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SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-07, 05:05 PM
After years of being interested in hte game, I finally got into 3.5 early this year. That led to PF, Dresden Files, all kinds of home brew...I LOVE RP games.

The problem is being stuck with a crappy table. The guy who usually DM's changes games, systems, etc on a random basis. We've had ONE campaign that lasted from lvl 1 to level 5/6. Feels like we're rolling new characters every two weeks. Or changing to M&M. Or some random homebrew thing he came up with. Or 3.5, but Core only.

My work schedule blows; I work a shift schedule, so some months I have every weekend off; others, I work every weekend. This keeps me from joining in at the local game shop sessions.

I've tried getting into PBP games here, but no nibbles or PM's to my post in the recruitment thread. I've even gone so far as to post a thread asking ANYONE in my area interested in playing/running ANY system if they'll host, or let me host, if they want to play or DM. Nada.

I feel like a junkie after his first taste. I love the setting, love scifi/fantasy (my parents were nerd enough to give me a middle name from Tolkein). I love roleplaying, when I'm allowed to do it. I just wish I could find a way to exercise my imagination, with just enough rules lawyering to keep everyone on the same page, and a group that wasn't disfunctional. How do I get my fix?

malmblad
2013-11-07, 05:09 PM
Do gamestore still have bulletinboards to connect players with gms? If not you should see if you can get your local store to get something going like that.

ArmoredSandwich
2013-11-07, 05:13 PM
Can't you DM a game yourself? That is what I did.

Frenth Alunril
2013-11-07, 05:17 PM
I had this problem.

I had it bad.

Then I became the dm, now there is a game whenever I want it. My games start early in the morning, my players are spread out over the globe and we commit to a schedule that's a little relaxed. I've been the dm off and on, mostly on, for 8, maybe 9 years now!

Ha ha ha...

The biggest problem with most dms is burn out, after that, focus, after that you get into psychological problems.

I would recommend you start your own table. Drop that dm you have, and find people who share your schedule.

Anxe
2013-11-07, 07:23 PM
Roll20 has an online recruitment section if you're okay with playing with strangers online.

SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-09, 02:11 PM
So, I've signed up for Roll20. Still need to do some poking around to find a game that's right for me. Appreciate that tip. It seems most require splatbooks and settings I don't have, and I need a mike, cam, and skype account to play; doesn't seem like anyone plays just using the chat function.

DMing has interested me, but a) I haven't felt like I've had the chops just yet, b) I don't know enough anyone outside that table who plays, and c) I didn't have a DMG.

I mentioned the issue to the wife, and wonderful woman that she is, she bought me a DMG while we were at the shop asking about a bulletin board (she didn't have one, but said we were welcome to post in her shop).

This leads to a question; the book she bought is the DMG II. I know the PHBII is more of a supplement than a standalone; is the same true here, or is the DMGII a replacement for the first? It SEEMS like a standalone from the skimming I've done, but I want to be sure that I'm G2G with PHB1, MM1, and DMG2 before I try to set up a game.

hymer
2013-11-09, 02:31 PM
DMG2 is a standalone of sorts, but it's no substitute for the regular DMG. There are online rules (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm), though they aren't set up to be read book style, and they don't have the didactic elements that the DMG does.
You're probably going to want the DMG. It gets you started thinking about the right things and has a lot of suggestions and guidelines to help you get going.

D-naras
2013-11-09, 06:26 PM
I don't think that the DMGII replaces the DMG. IIRC it has dming tips and other ways to challenge players, including extra enviromental hazards and things like npc organizations but not much on the rules side of things. It still is a good read for inexperienced DMs but you will need the 1st DMG to run a game properly. Sorry! :smallfrown:

I want you to know that I feel your pain! What I did after I got up to speed with DnD and it's rules and nuances, I got a single player that had a similar schedule with me, and had him make a 4 man party, with a single leader and protagonist of the story. It was a fullfilling, epic campaign, and most came out of the srd (www.d20srd.org) with not a single book used. I wish you luck on your endeavors! :smallsmile:

Ifni
2013-11-09, 09:43 PM
Welcome SouthpawSoldier :smallsmile:

I play a lot of PbP games on this board. Rather than try to start your own game from scratch, it's generally best to keep an eye out for games that have a GM and are recruiting players (either new games or ongoing ones), and apply to those. The Recruiting Forum is here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=51).

Just from this evening, as an example, here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=313669) is a L2 Forgotten Realms game that's currently re-recruiting. There are a bunch of other games there, at a range of levels and in a range of systems.

