Attempting to learn and try this game, advice? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Attempting to learn and try this game, advice?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
aeth
Dec 09, 2008 18:40:49 Hope this is the right spot to talk about this <.< >.>

I realized that i just went three paragraphs about how i wound up here, you can skip em if you don't care to get to the actual issue i'm having.

Okay well I have never even seen D&D played (unless you count a few days trial on DDO which i don't think really counts). And I never really understood it that much (other then i once wanted the dice cuz they just looked cool but had no practical use to me at the time).

Though a few weeks ago a friend told me it really seemed like something i'd be into *points to sig* and i've gotten the same from a lot of people (including my mother when i was younger.) So I went about a journey of social suicide to see if anyone in my area played it so I could talk to them about it. This entire city, no one 0.o. This is a umm..unique community and is filled with druggies, hardcore gamers (the type with a head shot count higher then the number of digits it can display), and college-bound hardcore studyers. Ironically the friend who told me to play it doesn't play it anymore. But yes two weeks of asking around, nothin...though my interest is still around to at least check it out.

So I have opted to try and see if it was possible to play online (search engines just give me the MMORPG game though) and how that works and if anyone was out there.

So I have seen that the game is played online by some people but I dunno how to approach this kind of thing, or on that note learn how to play the game in the first place. I'm more of a learn-as-you-go type but I figure if other people are depending on me I should get it down best I can. So what should I do to prepare? I have this Players Handbook my friend sent me to read over (300+ pages not quite done reading it but trying!). I believe this is a 4th edition one though I have access to earlier ones if its one of those "their old stuff was better" kind of moments.

Okay I tend to try and explain myself a lot so here is the very summarized version:

1). What should I do to try and learn the game?
2). What should I do to find others to play around with? Particularly online I guess.
#2
pigknight
Dec 09, 2008 18:53:33 1) Walk over to neighbors.
2) Say hello.
3) ????
4) Profit!
#3
babrark
Dec 09, 2008 19:02:35 pigknight's suggestion has merit, but if you are trying to learn the game, if you like, I could try to DM for you. It would probably be a solo campaign, but if others hear and want to join, cool. I am a new DM, but I learn fast, and I have been working on a campaign already.

I can think of a few problems though, most being related to organizing the game. If interested, post back here.
#4
aeth
Dec 09, 2008 19:20:56 Might be interested, after i get a bit more of this manual read and some notes taken...and how would this game be played online exactly cuz no one locally seems to play it (unless their just hiding from me).

As for what pigknight said: yeah tried asking around neighborhood (got some funny looks of barely contained amusement).
#5
angrymojo
Dec 09, 2008 20:57:20 If you can find a FLGS (friendly local game store), hang out there and express interest in playing. If you're a girl, be prepared for the inevitable wave of unwanted attention that follows.

Beyond that, depending on your age it could be easier or harder. If you're still in school, finding groups is much easier. Colleges are hotbeds of D&D, as is the military.

The best way to learn D&D is to have someone else bring you into the hobby. It's very difficult to pick up the books and learn on your own, although it does happen.
#6
aeth
Dec 09, 2008 21:18:51 Nearest game store period (other then gamestop) 29 miles away -.-; i'm not in a situationally great place to be starting this hobby lol. Hmm when does that little online one come out on the insider thingy ma jig?

I'll have to ask my friend if his friends still play i suppose.
#7
pigknight
Dec 09, 2008 23:46:32 Or join the military. I hear marines play it a lot.

...HOLY CRAP! The toughest guys in the US play D&D! :D
#8
aeth
Dec 10, 2008 0:34:01 heh heh score one for D&D then.

And i'm not sure i'm thaaat dedicated to the game...tempting though. I can picture a soldier out in iraq with his M4 in one hand and a fancy die in the other.
#9
etarnon
Dec 10, 2008 1:39:53 Handful of dice, and an M-14.

We used to play next to the .50 cal mounts in the gulf.

USN.

If you want to play online, don't hold your breath on DDI, it isn't likely gonna happen, they just laid off half a dozen people and it is way over on its release schedule.

OpenRPG is free a chat tool that has a dice roller. People chat to each other, and roll dice and have fun.

http://www.rpgobjects.com/index.php?c=orpg

There's dozens of games there.

also look in the gamers wanted forums:

http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=347
#10
crazysamaritan
Dec 10, 2008 15:15:47 Play-by-Post Haven. I'm in four games right now, plus I DM for a group at my FLGS.

http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=688
#11
undeadmouse
Dec 10, 2008 15:58:42 Try the college or local high school. You probably will find people at least interested in playing.
If that doesn't work, pressgang friends or family members into playing. And if you are really desperate, go door-to-door.

