(over on TBP as well, but you guys are more fun anyway)

Well, you all know me and my usual sticking to a game issue. Even when I did stick to a game for a good length of time, nobody really stuck with it in my group either, with different people appearing for said game each session, so there was no continuity.

Of course, issue is, I switch systems. A lot. Can't put my finger on why - it isn't like I switch jobs every day or something. It's just that, when choosing a system to run, before we play, I start to see all these possibilities in a system. Then something bothers me, and I want to "fix" it, rather than what I originally said. Then I want something new or old or whatever. Then I read stuff on RPGnet and get OTHER ideas or philosophies and think that they fit too, and then I try to change my stuff to fit.

Not to blame the place! It's me, a well known issue. Had a player drop from the group today as I am still hemming and hawwing over the system choice. Just let the group know that, actually, yeah, that guy's right, and I'm going to step down, effective immediately. I need a break maybe. Or to throw away most of my books. Or something.

Anyway, yeah, just wanted to say it out loud. To put words down and say it. I WANT to stick to one system/setting/game for a long time, build stories, and have fun. I just find it hard to do when trying to maximize my choice, let's say.

So I'm taking a break as GM. And from the group as a whole.

But then, how to change it afterwards? If I start to GM again, how will I NOT fall into the same habits? Been years, yeah? Like, it's already a formed thing.

Sigh. I want to game and can't. Poison I am. But nobody else steps up to GM (at least, not in this group).

I don't quite get it. How taking a break from gaming will solve your issue with shifting games and systems all the time? It's not like it works itself out by turning everything "off" for a few weeks. Am I missing something here?

Quote from: Benoist;564400I don't quite get it. How taking a break from gaming will solve your issue with shifting games and systems all the time? It's not like it works itself out by turning everything "off" for a few weeks. Am I missing something here?

Don't know. Really, don't. Just frustrated and a little sad maybe. Or annoyed. But definitely, my feeling is, at the moment, that it's sort of hard to go on with the group. I can tell them, see, now I'm fine, look at the last campaign! 8 sessions until you all kept not coming to the game all at once! But I don't think that's an effective way to let people know that I'm more, um, committed to a system.

Basically, what I want to do, is say that yes, it takes me a while to settle on a system, and I'll flip-flop ideas, settings, systems, games, whatever, until something inspires me. Then I can stick.

OK. Did the players actually pull that off? Not showing up all at once after eight sessions, I mean?

Quote from: Benoist;564412OK. Did the players actually pull that off? Not showing up all at once after eight sessions, I mean?

Sorry, I'm not being terribly clear. What I mean is, on average, for any given game-day, if I had, say 5 players in the group, and 3 showed up that day, they would not be the same mix of 3 that showed up the game-day before that. This went on for months, despite me sticking to one system, one game (Burning Empires for the record).

Some in the same group complained of a lack of coherent story, and these same said that they didn't want to commit when I switched so much. I then said that, yes, that was the past, and look how I haven't switched the game once we choose it!

And now, my usual waffling up till game day for the first session of the new campaign, and bang, guy says he's leaving because of said waffling. So I felt bad about it, and thought, hey, what to do, especially since I DID stick to last campaign. Maybe, I thought, I'd already "damaged" things. His leaving gave me that feeling at least.

A few things come to mind.

#1 Take a break from the forums. If you think hearing about all the different games systems and possibilities on daily basis is messing with your concentration just cut it out.

#2 When in doubt (as a GM), go back to basics. By that I mean is think back to when gaming was natural, happy and uncomplicated for you, whatever type of game and system that might have been, and go back to it - at least for now.

#3 Take a look at your constraints, things like player turn over or not enough time to prep on a regular basis, and find some sort of set up that works within these limitations.

Soylent Green is wise in his post.

In general I like to switch games, I can and will stick to a game for significant lengths of time. I think for me its a matter of being able to challenge the player characters and see them do new things, when they start getting too repetitive, it makes me want to try a new game.

However, his advice is good. I'd also suggest thinking outside the box, how can you make this particular game/setting/play moment interesting and continue to be interesting to yourself?

Quote from: StanTheMan;564418And now, my usual waffling up till game day for the first session of the new campaign, and bang, guy says he's leaving because of said waffling.

Were you waffling about the setting or the mechanics?

Stan, just a though, but maybe if you have gamer's ADD, perhaps you'd be better off running one-shot adventures that last not more than a few sessions instead of a campaign? That way you could try out a couple of systems, variations, different styles of gameplay; and maybe pick one for a longer involvement once you've gotten the butterflies out of your system.

Quote from: jadrax;564424Were you waffling about the setting or the mechanics?

Mechanics usually. What typically happens is, I get a setting idea or something after a campaign ends. Then I start to think, which system? I look at what I have, and start to try to fit a game to what's in my head. I find one, announce it to the group, and then think, but wait, what about X? Then it starts again.

I do it, let's say 3-5 times before the actual start of a campaign. Once game day hits and I've settled on it, then we go on. As happened at least for the last campaign, we settled on the game and ran it, 8 months, every 3-4 weeks, no muss no fuss.

And so, now time for a new campaign. And it happened.

Small update: some of the players just called me, said they didn't agree with leaving guy, and please, I'm an awesome GM, so could I run as I said I was going to?

THAT warmed me right up, I can tell you. Seems they agree to my waffling.

Quote from: StanTheMan;564418Sorry, I'm not being terribly clear. What I mean is, on average, for any given game-day, if I had, say 5 players in the group, and 3 showed up that day, they would not be the same mix of 3 that showed up the game-day before that. This went on for months, despite me sticking to one system, one game (Burning Empires for the record).

That a fairly common phenomenon that used to drive me nuts, but heck, people have lives, love lives, social lives, family lives, other things going on in their lives.

If someone wants to show up half the time, that's what they want to do. Instead of letting it bug you just roll with it, plus you get to say "Too bad you weren't here last session when the group found a diamond worth 100,000 GP and a barrel of magic swords"

Quote from: Planet Algol;564439That a fairly common phenomenon that used to drive me nuts, but heck, people have lives, love lives, social lives, family lives, other things going on in their lives.

If someone wants to show up half the time, that's what they want to do. Instead of letting it bug you just roll with it, plus you get to say "Too bad you weren't here last session when the group found a diamond worth 100,000 GP and a barrel of magic swords"

Too true, too true.

Yeah dude, stop asking us or purple for opinions.  Take a look at the systems you think float your boat, and see if you can come up with a setting that excites YOU.

If you're not sold on it, you're players won't be, even if it is their favorite game.  If you're totally committed, a good player will give you a chance to prove it's worth their time.  The ones that won't give you a chance aren't worth your time.

Your main problem is definitely your indecision, but some of that indecision stems from your players being a bit spoiled.

Once sketching a beautiful outline, it can be quite trying to decide just the right palette, no?

But again, from a simplified palette we are challenged to achieve new mastery of our techniques to achieve our goals. That can be fun, too!

However the most beautiful paintings in the world forever exist lost in imagination, because the dreamers never saw to finally pick up the brush...

At some point thinking must end and doing must begin. Thus is the leap of faith.

edit: Quick someone give me tea leaves and a Magic 8 Ball, I'm on a roll! =P

Yeah I thought about it some more and I'm going to echo some others here.

What needs to happen is not for you to quit gaming over this, dude. What needs to happen is for you to unplug the big purple and get off the internet to do your own thing for a while. Run your game. Enjoy where that leads you. Shut down the noise machine that's driving you nuts looking in ten different directions at the same time. Stop looking at RPG forums. Just play.