That said, PbP may not be the best for you if you get frustrated about games dying - most don't have a long lifespan. If you stick it out, you'll find a few good ones - I'm currently playing in two multi-year PbPs, and there was a third that just wrapped up a few months ago - but I've probably been in 20 other PbPs that died within a few months.

jedipotter
2013-11-10, 12:11 AM
Any chance your looking for a solo PBP D&D game? Let me know.

Otherwise, well it is hard to get a group game going and keep it going. Lots of people will show interest, then drop out. Some people will 'forget' to post for days. And so on.

Eulalios
2013-11-10, 12:15 AM
Possibly room for another PC headed To the Tower (link in my sig) but be forewarned, it's Dragon Age setting and rules ... read through the OOC and IC threads so far, if interest, check out the setting info avails on line, then PM me.

Lord Torath
2013-11-11, 11:58 PM
D&D Solitaire (http://shiftkitty.angelfire.com/DDSolitaire.pdf)

lytokk
2013-11-12, 08:35 AM
I was in this situation for a while. What I ended up doing was hopping onto a Neverwinter Nights server, which got me my fix. I don't know if that's going to work well for you, but it did for me. Now that Neverwinter 3 has recently released, its very possible that a slew of new servers have opened up and ready to play. Most of the people who spend the time to build their own custom servers are more than likely not going to shut down on a whim.

Morph Bark
2013-11-12, 08:43 AM
How do you feel about doing games via voice chat programs such as Skype, and using online dice rollers and the like for rolls? I wish to start DMing sessions like that for people who want that, but I still have to figure out how to handle everything other than Skype.

Firest Kathon
2013-11-12, 09:19 AM
My hint: Go to Paizo's Pathfinder Society events (http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/events) page and find an event online or in your proximity. One of the advantages of PFS is that most adventures are finished in a single session, so it's not problem if you can attend only once in a while. And even if PFS is not for you, it's a great opportunity to connect to other roleplayers.

SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-13, 11:01 AM
I really appreciate the help folks.

Swapped books for the proper DMG; <THIS is why I prefer FCBS's to chains and online. Friendly, real people behind the counter.

That DMG is definitely a big pill; there's so much more than I experienced as a player. I've never had a DM factor in weather, terrain, etc. It really seemed like most of our encounters were done from the hip. Lots and lots to digest.

I'm not set up for skype; my work station only lets me on the forums, and my home setup is very basic (no cam or mic). This also precludes DDO, WOW, etc; I tried DDO, but I just couldn't get it to run smooth enough to be enjoyable.

PbP games seemed the way to go, but when I threw my profile up in the player recruitment forum, no one invited me to their game. Most of the games I saw actively recruiting were a bit complex for me; too many splatbooks, campaign settings I'm not familar with, etc. Enough to make me feel a little intimidated; I was cured early of meta/powergaming and min/maxing. All I want is a nice, simple core style game; a little homebrew for flavor is great, but I like to a) have access to the same references, and b) abide by KISS. I'm very interested, if I can find one where I don't feel outclassed.

truemane
2013-11-13, 11:07 AM
I absolutely second (third, fourth) the Pathfinder Society suggestion. If they have a regular game near you, make plans to go and go. You'll find the people really welcoming and friendly. The games themselves are casual and low key and the individual modules are over in one session.

When I didn't have a table of my own, my gf and I lived at those things.

And a few of the people I met there are now in my regular home game. One of whom played his very first D&D game ever ever at a PFS. And he had a blast.

Do it.

Alejandro
2013-11-13, 12:42 PM
So, I've signed up for Roll20. Still need to do some poking around to find a game that's right for me. Appreciate that tip. It seems most require splatbooks and settings I don't have, and I need a mike, cam, and skype account to play; doesn't seem like anyone plays just using the chat function.

DMing has interested me, but a) I haven't felt like I've had the chops just yet, b) I don't know enough anyone outside that table who plays, and c) I didn't have a DMG.

I mentioned the issue to the wife, and wonderful woman that she is, she bought me a DMG while we were at the shop asking about a bulletin board (she didn't have one, but said we were welcome to post in her shop).

This leads to a question; the book she bought is the DMG II. I know the PHBII is more of a supplement than a standalone; is the same true here, or is the DMGII a replacement for the first? It SEEMS like a standalone from the skimming I've done, but I want to be sure that I'm G2G with PHB1, MM1, and DMG2 before I try to set up a game.

Step 1: Convince wife to play, teach her the game, run a solo mission for her.
Step 2: Recruit one couple that is interested, even if you have to teach them. Make it a mix of gaming and having a nice homemade dinner together.
Step 3: Holy crap, now you have a GM and 3 players. Work from there.

This is what I do. I am both player and GM, I physically host the games since I own a suitable house, my girlfriend lives with me and also games, another married couple attends and both play, and so on. And we always, always cook. The hell with Doritos.

Garimeth
2013-11-13, 12:59 PM
So, I've signed up for Roll20. Still need to do some poking around to find a game that's right for me. Appreciate that tip. It seems most require splatbooks and settings I don't have, and I need a mike, cam, and skype account to play; doesn't seem like anyone plays just using the chat function.

You don't need all that, just a headset. But you are right nobody uses the chat function.


But here is something that has not been mentioned...

Why leave your current table? You've explained that you don't klike how the GM jumps around, but he's probably just burnt out. Come up with a campaign idea, and bring it to your table (if you want you can talk to the GM first, but I wouldn't thinkit necessary).

Just say "hey guys, I wanted to try my hand at DMing, and give XXX a break. I came up with this game idea, are you guys interested in playing?"

I bet your current DM will love the opportunity tio play as a PC again, I know I do! This way you keep your current group, you know the schedule you have works, and you all net another DM!

Just my 2cp.

SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-13, 02:02 PM
My wife is a closet nerd. After giving me crap about the middle name of Elendil (my dad was a Tolkein nerd) she finally read the books, and was more outraged than I over the movies. Two words guaranteed to set her off are "Tom Bombadil". I got her into the Dresden Files book series, Orson Scott Card (another movie that got her goat), John Scalzi (Old Man's War is an amazing series). She loves books, so that was easy.

However, she absofreakinglutely refuses to have anything to do with DnD. Dresden RPG was almost tolerable, since she loves the source material. DF was going to be our thing, but it never got off the ground; RP is just a bit much for her. She loves reading (not general fantasy, it has to be amazing fantasy/scifi for her to like it) but playing just turns her off. Supports my hobby though, so at least it doesn't cause conflict between the two of us.

She gave me the thumbs up to try geting everyone into DF RPG, though it was supposed to be "our" thing; shot down. Our usual DM doesn't like to give up control of the table. Thankfully he's tamed somewhat since we stopped playing at his house; being off home turf changed his attitude.

That being said, she was about to ban my playing simply because she was tired of me being bullied at the table. I tried to run We Be Goblins; overruled by one of the part-time DMs and he had us run his module instead. I tried to run a different module, and it was a session of our usual DM minmaxing and blowing through everything, with the two of them exploiting my inexperience and running roughshod over me. She was in the other room with the other wives, and nearly came in busting heads when she heard what was going on, the way they were talking, etc. Bit of a momma bear, but I love her.

Those two especially run me ragged with the drama. Part-time DM guy likes to interject every 5 min and instigate drama between players, PC's, and the the DM. But he's a strong player, and no one wants to regulate on him.

There's only one guy at the table I really get along with, and he works for P/T DM. Rather than causing a massive schism at the table, I figure it'd be better for me to get my fix elsewhere. Better one guy walk away than the whole group have a civil war.

I'm really a "go along to get along" kind of guy; combine that with only recently getting the DMG, and my experiences trying to DM our table, and I was almost burned out on the game.

As soon as my work cycle wraps up, I'll try PFS on my home system. My work network blocks it.

Garimeth
2013-11-13, 04:14 PM
Dude, I don't blame you then. I would rather not game at all, than game with jerks.

You may be able to hook something up on roll20 though, really you just need a headset. Try that or PFS. Good luck!

Alejandro
2013-11-13, 04:18 PM
My wife is a closet nerd. After giving me crap about the middle name of Elendil (my dad was a Tolkein nerd) she finally read the books, and was more outraged than I over the movies. Two words guaranteed to set her off are "Tom Bombadil". I got her into the Dresden Files book series, Orson Scott Card (another movie that got her goat), John Scalzi (Old Man's War is an amazing series). She loves books, so that was easy.

However, she absofreakinglutely refuses to have anything to do with DnD. Dresden RPG was almost tolerable, since she loves the source material. DF was going to be our thing, but it never got off the ground; RP is just a bit much for her. She loves reading (not general fantasy, it has to be amazing fantasy/scifi for her to like it) but playing just turns her off. Supports my hobby though, so at least it doesn't cause conflict between the two of us.

She gave me the thumbs up to try geting everyone into DF RPG, though it was supposed to be "our" thing; shot down. Our usual DM doesn't like to give up control of the table. Thankfully he's tamed somewhat since we stopped playing at his house; being off home turf changed his attitude.

That being said, she was about to ban my playing simply because she was tired of me being bullied at the table. I tried to run We Be Goblins; overruled by one of the part-time DMs and he had us run his module instead. I tried to run a different module, and it was a session of our usual DM minmaxing and blowing through everything, with the two of them exploiting my inexperience and running roughshod over me. She was in the other room with the other wives, and nearly came in busting heads when she heard what was going on, the way they were talking, etc. Bit of a momma bear, but I love her.

Those two especially run me ragged with the drama. Part-time DM guy likes to interject every 5 min and instigate drama between players, PC's, and the the DM. But he's a strong player, and no one wants to regulate on him.

There's only one guy at the table I really get along with, and he works for P/T DM. Rather than causing a massive schism at the table, I figure it'd be better for me to get my fix elsewhere. Better one guy walk away than the whole group have a civil war.

I'm really a "go along to get along" kind of guy; combine that with only recently getting the DMG, and my experiences trying to DM our table, and I was almost burned out on the game.

As soon as my work cycle wraps up, I'll try PFS on my home system. My work network blocks it.

If that's an accurate description of what really goes on, then tell those people to piss off. No gaming is better than bad gaming.

Strange about your wife though, if she really didn't want anything to do with gaming, she wouldn't want to be so present. I think her problem isn't actually with gaming, it's with the people you are gaming with. Switch, and maybe she will show interest.

SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-13, 05:11 PM
She tags along so she's not stuck in the house, staring at the walls. The DnD group are really the only people we've been able to meet here; I'm not part of a normal unit, so networking via normal channels is out.

I've even brought up the idea of us doing a 1 player/4PC vs DM's puzzle kind of setting, turning it into a 2-player game. This was suggested early on in the thread, and sounded fun, ntm a great way to playtest ideas. No-dice; she just has no interest in the setting.

It's not everyone in the group who's a problem, but I tried before to set up a group-within-a-group. Too much interelation between members to split successfully.

Garimeth
2013-11-13, 05:28 PM
I assume your in the Army?

With the Marines when I want a group of gamers I go to the data guys lol.

You may be able to utilize some kind of family programs, not sure what you guys call them there. Or if you stay in base housing post a flyer at the housing office.

You say its not a normal unit, though, so IDK.

You can try craigslist.... I had a buddy do that, not sure how it worked out. You guys not always gaming at the same house takes away some of the guy's ego trip, maybe if you guys do more things like that eventually he will back off and let some other people run a game. How big is your group?

Kudaku
2013-11-13, 05:31 PM
Skype accounts are free and easy to setup and (very) basic headsets will run you about $14,99 over here but depending on where you live you can probably buy them even cheaper. Though many games will require headsets (since speaking out loud is so much more convenient than typing everything) I've yet to see one that requires the use of a webcam, so you can safely skip that.

Pathfinder has their full rules set online in both official (http://paizo.com/prd/) and unofficial (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/) (but more comprehensive) versions. D&D 3.5 have their own (rather more limited) version available here (http://www.d20srd.org/). There might be a similar free website available for 4th edition D&D but if so I'm not familiar with it. You should still consider buying some books (to support the company if nothing else), but you really don't need to spend a lot of money on it if you're on a budget.

I know for a fact that there's always demand for GMs and DMs on Roll20, but you stand a decent chance of finding a game to join there too. They tend to fill up fast so I'd keep an eye on the LFG/LFM forums.

Finally there's Play by Post games, but I have pretty much no experience with these. From what I've picked up from others a lot of them tend to fall apart when players lose interest, which happens frequently since they tend to move slowly.

Not being able to use voice is going to be a dealbreaker for a lot of games though, the key to online tabletop gaming is effective communications.

SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-13, 06:11 PM
I work shifts, so it's hard to network with people in the unit. Aside from my team, I know almost no one in my company; we're really an entity of our own. Met this group because one guy was a neighbor in old apartment building (only non-crazy neighbor); another was his family member, and two are coworkers of the family member. Tried setting up an "ad" here, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=311211) but no nibbles. Dunno if my admittance to LIMITED lawyering hurt me, 9I'm a technically oriented person), but for some reason, no response. Same for my post in the player-seeking-game forum.

I've used SRD's for Pathfinder, M&M, and 3.5. I have the core 3.5 books, and the DF RPG books. Pathfinder is on the list, but it's similar enough to 3.5 that I can adapt what I have. I definitely prefer books. Less information overload, and easier to use.

I'm really preferring PbP games, since I can access those on slow nights at work. Just gotta find one where I can fit in.

Ifni
2013-11-13, 11:19 PM
PbP games seemed the way to go, but when I threw my profile up in the player recruitment forum, no one invited me to their game.

