So I was in a pfs focused group online and there was a guy that wanted to gm a pfs game for the new players. So I talk with the guy and he's cool with me making a certain character because of what everyone else was bringing. He knew I was new and all that.
One of the people in the group that clearly knows more, apparently got frustrated and went on about all these rules for new people to pfs, like you should know what you're going to do before it's your turn. But then he went on about how you really shouldn't take longer than 6 seconds per turn in real time (I was under the impression a turn in combat was like 6 seconds of in-game time passing). And how even as a new player, you should know your race and class inside and out beforehand. Then he mentioned how every player should have all these macros for their character set up before a game so it only takes a couple minutes to get started.
As a new player, this is ridiculous. I understand etiquette in general. I get that part, but I don't see how you can even know your race and class super amazing starting off (I've read some of the arguments online over a single feat, let alone a whole class). This game has an overwhelming amount of options. That's awesome to have available, but it seems unrealistic to expect new people to actually know everything.
Is this commonplace to happen, or is this what's really expected of new players to pathfinder and pfs?
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer
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Although you'll see some variation, Pathfinder Society players tend to be accommodating and understanding. We understand that not everyone is equally familiar with the rules and that we were all beginners at one time. They also have a vested interest in ensuring that people have a good time. For whatever reason, that seems to have not happened with or been clear to the player in question.
There are Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild-specific rules for building characters and conducting oneself, nut from what you've written, it doesn't sound like you ran afoul of any of them. There are no additional, centralized rules that dictate online behavior in games beyond those basics; however, a given platform might have guidelines that the virtual tabletop community expects people to follow beyond those Pathfinder Society expects. If that was the case for you, I suspect you could ask the community's representative.
I think your experience was an anomaly, and if it should happen during an online game again, do not hesitate to message the GM for support to tell the other player to knock it off. If you would like to receive more guidance or insights about the online Pathfinder Society experience (or discuss the incident inquestion), I encourage you to contact any of the online play venture-officers (see the online play entry in the United States section).
I hope the next round is more enjoyable.
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Don't let yourself get pushed away from the Society or Pathfinder because of this. There are a lot of very kind and helpful players and GMs out there. I have only been in four Society games on roll20 but I already met quite a few awesome gamers!
Are you looking for games there, too? If so, I'd be happy to invite you to my next game and try to help you get a more encouraging experience
Sorry nullpunkt just saw your reply. I sent a pm.
Yeah I've started playing 5e on roll20 since I posted. I've learned a fair amount about how these games work, but I know pathfinder has a lot more to learn. I've been a little confused trying to learn both games at the same time with no prior experience, but I have 18 or so hours logged playing 5e, so I at least know a little now.
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Maybe he meant, "Anything you say should be limited to a 6 second window, to simulate the length of time a combat round in Pathfinder is set for."
One round is six seconds of in-game time, so some people like to limit anything said to a real-time duration of six seconds, as well.
For what your PC is doing, it will only take six seconds of game time, but, as mentioned, real world time is going to be longer, as describing the action takes longer, usually, than the actual action would take.
"I 5' step diagonally forward and right, and take a full attack with my longbow using cold iron arrows which have been blanched with alchemical silver, using Manyshot and Rapid Shot. The target is now within 30', so another +1 to hit and damage. +2 bow, so also bypasses DR Magic. Oh, and I have Clustered Shots, so DR only applies once, if it applies at all, to my total damage on the target. Let's see, full attack, rapid shot, and Kevin's wizard cast Haste on us, so... 4 attacks." Rolls 4 d20s for to hits, rolls any d20s need to determine if any crit threats confirm, then rolls damage dice as needed, adds up the total damage, GM applies it, relates results, next player.
One bit of advice, hit on tangentially earlier: Always pay attention to what is happening in the game, and try to have your next turn planned out in advance. Keeping an eye on the game lets you adjust your actions, if necessary, for when an opponent drops, or other circumstances change, and this helps keep the game flowing, especially if you are in an environment with a hard cutoff time, whether from the scenario (Bonekeep, for example) or the location (The store closes at 11 pm, with no flexibility).
Yeah I dunno what the guy was thinking. I had originally remedied the situation by letting someone else play in my place. The only problem with that was that I never played, which defeats the purpose. It was a poor decision that lead me to still never having played pathfinder other than pbp which is not the fastest way to get your feet wet. If the situation happened again, I would probably just ignore the grumpy people and make sure the gm was cool with everything.
That is not the way if then statements work.If that's normal, I'm abnormal.You are abnormal, therefore its normal?
But if it was, would TOZ still be abnormal?
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So I was in a pfs focused group online and there was a guy that wanted to gm a pfs game for the new players. So I talk with the guy and he's cool with me making a certain character because of what everyone else was bringing. He knew I was new and all that.
One of the people in the group that clearly knows more, apparently got frustrated and went on about all these rules for new people to pfs, like you should know what you're going to do before it's your turn. But then he went on about how you really shouldn't take longer than 6 seconds per turn in real time (I was under the impression a turn in combat was like 6 seconds of in-game time passing). And how even as a new player, you should know your race and class inside and out beforehand. Then he mentioned how every player should have all these macros for their character set up before a game so it only takes a couple minutes to get started.
