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<blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 6553022" data-attributes="member: 45197"><p>Hiya.</p><p></p><p> I feel your frustration, fellow GM. I'm blessed with a group of players who more or less treat RPG's as a hobby, and not just "a game". So, everyone knows that on Sundays, between two and three in the afternoon, they have somewhere to be. Their significant others "get" that these RPG sessions are the equivalent of someone who is part of a sports team, or a member of a club/group like Boy Scouts, Toastmasters, or some volunteer group like Lion's, Shriner's, Kawanis Club, etc. In short, it's not the equivalent of "going out for coffee with a friend". Everyone in the group is relying on everyone else to be there; just "not showing up" or calling at the last moment to say "Oh, sorry, I forgot. I won't be there" is a dick move and shows a HUGE disrespect to everyone else.</p><p></p><p> Anyway... rather than rant with you on this I'll offer a suggestion. Take a break from trying to get a game together and just do some planning for one. You know that cool new monster you thought about a few sessions ago? Go write it up in full. Have a few ideas about some necromancer spells for a future bad guy? Go do some writing. Hell, if you really want, start creating that campaign world you have sorta/kinda used once or twice for a single game...go draw some maps. Write down some history, or racial background, or political situations, or whatever you thought was "cool" about the world you had in mind. In short, go do the stuff you enjoy that doesn't actually require players to be there; all the creative stuff you do as a GM. Do that.</p><p></p><p> Controversial Suggestion Incoming!: <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> ... the next time you attempt to gather a group together, tell them upfront, before they even join, that a requirement is that the game starts at 4pm sharp (or whatever time you choose)...and all electronic devices will be placed in a box, and that box put in a closet in a room upstairs, down the hall, through the dinning room, down another hall, and through the study. Breaks are every hour on the hour....they can check their phones/devices then. <-- <em>I guarantee that this will instantly cut down the amount of people who see sitting around a table with others as the same level of sociability as being online watching Facebook updates</em>. Be prepared for a short list of people. Make exceptions for people who are sole-providers of children (re: under 18) or who's profession relies on them always being available (re: doctor, government official, secret agent, etc....no, "my daughter is alone at college" doesn't qualify as needing to have your phone there).</p><p></p><p> From talking to some more unfortunate DM's out there, it's mostly a matter of distraction and hobby vs. game that determine the fate of a campaign.</p><p></p><p> Ok, now that all that is out of the way (and all the hate posts are being written... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> ), have you considered doing an online game? All the "always connected" addicts out there may be able to handle it better if they are actually on a computer; kinda like having a pacifier or favored blankie. There are quite a few studies out there indicating that the current generation or two of folks who grew up with the internet and cell phones are physically incapable of being disconnected for extended periods of time (and yeah, "extended periods of time" means more than about 20 minutes); anxiety, cold-sweats, nausea...the whole nine-yards. Maybe a shorter (say, two hour) session, after supper, once or twice a week, all done online would work better? I don't know. If you're desperate enough I guess. *shrug* </p><p></p><p> Until you get a good, solid, decent group together... [Red Green]Remember. I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together.[/Red Green]</p><p></p><p>^_^</p><p></p><p>Paul L. Ming</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pming, post: 6553022, member: 45197"] Hiya. I feel your frustration, fellow GM. I'm blessed with a group of players who more or less treat RPG's as a hobby, and not just "a game". So, everyone knows that on Sundays, between two and three in the afternoon, they have somewhere to be. Their significant others "get" that these RPG sessions are the equivalent of someone who is part of a sports team, or a member of a club/group like Boy Scouts, Toastmasters, or some volunteer group like Lion's, Shriner's, Kawanis Club, etc. In short, it's not the equivalent of "going out for coffee with a friend". Everyone in the group is relying on everyone else to be there; just "not showing up" or calling at the last moment to say "Oh, sorry, I forgot. I won't be there" is a dick move and shows a HUGE disrespect to everyone else. Anyway... rather than rant with you on this I'll offer a suggestion. Take a break from trying to get a game together and just do some planning for one. You know that cool new monster you thought about a few sessions ago? Go write it up in full. Have a few ideas about some necromancer spells for a future bad guy? Go do some writing. Hell, if you really want, start creating that campaign world you have sorta/kinda used once or twice for a single game...go draw some maps. Write down some history, or racial background, or political situations, or whatever you thought was "cool" about the world you had in mind. In short, go do the stuff you enjoy that doesn't actually require players to be there; all the creative stuff you do as a GM. Do that. Controversial Suggestion Incoming!: ;) ... the next time you attempt to gather a group together, tell them upfront, before they even join, that a requirement is that the game starts at 4pm sharp (or whatever time you choose)...and all electronic devices will be placed in a box, and that box put in a closet in a room upstairs, down the hall, through the dinning room, down another hall, and through the study. Breaks are every hour on the hour....they can check their phones/devices then. <-- [I]I guarantee that this will instantly cut down the amount of people who see sitting around a table with others as the same level of sociability as being online watching Facebook updates[/I]. Be prepared for a short list of people. Make exceptions for people who are sole-providers of children (re: under 18) or who's profession relies on them always being available (re: doctor, government official, secret agent, etc....no, "my daughter is alone at college" doesn't qualify as needing to have your phone there). From talking to some more unfortunate DM's out there, it's mostly a matter of distraction and hobby vs. game that determine the fate of a campaign. Ok, now that all that is out of the way (and all the hate posts are being written... ;) ), have you considered doing an online game? All the "always connected" addicts out there may be able to handle it better if they are actually on a computer; kinda like having a pacifier or favored blankie. There are quite a few studies out there indicating that the current generation or two of folks who grew up with the internet and cell phones are physically incapable of being disconnected for extended periods of time (and yeah, "extended periods of time" means more than about 20 minutes); anxiety, cold-sweats, nausea...the whole nine-yards. Maybe a shorter (say, two hour) session, after supper, once or twice a week, all done online would work better? I don't know. If you're desperate enough I guess. *shrug* Until you get a good, solid, decent group together... [Red Green]Remember. I'm pulling for you. We're all in this together.[/Red Green] ^_^ Paul L. Ming [/QUOTE]
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