So you're joining a new game...

[Voodoo]

The only way to truly know is to play a few session, possibly more if there are several people who havent played together before or the DM is fairly new, it can take a while for players to settle in. Also if the adventure you are playing has alot of investigation at the begining but most the combat later on you might have a wrong impression of the Dm's style after just two session.

Though if I had to ask a question or two before the game I think they would be:

What are you house rules? These can often be quite an insight into the DM's mind and the way he wants his game to progress.

Do you use Gather Information? This will most likely recieve one of 3 responses
'Sure'
'Its never really come up'
'I prefer players to roleplay through that kind of thing'
Each of which will let you know something about the style of play you might expect.

Should I write up a character background before I start to play the character? Will let you know if the game will be focusion on the campaign/adventures or on the goals and motives of the characters.

However no ammount of questions can compare to playing a few sessions.

 

[fusangite]

I think one of the reasons there are recurring problems in this area is that there is an unclear and ambiguous boundary between issues of gaming style and issues of social relations. I think that there is a natural tendency, in forums like this, to perceive social problems as problems of gaming style. But often, they are not. The personalities of people you are gaming with are, in my view, far more important than the specific style of the game.

So, my advice: don't think about it as a gaming group. Ask yourself, "Do I want to become a part of this circle of friends?"

 

[jmucchiello]

You should ask the DM if there's an NPC you could sit-in for and play for a week or two before formally joining the game. That way you'll be able to observe the style of character the other players have created without having already made the "wrong" kind of character. It also makes you less emotionally invested in your character so you are freer to observe your surroundings. And should you decide not to join, it doesn't screw up the DM's game too much having your character join and disappear.

 

[GlassJaw]

I'm going to take a slightly different view on this. I think that there is a LOT of info you can get before actually showing up on someone's doorstep, which is usually the biggest hurdle and the one people are most leery of.

Email a few times first. Ask a lot of questions. Ask about age range, how long the group has been together, style of play and house rules, and if you feel comfortable, career and school background of the players. After a few emails, ask to speak with the game "coordinator" over the phone. A phone conversation goes a long way.

Tell them a bit about yourself too. This will usually warrant them returning the same info.

IMO, the last step is actually arranging a time and place to meet. And sometimes it's the only way to really know if the group will be a good fit. But I've made decision a few times based on email and phone converstions alone, both positive and negative. Only once have I really showed up for a game after talking to someone and not having gone back.

 

[barsoomcore]

What GlassJaw and fusangite said.

I don't need to play a few games to know that a group isn't for me -- if it's their personalities and social mannerism that are the problem. Those issues I can detect in a couple of conversations, and thereby spare everyone the irritation of having someone show up and then disappear.

I mean, I don't really care about the GAME so much. If it's hentai Mutants and Masterminds or grim n gritty Star Frontiers, I don't care. I care if the people are fun to play with.

But then I hire people for a living, so I've gotten very good at reading people and knowing who I'd like playing with and who I wouldn't.

Like fusangite, if you ever move back to the Van and are looking for players, let me know. I'm so there.

 

[Berandor]

So... where's this hentai game you'r talking of? And do you still need players?

Otherwise, I'd say talking to them beforehand is a good way to get a "feel". You might want to have a first meeting in a local game shop, maybe go for a coffee or something and swap game stories. That way, you can easily tell whether a) the game's to your liking and b) the person is, too.

If both (especially b)) are good, then you might ask about the other players so you get an idea of them, too. It will probably not be feasibly to meet everyone outside of gaming beforehand (depending on your age, of course).

And if I ever get the funds to move to Vancouver, Canada, barsoomcore can expect a phone call

 

[feydras]

I agree with a lot of the comments above so far. I think you can weed out a group that doesn't match you preferences with a series of email questions. The question someone suggested of are their any house rules is a great one. Also, are there any rules you ignore, for instance do you use minis and attacks of opportunity. Good info a DM may not think to mention off-hand.

I do think that if you go to a session or two and decide the group is not for you that you owe the DM and group a phone call or email to say you are bowing out. It may be uncomfortable to do, but they deserve to know you aren't coming back.

As for meeting with the DM or group prior to the first game, i've had good luck with going to a bar.

- feydras

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Playing a game with them is kind of the sure fire way but you can also listen to stories. Do their stories sound too munchkin for you? Too much like they don't get anything done? Too much like hack n slash without role playing? I have found that by listening to the 'old war stories' of gamers, I can get a pretty good feel of what they are like.

 

[JoeGKushner]

This is pretty much what happened with me. One of the guys, Scott, posted about needing some new players for his adventure, I made my character and joined.

For me, when playing with a new group, I tend to see what's happening first. Find out what's allowable, what's expect, and see how the other players handle things.

I don't see a lot of point in having a character using some 3rd party book so crucially that it's worth arguing about. One of my friends for example, was allowed to make a martial artists out of the book, Beyond Monks, and told by the GM ahead of time that he could playtest it and then was upset when the GM told him to trash the character.