Party Coherence

[Kian]

I started playing Pen & Paper RPG's about an year ago, with D&D 3rd Ed. The guys I played with were also relatively new to the game, though they had more experience with RPGs.

We've been playing together since then, the same campaign. We started with level 1 PCs, and are now at about level 8. Some chars have died along the way, and been replaced. Keep in mind that our DM gives VERY little gold or XP, so even though we're level 8 we couldn't raise 1000 gp to save our lives :P

Anyway, ever since the beggining, we haven't managed to work as a party. That is to say, it's sometimes feels like it's just a group of individuals, sticking toghether simply becuse they are PCs.

Anyway, I was wondering what do you guys do to keep the party "together", and avoid the artificial 'flavor'.

[hamster]

I've had the same problems many times in the past. The best way to get around it, I've found, is to talk to the other players, OOC, and get the "true" story about him/her/it.
I know this is "meta-gaming," but sometimes this is unavoidable...try a few simple questions for everyone, like "Why are you adventuring" or "where did you come from" and go from there. The more real the PC's are, the easier it is to interact and come together (or hate each other) because they seem like real people.
The other problem I've had, both as a DM and a player, is staying in character, or the lack thereof...if someone is constantly breaking character with modern language, silly OOC jokes or whatever, it's hard to see them as a believable char in the game setting. Thus, there is no real connection btw the person who is trying hard to really evoke their character's "character" (forgive the pun, i couldnt avoid it!) and the goof-off who just wants to run around hacking goblins...

there's just a difference btw some people's perceptions of what RPing is...some like the console type where all you do is menus and fight, others can go for hours (or entire sessions) without touching a single die...try to get the other's in char, and if they're good (as in alignment) PC's, it should fall into place.

if all else fails, cheat. talk to the DM aside from the others, and try to work out some kind of "teamwork is needed here" situation...if they don't bite, he/she can off their char's.

anyways, that's my two cents (reading the above, make that a dollar and a half...sorry)

[Valiente]

Hamster makes some really good points. I too have been in groups where I've felt the same way, the same "why am I even -with- you guys?!" feeling.

Sometimes, it's the fault of the DM for not setting things up in any kind of appropriate manner or giving the party any kind of reason to stay together. Sometimes, they let people play things that just shouldn't, IMO, be allowed. As a DM, I NEVER allow my characters to play an evil alignment, and you have to CONVINCE me to let you play chaotic neutral. Why? Because of party harmony. Having a character that will gladly stab you in the back is NOT good for cementing the party together.

As a player, I find the best solution is to talk to both the DM and the players, as Hamster suggested. With players, I'll flat out ask how their characters feel/think about mine, and discuss why they should continue adventuring together beyond things like "you swing a sword well and I cast healing spells." I'll also talk to the DM (my current DM and I plot constantly together) and likewise ask the same thing, and sometimes try to find a way to tie the characters together via back story/character history. That, I've found, has also been a big help.

I suppose one last thing is to look at it from a sort of practical view, for lack of a better term. If your party can't stand their mage (or whatever class) but the mage is REALLY good at what they do (i.e. land spells where they should, stay out of the way of physical combat, identifying magic items) that alone -could- be reason enough for the rest of the party to keep them around. Acknowledging that a character is good at something, or that the party NEEDS them, even if the character is a jerk, can sometimes be helpful.

Meh. There's my two cp. ^^