Attracting a new gaming group. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Attracting a new gaming group. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ImmortalBlueMage
12-04-04, 10:36 AM Back home, I had a great group of four to six players that I gamed with generally three times a month. Their character progressed from Level 1 up to Level 13 (couple casualties along the way of course...ahem) over the course of four campaigns. There was never any of the in-fighting or bickering or player disputes that so many people on these boards talk about (with the exception of a Halfling Rogue who's excessive alcoholism caused us to finally have to expel him from the game) and it was probably the best D&D experience in my career.

Three months ago I moved to a new city, and had to leave the old group behind. In those three months, I have utterly failed to get a new gaming group going. My one roommate is very heavily interested in playing again (he was in my old group before he moved too), but neither of us are interested in a solo campaign, so we need at least a couple new guys. We have a pair who have many-time expressed interest in playing with us, but it seems that the only time we see either of them are when they're at a party next door. All D&D-related discussions take place in a state of extreme innebriation, and any arrangements we make are promptly forgotten in a drunken stupor (repeat this process about once every three weeks). The local game shop sells D&D material, but never sponsors any games or has any kind of D&D related events that would be good for meeting players in need of a new DM. The exception to this being the D&D 30th Anniversary day, in which I did sit in on a game with a group of five and played again the next day. The game was attrocius, the DM had no idea what he was doing story-wise and the group was out of control. After two sessions, they never tried to get into touch with me again, and I don't shed any tears for the loss.

Frankly, I'm stumped. I'm starting to go through gaming withdrawls. I buy new sourcebooks and read them in a state of half-despair at likely never being able to use any of the material. I'm starting to wistfully reminisce about the good old days, and lately I've been experiencing flashbacks similar to those of shellshocked war veterans (I tried to tackle a cardboard stand-up of a Goblin Rogue last week and was promptly suspsended from the game shop). Since I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's ever run into this kind of difficulty, what did any of you do to attract players in a new city?
Board_Rider
12-04-04, 11:17 AM While made in jest I think the shellshocked veteran clip was a touch much...but the goblin tackling line was fuuuunnnnyyyy. Never fear the Board Rider is here!
While I do not know what city you live in.....I am thinking college town with the boozin and the hard time getting players.....
"Dude you play D&D?"
"Hell no bro! Only geeks and losers play that!"
"Oh, all right then."
The point of my little diatribe is that while there are gamers out there they may not play due to some possible public scrutiny. If the gaming shop doesn't have a place to play you could ask the owner (assuming the goblin thing was a joke..it was right?) to let you post you and your buds name and number if anyone is up for some gaming action or just needs players. Or......
1. Look in the community boards on this site to find players in your town.
2. Wait for the party again and stay sober enough to slip your number in the guy who wants to play's jacket. Kinda gay but he'll remember to call.
3. Make costumes with cardboard and tinfoil and just go interacting with the community. Bring enough dice so that they can play. CONMay lead to an arrest though. PRO Lets you show enthusiasim as you scream,"You need to let me roll my Escape Artist check you cheater!!!"
4. Find an Online Game. Can't really help ya here.
5. Go to a library and post your problem on the community wall with the apartments for rent. Someone may see it.
6. Go to the local college(s) and do the same.
Seriously though this kind of thing sucks...good luck. Just curious, if you don't mind me asking, where did you move to?
DireSpork
12-04-04, 11:30 AM Our small group of Myself, my wife, and a long time buddy is having a similar problem trying to attract a couple more players for our group. We live in a big city so you think it would be easy. I have been watching the comunity sight for a few weeks now for people that play in my area and either they all already have a group here or they do not know the commuinty sight exist. When we do find someone who is insterested they either one can not make it consistanly enough to play but maybe once every two months or they have a personality or quark that makes them not fit in so well with the rest of us. Maybe they think we are the ones that have the quark. Right now were having fun playing every week but were tired of half the party being NPC's.
Aeromus
12-04-04, 12:17 PM You could start playing classes that can work without a full party.

Use the UE Gesalt rules for two eople. Helps alot.

A Sorc/Monk and a Fighter/Cleric can get along great together.
Hochiu
12-04-04, 01:31 PM There's really nothing that you can do in this situation other than wait around and try to be friendly to people. Back when I first started playing, NO one in my area in my high school grade knew about D&D, I basically had to get everything first and introduce it to my friends. Needless to say...our first DM was horrible. Example: He allowed us to get critical hits on undead, somehow a level 1 cleric defeated a full vampire.

All you can do is hang around local hobby shops, or try to find someone that you can get along with that has the same tastes as you (Ie: fantasy, games, etc) and slowly introduce them to it. If worst comes to worst, take out a classified! :evillaugh

That's all the advice I can give ya. Sorry.
charred
12-04-04, 01:36 PM Let me get this straight. You tried to tackle a cardboard stand-up? How could you not succeed?
e-z0r
12-04-04, 02:00 PM Of course he could fail. a -3 strength modifier is not to be trifled with.

Apparently in gaming this sort of stupidity is common. Yesterady I tried to throw a system camera into a wall to break it (Vampire..) .. "Roll a strength check". "You failed, the camera is intact."

I mean, cmon. A system camera should brake when you DROP it.
zodiki
12-04-04, 02:09 PM I'd go ahead and play D&D in a common area where lots of students can see you. If you don't want to play a solo campaign, you could play D&D minatures game instead. Also bring some of those supplements you've bought to class. Don't be afraid to talk to people about it. There's lots of D&D players out there and even more potentials. Showing an interest in something is always infectious.
Ramses III
12-04-04, 05:12 PM Hang out at whatever game shops you can, as much as you can. Become friends with the people who work there -- they should know who plays what games, and if they know you are looking for a D&D group they may well pass that along to other people who are looking for players. Get involved in any kind of gaming activity they hold there -- Magic the Gathering tournaments, or whatever -- that's always a good way to meet gamers. That's how I met the 2 players who are joining my group for my next campaign -- just talking with people at the game stores.
ImmortalBlueMage
12-05-04, 06:28 AM You could start playing classes that can work without a full party.

Use the UE Gesalt rules for two eople. Helps alot.

A Sorc/Monk and a Fighter/Cleric can get along great together.

Cool idea, but we just don't like one on one gaming, need a group of at least four for the game to really get cooking.

Let me get this straight. You tried to tackle a cardboard stand-up? How could you not succeed?

It overpowered me!

In any case, thanks for the advice all. I know there are players out there. I moved here from a town of 5000 that was absoloutey crawling with DnD geeks, it was just a matter of finding out who they were, so here in a town twenty times it's size with multiple game shops there has to be a broad community. Just a matter of finding them.
Omeg
12-05-04, 07:13 AM If you're the DM, it's a lot easier, in my experience, finding a DM is a lot harder then finding players. Just find some people that like reading fantasy books or play things like warcraft.

It also helps to just stand in front of your class in the lecture hall before the lecture starts and just yell "Ok, who here enjoyed playing Baldur's Gate?" then make them understand that BG is actually a very very weak derivative from the real thing and people'll soon be dying to try it out.

In my experience, it also helps when this comes up: "So, how much will this cost me?" "Well, let's see, some paper, a few dice, pencils.... hmm, about two bucks?"

Omeg :mage:
ck2001wendt
12-05-04, 08:54 AM If there are no other games out there, then you'll probably have to DM. So here's how you do it.

1. Build a reasonable campaign summary in your head.

2. Advertise electronically. I tend to use a) WotC; b) Access Denied, (insert gamer database here) and c) Bostongamers (insert local RPG list-serve here).

3. Advertise physically. Most self-respecting game stores have a bulletin board where people can advertise for games or for players. Put basic info on an index card or sheet of paper (system, contact info, etc.). If you've actually been banned from your local game store for assault on a CR 1/8 Cardboard cutout, have your roommate post it.

For 2 and 3, avoid certain terms ("low-magic," "rules for training," "homebrew with extensive houserules," "alternate spell point system") for highest player yield.