As for learing the game, here are some helpful steps:
1) Get a copy of the books. <-- Crucial Step! ;)
2) Read the Players Handbook and Dungeons Masters Guide completly through, and skim enough of the Monster Manual to know what the stat blocks mean.
3) Make some practice characters to get the hang of it.
3.5) If you feel really geeky, make practice enounters as well and run them.
4) Wander the forums, answer any questions you can, and further increase your knowledge of the rules.
And you'll be at about the same understanding as I was when I started playing.
#12
Hibiki54
Dec 10, 2008 20:25:28
Or join the military. I hear marines play it a lot.

...HOLY CRAP! The toughest guys in the US play D&D! :D

It's the most common thing besides booze, porn and paper football.

www.meetup.com usually helps. Sometimes asking around doesn't get as much results as you want. Thats why we have the internet.
#13
aeth
Dec 10, 2008 21:31:54 Thanks a lot all :D
#14
legdiwena
Dec 11, 2008 2:30:21 penandpapergames.com has a player registry you can sign up in and there should be a link in main forum page.
#15
babrark
Dec 11, 2008 22:32:28 As an interesting side note, I have joined the Marines.

Anyway, Aeth, I have an AIM account, or I could sign up for one of the other suggestions that people have made. I have been running a solo game with myself as the DM, so I am getting some experience running combats.
#16
dirtyfrank
Dec 12, 2008 9:08:59 If you want to play while you are trying to find a group then you should think of playing D&D solitaire. In Shiftkitty's sig is a link to the PDF of D&D solitaire.
#17
aeth
Dec 12, 2008 12:03:58 so you can contact me AIM name is : [email]formyinternetcrap@yahoo.com[/email]
i'm probly always on that.
#18
babrark
Dec 13, 2008 11:48:12 Aeth, I added your whole email address as your screen name. Is that correct? If it is, my account is jajaethrus.

What time zone do you live in, by the way? I live in Eastern United States, and I am wondering if we are going to have hours of difference between us.

One last thing. What character are you going to be playing if you do play? I want to know so that I can create something that is designed for you, not so you have to build a character around how I am running. If you have the open beta version of the Character Creator, just put up the summary version.

