Coming to RPGs from a computer game background - also, weird characters

[Stella Brando]

Do you think that we see PnP RPGs from a strange perspective when we have 1200 hours playing Baldur's Gate 1/2, and 0 hours in theatre or whatever?

I wonder if other players see it as strange if you seem to have in depth understanding on rules, combat, etc, but in other ways feel like a noob.

I also find that I try to make realistic characters, while some others make talking animals, strange monsters etc. But that may be an unrelated issue.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

I also find that I try to make realistic characters, while some others make talking animals, strange monsters etc. But that may be an unrelated issue.

This is mostly a "sign of the times". Everybody and their dog (fittingly) wants to play non-human snowflake characters.

I've started playing RPG and CRPG at the same time so I get what you mean, but you'll get used to it.

 

[ArisatoSeldom]

My friend, who only played crpg, find ttrpg to be better, especially in terms of combat creativity department. But all my players, even those who have not played any videogames, has this "available choices?" deformation of wanting to have list of all available actions. Will come off soon, I hope. But funny fact, nevertheless.
Never had a problem of snowflakes. Everyone in my fresh group picked up "mundane" characters (humans everyone lol). At worst I've had is a halfling mage (and it's an ex WoW player).

 

[Falksi]

Vidja RPGs have always been for me to isolate myself away from everything, and chill out to.

TTRPGs are definitely a social things, and more about having a laugh. Been some years since I played them, but most descended into chaotic bollocks. We didn't have modular tiles, so we used crusts from our sandwhiches.

 

[Eadee]

I also find that I try to make realistic characters, while some others make talking animals, strange monsters etc. But that may be an unrelated issue.

I prefer human and humanlike characters much over groups playing a wandering zoo. I don't think it has to do wether you have a background in crpgs or ttrpgs, I think it rather depends on what playstyle you prefer.

If you want to focus on complex plotlines character development and character interaction, humanlike characters are a great basis because they don't distract from the interesting stuff in your campaign.

On the other hand, when you just live from encounter to encounter, not caring about long term consequences or relationships with NPCs or players, things might get boring fast with humanlikes. Playing weird, flashy and unique characters adds potential for situational humor, slapstik and lots of special effects.

I think there's a tendency that inexperienced players favor the latter because they have no clue that an intriiguing longterm playstyle with consequences is possible and fun.
I also see a tendency for D&D Players to prefer this kind of playstyle, simply because the whole system supports the whole concept of encounter based roleplaying.

In contrast to that I think that people who had the luck to play at the table of a good gm that put lots of effort in a long term campaign prefer the playstyle with more humanlike relateable characters.
I also see this tendency for WoD players, probably because these games support a more sandboxy setting based long term approach.

 

[Gregz]

I grew up playing both. To me, they are very different.

 

[Caim]

This is mostly a "sign of the times". Everybody and their dog (fittingly) wants to play non-human snowflake characters.

Reminder that if you cannot play an interesting Male Human Fighter, you cannot play an interesting agender firbolg blood hunter.

 

[Alex_Steel]

My friend, who only played crpg, find ttrpg to be better, especially in terms of combat creativity department. But all my players, even those who have not played any videogames, has this "available choices?" deformation of wanting to have list of all available actions. Will come off soon, I hope.

Not only combat creativity, if I may add. How many times I felt in a CRPG that none of the dialogue choices fitted my character. Or intelligent ideas to solve a problem, that are just not supported from the game. In tabletop these problems just go away.

The "available choices?" problem sounds to me like a combination of the following things: Lack of understanding of the game's rules, and not enough info on the setting.