Having the experience that you've had, Kalshane, is there anything the players can do to be particularly supportive of/helpful to the GM?

I think the big thing would be to stay with the rest of the "crew" as much as possible unless the GM is setting things up for a solo venture. I'm not talking about things where the characters have to split up in order to enact a plan, but rather one character wandering off to do his own thing. It's frustrating for the GM because he has to direct his energies in a direction away from the main plot, and it's frustrating for the other players because they're stuck sitting around while the loner monopolizes the GMs time.

That makes a lot of sense. And has caused me to be a bit chastened...when I defied the captain's order, I stayed in an area to observe a building, while the rest of the search party was hanging out in the woods.

It worked out to the good, but I'll be more mindful in future.

Thanks for the tip.

Beej, are you part of the DC area browncoats group? I heard stories of an awful kerfuffle over their recent RPG.

Something like that isn't a big deal. You're still contributing to the story as a whole and if the GM hadn't wanted to deal with what you're doing she could have easily said "You wait, but see nothing out of the ordinary" and moved on to the rest of the group. I'm referring more to people who have their characters wander off on their own to settle personal vendettas/goals or otherwise stir up trouble. The former is fine if the player lets the GM know ahead of time so he can plan for it, and if the GM thinks it will be too time-consuming, can set up a separate one-on-one session with the player, or handle it via e-mail or whatever. The latter just tends to cause meaningless headaches.

That's not to say there won't be times when the GM expects/encourages the group to split up and do their own thing. Such as when they're resting planetside after a big job or something. Basically, the problem is when a lone person wants to ignore the main story currently underway and do their own thing.

Beej, are you part of the DC area browncoats group? I heard stories of an awful kerfuffle over their recent RPG.

That would be me.

One guy bent a shelf in my fridge and left it for me to clean up (though he may not have realized it)

Someone else took food not meant for the event

But the WORST was the friend of one of the players showing up after the thing was over...looking me in the eye and saying, "Do you have any other food? I expected food." I was FLOORED. Plus? The event was over. I needed people to leave and they. just. wouldn't.

The person whose friend it was got v. defensive...when in fact I don't think anyone even realized it was her friend until she took her agita to the public forum.

At any rate, the organizer of the group sent out a general, rules while playing at Beej's house message and it was ON. Blown terrifically out of proportion.

Are you connected to the group somehow Tamara?

cereal:

You wait, but see nothing out of the ordinary" and moved on to the rest of the group

This happened a lot. And made perfect sense once the whole story came together. The process really is fascinating. And the GM did a great job.

Beej, I'm good friends with Claudia. She vented to me in an email. I'm sorry you had to put up with such bad behavior.

OMG. I could not believe the things this woman was saying about Claudia who so graciously keeps us organized and on track...spends her own money...just like I do. It was craxy with a capital X, I tell you.

Since I'm the professional, deal-with-difficult-people gal, I told her to just forward all the vitriolic messages and I'd take care of them. She takes that sutff way too to heart, bless her.

The perp kept trying to get C to apologize. I nearly died. AND was peeved that C characterized her own, perfectly right behavior as less than such...giving fuel to a fire that she just did not deserve to be burned by.

C is a dear kind soul, and she does take these things to heart. I gave her some extreme passive aggressive tactics to use in the future.

One guy bent a shelf in my fridge and left it for me to clean up (though he may not have realized it)

Someone else took food not meant for the event

But the WORST was the friend of one of the players showing up after the thing was over...looking me in the eye and saying, "Do you have any other food? I expected food." I was FLOORED. Plus? The event was over. I needed people to leave and they. just. wouldn't.

WTF? Okay, if people showed up at my house and acted like that, I would be bemoaning the fact I didn't have an airlock to shove their asses out of.

There is such a thing as being accomodating to the group and whatnot, but the general rule is whoever's home you're playing in makes the rules. If people have a problem with that, they can either provide another location to play, or find another game to play.