Why join group you don't have time...

[hydraphantom]

Me, doing an online group: Ok, due to timezone, the group will go from 6pm to 10pm your timezone time.

My PCs: Sure, no problem.

30 minutes before the group, three of the five guys: Oh sorry I have to get off the work/eat dinner etc.

Do remind me why the ....... are they joining the group if they can't manage to make it on time again?

edit: corrected the typo, it's 6-10pm not 6pm to 10 am

[Magzimum]

If you play for the first time, this group has little social value to the players, and family and friends probably take priority.

Play more often with the same players, and D&D will start taking priority.

It takes time to form a good group.

[NinaWu]

Time zone definitely an issue in Oz. Set clearer expectations for joining your group. Be specific about what you want/will accept, and interview potentials. Follow those guidelines and you should sort it :)

[Unoriginal]

Me, doing an online group: Ok, due to timezone, the group will go from 6pm to 10am your timezone time.

My PCs: Sure, no problem.

30 minutes before the group, three of the five guys: Oh sorry I have to get off the work/eat dinner etc.

Do remind me why the ....... are they joining the group if they can't manage to make it on time again?

Many people say they will be here, and mean it, only for something else to take precendent when the time arrives.

[MrStabby]

Me, doing an online group: Ok, due to timezone, the group will go from 6pm to 10am your timezone time.

My PCs: Sure, no problem.

30 minutes before the group, three of the five guys: Oh sorry I have to get off the work/eat dinner etc.

Do remind me why the ....... are they joining the group if they can't manage to make it on time again?

I am clearly not understanding this correctly unless your sessions are 16 hours long?

[ProsecutorGodot]

I run into this issue somewhat frequently with my group. Between nebulous work schedules and the odd time where someone sleeps in on the weekend.

The best I can offer is this: They also have lives, they gave you advanced notice (fairly short notice, but notice nonetheless) that their lives are now taking precedence over the free time they had scheduled.

This week when a player of mine gave zero notice that they weren't going to be making the session this week. It was an important session that I can't run without all of the players present. I don't consider it anything worth being upset about until 4 people have gathered around after having hours of their time aside waiting for you to show up. We waited nearly 45 minutes after the scheduled time before they found the courtesy to tell us they wouldn't be making it.

It's okay to be upset about it, just be thankful you were given a heads up. If they didn't let you know ahead of time that would be a sign (in my eyes) that things couldn't be improved on.

[sophontteks]

6pm-10am is asking a lot.

[Ronnocius]

6pm-10am is asking a lot.

Have to agree. Especially if played frequently or during the weekdays (when most people will have to go to work). Try and set more reasonable hours, or else continue searching for players who can make those times...

[NecessaryWeevil]

I would be very surprised if that's not simply a typo.

[hydraphantom]

I am clearly not understanding this correctly unless your sessions are 16 hours long?

Sorry, typoed, I meant to say 6-10pm

[brenilla1919]

Perhaps go over times again to see if someone's sceduale changed. And remember we are all bound to make mystakes and things can come up.

[Ronnocius]

Thinking on it now, if I ever run a Roll20 game again and need to recruit players, I will hide a secret 'code word' somewhere innocuous in my campaign information block. It would be something akin to an inconspicuous sentence saying 'The code word is xyz, put it in your player application'. This should cut down on the bulk of people who copy paste their applications to every available game for their system without looking at the timezone/schedule, allowed resources, campaign setting or anything else. Ideally it would lead to less scheduling errors when playing on Roll20.

[Hooligan]

fire them out the door and find different players.