Have you ever encountered this person?

Would-be GM: "Okay, I want to run a game of X, it'll be all about Y, and we'll use system Z because that is the BEST! It'll be really exciting, I have all these plans and notes. I want to play on this day at this time and place. Shall we play?"
Players: "Alright, we'll see you Tuesday."
Would-be GM: "Huh? What? Oh no I am not ready to run the game just yet... er... um... I was just... talking... and... we'll discuss it in email, perhaps next week..."

Much worse than a cock-tease or clit-tease is a game-tease! Give it up or don't, don't tease!

I've seen this sort of person a few times. Emails go back and forth, much is discussed, but nothing ever comes of it. It's very frustrating.

Has anyone else encountered this? Are there any signs by which we can know these vile people, and spot them early to save us all the hassle?

I can be one of those from time to time, but with some differences.

I have a zillion different campaign ideas in my head, but none of them are really developed when I first mention them to potential players. If there's enough interest in the campaign concept, though, I work on it. The problem with this approach is that sometimes an idea doesn't seem interesting enough for them, except for one or two who are left salivating for it...

Quote from: JimBobOzHas anyone else encountered this? Are there any signs by which we can know these vile people, and spot them early to save us all the hassle?

Ha.  That's 90% of the PBeM games I ever tried.  :mad:

Quote from: JimBobOzHas anyone else encountered this? Are there any signs by which we can know these vile people, and spot them early to save us all the hassle?

COLLEGE STUDENTS, especially first-years, are full of fresh new ideas.  When it comes to actually finding time to act upon them, however, they (usually) realize that homework takes priority.  I actually tend to have the opposite problem.  I talk about games that I'm planning to run, and there is a lot of interest until I actually start planning times, and then everyone is too busy.  I had a Red Dwarf game, a pulpy space-exploration game based on some trashy '70s scifi novels, and a freeform supers game that managed an experimental one-shot due to last-minute begging (and a small amount of guilt tripping... and a few tears... and one or two threats of violence... and my bf talking me up...).  All of my players loved them (and a few are still talking about them), but they failed to become campaigns.  A D&D dragons game game wound up having one player (my bf) for the first two sessions, and then another friend joined in, but he wound up not having enough time either.  My plans for a game based on Cube, for a homebrew furry game that my friend and I have been building for years, and for a dungeon crawl held at Hooters (every dungeon crawl starts in a pub surrounded by busty barmaids!) have been postponed indefinitely.

I've been that guy.  Part of the reason I'm of the mindset that I have now.

Hey you know sometimes it's premature enthusiasm or maybe these GMs don't think they can preform up to expectation...I mean maybe the campaign is too ambitious or the players too demanding...at least this is what my friends tell me.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!I've been that guy.  Part of the reason I'm of the mindset that I have now.

Same here.

I think it's a combination of grand ambition and performance anxiety.  There's a freeze up at the "how the hell do I do this?" stage.

Quote from: JimBobOzMuch worse than a cock-tease or clit-tease is a game-tease! Give it up or don't, don't tease!

I'm, uh, wondering about your priorities there, Jimmy.

Peace,
-Joel

Quote from: MelinglorI'm, uh, wondering about your priorities there, Jimmy.

There are many more fish in the sexual sea than in the gaming sea. That's why it's worse to tease someone gameishly than sexually. You're teasing about a scarcer resource.

Also, if I'm sexually frustrated I can always just go off and have a wank. If I'm gamingly frustrated, all I can do is roll up characters, which is even less exciting and even less productive.

Plus, a sexual tease may get frustrated themselves and eventually get down to action. A gaming tease never seems to get it together.

Or possibly, I'm just joking. Irony isn't just that thing that's kinda like metal, you know.

Quote from: JimBobOzOr possibly, I'm just joking. Irony isn't just that thing that's kinda like metal, you know.

Uh, yeah, right back atcha. Should I have used a smiley or something?

C'mon, it was too good a straight line to pass up! :haw:

Peace,
-Joel

I've been guilty of this because of changes in my work schedule, but that's been it.

Damn that whole working for a living bullshit.

Guilty as charged.  I'm afraid I'm a vapourware GM, more into the potential of games than the games themselves.

Terrible habit

Quote from: AnemoneHa.  That's 90% of the PBeM games I ever tried.  :mad:

Mine too.  

I've seen a variation on this.  The ever-changing rules GM.  GM hacks existing rules into something they like that that is more complicated than the original but "more realistic" "more like the source material" or whatever.  We spend most of the first session going over the new rules and rolling up characters, then have time for 0.3 to 1.0 battles.

GM decides they don't like how it's working and hacks the rules again. 2nd -4th sesssions are repeats of the 1st. Then the game folds as the GM decides to work more heavily on the rules.

Guilty as charged.

Well I've done something similar. I had a grand idea for an awesome scenario then my players on the day of the game pretty much told me out right that they would absolutely hate it if I did something pretty much exactly as I had planned.

To which I responded that was exactly what I had planned and then after twenty minutes of play, I threw up my hands and told them I had nothing.

The moral of the story is, check if your players have a problem with survival horror before you prep, because just assuming that since its a survival horror rpg isn't enough. Isn't that right... Redfox?