On 14 Dec 00, at 22:12, The White Crow wrote:

> I have less problem with that aspect than I do when magic/superpowers
> come into the equation.  I work around the social issues of the
> players, taking them into account in dealing with NPC reactions.

Either you don't have players with social issues, or you've learned 
to deal well with cognitive dissonance when NPC's react in a 
manner that wouldn't normally follow from the player's actual 
words/actions.  But that's a side issue.
 
> But this is getting the PCs to act according to NPC influences. 
> THere's a mechanic in the game for it, but that's not an answer. If it
> were a mind control power they'd be fine with it.  Ok, not *fine* with
> it, but they'd understand even as they griped about how much they hate
> mind control. ;)  But getting them to accept that the bad guy tells
> them not to shoot, and having them do it--that's the hard thing.

That, to me, falls under "poor roleplaying." Otherwise-good 
roleplayers seem to have a blind-spot in that area.  It's a control 
issue.  They can accept when their character fails physically better 
than mentally.  Part of it is cultural - we can deal with physical 
illness better than mental, physical disabilities better than mental, 
etc.  By extension, the character's mind is inviolate to a lot of 
people - outright mind control is borderline all right, because it takes 
free will (and thus responsibility) away from the character.

> I don't want to rely on a die roll.  So how does one get across that
> the characters would be feeling something (even if it is of unnatural
> origin, they won't know that) without "forcing" them to abide by a
> straight mechanic?

It sounds to me like your players won't do it without being forced.  
I'd venture to say that's typical.

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