Pre-Banned Players
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As the others said, it’s better to focus on having a behavior filter than a pre-made list. Lists can easily be bypassed with new handles or none at all.
The focus should be on problematic behaviors that range from the worst that we’ve all seen in this hobby which should be an instant zero-tolerance banning if found true to behaviors that game runners personally find troublesome. As a game runner, you are basically inviting someone to your space, like a home. Hosts should be proper hosts but guests should also be on their best behaviors as they are guests. If one turns out to be a sex pest or an asshole, just show them the door before your other guests, guests you like and want attending, are soured by the experience and leave.
The more experience you have in this hobby and as a game runner, the more complex and detailed that filter will become. And it is your list, not someone else’s, since it is your game. The list may be similar to other lists but it is still yours, it doesn’t have to be a copy since your game is not a copy.
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I’d absolutely follow the advice lain herein, but I would add: The game is your space. You can certainly consider it a shared space, but nobody else is entitled to be there. So don’t hesitate to pull the trigger, even if you’re tempted to offer chances. You have a right to peace of mind, they have the privilege of joining you.
ETA: Double-agree with @Pyrephox’s suggestion to avoid crowdsourcing. Not only would you be likely getting woefully outdated information, but you’d be at the mercy of our collective memory and our collective grudges. If they’re still a problem, they’ll reveal that in due time, if they’re not, then bully for all involved.
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In my case, I think I’d prefer a very short pre-made list combined with a behavior filter. 99% of people get the filter, but there are a handful of people that would be on my pre-banned list, and if I discovered they were actively on my game, I would remove them. Even barring the potential for them to have learned from their mistakes, there are a few people in the hobby that I would immediately remove from my game just on past experiences.
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Whenever someone launches a new game, I’m always open to sharing my banlist of sex pests and nazis with the game runner.
Conversely, I’m also open to vouching for great players.
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Have to throw my two cents in with the people who already advised against sharing such a list, too. Which is not to say that you shouldn’t know who you’re banning on sight. Just don’t take somebody else’s word for it.
Instead of a list of names, decide what behaviour you have zero tolerance with. Ban anyone who engages in it.
Any pronouns. Come to Chincoteague. We have ponies. http://keys.aresmush.com
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@L-B-Heuschkel said in Pre-Banned Players:
Have to throw my two cents in with the people who already advised against sharing such a list, too. Which is not to say that you shouldn’t know who you’re banning on sight. Just don’t take somebody else’s word for it.
I am at the point in my life where I am willing to give most people another shot. There are all of three people I would not allow to play on any game I ran-- and they have either hurt me RL or have hurt a friend of mine RL.
My main suggestion is to take your own experiences with people and go from there. If someone has repeatedly been crappy to you across games? If they pop up on your game? Ask them to leave.
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If you can’t stand them and don’t want to deal with them? Yeah, ask them to leave the moment they show up.
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@Gashlycrumb The best advice I got from someone for running my own game is “Your game is your living room you’re inviting people into. You keep the lights on and you don’t owe anyone an explanation for who you let in or not.”
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@SockMonkey I’m strongly with that living room model. They say it’s wrong to compare a MU to a tabletop, and there sure are big differences, but the living room gaming sessions of my young-adulthood are what I’m aiming for in text-format.
It’s your living room, you provided the space and the bog-roll. You make the rules and so long as you make them clear or they’re just aligned with general and MU-specific norms, you’re not doing it wrong. Not letting people you actively dislike in is natural and will spare everyone trouble.
I tried to insist that players who couldn’t stand each other avoid each other with grace and not snipe at each other, because we may not all be friends but we’re going to act friendly in my living room. And tried to encourage OOC socialising and be available and friendly for it myself, since to me this is the real meta-game of RPGs (what you can win is friends) for Gary Gygax is the godfather of most of my oldest and most treasured friendships.
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@Gashlycrumb Also, chances are most of the people you (general not specific) have a problem with have a similar opinion of you so 1) Why would they care? 2) Why would they be surprised? People are allowed to avoid games because of Staff (whether your own issue or in support of someone else) so it seems hypocritical to not allow Staff the same option especially when they’re the one putting in the effort to run the game.
