Scheduling Time to Play

[StoryKeeper]

In the past, my group could find time to play easily. We'd just call each other the night before and tell each other when and where we were playing. Now, people have jobs and school activities to find time for, and our old system (or lack there of) doesn't work.

How do you figure out how to get everyone together at the same time and place to game?

[Dyllan]

Easy. We have a set schedule. I run a game on every other Saturday night, around 4:30 PM until midnight.

Our other DM runs on the opposite weeks, on Friday night, from about 5:30 until midnight.

Everyone's worked their schedules around it so we can play. Occasionally we have a conflict and have to cancel or reschedule a session.

[drengnikrafe]

We all have school all week long, making school totally out. My favorite PC (and only group optimizer, positive statement, positive statement) works all weekend. We game Fridays, from when he gets off work until the point where we are falling out of our chairs because the balance check and the staying awake just got too tough.

[valadil]

Easy. We have a set schedule. I run a game on every other Saturday night, around 4:30 PM until midnight.

This is the only way to do it once you're out of public school. I don't even try to compromise on a schedule any more. I just tell people I'm running a weekly game on tuesday nights until I have a full party.

When the game gets to be regular enough you'll have far fewer people flaking out. They may have other things to do but if they learn thursday is always game day they're less likely to accidentally ditch.

[arguskos]

Ugh, I wish I had a group that knew what the word timing meant. Last week didn't work, since a player couldn't make it due to work and asked that we don't play. This week won't, since a different dude has his significant other coming to town from another state and the first player has requested we not move on until everyone is there. Next week I am unavoidably busy (and I've known about it for 2+ months), and as I'm the DM, we can't play.

And this is hardly typical, by the way. It's like this ALL the time. We tend to go 3+ weeks between games. I need more friends I can game with dammit.

[Swok]

It's all about scheduling. Of course, I make scheduling a nightmare what with working a flexible shift. Which means anywhere from starting 4 am to ending 7:30 pm.

Though one game is working out sticking to thursdays, and the other we have so many conflicts of schedule, we don't play as often as we play.

[Pluto]

In my first couple years of college, the only time I could organize a game between school, sports, music and work was starting at 12:00 on Sunday and Tuesday nights.

Don't do this. It is very very not worth it.

[dragonfan6490]

As the above posters have said, a set schedule is the way to do it. I run a game every other Wednesday from 5.30 to about 11 and play in a game on opposing Wednesdays at the same time. I also play in a game every Sunday from 12 to 5ish. We just make our schedules around these times and it (usually) works out.

[Uin]

I find you really need to give gamers a slap, turn up or GTFO. Then they will appear.

Sports fans will turn up for training, musicians will go to gigs but gamers are the laziest bunch you will ever have the pleasure of organising. I'm lawful good in real life, everyone I know is moping-neutral.