How do you keep new gamers?

[Name_Here]

I seem to have some problem with keeping new players leaving after 1 game.

I mean can't really find anything wrong with the way I'm DMing the session. They enjoy the punch and pie, they laugh at a few of the jokes that I put in the game world, I make sure they have plenty to do and that the system doesn't seem to be me just rolling dice and telling them what happens and it all seems to be going well they put forward a few ideas about how to handle the situation but when the night is over and I ask for any feedback about the game, they just announce that they don't see themselves playing the game anymore. And right now it's launched my shadowrun campaign into an eternal loop of start and stop as I try to scrape toegether a quorum to actually play.

So was there anything in particular that brought you into pen and paper RPGs? Did you have to come to it on your own or was there something that the DM did that just made your experience so fun you immidiatly cleared the campaign days schedule and told your bosses and parents that the day you played your RPG was off limits for anything?

[Jimbob]

Well to cut a long story short, I got into D&D becasue of my dad which inturn when I told my friends about it ( we were 12 at the time ) it sounded great. But over the years players have come and go and the main reason they seem to leave is because of the same reason as some of your X players, its just not for them. I think its just finding the right person. As you said you make your sessions intersting then there si nothing else you can really do.

But some times what we do if a friend says hey that sounds like fun can I play, is that we let them borrow our PHB for a week before they come, they read it and most of they either say nah that does not look like my cupa tea or they come back saying YEAH that looks great when can I start?

[TempusCCK]

Eh, having never played Shadowrun, or even heard of it, it's hard to tell you if they maybe don't the setting or just the system involved.

I've found, when dealing with people who are brand new to Role playing, that the best idea is to simply generate some random characters/personalities, let your players read through the material and choose a character. This makes a much less daunting jump from the standard RPGs like Final Fantasy or WoW that most people are probably accustomed too, while getting them familiar with the system and rules, which can also be daunting for new players.

See if it was the setting or the system they didn't like, and then adjust accordingingly.

If you have people who have just no interest in High Adventure and fantasy type settings, as in, if you're recruiting reluctant basketball fanatics from the local college to come and give it a shot, it's no wonder you're not keeping people. People want to do things that involve the things they like, and maybe for the people you've played with so far, any D20 Role Playing system isn't part of that.

[Lord Tataraus]

I think it is really all about the person. I remember exactly how my group started. The single decent gaming shop in town was closing and it was FNM. Everything was discounted and no one would be coming back. One of the guys was a friend of mine and he had brought in another friend of his recently. So he decided to pick up the heavily discounted D&D book set thing. The three of us began rounding up a number of friends until we had 8 players and a DM. No one had really any idea how to play and we crammed together in a room for a few hours to figure it out/play. Over the next few sessions a lot of people changed. We went through like 6 people before we got down to the core 5 and 2 who came less regularly. Even then we still tried people out but we got less and less people for a number of factors, most primarily was we weren't n00bs anymore and 2 of use had memorized basically every rule and the others knew most. At this point we were too experienced to bring people in. We tried, but they just felt too uncomfortable, even though they might have had a good time.

So, the reason I'm telling this story (besides the fact I haven't told it in awhile) is to point out too reasons people didn't join. 1) We were too experienced and that was a huge detriment to welcoming in new players. In the early days they we were only a little bit better than those we invited so a lot of people came. 2) Some people just are not crazy enough about it to want to play regularly. There were a lot of people who had tons of fun, but they just wanted it to be a one time thing, they didn't want the commitment or to become hardcore gamers.

Judging by what you've said, I think your problem is #2. There really is not much you can do about it except finally find someone who is willing. Once you get one or two buddies it is easier to pressure other into the game (go peer pressure! W00T!). However, if you are very experienced, that might also be getting in the way when you sub-consciously run the game as if the players where experienced which is totally different and actually less of an incentive to play. Only hardcore gamers can play hardcore D&D.

[valadil]

I'm a little confused. Are you having trouble keeping any players in your game or getting non gamers into gaming? I think it's the latter, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, roleplaying isn't for everyone. Even people who are gamers otherwise may not get into roleplaying. Whenever I've bludgeoned friends into trying out D&D they haven't taken interest. You really have to make sure your friends legitimately want to try the game, otherwise they're just humoring you. If doesn't immediately take to D&D, it becomes much easier for them to say they tried it and didn't like it.

I'm sort of trying to get my girlfriend into D&D. It's not that I think we should play in the same games together, and I actually like having game day as my guys night out, but I would like to be able to have a conversation with her on whether my sorcerer should take fireball or stinking cloud at level 6. Anyway when I first mentioned D&D to her she said she's okay with me playing it, but she'd dump me if I tried to get her into it. I ran a one shot game a couple weeks ago and bounced plot ideas off her. It wasn't D&D specific, it was just plot and there were no mechanics. She found that part vaguely interesting and wants to know more about kobolds. I can't remember what the context was but I later told her I had a sorcerer. She referred to it as a wizard, so I started telling her they were distinct. About a week later she wanted to know what the distinctions were. She's hugely into Harry Potter, so this is relevant to her and not really a D&D thing. For what it's worth she's also convinced that Sorcerers are way better since they don't have to prepare. The point I'm trying to make is that she's opening up to the idea of playing more and more. We even talked about basic classes and decided she'd probably be a druid. I don't think she'll ask to join the game I'm in any time soon (which is fine by me) but she may and if she does the option is open. I don't even know if she'd like it, but if she does decide to try D&D it's going to be her own decision and on her own terms since forcing her to play would lead to a negative reaction.

[Snadgeros]

FOOD! ALWAYS MORE FOOD!

No, really. We players go and have a good time with you DMs' little campaigns, but we both know the REAL reason we're there is to mooch off of you for Mountain Dew and pizza. Pepporoni on mine please!:smalltongue:

No, but seriously, I think the key is to get them to come back for a second session. If you can get them to come twice, you're pretty much golden, as they'll realize that EVERY session is fun and want to keep coming back, figuring "Well, I already did it twice. Why not three times?" Eventually they'll grow from "the newbies" into "gamers" like us.

I'd say make sure they're getting everything out of the first session. Don't spend 99% of your time just explaining the game mechanics and rules to them, actually have them DO stuff. For example, say he wants to roll up a ranger, do most of the work for him, ask his decisions on key choices, let him roll the dice a little. Then, when he wants to attack that bugbear, don't waste time explaining BAB and AC and all that, just look at his sheet, have him roll, tell him which number to add, and go with it. He can learn all of that stuff later, once he's convinced he wants to stay.

Other than that, not much else you can do. It's really up to them, and let them KNOW you want them to stay. And remember, FOOOOOOOOOOOD!

[Charity]

I find TupperwareTM keeps them fresh.

[DEFCON Clown]

Shackles help.

[Fhaolan]

Shackles help.

Definately. You need to check the quality of your chains, if they're getting away that easily.

[Triaxx]

See, that's what happens when you don't change the bedding in the cage regularly.

[metalbear]

I find that going for fantasy cliques usually works, much like the ones you would find in a console RPG for the plot. Princess tries to recruit the players to help her fight her wicked uncle/half-brother/cousin/step-mother/ect. and go from there. And make the learning curve realativily smooth. Introduce the concepts of the game nice and slow, start the players off with fighting just one goblin each to learn about initiative, attack rolls, and so on. Then have them fight a wizard that uses sleep, fire hands, and a fortitude save spell. Then have them go in a small dungeon to learn skill use.