4. Wait patiently. Have a beer.
Azual
12-05-04, 09:21 AM i bet all of you FIVE BUCKS that the manager of that Comic Book Store plays D&D or did play D&D and stopped for similar reasons.
:)
Thats One.
If ur Comic Book Shop holds Mage Knight Tourneys then go to one of thse sometime, its a fantasy tabeltop game, and thats pretty much how i got introduced into D&D.
Same goes for Magic.
:D
Omeg
12-05-04, 11:27 AM *shiver* oh, the bad modelling and painting and plastic that is Mage Knight

I played it for a week maybe and then I saw a warhammer figure :eek:

Anyway, to each his own :D

Omeg :mage:
DireSpork
12-05-04, 11:44 AM [QUOTE=
In my experience, it also helps when this comes up: "So, how much will this cost me?" "Well, let's see, some paper, a few dice, pencils.... hmm, about two bucks?"

Hey do not forget to bring money to help chip in for pizza. I mean as the host I do not mind paying for soda every week but I will go to the poor house if I do not get a fair share of pizza money.
quarkstomper
12-06-04, 10:22 AM My wife and I got lucky. When we moved from a college town where we had lots of gaming friends to a small town in rural Wisconsin, we went through serious gaming withdrawl. Then one day I saw a co-worker at the pharmacy I was working at bring a GURPS suppliment to work to read over lunch break.

I said "Gabba gabba! One of us!"

It turned out she and her husband were avid D&D players and so we joined their group. Later on they bought a duplex and let us rent the upstairs. Let me tell you, having a landlord who games is almost as good as having a wife who games.

When he and his wife sold the duplex and moved out of town themselves, we coasted for a while with the dwindling remnants of their group, but picked up one or two new players whom we met at a local gaming convention.

So I guess the best advice would be, carry a monster manual around with you, or bring a coffee mug to work that says "Life's a Lich", or get a d20 key chain; and wait for that look of recognition.

"I see you are a gamer,
And not some petty lord;
For no one but a gamer
Stirs his coffee with his sword."
farce
12-06-04, 10:29 AM *shiver* oh, the bad modelling and painting and plastic that is Mage Knight

I played it for a week maybe and then I saw a warhammer figure :eek:

Anyway, to each his own :D

Omeg :mage:

lol i did the same exact thing-- i remeber being so ****** off when i opened my first box and out popped a chunky figurine dipped in three colors of paint-and then, on a shelf very near to the one i bought my paint drenched figures, stood 40k.....