As a new player, this is ridiculous. I understand etiquette in general. I get that part, but I don't see how you can even know your race and class super amazing starting off (I've read some of the arguments online over a single feat, let alone a whole class). This game has an overwhelming amount of options. That's awesome to have available, but it seems unrealistic to expect new people to actually know everything.Is this commonplace to happen, or is this what's really expected of new players to pathfinder and pfs?
Durdrik, I am very sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with your first game. There are many different people in the Pathfinder community, and I know there's a good group out there for you. Complete system mastery is not (and should not be) generally expected of new players. I've been playing for about 3 years now, and I made so many mistakes when I was starting out. My characters were weak, and my tactics were awful. I still have much to learn and I'm constantly improving, but currently, my highest level character is a Seeker at Level 16. I would never have gotten this far if people gave up on me, or made me quit the game. Everyone has potential, and any "newbie" can grow up to be a great player.
I know it's a long shot, but if you're in San Diego, I'd love to introduce you to our community here. Our main stores are At Ease Games and Game Empire. I've found that everyone here is kind and patient. I always look forward to meeting new players and making new friends. If not, I of course still wish you well in finding a game; whether in your local community or online. I will hopefully play my first online game soon, so I can't comment much on them. However, I'm sure they can be great as well! I saw Nullpunkt's very heartwarming post, so hopefully you can get a good game there!
Durdrik, I am very sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with your first game. There are many different people in the Pathfinder community, and I know there's a good group out there for you. Complete system mastery is not (and should not be) generally expected of new players. I've been playing for about 3 years now, and I made so many mistakes when I was starting out. My characters were weak, and my tactics were awful. I still have much to learn and I'm constantly improving, but currently, my highest level character is a Seeker at Level 16. I would never have gotten this far...So I was in a pfs focused group online and there was a guy that wanted to gm a pfs game for the new players. So I talk with the guy and he's cool with me making a certain character because of what everyone else was bringing. He knew I was new and all that.
One of the people in the group that clearly knows more, apparently got frustrated and went on about all these rules for new people to pfs, like you should know what you're going to do before it's your turn. But then he went on about how you really shouldn't take longer than 6 seconds per turn in real time (I was under the impression a turn in combat was like 6 seconds of in-game time passing). And how even as a new player, you should know your race and class inside and out beforehand. Then he mentioned how every player should have all these macros for their character set up before a game so it only takes a couple minutes to get started.
As a new player, this is ridiculous. I understand etiquette in general. I get that part, but I don't see how you can even know your race and class super amazing starting off (I've read some of the arguments online over a single feat, let alone a whole class). This game has an overwhelming amount of options. That's awesome to have available, but it seems unrealistic to expect new people to actually know everything.Is this commonplace to happen, or is this what's really expected of new players to pathfinder and pfs?
Unfortunately I'm in Arizona, but I do appreciate the offer. It's good to see my first experience was not the average. Nullpunkt directed me to the pfs google community and I may even be able to play tonight, so I'm looking forward to it.
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I know of at least one GM that has strict anti-metagame table rules. For example, you are limited to speaking 2 sentences each combat round. You are not allowed to talk about your PC in terms of numbers (no saying what your skill bonuses are or how many hit points you have, etc.)
While intended to increase immersion I could see that being somewhat intimidating for new players. However, I have not seen anything like what you described, especially in a game advertised for new players.
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I know of at least one GM that has strict anti-metagame table rules. For example, you are limited to speaking 2 sentences each combat round. You are not allowed to talk about your PC in terms of numbers (no saying what your skill bonuses are or how many hit points you have, etc.)
While intended to increase immersion I could see that being somewhat intimidating for new players. However, I have not seen anything like what you described, especially in a game advertised for new players.
For HP my favorite way to describe is.. "on a scale from 1 to 73 I'm about a 42".
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Unfortunately I'm in Arizona, but I do appreciate the offer. It's good to see my first experience was not the average. Nullpunkt directed me to the pfs google community and I may even be able to play tonight, so I'm looking forward to it.
Glad to hear it! Have fun! I've never had the pleasure of playing there, but Arizona's community also sounds very nice. Whether it's local games, Roll20, or PbP, I hope everything goes well!
I know of at least one GM that has strict anti-metagame table rules. For example, you are limited to speaking 2 sentences each combat round. You are not allowed to talk about your PC in terms of numbers (no saying what your skill bonuses are or how many hit points you have, etc.)
While intended to increase immersion I could see that being somewhat intimidating for new players. However, I have not seen anything like what you described, especially in a game advertised for new players.
I can understand a gm having rules. You as a player have the option of just not playing because of their expectations. The problem was that it wasn't the gm that caused my issue. It was another player in the game that was acting like the gm, telling all of the newbies a strict set of his own rules as if he was so amazing to play with that he could make demands on everyone else.