Helping Decide Who Gets to Join

[ShadowImmor]

I have a friend who has been running a campaign I have been in for nearly 3 years, there are 7 players (and he has admitted it is too many, but it is because he invited extra players).

All the players have enjoyed it very much, and he wants to do a sequel campaign (set several hundred years in the future), however, he only wants there to be a maximum of 5 players. One of the spots is already spoken for (he has a friend who he particularly wants to join in, which is fair enough), meaning there are only 4 spaces left.

He is very much struggling with what to do, and how to decide who is in the game.

He has some preferred choices, but doesn't feel it's right eliminating his less preferred players. (They are less preferred because they are either always on iPads or the like or know the rules so well he can't surprise them, or just not a very good player, despite MANY attempts to help)

He is really bad at confrontation, and to add difficulty, my wife and I are both players and he doesn't want to include one of us without the other, there are another pair of best friends who again he doesn't want to include one without the other, and then another couple of who he doesn't want to get rid of because they have no other games they play in.

I want to know, how have you, as DMs or Players made this choice in the past? Any advice you can give?

[DMThac0]

Whittling down a player pool is always a DM's worst nightmare. We want players, and we don't want to exclude potential players. I have a group of 6 that I play with regularly. I started a second game and only wanted 4, so asking two to step down was difficult, however that was also the easiest way to do it.
Ask, talk, explain. Your friend is going to have to present the situation to the group, explain the reasons, and then open up a chance to volunteer. From there it should be easier to decide how to move forward.

When I did this with my group I had 3 of my players say they'd step down. I wanted one of them to say. One of the players who didn't step down was a player I have a hard time with. I went on to explain that the second game wasn't going to be the same as the current one. I explained the differences, and by doing that I figured I was going to deter at least 1 of the players from wanting to join. I was correct as one of my players said the game wasn't their style. So narrowed down to 5, and I then asked the 3 who offered to step down to reconsider. They bantered a bit about it, asked a few more questions, and came to a consensus. Finally 4 were decided on.

It may not work out quite as smoothly for you, but I would suggest taking this route first. Otherwise, worst case, you could fall back on drawing lots.

[Sigreid]

Set up a series of increasingly more difficult and dangerous physical challenges until only 4 remain. 😁

[clash]

Maybe try to split it into 2 groups and see if anyone wants to dm the second one, then players can choose which group and campaign they want to join

[SirGraystone]

Another possibility if someone else want to try DMing, is to run two campaing, if some want to play in both.

Game 1: Players a,b,c,d,e
Game 2: Players c,d,e,f,g

That way everyones can play.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Maybe try to split it into 2 groups and see if anyone wants to dm the second one, then players can choose which group and campaign they want to join

This is the ideal situation. In most groups there is that guy who will play 6 games a week.

Then there is the guy who shows up because he likes hanging out.

And so on.

Have the experienced DM try to help another player become a DM for another group.

If not for kids and cars I could play six nights a week. I can probably only DM once a week though

[hymer]

I want to know, how have you, as DMs or Players made this choice in the past? Any advice you can give?
Real life practicality usually plays a big role. How often do we play, and how does it suit people? And can we arrange it so that people can get rides in a practical way?
But my preferred solution is the West Marches (http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/) style campaign.

[strangebloke]

Maybe try to split it into 2 groups and see if anyone wants to dm the second one, then players can choose which group and campaign they want to join


Another possibility if someone else want to try DMing, is to run two campaing, if some want to play in both.

Game 1: Players a,b,c,d,e
Game 2: Players c,d,e,f,g

That way everyones can play.

Yup.

1. Ask for one of the players to start a new campaign.
2. Talk ideas with other DM, get him super stoked about it.
3. Hype the ever-loving crap out of other DM. Invite everyone to both.
4. Work out a time and a place for both campaigns that don't conflict.
5. Not everyone will be able to or will want to go to both, and if you have to say "no" it isn't like you're excluding them as friends.
6. invite newbies to fill any gaps.

[ShadowImmor]

Thanks for all the help so far.

All of the responses have been good and helpful (and some of them we've thought), I just have an addendum, the current DM doesn't have time to do 2 games, the only other possible DM would be myself, (I am already running 2 out of 2 other games I'm involved in and don't play in any, hence why I'm a bit loath to start a new game as GM), splitting the groups is unfortunately not viable (as there's no real other match up with evenings available to play).

The DM wants the new campaign to be fairly role-play heavy, and very much about the story rather than combat. We this player make up -

Player 1 (myself) - loves the story, loves roleplay, loves puzzles, loves social situations, likes combat, (Can be a difficult player as I'm usually a GM, so I get frustrated if I don't get what I like out of campaigns, and probably disagree with the current DM the most outside of the game, but never inside)
Player 2 (my wife) - loves the story, loves roleplay. (Is very quiet and doesn't like speaking up at all)
Player 3 - loves combat, loves being a "badass", likes story, likes roleplay (but doesn't roleplay reactions well, i.e. when his character was supposed to be horrified he came up with a reason why his character isn't), (is the rules lawyer who always has an answer)
Player 4 - loves being a "badass", only engages when his character is directly involved or he can make a clever comment or do something "cool", otherwise is on iPad and doesn't speak in character to the other characters at all.
Player 5 - loves the roleplay, likes the story (if it directly involved her character), likes combat. (Is also the most disruptive player in the sense her first reaction to pretty much everything, (good, bad, evil etc) is "I set it on fire", meaning there's little room to Roleplay, though this is apparently just this character according to the DM)
Player 6 - loves the story, likes roleplay, likes puzzles, likes combat, (is a very chaotic player, will do things because they're funny, and changes character concepts constantly, (has been through 5 characters even though only 1 died in the course of the story).)
Player 7 - likes being a "badass", likes combat, (is a fairly bad roleplayer, never plans his turns out in advance and constantly makes terrible in game and out of game decisions with regards to his character, have spent years trying to improve his RP, but to no avail, however, he is also less disruptive than other players)

Maybe this can help you guys a bit more. I know who I would keep and eliminate if I was DM. I've said to him, as the best piece of advice I can give (simply because he's getting very burned out in this campaign with so many players) that he needs to run the campaign he wants, or not run it at all.

[Mercurias]

Are you wanting us to vote people off the island for your DM or something? Because we know none of them and if this is a sequel to a years long campaign then your DM is going to know them at least as well as you and way better than a forum full of strangers.

[Unoriginal]

Assuming you and your wife are de facto included, I'd take the couple who can't find any other group, if your DM is that unwilling to get rid of them.

The pair of friend and the one person not in a pair can find other tables.

[ShadowImmor]

Are you wanting us to vote people off the island for your DM or something? Because we know none of them and if this is a sequel to a years long campaign then your DM is going to know them at least as well as you and way better than a forum full of strangers.

No, just wanted to know what your opinions were. I get he knows them better, but he's paralyzed by indecision.

[Erys]

Have everyone at the table, explain the situation, have everyone roll a d20 with the highest 5 "winning" a seat at the next game.

If it breaks up a couple, so be it; if the player you really want to make it- doesn't, oh well.

Let the dice fall as they will and call it a day. Nothing more fair than that.