God Moding

God-Moding, or as we call it GMS (god moding syndrome)- to us has several different factors. Many believe it’s just one but to us it is not one but several types that work either independently or combined that can ruin any game or role player’s experience.

Now, there are exceptions to these listed below, especially in game play, but these exceptions are not an excuse to escape GMS classification. In certain circumstances some GMS types may show up in game play, for they can be utilized in plots or by players, within reason. However, these situations should always be discussed with GM’s before implemented or used. There are limits to what a player should and shouldn’t do with their characters.

Depending upon what game you participate in, there are often GM’s who run the majority of the game’s overall plot. Some will often accuse the GM’s of GMS, yet you have to remember that they created the game, and they retain the rights to control the games progress. We’re not saying that they should smash people to pieces or perform GMS actions and expect people to accept it, not at all. All we are saying is that GM’s have to possess a form of power over the game- it’s expected and shouldn’t be marked as GMS. Good GM’s understood this balance, and do their best to present it in the game at all times.

GMS is a form of game play that causes a player to act of their own needs, wants and desires for game play. They are unconcerned with the consequences of their actions, for if it benefits their character, it doesn’t matter. The only time GMS is not considered is if it help players and plot, two, it doesn’t break or ‘bend’ the rules, and three it is properly set up.

Not all GMS’ers have the same symptoms, and can’t be categorized exactly the same, for we feel there are some who are a degree higher than others. GMS goes from a scale of common GMS’ers being a mere annoyance to those that are completely out of control. So, let us enlighten you on what we find to be God-Moding behavior.

1.) Invincibility Complex. Said character is ‘not’ receiving any form of injury, sickness, etc, what so ever… even in the middle of the biggest war in the known world. Fifty thousand arrows are flying at said person, and they manage to dodge ‘every’ one. No matter how large the fireball, regardless of how much that boulder weighs or how fast it's falling, despite who's doing it or how well they're trained, they always manage to avoid it. Always. They're a bloody dancing butterfly for they dodge, sway, flip (in full suits of armor!) and otherwise avoid any form of attack because they are so fast, they would put the Flash to shame! How likely is that? Not even Jet Li could avoid fifty thousand arrows in Hero, so I doubt anyone else could. In battles? In a fight? I think not. Even the best of fighters would get several injuries, minor to even severe. It’s just how things are. Yes, it is a fantasy game, but how fun is it when you play with someone who just refuses to get hurt, take a hit? This is the most common GMS type.

2.) Enduring Heroic Resilience. So they’ve been struck by an arrow. Fifty times. Maybe just once, but it only pierced through a lung, but hell they’ve got two of those, they’ll do without… and of course they don’t bleed as much as anyone else. They solider through, no matter how many foreign objects invade the sanctity of their body, they endure, shrug off the blinding pain with every motion, no matter how big or how small, despite chucks of their flesh missing, they endure! Get real. Or, on another level, they ‘are’ hit, yet they just continue to completely ignore the consequences of ‘being’ hit. That arrow lodged in their shoulder can’t prevent them from lifting their six foot sword of doom! At this rate they might as well not have been hit at all, which leads you back to GMS Type 1.

3.) Jack of all Trades. They are the best of the best. They are the best in the land, top of their class, the student who defeated the master. They know all there is to know about any skill, have infinite power, and magically also know other things that they shouldn’t, without even having to of trained or studied them! They can even pick up on the skills of others by only seeing them do it once. But, alas, this is not something that’s possible, for anyone, not even game characters and this can lead to trouble. If players are at the receiving end of a God-Moder’s mega skills, it either intimidates their character into submission when they otherwise wouldn’t do so, or it forces them to compensate for the abusive player, and do as they do… gain more skills, or have a ‘better’ skill. If players keep going this path, it makes things complicated and messy for any story plot.

4.) Inexhaustible Magi. They can cast a thousand fire balls, the size of a small house, and keep going. Nothing will slow them down and they never get tired, because they are magical power houses! Magic’s a straining sport and they are testing the endurance of the mortal coil. If they’ve read anything about any games magic system, they’d know that this just isn’t possible. Magic takes time and ones own personal energy to weave or hold together. They can do a lot of spells, but shouldn't they begin running out of energy sooner or later? Like a gun with an extended magazine, maybe they go on for a while, but they aren't the unending pool of energy they think they are. Keep slinging spells without consequences; you’ll likely have a GM slinging a big fat Ban in your direction.

5.) The Sixth Sense. Knowing something that they otherwise wouldn’t, the player acts upon their ‘psychic’ senses, that we call a ‘Sixth Sense’, and see, hear and know things that their character wouldn’t. It’s basically them giving their character ‘their’ knowledge of the game and using it to their benefit. Like characters reading thoughts of others, or knowing what’s to come in the quest ahead and acting upon said knowledge. Their character knows something bad is going to happen, or that someone is evil, just because they do… because they are ‘that’ perceptive. They are beings that are so wise, not surprised by anything, mind reading masters and ever knowing oracles. Wow. Sneak attacks and puzzles just aren't what they use to be? Maybe it's because there's no risk of failure, or that they just can’t stand the fact that their character ‘could’ fail. Some times it's cool to get that eerie vibe and whip around, beating up the minor enemy, its understandable, but if a player ventures too far in to that realm and see every thing coming, knows everything that’s going to happen, and has knowledge about everything and everyone (even though you just ‘met’ the other character) your not only going to have bored characters, you’ll have angry players.

6.) Action Controllers. These players are ranked pretty high in the GMS types, for the fact that it is harmful. Players with this type tend to take over the actions of other characters, without permission, and often with ill results. Sometimes its minor action controlling, but its still not appropriate to control anyone else’s character without express permission. Mostly it’s the God-Moder having their character do something they ‘couldn’t’ otherwise do with another person’s character, such as injure them without permission, performing an action and giving the result of that action without allowing the other character to respond or considering the consequences or the character owners feelings. A person with this type of GMS often has others accompanied with it, but most common Type 3. (example: Player A has player B hostage, holding them by a curved dagger at the neck. Player A is a master assassin, and has been for many years. Player B is a rogue, who’s relatively young and not so experienced. But, magically, player B manages to ‘turnaround’ in player A’s hold (seeming to forget the dagger pressed to their neck… it is just their neck after all), reaches ‘down’ to pull an arrow out of their boot, and stab assassin player A in the ‘heart’, dealing a death blow to another character. Forget all the movement and actions completed in said movement, let alone the sharp deadly dagger ‘pressed’ to their jugular. This person not only has Type 6 GMS, they have Types 1, 2 and of course Type 3.

7.) Spotlight Hero. Yes, these people are GMS’ers, believe it or not. They tend to want the game spotlight on themselves, and can and will often do crazy and stupid things to keep it. It can range from their characters actions, attempting to pull everything around themselves, to discussing with other players and ‘weaseling’ their ideas into a plot that somehow put them at the forefront. They form ‘clicks’ where they play with certain people and ignore other players, especially if they attempt to steal their ‘stage’. They constantly make people compensate or rework their plots for their foolery. They act out of character at times, perform actions that conflict with their character/racial profile, but justify it as character development or ‘necessary’ for the game. When they make plots they primarily center on their own character(s) and do things that just aren’t possible, logical, or don’t make any form of sense. (Pink bunny suit on a war ship?) They show lack of interest in plots they don’t run or aren’t in control of, and often blame other players or GM’s for their lack of participation. This form of GMS is quite severe, and is often associated with GMS type 8.

8.) Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. In our view, the worst type of GMS. They are the exception to every rule, or otherwise, they can see what they get away with without breaking the rules of the game completely. So they twist, turn and warp the rules out of proportion, and then make a big scene when they are told to stop, no matter what you say, for after all, they hadn’t ‘broken’ any rules. Some even break the rules, blatantly, and then make excuses for it. What makes them the worst GMS type is that they seem like great players; they like to help with the plots, they talk well, have great writing skills, and are often praised on their writing. These players are not the kind you want around your game, for their influence is subtle at first, but slowly starts becoming a trend. They tend to cause arguments and problems just for the sake of drama- especially if their characters or ideas are involved, making excuses for their actions that ‘seem’ plausible, but continue to do as they always do. They like to be in control, and their ugly side starts to shows through when that control is taken away from them. They can be extremely vengeful, often bitter, and ruin plots, take down players with them, and destroy the game itself just because things weren’t going the way ‘they’ wanted it. Overall GMS’ers who are inflicted with Type 8 generally seem likeable, gain trust easily, who then use it for their advantage, fooling the general game community. People inflicted with Type 8 GMS are not spied right away, and are often discovered in game after time, for it is near impossible to see what they are otherwise. One thing is for certain, though, and that is they are to be put in their place immediately, no matter how little bent a rule is, for if given the power and chance they can drag people down with them and ruin a good game if they are not caught in time. Those with this type of GMS also typically have Type 7, and can possibly have the others as well.