Yeah, this isn't about you - I put my profile up there way back when I first started, iirc, and never got any contacts. Most PbP GMs and players don't read those sticky threads, from my experience.

The usual dynamic in the PbP forum is that there are tons of people who want to play and not nearly so many who want to GM. So what will usually happen is the GM will declare a game is recruiting, there will be a period of a couple of weeks (varies widely) for people to submit characters, and then the GM will choose players from among the applicants. GMs usually have way more potential players than they can handle, so have no need to dig through the Player Registry thread and PM a bunch of people who may not be at all interested in their game.

If you want a low-level core-only or near-core-only game, the approach most likely to be successful is to post a new thread in the Recruiting section (potential GMs will actually see this, unlike most of the posts in the Player Registry thread) explaining what you would like and asking for a GM to run it for you. This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308541) is a good example of such a post. You may want to mention you are a new player (people will then understand that you're not familiar with the usual conventions and will be more inclined to help out).

You will almost certainly rapidly get a ton of interest from players. The convention in this case is usually that the OP (you) gets an automatic spot and the GM chooses the remaining players.

As an alternative to starting your own thread, here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=312887) is a currently recruiting L3 core-only game (DM's post is here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16366442&postcount=15)), although it looks like recruitment closes Friday so you'd have to be quick.

SouthpawSoldier
2013-11-14, 10:42 AM
Thanks tons! I've posted in that thread; hopefully I get picked. PFS would require a multiple hour drive, and I don't feel strong enough to set up a local chapter, but I do appreciate the suggestion, and I'll keep it in mind if/when I get transfered.

Folks, this thread right here is why I signed up with the forum. The minmaxing info and builds are interesting, and I get chuckles from some of the campaign ideas, but what really does it for me is the sense of community. We have 2 game shops in El Paso, but they mostly cater to the TCG crowd; a little roleplay, but nothing really easy for me to get into. The only players I know are at my current table, and there's no real sense of comradeship there.

Threads like this, where strangers jump in to help, really make my day. Cookies and cupcakes for everyone (my wife's scratch-made sour cream snickerdoodles and my Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, to be specific).

Erasmas
2013-11-14, 11:33 AM
Hey, Southpaw... welcome to the Playground! Fellow Texan here! Hopefully your RL gaming situation finds a happy ending sometime soon. I was where you were (roughly speaking) way back when before I formed my own current gaming group; so I understand a little of what you're going through.

PbP is a good way to get a fix, though admittedly it moves very slow in terms of story development and such (most certainly true of combat). I would invite you to join in on one of the games that I run, but I only actually run one D&D-themed game currently. You are more than welcome to join that one, but it is freeform (no stats or rolls, just RP) and is set on a very unusual world; so it may be a bit much.

If you're interested, however, now is a perfect time for you to jump in (as it is currently very easy to introduce new characters). Here are the threads, if you would like to read up and see if it's something that blows your skirt up or not.

OOC (Out of Character) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267010)
Hettust (Arctic side of the planet) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283732)
Tantharra (Desert side of the planet) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267012)

Delwugor
2013-11-14, 01:01 PM
I've was having difficulty finding good games when my old group broke up after 15 years. My biggest success has come through meetup.com and though I still haven't found another long term group there has been some good single shot and short adventure games that I've attended.

I did try Pathfinder Society for 3 session and personally it was a complete failure for me. First is their modules are designed to be run in 4 hours, and the ones I was in where fairly shallow without any real role-playing involved. They basically where a formulated follow the rails and kill anything marked with evil.
Also anyone can jump in at any time, this means all types of people are at the table. Most were alright to play, I remember one guy who was great, but then a woman who kept berating me because she didn't like my lack of kill all evil. After her crap I decided never to do PFS again. Oops sorry for the derail.

RFLS
2013-11-14, 01:24 PM
Well, I don't have any games for you right now, but I'll shoot you a PM soon - I'm going to be starting a new game fairly soon, and it'll need a lot of players.

Lionheart
2013-11-14, 01:46 PM
I'm in a similar situation to you. I don't have a RL group and my LFGS doesn't support any RP really. I've tried PFS, but the events in the UK are pretty irregular and I can't really travel so that's out.

I've tried Roll20 as well, though I always feel like an idiot speaking on the mic where my fiancee can hear me and nobody else...:smallredface:

I'd definitely be interested in starting a no mic no webcam Roll20 group, obviously the time difference would be difficult, but weekend mornings/evenings might be feasible?

PM me if you're interested in trying to get something going, I'm happy to DM or play, whatever your preference is :smallbiggrin: