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: