The Agony of No-shows

[kolikeos]

ooh! i get this all the f***ing time! i really hate some of my players (well, not really. if i hate them i don't play with them), and even more so when they don't call!
if its the first or second time i call them and they say something on the lines of 'sorry. will come next time'
if they don't come after that and don't call i don't bother with them anymore because they probobly don't want to play.
i know only two people who'd come every time (and call if they don't) but now one of them is away for 3 years.
right now, actually, i'm away for a time and i don't have anyone to play with here because i don't know anyone here.

 

[Acid_crash]

Another touchy topic...

It's one thing to be in a car accident and not showing up, that's understandable. It's quite another to not show up because your girlfriend wants you to take her to a lunch date for an hour and you can't call to say what's going on. 3 strikes and your out.

I am this way because if I spend hours prepping for a game, and the player doesn't have the manners to call to say he'll be late/not showing up, then that shows lack of respect for me, for the other gamers, and he's dishonest because he said he'd show up and he didn't.

 

[Space monkey]

The last time this happened we ended up going out and buying LOTR Risk and killed several hours playing that .

Funny when I played that it me and two friends about 8 hours

 

[Space monkey]

Just thought I'd ad this link as it relates to gaming no-shows

http://www.larryleadhead.org/c48.html

 

[S'mon]

If player consistently miss sessions I will (and have) drop them & get a new player.

I'll never cancel a session for the people who do turn up. Most likely they NPC the no-show players' PCs, who get 1/2 XP.

 

[delericho]

If a player can't make it to a game (for whatever reason), that's life, and I'm fine with that. But, I expect them to make every effort to inform the rest of the group beforehand. Between email and mobile phones, there is very little reason why you couldn't.

Really, it's just basic manners. I, as DM, have to carry a backpack of gamebooks to the game. I have to travel for an hour (or thereabouts) to get to the game. And if there are two no-shows, I can simply not bother.

We don't actually have any sanction against those who don't show. If there's one missing player, we go on as usual, and the character has all the same risks of dying as usual. But then, that applies even if I was informed of the no-show, and the character gets the same treasure and XP as if the player were there anyway. (Note: if it is easy to do so, I instead write the character out, and then bring them back in the next session.)

I certainly have never considered booting a player for failing to show, or even failing to call. I've ranted to my group about it a couple of times, but that's it. Life's just too short to get too wound up about these things. Or perhaps I'm just too easy-going for my own good.

 

[Li Shenron]

It has very rarely happened in my gaming groups. Usually polite people inform if they are too busy. I can remember only a couple of times when a player honestly forgot or misunderstood the date, no problem when it happens.

 

[DragonLancer]

I inform my players ahead of time that I require a commitment to the game (theres too much time, blood/sweat and money put into gaming). If they are going to be unable to make it (legitimate reasons are fine... kids ill, family troubles, hell even work) they let me know ASAP.

I have 5 players, and I'm ok with 2 can't make it, anymore than that I call the game off because its not worth it otherwise.

-

If you have players who consistantly don't make the game find the time to talk to them and see what the problem is. If they have lost interest or just don't have the time, thats fine. Just explain that you'll have to drop them from the game and find new players.

 

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

On a slightly different tangent, if you don't want to game with a particular group anymore don't "no show" them. Have the maturity to let them know that your styles just don't mesh. This at least allows them to make arrangements for your absence before game day.

[vent]We had a player do this to us a few months back. He was looking for a serious game and we obviously weren't serious enough. I would've at least respected him if he had just had the courtesy to email me and let me know.[/vent]

 

[The_Universe]

We don't have an official "rain or shine" consistent game day. We *do* try to play about 1x per 2 weeks (and sometimes more), but we plan game sessions ahead of time so we know who's available and who isn't.