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ImmortalBlueMage 12-04-04, 10:36 AM	Back home, I had a great group of four to six players that I gamed with generally three times a month. Their character progressed from Level 1 up to Level 13 (couple casualties along the way of course...ahem) over the course of four campaigns. There was never any of the in-fighting or bickering or player disputes that so many people on these boards talk about (with the exception of a Halfling Rogue who's excessive alcoholism caused us to finally have to expel him from the game) and it was probably the best D&D experience in my career. Three months ago I moved to a new city, and had to leave the old group behind. In those three months, I have utterly failed to get a new gaming group going. My one roommate is very heavily interested in playing again (he was in my old group before he moved too), but neither of us are interested in a solo campaign, so we need at least a couple new guys. We have a pair who have many-time expressed interest in playing with us, but it seems that the only time we see either of them are when they're at a party next door. All D&D-related discussions take place in a state of extreme innebriation, and any arrangements we make are promptly forgotten in a drunken stupor (repeat this process about once every three weeks). The local game shop sells D&D material, but never sponsors any games or has any kind of D&D related events that would be good for meeting players in need of a new DM. The exception to this being the D&D 30th Anniversary day, in which I did sit in on a game with a group of five and played again the next day. The game was attrocius, the DM had no idea what he was doing story-wise and the group was out of control. After two sessions, they never tried to get into touch with me again, and I don't shed any tears for the loss. Frankly, I'm stumped. I'm starting to go through gaming withdrawls. I buy new sourcebooks and read them in a state of half-despair at likely never being able to use any of the material. I'm starting to wistfully reminisce about the good old days, and lately I've been experiencing flashbacks similar to those of shellshocked war veterans (I tried to tackle a cardboard stand-up of a Goblin Rogue last week and was promptly suspsended from the game shop). Since I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's ever run into this kind of difficulty, what did any of you do to attract players in a new city?
Board_Rider 12-04-04, 11:17 AM	While made in jest I think the shellshocked veteran clip was a touch much...but the goblin tackling line was fuuuunnnnyyyy. Never fear the Board Rider is here! While I do not know what city you live in.....I am thinking college town with the boozin and the hard time getting players..... "Dude you play D&D?" "Hell no bro! Only geeks and losers play that!" "Oh, all right then." The point of my little diatribe is that while there are gamers out there they may not play due to some possible public scrutiny. If the gaming shop doesn't have a place to play you could ask the owner (assuming the goblin thing was a joke..it was right?) to let you post you and your buds name and number if anyone is up for some gaming action or just needs players. Or...... 1. Look in the community boards on this site to find players in your town. 2. Wait for the party again and stay sober enough to slip your number in the guy who wants to play's jacket. Kinda gay but he'll remember to call. 3. Make costumes with cardboard and tinfoil and just go interacting with the community. Bring enough dice so that they can play. CONMay lead to an arrest though. PRO Lets you show enthusiasim as you scream,"You need to let me roll my Escape Artist check you cheater!!!" 4. Find an Online Game. Can't really help ya here. 5. Go to a library and post your problem on the community wall with the apartments for rent. Someone may see it. 6. Go to the local college(s) and do the same. Seriously though this kind of thing sucks...good luck. Just curious, if you don't mind me asking, where did you move to?
DireSpork 12-04-04, 11:30 AM	Our small group of Myself, my wife, and a long time buddy is having a similar problem trying to attract a couple more players for our group. We live in a big city so you think it would be easy. I have been watching the comunity sight for a few weeks now for people that play in my area and either they all already have a group here or they do not know the commuinty sight exist. When we do find someone who is insterested they either one can not make it consistanly enough to play but maybe once every two months or they have a personality or quark that makes them not fit in so well with the rest of us. Maybe they think we are the ones that have the quark. Right now were having fun playing every week but were tired of half the party being NPC's.
Aeromus 12-04-04, 12:17 PM	You could start playing classes that can work without a full party. Use the UE Gesalt rules for two eople. Helps alot. A Sorc/Monk and a Fighter/Cleric can get along great together.
Hochiu 12-04-04, 01:31 PM	There's really nothing that you can do in this situation other than wait around and try to be friendly to people. Back when I first started playing, NO one in my area in my high school grade knew about D&D, I basically had to get everything first and introduce it to my friends. Needless to say...our first DM was horrible. Example: He allowed us to get critical hits on undead, somehow a level 1 cleric defeated a full vampire. All you can do is hang around local hobby shops, or try to find someone that you can get along with that has the same tastes as you (Ie: fantasy, games, etc) and slowly introduce them to it. If worst comes to worst, take out a classified! :evillaugh That's all the advice I can give ya. Sorry.
charred 12-04-04, 01:36 PM	Let me get this straight. You tried to tackle a cardboard stand-up? How could you not succeed?
e-z0r 12-04-04, 02:00 PM	Of course he could fail. a -3 strength modifier is not to be trifled with. Apparently in gaming this sort of stupidity is common. Yesterady I tried to throw a system camera into a wall to break it (Vampire..) .. "Roll a strength check". "You failed, the camera is intact." I mean, cmon. A system camera should brake when you DROP it.
zodiki 12-04-04, 02:09 PM	I'd go ahead and play D&D in a common area where lots of students can see you. If you don't want to play a solo campaign, you could play D&D minatures game instead. Also bring some of those supplements you've bought to class. Don't be afraid to talk to people about it. There's lots of D&D players out there and even more potentials. Showing an interest in something is always infectious.
Ramses III 12-04-04, 05:12 PM	Hang out at whatever game shops you can, as much as you can. Become friends with the people who work there -- they should know who plays what games, and if they know you are looking for a D&D group they may well pass that along to other people who are looking for players. Get involved in any kind of gaming activity they hold there -- Magic the Gathering tournaments, or whatever -- that's always a good way to meet gamers. That's how I met the 2 players who are joining my group for my next campaign -- just talking with people at the game stores.
ImmortalBlueMage 12-05-04, 06:28 AM	You could start playing classes that can work without a full party. Use the UE Gesalt rules for two eople. Helps alot. A Sorc/Monk and a Fighter/Cleric can get along great together. Cool idea, but we just don't like one on one gaming, need a group of at least four for the game to really get cooking. Let me get this straight. You tried to tackle a cardboard stand-up? How could you not succeed? It overpowered me! In any case, thanks for the advice all. I know there are players out there. I moved here from a town of 5000 that was absoloutey crawling with DnD geeks, it was just a matter of finding out who they were, so here in a town twenty times it's size with multiple game shops there has to be a broad community. Just a matter of finding them.
Omeg 12-05-04, 07:13 AM	If you're the DM, it's a lot easier, in my experience, finding a DM is a lot harder then finding players. Just find some people that like reading fantasy books or play things like warcraft. It also helps to just stand in front of your class in the lecture hall before the lecture starts and just yell "Ok, who here enjoyed playing Baldur's Gate?" then make them understand that BG is actually a very very weak derivative from the real thing and people'll soon be dying to try it out. In my experience, it also helps when this comes up: "So, how much will this cost me?" "Well, let's see, some paper, a few dice, pencils.... hmm, about two bucks?" Omeg :mage:
ck2001wendt 12-05-04, 08:54 AM	If there are no other games out there, then you'll probably have to DM. So here's how you do it. 1. Build a reasonable campaign summary in your head. 2. Advertise electronically. I tend to use a) WotC; b) Access Denied, (insert gamer database here) and c) Bostongamers (insert local RPG list-serve here). 3. Advertise physically. Most self-respecting game stores have a bulletin board where people can advertise for games or for players. Put basic info on an index card or sheet of paper (system, contact info, etc.). If you've actually been banned from your local game store for assault on a CR 1/8 Cardboard cutout, have your roommate post it. For 2 and 3, avoid certain terms ("low-magic," "rules for training," "homebrew with extensive houserules," "alternate spell point system") for highest player yield. 4. Wait patiently. Have a beer.
Azual 12-05-04, 09:21 AM	i bet all of you FIVE BUCKS that the manager of that Comic Book Store plays D&D or did play D&D and stopped for similar reasons. :) Thats One. If ur Comic Book Shop holds Mage Knight Tourneys then go to one of thse sometime, its a fantasy tabeltop game, and thats pretty much how i got introduced into D&D. Same goes for Magic. :D
Omeg 12-05-04, 11:27 AM	shiver oh, the bad modelling and painting and plastic that is Mage Knight I played it for a week maybe and then I saw a warhammer figure :eek: Anyway, to each his own :D Omeg :mage:
DireSpork 12-05-04, 11:44 AM	[QUOTE= In my experience, it also helps when this comes up: "So, how much will this cost me?" "Well, let's see, some paper, a few dice, pencils.... hmm, about two bucks?" Hey do not forget to bring money to help chip in for pizza. I mean as the host I do not mind paying for soda every week but I will go to the poor house if I do not get a fair share of pizza money.
quarkstomper 12-06-04, 10:22 AM	My wife and I got lucky. When we moved from a college town where we had lots of gaming friends to a small town in rural Wisconsin, we went through serious gaming withdrawl. Then one day I saw a co-worker at the pharmacy I was working at bring a GURPS suppliment to work to read over lunch break. I said "Gabba gabba! One of us!" It turned out she and her husband were avid D&D players and so we joined their group. Later on they bought a duplex and let us rent the upstairs. Let me tell you, having a landlord who games is almost as good as having a wife who games. When he and his wife sold the duplex and moved out of town themselves, we coasted for a while with the dwindling remnants of their group, but picked up one or two new players whom we met at a local gaming convention. So I guess the best advice would be, carry a monster manual around with you, or bring a coffee mug to work that says "Life's a Lich", or get a d20 key chain; and wait for that look of recognition. "I see you are a gamer, And not some petty lord; For no one but a gamer Stirs his coffee with his sword."
farce 12-06-04, 10:29 AM	shiver oh, the bad modelling and painting and plastic that is Mage Knight I played it for a week maybe and then I saw a warhammer figure :eek: Anyway, to each his own :D Omeg :mage: lol i did the same exact thing-- i remeber being so ****** off when i opened my first box and out popped a chunky figurine dipped in three colors of paint-and then, on a shelf very near to the one i bought my paint drenched figures, stood 40k.....