isn't going to get it solved any faster either.
2) Be kind, courteous, and respectful to your fellow players. I think this is especially important in a PBEM. People often forget that their adversaries are people on the other side of the computer. Sure, two characters can totally hate each other, yet the players be good friends. There's people that you won't get along with OOCly either. Words hurt, and gossip has a way of getting around. If you treat your fellow man like you'd want to be treated, it just makes things easier all the way around the board.
3) Don't be afraid to ask questions. Every game is different and has it's own set of house rules and informal taboos. If you're unsure about something, ask.
4) Don't badger your GM. That includes questions. Of course, there are going to be some questions that only your GM can answer. However, most of the time your questions can be answered In Character from another player, one that has been playing longer (unless everyone's starting at the same time, that is). Not only will you get your question answered, but you'll get to roleplay it out, and isn't that the point of playing?
5) Everyone is the star of their own movie. Not so much a rule but a reminder. Yes, your character is wonderful and unique, but so is everyone else's. People are by nature arrogant and egotistical. They view things in terms of how it affects them. I find that it's easier to understand where other characters and players are coming from if one keeps this reminder at the forefront of one's mind. But that's just me.
6) Keep OOC and IC info seperate. This is a hard one to follow, but it's important. As much as people identify with their characters (and I haven't met a gamer yet who *doesn't* identify with their characters in some way, shape, or form), they are not their characters. You might have heard juicy OOC info from a friend in the game, but that doesn't mean your character knows it. Often, when OOC info slips, it can ruin the balance of the game or plotline.
7) Wing it. There is no way for you to know everything that your character does. It's impossible. You might get a kick out of looking up medieval mining methods, and that's great...the added knowledge can really add some realism to your gaming. However, if your character is knowledgeable about something and you're not, it's ok to fake it.
8) Don't take things personally. This is a combination of #1, #2, #5, and #6. Bad things happen to good characters. Sooner or later, you're gonna get hosed. My advice is to take your lumps and figure a way through it, and accept it as part of the game. Besides, roleplaying failure or tragedy can be fun, if you remember not to take it personally.
9) Talk about legitimate grievances. If you have a legitimate grievance, talk it over with your GM in a calm and reasonable manner. The GM isn't perfect either, and sometimes mistakes are made. However, there's no sense getting bent out of shape about a bad call. Take a time out, and talk to the GM about it. Tell them why you feel it was a bad call (or whatever the situation is) without being accusatory. Your GM will thank you for bringing what could be a potentially bad situation to their attention (quite often, they may not be aware of the situation. It happens. You only have your character to worry about...the GM needs to keep track of all characters and all the NPC's and the whole world) in a rational manner. It is never good to sit and brood on something that's bothering you.
10) Talk with other players, OOCly and ICly. Often, different players have different perspectives on the game or situation at hand. You can really find out a lot of information by talking to the other players, or get a fresh look on a problem.
This text is copyright © Lana Gjovig; "Amber" is copyright © Roger Zelazny; "Amber" the diceless RPG is copyright © Phage Press. No copyright infringement is intended.
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