When and why did you stop playing D&D and other TTRPGs?

Tyler Do'Urden · Jul 16, 2019

I haven't really played, except for two false starts at new campaigns (one of D&D 3e back in 2009, and one of the FFG Star Wars in 2013), since 2005. I still occasionally buy and frequently read RPG books and frequent sites, and I'm hoping to start a new campaign sometime soon.

Mainly, it's just time. Getting people together on a consistent basis is difficult. I'd like to start a campaign with a large group of guys who can all make it semi-regularly - say, 8-10 players, game every two weeks, with the expectation that on average only 4-5 will show. But I haven't found quite enough guys to put this together yet.

dragoner · Jul 17, 2019

Never really had a hard stop, had dry spells, and just lack of time; mostly through the late 1990's and early 2000's as my boys were in High School, then college, I was working at one firm while pulling a second shift at a business I was building (work could easily be 100 hours a week), then later divorce, and moving from California after selling my business. Late 2000's I formed a group when I went back to school and received another degree, as well as picking up online role playing. From the beginning in '79 it's been casual for the most part.

MNblockhead · Jul 17, 2019

Tyler Do'Urden said:
I haven't really played, except for two false starts at new campaigns (one of D&D 3e back in 2009, and one of the FFG Star Wars in 2013), since 2005. I still occasionally buy and frequently read RPG books and frequent sites, and I'm hoping to start a new campaign sometime soon.

Mainly, it's just time. Getting people together on a consistent basis is difficult. I'd like to start a campaign with a large group of guys who can all make it semi-regularly - say, 8-10 players, game every two weeks, with the expectation that on average only 4-5 will show. But I haven't found quite enough guys to put this together yet.

I've found that feeling you have to put together a campaign can be a block to enjoying the hobby. One shots are a great way to get people together without worrying about whether that same group will be available next week/month. Also, it makes it easier for players to say yes as they don't feel pressured into a long-term time commitment. Also, you can play more characters and try different levels, races, and classes this way. More to this point, you can also play more systems.

I understand the drive, especially as a DM who loves world building, to run a campaign and appreciate how nice it is to have a group of friends that you get together with on a scheduled basis. But if you can't make that work--I highly recommend on shots.

If getting people together for one-shots is difficult, there is always organized play, though that's always been a last resort for me.

Tyler Do'Urden · Jul 17, 2019

MNblockhead said:
I've found that feeling you have to put together a campaign can be a block to enjoying the hobby. One shots are a great way to get people together without worrying about whether that same group will be available next week/month. Also, it makes it easier for players to say yes as they don't feel pressured into a long-term time commitment. Also, you can play more characters and try different levels, races, and classes this way. More to this point, you can also play more systems.

I understand the drive, especially as a DM who loves world building, to run a campaign and appreciate how nice it is to have a group of friends that you get together with on a scheduled basis. But if you can't make that work--I highly recommend on shots.

If getting people together for one-shots is difficult, there is always organized play, though that's always been a last resort for me.

I find one shots extremely boring and have no interest in running them or playing them; I'd much rather play board games.

Same with organized play; lacks what I'm looking for.

MNblockhead · Jul 18, 2019

Tyler Do'Urden said:
I find one shots extremely boring and have no interest in running them or playing them; I'd much rather play board games.

Same with organized play; lacks what I'm looking for.

Fair enough. I'm a fan of one-shots, but get it that character growth and getting to dive deep into storylines is the secret sauce for many and that such folks would find one-shots lacking.

Scottius · Jul 18, 2019

The only time I had a break from having at least A single gaming group going was after I graduated high school back in 97. Up to that point I had gamed regularly with the same group of friends through middle school and high school. As we all went our separate ways when it came to college we could no longer game together.

I had a spell of about two years without a group which was kind of miserable seeing as gaming has always been one of my great loves. Then one day as I was shopping in my local gaming store (TableTop Game & Hobby in Overland Park KS) one of the employees casually mentioned he was looking for players to put together a group to play D&D in the game room once a week. I immediately jumped on board. Though no one is left from the initial group but myself I've been playing and running for the last twenty years consistently, never missing more than a few weeks in a row here and there for holidays or vacations.

uzirath · Jul 19, 2019

MNblockhead said:
Fair enough. I'm a fan of one-shots, but get it that character growth and getting to dive deep into storylines is the secret sauce for many and that such folks would find one-shots lacking.

I have also found that one-shots often lead to further games. String enough together and you have a campaign. The most common question at the end of a good one-shot is, "When can we do this again?"

Another thing I've found helpful to ease people in who are concerned about time is to do a "three-shot" or something like that. It's not a "campaign," but it's a somewhat bigger adventure that might take 2-4 sessions over the course of a month or two. Then players can discuss what level of further commitment (if any) they're comfortable with.

I've played and run some great long-term campaigns that began as a series of loosely collected mini-adventures. The campaign background emerged in play with players taking as much authorship as the GM.

dragoner · Jul 20, 2019

uzirath said:
I have also found that one-shots often lead to further games.

It is definitely a good way to tell if the gaming group is going to gel, or an idea for a setting is going to work.

pogre · Jul 21, 2019

I coached football for 25 years and did not play from Late July through mid November every year. The season was just a black hole of time.

I resigned from coaching after last season - so, it will be interesting playing some rpgs this fall.

Dannyalcatraz · Jul 21, 2019

pogre said:
I coached football for 25 years and did not play from Late July through mid November every year. The season was just a black hole of time.

I resigned from coaching after last season - so, it will be interesting playing some rpgs this fall.

One of the guys in my group refs for HS. Same story.