Do you have auditions for your gaming group?

[JDJarvis]

If players want to bring a friend over they just give me a heads up and I'm coll with that.
I do screen folks via email if we get in contact them on the net with a few emails, so far no one has made it through that process. Mostly what I try to block out is creeps and wierdos. Usually they don't get to come over if there are issues with : the night we play, my cats and my Kids.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

*imagines potential new gamers donning top hats, canes and dance belts and performing monolouges and songs from Cats*

Yes, if we had anyone new join us, we'd meet up with them first and talk to them, see if they appear to not be insane and if they seem cool, let them play.

We wouldn't make them audition per se.

 

[DiamondB]

I wish we did. Generally we have a well oiled machine, most of us having played together for at least 4 years (some much longer). However, we've recently added a few to the table simple because they are known by a couple of folks at the table and I've got some issues with that. Not so much the being a friend of one of the regulars, that's how I got in, but more the lack of suitable credentials. One of the guys doesn't know a thing about spells and he's playing a sorcerer, always looks to one of us (or the GM) to tell him if a spell will work a certain way. He's got a book, he should look it up.

I'm going to stop before a needless rant erupts. All I have to say is I wish we auditioned.

 

[rgard]

My group which consists of myself (DM) and 4 other players have decided that we would like to add a 5th player. We have selected a person that we think is going to work and are going to give him a trial run before giving him the go ahead. We were joking around as a group that we should have potential players come with a resume . I have been playing rpgs for some time and realize that just because someone plays doesn't mean he's going to Gel with the group (We've had some bad xp) . This is why we're selective about who we add. Anybody else like this? How do you add someone? Do you let them in easy? Or do you have a trial run/interview/resume?

Interview? Feels weird to me, but I kinda understand the possible need for it. We never did any interviewing or screening of players when I first started (1979.) We picked up players when they saw us playing in the house lounge (Taylor house in South Quad at U of M.) Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but I can't ever remember anybody refusing to play with a new player.

Of course this sometimes led to pc wars as we (the players) tended to deal with the problem players rather than the DM kicking them out.

I mostly DM for my kids now and really don't see inviting any adults to play as the session probably wouldn't be what they were looking for anyway.

In a different situation...say the kids are all grown up and the game session was to be held at my house...yes, I probably would screen/interview.

If we were playing someplace public, then come one come all.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

When my husband and I first moved to the DC metro area, I got a job at a Wizards store... and this is where we found most of our players... I would scope out the regulars and assess the books they bought, their personality, and general role playing tendencies to determine whether or not to invite them to play.

We've never really ended up with anyone that we didn't like... but, I assume if, after their first game with us they rubbed us the wrong way, we would simply not call them back/stop emailing... that seems kind of rude... but, realistically, it's probably the way I would have handled it.

 

[Chimera]

Personal experience...

Group 1 made up of people who met on-line. I think it was 9 players + GM, which was a bit much. One guy was a filthy, immature pig. I hosted second or third session. He refused to remove his muddy shoes despite being told, and put them all over my futon couch. Also left a pile of empty Dew cans, trash and sunflower shells all over the floor, despite sitting FOUR FEET from the garbage can. Told GM this person would never again be allowed in my house. Group dissolved a few sessions later because the GM had issues with several of the players, including this guy.

Later invited to new group by that GM, who was playing in this one. After about a dozen sessions, it was obvious that I had serious issues with the new GM and their style of play (See: Lame Character Deaths thread). Parted company on semi-reasonable terms. Good guys, lousy GMing. Would play with these guys again if someone else was GM.

Just today, met with new group, assembled on-line (starting here at Enworld). Four players plus GM. Did character creation only, talked about set-up and house rules. Seems like a good group of guys, should be fun.


Interviewing can only go so far. Gives clues as to their sanity and maturity level, comfort in being around them, what they're looking for, etc. But it's no panacea. You won't find out if you're really compatible until you play a few times.

Being friends to start with (ie, making up a gaming group of your existing friends) helps because you really don't want to misbehave, look like a jerk and/or start conflicts with your friends. When you're playing with people who aren't your social friends, those factors don't come as strongly into play. Some people are more willing to say "I don't know you from Adam, so who cares what you think of me.".

 

[Xath]

When my husband and I first moved to the DC metro area, I got a job at a Wizards store... and this is where we found most of our players... I would scope out the regulars and assess the books they bought, their personality, and general role playing tendencies to determine whether or not to invite them to play.

We've never really ended up with anyone that we didn't like... but, I assume if, after their first game with us they rubbed us the wrong way, we would simply not call them back/stop emailing... that seems kind of rude... but, realistically, it's probably the way I would have handled it.

