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Author Topic: I feel like a jerk...  (Read 1055 times)

Kyle Aaron

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I feel like a jerk...
« on: January 23, 2007, 12:04:29 AM »
... since I've had to turn some good players away from my campaign.

I have at least nine players or potential players, and that's those asking me to play, setting aside any I could invite. My buddy Lime will want to game when he comes back from Canada, Count Drunkula is still lurking about wanting to game, and I had to turn the Mad Magyar away... he didn't come last week because he was sick, next week he's going away for a week, and in late Feb begins a course on Tuesdays, so he'll only be available 6th, 13th and 20th Feb, and after that not at all. I told him not to bother coming, I'll twist the game universe to bring a new player into the campaign, but not just for one session and then he wanders off again, that's pointless. But for those three sessions, he should come along, I said. I felt like a real prick saying it, too, since he's a nice likeable guy and really keen on gaming.

He asked if we'd change the game day for him in late Feb, I gave my usual answer: "fine by me, but I can only host on Tuesdays, no other day, and no-one seems willing and able to host besides me..."

I feel like a jerk. But when you have just one group once a week, what can you do...
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Dominus Nox
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« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2007, 01:08:04 AM »
You shouldn't feel like a jerk because you aren't one.

You should fele like a total scumbag because you are one. Only scumbags make insulting remarks about people's mothers like you and youy buddy paladin do.
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Thanatos02

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« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2007, 01:21:55 AM »
Cut that out, Nox. It's irritating.

JimBob, I've had the same problem, actually. I've got a few friends that I love to have play, and when they show up, they're just great. But, sadly, they're total flakes...

Now, your buddies seem to have different problems; scheduling problems. I imagine that's pretty similar to my friends problems, though they don't bother to inform me. But, you're probably doing the right thing, unless you want to invent NPC or Guest Star characters...
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Stumpydave

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« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2007, 03:44:35 AM »
Your stuffed, mate.  If tuesdays are the only nights available to you then thats how it is.  Knowing fully how pointless it is to have people play in a continiung game as if it was a one shot vs. peoples desire to please and accomodate their friends can't be an easy decision to make.
 

O'Borg

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« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2007, 04:39:51 AM »
I feel jealous :(
My game group was short of players for 3 months. I was on the verge of going around the streets with a sandwich board and a handbell, until the GM persauded /bribed /blackmailed a couple of guys from his club to join in.
 
Have you thought about a Guest NPC slot, Jim? You could give your buddy the job of playing a plot-related NPC for a session or two, take some of the load from your shoulders and let him have some involvement, rather than ostracising him completely.
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Pseudoephedrine
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« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2007, 04:50:17 AM »
Why not hand over some of your stuff to some of the players you had to turn down, and recommend that they get a group together to run it? Even the pitches might be useful for a GM starved for ideas, and you do have those relatively detailed full-page documents that should provide just enough info for someone else to run with.
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Tyberious Funk

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« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2007, 03:36:13 PM »
Quote from: Dominus Nox
You should fele like a total scumbag because you are one. Only scumbags make insulting remarks about people's mothers like you and youy buddy paladin do.


And you should feel like a fuckknuckle because you can't resist threadcrapping over some incident that the rest of us seriously don't give a shit about.  

Dude... move on.  You're sad.
 

Stumpydave

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« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2007, 04:23:13 PM »
Quote from: Tyberious Funk
And you should feel like a fuckknuckle because you can't resist threadcrapping over some incident that the rest of us seriously don't give a shit about.  

Dude... move on.  You're sad.


Hey now, you're not helping my Pygmalion style plan to rehabilitate Nox.  Think of him as a renfield style chimpanzee who we're trying to tame and try not to rattle the cage.








Ah fuck it.  Here's a hammer.  Bang on those bars like a man possessed!!
 

James McMurray

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« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2007, 04:28:27 PM »
Quote from: Tyberious Funk
And you should feel like a fuckknuckle because you can't resist threadcrapping over some incident that the rest of us seriously don't give a shit about.  

Dude... move on.  You're sad.


I for one would have to know what he was blathering about before I could give a crap about it.

JimBob, don't fret it. Those sorts of resources are one of the few things you can't control about your campaign. Just be thankful you have more than you need instead of less.

