Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dark Kyosuke 06-07-05, 08:05 PM	I hate to sound rude or terse, but I've been looking for a game of D&D- or just about anything- For over two years now. This area (Westchester, New York, if you're curious) has gamers. I know this. Problem is, every game I find is either full, or is playing on days when i can't join (some of us, after all, have jobs). "So what," you might be saying to yourself, "Just run a game!" Similar problems do I have there as well, as people are either playing on the wrong days, won't talk to someone they don't really know, and when I DO get them to talk, they eventually... Just stop talking. What few friends I have? Don't roleplay. Leaving me with the question: Just how the heck do I start/join/whatever a game? (And I've considered that this might not be the exact right forum, but seeing as how what I want to do is play, I figure it's relevant enough.) Thanks.
prodigyxss 06-07-05, 08:25 PM	Ya that sounds like quite a problem. I dont live in the area though sorry. All i can suggest is going to the RPG classifieds on the board and post what your requirments would be for starting or playing in a game. Hope this helps.
gm4hire 06-07-05, 10:44 PM	Have you tried posting at your local game store? You can also try some of the other boards like RPG.net and EN world - http://www.enworld.org/ There's also Access Denied - http://www.accessdenied.net/ And Meet-up groups, though we've had bad luck with them. Good luck and keep trying.
Torack 06-08-05, 03:05 AM	You could always attempt to roleplay over the net. Through messenger-based applications, email or message boards. Sure things might not be quite the same, but roleplaying = roleplaying, no matter what the format...
MaxDog 06-08-05, 08:10 AM	Get involved in a Living Campaign -- personally, I'd suggest Living Greyhawk. You can find some info on the RPGA portion of this Website or check out the website for your LG region: http://keoland.living-greyhawk.com/default2.htm I noticed they posted a list of gamedays and cons. In a living campaign, you are always playing with a new bunch of people at every table, so you meet dozens of players. Even if a Living Campaign isn't your cup of grog, you'll get to play some D&D, meet a whole lot of D&D players, and maybe find a regular game. As to WHY you should play LG, check out this article: http://www.20by20room.com/2004/09/guest_post_livi.html#more Good Luck! leh
Santrilla 06-08-05, 08:31 AM	I always find knocking people out and tying them up in your basement helps.
Dark Kyosuke 06-08-05, 09:14 AM	Have you tried posting at your local game store? Yes. No such luck. Didn't get much in the way of a response. You could always attempt to roleplay over the net. Through messenger-based applications, email or message boards. Sure things might not be quite the same, but roleplaying = roleplaying, no matter what the format... I'm reluctant, due to the inherent limitations of online play, and due in no small part to the fact that... I've tried in the past (distant, at this point), and it didn't work out so well, mainly thanks to incompatiable personality types. Still, this remains my strongest option, and I consider it more strongly every day. Get involved in a Living Campaign -- personally, I'd suggest Living Greyhawk. I've been thinking about that for over a year. Problem is, most of the LG events in this area are in New York City, which is hard to access from here. (Yes, I know, I'm right next to it. Trust me, it's hard.) The rest are upstate, Ithaca, Buffalo, Albany, all that. Inacessable. Of course, I haven't checked in awhile, so mabye something has changed. I always find knocking people out and tying them up in your basement helps. I know I don't post much, but, isn't this your response to everything...?
Torack 06-08-05, 09:24 AM	With all due regards, I'd hardly let a single bad experience ruin my day. I know there are plenty of sites that host online roleplaying, some good, some bad, some totally elite(avoid these). Keep looking is my advice. Oh and to help you out...you could check this (http://shadowrealms.hyperboards.com/index.cgi) place. It's very friendly and most people on it have had years of DM/player experience and are more then willing and able to help you out with pretty much anything related to DnD.
DonGnocci 06-08-05, 09:26 AM	@Dark_Kyosuke: My advice: Try to "infest" as many non-RPG people as you can. Perhaps you can find then find people to play with.
VirgilCaine 06-08-05, 09:32 AM	Surely you have more than one game store near you? I'm in Charlotte, NC, and there's at least five I can think of off the top of my head in the general area.
Santrilla 06-08-05, 10:26 AM	I know I don't post much, but, isn't this your response to everything...? Pretty much, yeah. My basement's getting pretty full now, I might need to hire out some warehouse space... :devil:
yonman 06-08-05, 01:27 PM	Don't be discouraged Dark, I know there are a lot of freaks out there and those that you're simply not compatible with personality wise. But if you need some advice in getting a successful game together, I suggest meeting with any potential players in PERSON for coffee first. Talk about your prospective campaign (if you're a DM) and his/hers ideas of what kind of campaign you're looking for (if you're a player). This may seem like trivial advice, but you get to know ALOT about a person this way and gamewise. I do not recommend playing a game without getting to know them first. And always tell them this is prelimilary before inviting them to the group. I found the net helpful on forums dedicated to gamers looking for groups. I think WotC has one, have you tried there?
Dark Kyosuke 06-08-05, 10:22 PM	I have tried the Gamer Classifieds here at WotC, actually. Three times in the last year. Any responses I got were in this area... Save for one, who didn't pay attention, didn't PM me like I told him to, and wound up joining another game in the area... That I too would join, but it meets on Mondays, when I work. No, they won't move it. He won't even hear of it. This is the kind of thing I need to endure, every time I look for a game. It's enough to make me want to run a game online- Either the new Age of Worms Adventure Path in Dungeon, or something of my own devising, such as an Underdark campaign in Eberron... At least online would give me a way to get players...
Skeane 06-08-05, 10:54 PM	Have you tried talking with the retailer at your local gaming store? I find sometimes when bulletin board postings don't work, the guys at the shop may be able to point out already active games, or pass your name along to shop regulars who might need an addition to their table.
Santrilla 06-09-05, 07:10 AM	I have to say I know how hard it is playing D&D when you've got a job. Not from direct personal experience, but one of the members of our roleplaying group works part time- and this nearly always includes the weekends. This becomes especially problematic as the rest of the group are in college so the only time we have free is at, you guessed it, the weekends. Occasionally we manage to get together but it's quite a rare occurence. I can't say I haven't considered ejecting him from the group, but it hardly seems fair because a) when he's around he's actually a really good player and a lovely guy, b) he's a friend of everyone and c) he's the boyfriend of one of the more regular players. Sigh. Anyway... [/rant] Under your circumstances I'd still reccomend tying people up in the basement. Failing that, try extra hard to convert your non-playing friends into playing; bribe them with nachos if necessary. :)
MonkeyKing 06-09-05, 08:52 AM	This becomes especially problematic as the rest of the group are in college so the only time we have free is at, you guessed it, the weekends. I really feel the need to point out that you're wasting your education. When you get a real job you'll find there is no allocated time for morning lay-ins, beer-drinking, computer game playing or even afternoon snoozes. Tough to imagine I know but true nonetheless. When you're a student your day is divided into several convenient time-slots in which to do all of these things, these slots are commonly referred to as lectures, tutorials and seminars. "Of course we can play DnD until all hours" you can say with confidence "I only have [insert subject here]" in the morning and I'll copy the notes later. Get your act together mate, before it's too late! Ah yes, to the purpose of this thread: Hmmmmmm :thinks: Perhaps you could ummmm... no... Ah you should try... oh he said that already, well... *runs out* "so long suckers"
fallabel 06-09-05, 09:04 AM	He's wasting his education by playiing DnD on weekends? Do folks who have full-time jobs not get weekends off? (Perhaps this is some sort of state secret that I haven't learned yet.)
Keenath 06-09-05, 09:46 AM	My group has trouble finding days to play, but in general we just set aside one evening a week to play -- generally Wenesday night -- and we play 7 to 11. Well, more like 8 to 11 once everyone's actually arrived and stopped chatting, but you know how that is. I find 4-5 hours plenty for a session, and most people can find a way to get one free night each week. In answer to the original question, I'd get on message board or IRC gaming rooms, and maybe ask if anyone knows people in NY that want a game. It's sort of a long shot, I suppose, but it could work. Six degrees and all that. By the way, since I mentioned it, does anyone know of a chat room where people tend to base D&D games? I mean, I guess I could check every server for a #DND room or whatever... (And yeah, I know most games take place in private channels, but they probably meet somewhere beforehand...)
VirgilCaine 06-09-05, 09:51 AM	This becomes especially problematic as the rest of the group are in college so the only time we have free is at, you guessed it, the weekends. What in the world do you do every weeknight? Every weekday afternoon?
Skeane 06-09-05, 10:19 AM	There's lots of things that require a college students time and attention. That keg of Schlitz Ice isn't gonna just tap itself.
CelineSSauve 06-10-05, 10:04 PM	If you do end up DMing an online game I'm willing. I'm having the same problems finding a 'live' game in Ottawa, Canada... *Cel
ILL34GL3 06-11-05, 05:38 AM	www.meetup.com They have a D&D section. See if your gamestores have website messageboards. That's where I found my current group. Post on the Wizards classifieds too. And if you have a job that has a schedule that changes every week, well you're probably screwed.
simon_tage 06-12-05, 11:17 AM	Gaming shops are a tad clique-ish. What you need to do is get your face recognized there. Don't be pushy but watch and listen. I worked part time in one through college and I can attest that groups will eventually open up to you. JUst sit nearbay and go through your books, make characters for fun, whatever while paying attention to what is going on in their game. After a while you can comment (not right away as that labels you a desperate loser). Once the group accepts your pressence you might even get invited to join a game without having to ask. I know this seems like work but is will eventually work. Also, start talking about the games you overhear with your non-gaming friends, this may help to convert them to gamers themselves if they hear the amusing and entertaining stories about the passtime you so desire to be part of.
Arkidisey 06-12-05, 08:38 PM	i'm up for playing online, if you ever want to :D i'm ready :)
lady_ghofen 06-12-05, 09:00 PM	Yeah, we've had a problem getting players for a while, and haven't gamed in several months because of it. A coupla players just started college, and theyre no longer available. We put up flyers in all our local gaming stores with only one response, and his only experience was 3e (we play 2e); he ended up leaving the group around Christmas. I'll have to check out some of the sites everyone suggested! Oh, we're located in CT if anyone is looking for a 2e gaming session!
ILL34GL3 06-13-05, 06:57 PM	Gaming shops are a tad clique-ish. What you need to do is get your face recognized there. Don't be pushy but watch and listen. I worked part time in one through college and I can attest that groups will eventually open up to you. JUst sit nearbay and go through your books, make characters for fun, whatever while paying attention to what is going on in their game. After a while you can comment (not right away as that labels you a desperate loser). Once the group accepts your pressence you might even get invited to join a game without having to ask. I know this seems like work but is will eventually work. Also, start talking about the games you overhear with your non-gaming friends, this may help to convert them to gamers themselves if they hear the amusing and entertaining stories about the passtime you so desire to be part of. Doing any of these things at my game store will get your ass kicked real quick. Go to the gamestore and make characters for fun but don't talk to any other gamers because it'll make you look like a desperate loser? As for telling your gamer stories to nongamers, well, I'm a gamer and I hate hearing other people's ghey little D&D stories.
MonkeyKing 06-14-05, 03:41 AM	Doing any of these things at my game store will get your ass kicked real quick. Hahahahahahaha, like anyone hanging out in a game store would know how to kick someone elses ass! Dat mussa be da toughess daw-gawn a gamin' store in awwl a Texas hew-eee mumma!
deusxmachina 06-14-05, 04:39 AM	Also, start talking about the games you overhear with your non-gaming friends, this may help to convert them to gamers themselves if they hear the amusing and entertaining stories about the passtime you so desire to be part of. It's a nice thought, but I don't think most people over a certain age will have much interest in D&D if they don't already have a past history in similar things. It's kind of like professional wrestling -- non-fans look at it and say, "Dude, that's fake." Fans say, "I know it's fake; that's not the point." Some people just don't get it. I'd have a hard time playing an online session that didn't have video conferencing of some sort. Keep plugging away at the classifieds. I see a bunch of people in my area that I could probably get to play, and this is Wisconsin. New York is probably a little more populated.
EntropicSG 06-14-05, 04:11 PM	Good luck, that's really all I can say. That, and keep trying. When I got back into gaming a couple years back, I just looked through the classifieds here until I found a group that actually was as much fun as the post made them sound. Trust me, it took more than a few tries. I remember sending out emails of interest to basically every post I could find that I could physically get to. I cannot tell you how bizarre it was meeting up with these people for the first time. It was like going on a job interview for a blind date ("OK, we'll meet outside the Virgin Megastore - I'll be wearing jeans and an old Star Wars t-shirt. 5'10", brown hair, great aaaa.... ah, whoops, wrong kind of email..." "What's your feeling on ROLL playing vs. ROLE playing?" "You can play anything you want, as long as no one else has taken it and it fits in with the campaign I'm running." "Are you willing to buy all the books the rest of the group has?" "Don't buy anything other than the PHB - the DM doesn't like us to know what's going on." "How soon can you start?") That being said, I did eventually meet up with some people that were actually cool with me, and I was cool with them, and I've been gaming with them ever since. That being said, schedules are always a problem - especially for me, since I work freelance. I don't have "weekdays" or "weekends", and when I work 9-5, it's just as likely to be PM, not AM. I'm constantly designing characters that are ultimately simple to play, so that my DM or one of the other players can cover for me on the days that I can't make it. It's not ideal, but it's better than not playing at all. I guess my only advice is to be persistent. Don't rule anyone out without giving them a shot. Even if you don't like the group as a whole, odds are good that there will be one or two people that you dig playing with. Once that happens, you'll probably be able to find some others. In my experience, roleplayers tend to run in pretty small circles. Anyone who has played for more than one DM most likely knows a bunch of other gamers, and people are constantly having issues and problems with their current groups. If you can't find anyone who's saying "Hey, come play with us", then figure out what kind of game you'd like to play, and put up a classified yourself. Tell the rest of the world what you're looking for. Sell yourself. Sell your enthusiasm. Tell people what kind of game you'd like to play, what your thoughts are, your views on various game styles, influences, etc. etc. etc.. And don't laugh off the idea of telling non-gamers about your interests, either. I'll grant you, there is obviously a high risk of embarassement, depending on how well you know the non-gamer that you're talking to. But you'll also find yourself surprised. Case in point: About two years ago, after I'd been playing for about a year or so, I was hanging out with some of my non-gamer friends when my phone rang. It was my DM, telling me about something or other - probably a new campaign or something, I don't remember. What I do remember is my friend Dave later that night, when we're all getting drinks at the bar, pulling me aside at one point and asking me if I was talking about D&D earlier on the phone. I told him (sheepishly, I admit) that I was, and asked why. Turns out that my friend Dave, who I've known since my freshman year of college back in the fall of 1992, was a big gamer in highschool who hadn't played or thought about it since 1989 or so. He asked me some questions about the group, and the next thing I knew, he had joined my group. He played with us up until about a year or so ago, when his wife had their first child. It was just crazy, though, because he and I had known eachother for a decade without ever realizing that we were both gamers. The point being, you may be surprised at who's in the magic closet of gamer-holding. Just keep looking, and try to be as flexible as possible to start. You'll find a group. And if you can't find one, then dammit, go make one.
Nezumi Ronin 06-14-05, 05:13 PM	For any game, if I can't find anyone to play with, I teach someone new. With Magic, I taught well over 20 people to play, and we doubled the local tournament's usuual attendance. I did the same thing with D&D Minis Skirmish and Now i'm doing the same thing with D&D. Just always have a nice, basic dungeon always ready to go whenever someone new is interested so that you can ease them in nicely. [removed] And if you can't find anyone who wants to learn, force someone! It works almost every time. This works with almost any CCG, TCG, or RPG. In short for those who are too lazy to read the above paragraph: No one to play with? Teach someone to play! Can't find anyone who wants to learn? Force them! [removed] Edit: Removed some comments that people found offensive. Sorry to the offended.
CelineSSauve 06-14-05, 07:55 PM	Using this technique, I am even creating what has only been spoken of in legends . . . a female D&D player. [cut] It may even (with extreme luck) work on females. (Who would have thought? D&D can be used to pick up chicks!)[/COLOR] I have to say I'm offended by that. I've been a female RPG player since before 9th grade when I met 2nd edition D&D. That's like saying "Wow! You might even meet a guy who doesn't want to just hack-and-slash everything in sight and actually enjoys the Role Playing!" It plays into steriotypes and is hurtful. To the OP, If you don't mind Play by Post plothook.net is a free online site I've recently joined. They make forums for any campaign with a willing DM and at least 5 interested players. A friendly warning: beware the charroom, it sometimes eats messages without warning. *Cel
GlitterBoy 06-15-05, 02:59 AM	Did not see anyone say this. I have not tried this, but I think it would work. You could try to find players on these boards that have Xbox live and would like to get together and play. This way you are all talking in really time and it is more like a real game. I think this would work good on any IM that supports headphones use. If you do this give me a call I would love to play. In a few weeks when I have time I would not mind trying to DM myself.
deusxmachina 06-15-05, 04:35 AM	And don't laugh off the idea of telling non-gamers about your interests, either. I'll grant you, there is obviously a high risk of embarassement, depending on how well you know the non-gamer that you're talking to. But you'll also find yourself surprised. Figured I'd expound upon this since I wrote that it usually won't work out. Mentioning D&D to actual friends should be no big deal. If they are Real friends and think it's dumb, they'll tell you they think it's dumb. And then you good-naturedly tell them to f off and that's the end of that topic due to mutual respect. If you mention D&D to "kinda-sorta buddy/friends" and they let you have it, then you know that's why they aren't Real friends. Anyone I consider to be a friend, I can mention D&D to, even if they think it's the stupidest thing in the world. Sometimes I'll mention stuff like this to people I wonder about to see their reaction. If they don't care for it but are cool with it, I put more trust in them. If they go off on some big rant, I'll know they aren't the type of person I want to associate with. You can tell a lot about a person by how much they opinionate on the lifestyles of others. If a friend says playing D&D is childish, refer to my sig.