navar100
2012-07-29, 10:57 PM
This is more a rant and lamentation sharing grief but with hope and joy coming out of the rubble.
After over 10 years of good fun, my playing group has ended. Technically it's only "on hiatus", but the proverbial writing is on the wall. I can conjecture why it happened as some fellow players and I agree, but there is no solution as talking to the DM about it is part of the problem. To be polite about it I think that after 10 years where there is rift people just got on each others' nerves.
I hate it when a gaming group ends. It's happened few times before over my gaming years. Each group I think will last "forever", but alas something happens to end it. To be honest in some cases I was directly involved, but in others I was an innocent bystander. I know it's just a game, but it's also a social event. Hanging out with friends is part of the fun. When friendships end, it hurts.
It took a few weeks, but I found a new group. In actuality, it's one I kinda set up via Meet-Up.com. I didn't start the initial get together, but it was there that I got elected to volunteer to DM, i.e. I was the only one at the time who had any willingness.
Today was our second meeting. There was a nice crowd. A few told me they could only play for a few weeks, but that's ok. There were 9 players. A smaller group will be easier to handle. One player is from my previous group that just ended.
Now I'm DM for a Pathfinder game. Player advocate as I am I now have to walk the walk of all my opinions I've expressed in the Player-DM dynamic. I had allowed for DM privilege given his responsibilities, just don't be Il Duce about it. That's what I did. I allowed the players to play anything they wanted as long as it was non-Evil. The only DM veto I gave was no monstrous races, just PHB races. That was for my sanity since while I have DM experience it's not extensive.
I used the 27-25-23 creation method I've written about in other threads. I ignored the tiers. There is a paladin, fighter, and barbarian in this party along with a cleric and druid, and no one felt useless.
Now my concern is being able to maintain a campaign, as that has been my weakness in the past. I've ran one-shot adventures for gaming conventions that have been successful, but when I tried regular campaigns in the past I couldn't maintain the interest. This time I'm using modules to help keep me focused. The roleplay filler flavor text I can fill in. I need the modules for the crunch variety. I started with the free Paizo Pathfinder Society introduction module, and I'm glad I did. I never would have considered troglodytes and shocker lizards on my own.
When my previous group's campaign was put "on hiatus", in a later huff the DM said if you want to play D&D find another DM. I found one. Me. I'm not so sure if I will play should the hiatus end, despite the fun I had playing my Sorcerer. This new group meets on the same day.
After over 10 years of good fun, my playing group has ended. Technically it's only "on hiatus", but the proverbial writing is on the wall. I can conjecture why it happened as some fellow players and I agree, but there is no solution as talking to the DM about it is part of the problem. To be polite about it I think that after 10 years where there is rift people just got on each others' nerves.
I hate it when a gaming group ends. It's happened few times before over my gaming years. Each group I think will last "forever", but alas something happens to end it. To be honest in some cases I was directly involved, but in others I was an innocent bystander. I know it's just a game, but it's also a social event. Hanging out with friends is part of the fun. When friendships end, it hurts.
It took a few weeks, but I found a new group. In actuality, it's one I kinda set up via Meet-Up.com. I didn't start the initial get together, but it was there that I got elected to volunteer to DM, i.e. I was the only one at the time who had any willingness.
Today was our second meeting. There was a nice crowd. A few told me they could only play for a few weeks, but that's ok. There were 9 players. A smaller group will be easier to handle. One player is from my previous group that just ended.
Now I'm DM for a Pathfinder game. Player advocate as I am I now have to walk the walk of all my opinions I've expressed in the Player-DM dynamic. I had allowed for DM privilege given his responsibilities, just don't be Il Duce about it. That's what I did. I allowed the players to play anything they wanted as long as it was non-Evil. The only DM veto I gave was no monstrous races, just PHB races. That was for my sanity since while I have DM experience it's not extensive.
I used the 27-25-23 creation method I've written about in other threads. I ignored the tiers. There is a paladin, fighter, and barbarian in this party along with a cleric and druid, and no one felt useless.
Now my concern is being able to maintain a campaign, as that has been my weakness in the past. I've ran one-shot adventures for gaming conventions that have been successful, but when I tried regular campaigns in the past I couldn't maintain the interest. This time I'm using modules to help keep me focused. The roleplay filler flavor text I can fill in. I need the modules for the crunch variety. I started with the free Paizo Pathfinder Society introduction module, and I'm glad I did. I never would have considered troglodytes and shocker lizards on my own.
When my previous group's campaign was put "on hiatus", in a later huff the DM said if you want to play D&D find another DM. I found one. Me. I'm not so sure if I will play should the hiatus end, despite the fun I had playing my Sorcerer. This new group meets on the same day.