Tyberious Funk

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« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2007, 05:04:08 PM »
Quote from: James McMurray
I for one would have to know what he was blathering about before I could give a crap about it.


I don't know what he is blathering about either, and I seriously don't care.  It doesn't belong in this thread.

Back on topic... JB, maybe it's time to consider more than one game group per week?  Maybe a second group on a fortnightly basis?
 

Kyle Aaron

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« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2007, 05:31:08 PM »
O'Borg, I did think of Guest NPC, but the thing is that this guy is a quite active player - he makes things happen. So he'll take the party to new places. I find that a game group can get quite resentful if someone who isn't a regular takes the game events in a different direction, especially if that direction is "to the Fuck-Up Truckstop Cafe." Only regular members are allowed to fuck things up :p I wouldn't want to subject the guy to that, to give him a few sessions, then months later when he's able to game regularly, no-one wants to game with him because of that old game!

Also, O'Borg, see the article in my sig, it may give you a few tips to help find players, though you don't need them now, it's good to keep in mind for the future. And you might be able to advise me on how to improve the article, if it doesn't cover however you did get your players.

Pseuodephedrine, it is indeed a fine idea to get the extra players together for some gaming. That's something I've worked towards with the Geektogether in December (where members of four different game groups, plus extra, got together for a few drinks in the pub), and of course with gamecircle.org. But what it comes down to is that many people would rather play than GM - and indeed would rather just wait around gameless until someone else GMs, than start things up themselves. I think it's a great pity, but I can understand it. I'd rather play than GM myself, but I love gaming, and someone's gotta run something...

James McMurray, it's true what you say. It's just that I love gaming, and when I see a person with enthusiasm, it's hard to turn them away. On the other hand, I had another guy who'd been in another campaign, and after that ended, he ignored every email from the people in the group, and didn't return any calls. He was supposed to be travelling in a while, so we figured he must be busy preparing for that, and perhaps we'd hear from him after his trip. Then after a month we got an email out of the blue, he announced that his travel plans had changed, and he was coming back to the group. "Um, no... we already have new players." Though he was enthusiastic about gaming, he was not enthusiastic about us, and didn't bother speaking to us unless he wanted a game. So that guy I was quite happy to turn down.

Whereas this other one, he's very social and friendly. But I can catch him around in the next campaign.

As I said to Tyberious Funk, the gamecircle.org idea, circulating the players around from campaign to campaign, that's good that you get to meet lots of people and play lots of different games, but the bad side to it is that sometimes you'll have to turn good people down. Of course, I don't expect any sympathy from the gamers out there who don't know enough good people to game with! :cool:
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Kyle Aaron

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« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2007, 05:34:40 PM »
Quote from: Tyberious Funk
Back on topic... JB, maybe it's time to consider more than one game group per week?  Maybe a second group on a fortnightly basis?

I've considered it, believe me. However, personal circumstances make that not viable. Working for myself, my income is not stable. Only when the income is stable would it become spousally-acceptable to spend more time and money on such frivolous things as gaming ;)
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Pseudoephedrine
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« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2007, 04:47:17 AM »
You should do quid pro quo. Run a few games to whet the appetite, then start demanding that anyone who wants a seat at your table for your upcoming game has to agree to GM an adventure with you as a player, even if it's just a one-shot.
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An Oration on the Dignity of Tash, or On the Elves and Their Lies
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Kyle Aaron

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« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2007, 04:39:50 PM »
Quote from: Pseudoephedrine
You should do quid pro quo. Run a few games to whet the appetite, then start demanding that anyone who wants a seat at your table for your upcoming game has to agree to GM an adventure with you as a player, even if it's just a one-shot.

That would just leave me as much without players as I am without GMs! :(

To be honest, though, in my current group, there's only Tyberious Funk who I'd like to GM, the others... no thanks. And the Funk, he runs out of steam after a few sessions, wants to try a new system or something ;)
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TheQuestionMan

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« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2007, 08:37:50 AM »
Run alternating Campaigns! 5 Players in Odd Game Nights and 4 Players on Even Game Nights. Do cross overs and stuff.


Enjoy your glut of gamers

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