Gasp! Maybe I should have taken the hint when they stopped emailing me. I knew something was wrong when I found my miniature in a pile in the dumpster....

 

[scott-fs]

My group which consists of myself (DM) and 4 other players have decided that we would like to add a 5th player. We have selected a person that we think is going to work and are going to give him a trial run before giving him the go ahead. We were joking around as a group that we should have potential players come with a resume . I have been playing rpgs for some time and realize that just because someone plays doesn't mean he's going to Gel with the group (We've had some bad xp) . This is why we're selective about who we add. Anybody else like this? How do you add someone? Do you let them in easy? Or do you have a trial run/interview/resume?

In general, it has come down to a group vote, usually with votes along the lines of "if he's going to be playing, I won't be."

Where I live, there isn't many to choose from, and my current group is myself and three others. There are some others that we could allow to play but they fall along the following lines:

- Munchkins (who just want to kill stuff and be better than the other players)
- People we wouldn't hang out with otherwise.
- Casual players who feel 4-6 hours, one day a week is too much time to devote to participating on a consistent basis.

That second one is the big one.

I'll (ideally) be introducing a Social Contract to the group before we start up a new campaign, which outlines each participant's Rights and Responsibilities when it comes to the game. Eventually I'll post it online under the OGL (all Open Content), for others to use and/or modify for their own groups.

Originally the group started with me and another player discussing starting up a game. I had another friend who I had talked to previously, but we didn't have any others at the time, so it started with 3. Then we had another player join who we could tolerate as a person (and has done reasonably well). That is the current group. There was/is also a couple others that have joined in the past.

One came in and was part of the group for about 4 sessions, but was only there for a total amount of time of about 1 and a half sessions (going from around 5p to 11p), before I dropped him. He simply stopped showing up, and didn't bother to tell us. He apparently got bored, but he had joined at a time which was between adventures. And to think, I considered him one of my closest friends (hell we were roommates for a while, and he had brought me into gaming through Dragonlance novels).

There was another player who was there for the first 8 sessions, but his play style and mine conflicted. He must've lost interest because by the 8th or so session, whenever we'd play he was nowhere that we could get in contact with him.

There was another that was more of a casual player, though he did well, and didn't like it that he had to devote just 6 hours a week to playing (the group's biggest problem right now seems to be that our actual gaming time (where we actually play) has shrunk to the 2 hours between 7 and 9p).

We had another player who felt that a sorcerer that took one non combat attack spell sucked. His character was very simplistic, but was representative of his other gaming experience.

Needless to say, there have been other players. I've been planning to search the various player databases for people in my area.

So, with that said, if you live in the Ottawa, ON, Canada area and looking for one (or two) more players, let me know.

 

[Doctor_Skull]

My current group has been running for about 5 years now, and consists of 2 old friends of mine and a ton of people I've recruited either through the internet or by posting notices at the FLGS.

The membership has changed wildly of these five years with people coming and going and coming back again due to moves, job changes and so forth.

My chief concern is that I have some sort of game going at all time. So, my philosophy is that anyone who wants to play, can play. People can show up or not as their schedule demands of them, but the game goes on regardless.

There have been about 25 people all told who have cycled through the group at one point or another. Right now there are 9 active and 2 on "inactive reserve" status. On any give day about 6 people will be present on average.

With all these people over 5 years, we've had one freak (showed up the first day the group was founded, insisted on showing us all pornographic trading cards, was not asked back), one guy who cheated all the time (but was otherwise fun to play with) he and another guy had a blow-up and both dropped out (about a year into the history of the group).

Since then, it's been pretty good. Yes you can have a bad egg here and there, but I've found it's better to give people the benefit of the doubt. I'd rather run the risk of letting in a weirdo than risk losing a good player by being over cautious.

I must admit that I don't socialize with my game group outside of the game. Actually I don't socialize with much of anyone apart from co-workers, family and in-laws(at least until my kids are older I don't see that changing much).
My semi-weekly 6 hour game IS my non-family socialization time.

 

[dren]

Audition...no, not really. I mean I talk to the player to know what they are looking for. I am not a power game type DM, and I make sure the player is aware of that.

When we need a new player (Not very often) I usually lurk around message baords in the area. I'll e-mail someone, and then invite them over for a game. Then if everyone likes that new person, they stay. If, and this has happened once or twice, someone gets the wrong vibe, then the group decides if they are invited back.

I mean, not being able to play the game is a small crime. Being sexist, a game-hog, non-interactive, or just getting into the spirit of the game, forget it. You won't be invited back. It's just not worth it. We are all there to have fun, and if you ruin the fun, what's the point?