🛑W mentality

Why a play to win mindset can harm roleplaying and the community.

Role playing is primarily about working with others to create a compelling, collaborative narrative. It's a chance to explore different characters and situations, write compelling stories, and build relationships with others through shared experiences. However, a narrow focus on winning can undermine these fundamental aspects of roleplaying and harm all parties involved.

When players have a "play to win" mentality, they focus only on their own goals and desires, frequently at the expense of others. When players choose not to cooperate/compromise with others this leads to a lack of collaboration. It can also lead to behaviors that are detrimental to the role playing experience, such as breaking character, using information outside of the game, or exploiting loopholes. Players who behave as such all fall under the W-mentality umbrella. We understand that everyone here is human, scenes can be frustrating and people can be upset or agitated. However, you are here to be part of a community. Your actions should never cause someone to stop being interested in interacting with you in city.

A "play to win" mentality not only undermines cooperation, but can also detract from the narrative aspect of roleplaying. When players are focused only on achieving their goals, they may overlook opportunities for interesting and meaningful interactions with other characters. They are also less likely to take risks or experiment with different story telling techniques because they are more concerned with "winning" than exploring new and creative ways to role play. Take the time to develop your characters' motivations, struggles, relationships, and backstory.

Please remember that although it is natural to be competitive, have goals and desires, the collaborative story focused experience that is at the core of roleplaying can be harmed by a "play to win" approach. Instead, players ought to make an effort to develop emotionally compelling characters, interact with others in meaningful ways, and delve deeply into the roleplaying experience. Experiences will become more fulfilling and gratifying for everyone by concentrating on these elements.