Have a nice day.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 aeth Dec 09, 2008 18:40:49	Hope this is the right spot to talk about this <.< >.> I realized that i just went three paragraphs about how i wound up here, you can skip em if you don't care to get to the actual issue i'm having. Okay well I have never even seen D&D played (unless you count a few days trial on DDO which i don't think really counts). And I never really understood it that much (other then i once wanted the dice cuz they just looked cool but had no practical use to me at the time). Though a few weeks ago a friend told me it really seemed like something i'd be into points to sig and i've gotten the same from a lot of people (including my mother when i was younger.) So I went about a journey of social suicide to see if anyone in my area played it so I could talk to them about it. This entire city, no one 0.o. This is a umm..unique community and is filled with druggies, hardcore gamers (the type with a head shot count higher then the number of digits it can display), and college-bound hardcore studyers. Ironically the friend who told me to play it doesn't play it anymore. But yes two weeks of asking around, nothin...though my interest is still around to at least check it out. So I have opted to try and see if it was possible to play online (search engines just give me the MMORPG game though) and how that works and if anyone was out there. So I have seen that the game is played online by some people but I dunno how to approach this kind of thing, or on that note learn how to play the game in the first place. I'm more of a learn-as-you-go type but I figure if other people are depending on me I should get it down best I can. So what should I do to prepare? I have this Players Handbook my friend sent me to read over (300+ pages not quite done reading it but trying!). I believe this is a 4th edition one though I have access to earlier ones if its one of those "their old stuff was better" kind of moments. Okay I tend to try and explain myself a lot so here is the very summarized version: 1). What should I do to try and learn the game? 2). What should I do to find others to play around with? Particularly online I guess.
#2 pigknight Dec 09, 2008 18:53:33	1) Walk over to neighbors. 2) Say hello. 3) ???? 4) Profit!
#3 babrark Dec 09, 2008 19:02:35	pigknight's suggestion has merit, but if you are trying to learn the game, if you like, I could try to DM for you. It would probably be a solo campaign, but if others hear and want to join, cool. I am a new DM, but I learn fast, and I have been working on a campaign already. I can think of a few problems though, most being related to organizing the game. If interested, post back here.
#4 aeth Dec 09, 2008 19:20:56	Might be interested, after i get a bit more of this manual read and some notes taken...and how would this game be played online exactly cuz no one locally seems to play it (unless their just hiding from me). As for what pigknight said: yeah tried asking around neighborhood (got some funny looks of barely contained amusement).
#5 angrymojo Dec 09, 2008 20:57:20	If you can find a FLGS (friendly local game store), hang out there and express interest in playing. If you're a girl, be prepared for the inevitable wave of unwanted attention that follows. Beyond that, depending on your age it could be easier or harder. If you're still in school, finding groups is much easier. Colleges are hotbeds of D&D, as is the military. The best way to learn D&D is to have someone else bring you into the hobby. It's very difficult to pick up the books and learn on your own, although it does happen.
#6 aeth Dec 09, 2008 21:18:51	Nearest game store period (other then gamestop) 29 miles away -.-; i'm not in a situationally great place to be starting this hobby lol. Hmm when does that little online one come out on the insider thingy ma jig? I'll have to ask my friend if his friends still play i suppose.
#7 pigknight Dec 09, 2008 23:46:32	Or join the military. I hear marines play it a lot. ...HOLY CRAP! The toughest guys in the US play D&D! :D
#8 aeth Dec 10, 2008 0:34:01	heh heh score one for D&D then. And i'm not sure i'm thaaat dedicated to the game...tempting though. I can picture a soldier out in iraq with his M4 in one hand and a fancy die in the other.
#9 etarnon Dec 10, 2008 1:39:53	Handful of dice, and an M-14. We used to play next to the .50 cal mounts in the gulf. USN. If you want to play online, don't hold your breath on DDI, it isn't likely gonna happen, they just laid off half a dozen people and it is way over on its release schedule. OpenRPG is free a chat tool that has a dice roller. People chat to each other, and roll dice and have fun. http://www.rpgobjects.com/index.php?c=orpg There's dozens of games there. also look in the gamers wanted forums: http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=347
#10 crazysamaritan Dec 10, 2008 15:15:47	Play-by-Post Haven. I'm in four games right now, plus I DM for a group at my FLGS. http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=688
#11 undeadmouse Dec 10, 2008 15:58:42	Try the college or local high school. You probably will find people at least interested in playing. If that doesn't work, pressgang friends or family members into playing. And if you are really desperate, go door-to-door. As for learing the game, here are some helpful steps: 1) Get a copy of the books. <-- Crucial Step! ;) 2) Read the Players Handbook and Dungeons Masters Guide completly through, and skim enough of the Monster Manual to know what the stat blocks mean. 3) Make some practice characters to get the hang of it. 3.5) If you feel really geeky, make practice enounters as well and run them. 4) Wander the forums, answer any questions you can, and further increase your knowledge of the rules. And you'll be at about the same understanding as I was when I started playing.
#12 Hibiki54 Dec 10, 2008 20:25:28	Or join the military. I hear marines play it a lot. ...HOLY CRAP! The toughest guys in the US play D&D! :D It's the most common thing besides booze, porn and paper football. www.meetup.com usually helps. Sometimes asking around doesn't get as much results as you want. Thats why we have the internet.
#13 aeth Dec 10, 2008 21:31:54	Thanks a lot all :D
#14 legdiwena Dec 11, 2008 2:30:21	penandpapergames.com has a player registry you can sign up in and there should be a link in main forum page.
#15 babrark Dec 11, 2008 22:32:28	As an interesting side note, I have joined the Marines. Anyway, Aeth, I have an AIM account, or I could sign up for one of the other suggestions that people have made. I have been running a solo game with myself as the DM, so I am getting some experience running combats.
#16 dirtyfrank Dec 12, 2008 9:08:59	If you want to play while you are trying to find a group then you should think of playing D&D solitaire. In Shiftkitty's sig is a link to the PDF of D&D solitaire.
#17 aeth Dec 12, 2008 12:03:58	so you can contact me AIM name is : [email]formyinternetcrap@yahoo.com[/email] i'm probly always on that.
#18 babrark Dec 13, 2008 11:48:12	Aeth, I added your whole email address as your screen name. Is that correct? If it is, my account is jajaethrus. What time zone do you live in, by the way? I live in Eastern United States, and I am wondering if we are going to have hours of difference between us. One last thing. What character are you going to be playing if you do play? I want to know so that I can create something that is designed for you, not so you have to build a character around how I am running. If you have the open beta version of the Character Creator, just put up the summary version. Have a nice day.