Is a DM shortage partly to blame?

[Deuce Traveler]

DMing 3e D&D involves a lot of work -- especially if you're making your own setting, adventures, etc.

I've DMed two 3e campaigns in recent years. In both cases, I ran self-made campaigns (although I did adapt a few things from other sources). By the end of the second campaign I realised that I simply did not have the time or energy to continue DMing 3e. I have a real job!

Switching to 'lighter' systems certainly helped for me (C&C and True20 in my case). If I were to DM 3e again, I would almost certainly have to rely primarily on published materials (which would be less satisfying creatively, but c'est la vie).

I'm not surprised that there is a widely reported 'DM shortage' for 3e, at least among gamers with full-time jobs, family obligations, SOs, etc.

For players considering DMing for the first time, I would recommend using products like the 'Dungeon Crawl Classics' modules from Goodman Games, or something like 'The Lost City of Barakus' by Necromancer Games, in order to keep the job manageable.

I agree with that. v3.5 is horrible for a DM who wants to create and run his own campaign. The amount of work required can be exhausting, and even being a referee can be a drain of energy. Especially when you spend six hours resolving a large battle when the same fight used to take an hour in the 1st and 2nd editions.

 

[Cor Azer]

I agree with that. v3.5 is horrible for a DM who wants to create and run his own campaign. The amount of work required can be exhausting, and even being a referee can be a drain of energy. Especially when you spend six hours resolving a large battle when the same fight used to take an hour in the 1st and 2nd editions.

See... I don't get that. Maybe I'm really good at running stuff on the fly, but I don't use a lot of outside resources to help me prep and it still doesn't require a lot fo work on my behalf. A lot of my plotting and world history are done in my head - partly because until I write it down (or more specifically, say it in the game) I can still change it easily - and that means it can be done when I'm in the shower, driving to work, trying to fall asleep, etc...

I have suffered from burn-out before though, and it's never been because of exhaustion due to overworking on prep. Sometimes the idea well is just pumping air is all. And then other times, like right now, I've got way more campaign ideas than I could possibly run - most will go on the backburner to maybe be used another day, some will get modified to be used in a current game.

Anyways... back on topic. I agree with (umm... someone, I can't find the post right now by scanning) who said it's more about time than DM numbers. My general gaming group has about 10-12 people with four having significant DMing experience, and a few more who'd love to try it some day. Our problem is that we all lead busy lives, so we only get to meet up and play once every couple of weeks on an irregular basis. Given that time delay, we mostly prefer to stick to one DM's campaign so we can actually see some progress in the story.

 

[Insight]

I'm having the opposite problem - lack of players. I advertise to run a game and get no responses. I guess it's the area. I'll be lucky if I can scrape together 4 players. Very strange.

 

[JTS]

It seems to me that:

More DMs = More Players = More Profit for the RPG Business

Basically, the pen and paper RPG business model is more like the tupperware party business model than the book publishing business. You have a DM that throws a party and the people that enjoy themselves at the party become consumers of your product. DMs recruit new consumers, are the largest consumer, and spawn new DMs.

It should be obvious that more DMs = Greater Success for the RPG business. So how do you create more DMs and retain more of the DMs you already have? I think most will agree that the #1 reason that people quit DMing or never start DMing is the time commitment. I have always thought that WOTC has done a miserable job of creating tools to streamline DMing. Why couldn't WOTC have developed something like HeroForge? Or something even better? I know they made E-Tools, but boy did that suck. I would like to see an all-in-one tool that helps DMs create game modules.

 

[Emirikol]

Rant About Stupid Idiots In Our Gaming Industry Sitting In The Dark

I'm having the opposite problem - lack of players. I advertise to run a game and get no responses. I guess it's the area. I'll be lucky if I can scrape together 4 players. Very strange.

I keep a perpetual ad up at Enworld, WotC and local stores for that very reason. I NEVER run out of players becasue I've always got new ones calling me. When I put up an Ad, it takes about a month for the first person to call and then get 1-3 inquiries per month after that. As I get extra inquiries, I forward them to other people in need or replace a player or so a year.

It's not that there aren't players out there, but you have to look at the emphasis that Enworld, WotC and game stores put towards growing their hobby..barely ANY.

* Advertising product does not grow the number of gamers out there.

* Game stores MAY have a poster board somewhere in the back and neither maintain, nor encourage their GAMERS WANTED sections. I consider this the biggest and most moronic thing that the 'leaders' in our hobby do. Hey, let's sit in the dark and bitch about why there aren't enough gamers out there and how the hobby is dying and then not try to grow our numbers.

* Ever try to find the GAMERS WANTED section on these or the WotC boards? If it takes more than ONE CLICK from EVERY PAGE YOU ARE CURRENTLY ON, then you have someone disconnected, inattentive (and sometimes MORONIC) running your boards. GAMERS SEEKING GAMERS should be on the border of EVERY GAMING INDUSTRY WEBPAGE.

I hope I ruffle some feathers and step on toes with this post becasue I consider it a problem. Those of us who have full groups can sit here and say, "Dude, it's too bad you don't have players..good luck" and not lift a darn finger to help anyone but ourselves.

jh

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I keep a perpetual ad up at Enworld, WotC and local stores for that very reason.

That's a really good idea. I'm running into a lack of player problem right now (west suburbs of Chicago, if you're looking for a game) for my Sunday game.

So often, I think, game groups go on for years with very little turnover and that causes us to not worry about looking for new gamers.

 

[Lanefan]

I hope I ruffle some feathers and step on toes with this post becasue I consider it a problem. Those of us who have full groups can sit here and say, "Dude, it's too bad you don't have players..good luck" and not lift a darn finger to help anyone but ourselves.

There's a yahoo e-mail list called dndcontact, or something similar, with sub-lists for all sorts of different areas...that'd be one place to try; there's also the forum here in ENWorld.

The best way to find players, though, is to get out and meet them in realms other than around the table...at work, college, any social event, whatever...that way, you can decide whether to even invite them in or not, rather than having them show up answering an ad and have to be told to get lost, if they're no good.

Lanefan

 

[Emirikol]

Er. . . hm. Assuming that the hobby has been shrinking over the years, just for the sake of this exercise. . . Computer and console games, they're likely 'to blame' I think.

Computer and console games have been around since the 80's though.

jh

 

[Aus_Snow]

Computer and console games have been around since the 80's though.

Yes. Yes, they have.

However, console and computer games have grown in number and 'playedness' at a rate of knots, since them pioneering days. Arr?