Commuting to a game

[Michael Silverbane]

It is one just about one hundred and thirty miles between my place and the place where I run my game (which meets every other Saturday). I've been gaming with the same guys for about fifteen years, now, so I've got lots of 'gaming inertia' to keep me going such a distance on a regular basis.

If I were trying to get into a new game, I don't think I'd spend more than about an hour one way.

Later
silver

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Okay, in a total tangent to where the OP is looking for answers ....

That's why I PbP here on ENWorld. I've had two games going for over 16 months now. I've lost some players, but we continued on and are in the process of recruiting for a few others. Getting dedicated players is the key. 50% of my players have been in the games since inception. My commute: nothing.

Now, the games move slower, of course. But it is a satisfying option to put off my FtF crave between FtF sessions.

 

[kenobi65]

Switch to lead figures

Box of lead ones (well, pewter, these days) *and* a box of plastic ones. I think it's why I got my wife into gaming...so she could help me carry all my stuff.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I play at my house so the commute is only catching the train home from work on a Wednesday night. 2 of my players drive about an hour to get to my game (peak hour traffic), although the drive home would probably only take 40 minutes (not much traffic at 11pm). That's probably about the max that they're willing to travel. Another one of my players travels about 45 minutes, while one lucky player lives 5 minutes down the road.

I did have a player in my game for about 3 sessions that was travelling over an hour and a half (about an 80-90km round trip). He had to drop out when he went back to a 1 car family though.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Personally I live to the south of Washington DC in Woodbridge VA. It sounds like there is quite a bit of gaming going on in DC but it is forever beyond my reach due to the insane commute into the city.

I live in Alexandria, and my group plays in Herndon. We have a player from Woodbridge, as well.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

I have commuted up to 2 hours one way for a game. That was typically a once per month on a Saturday game. For weekly gaming, I have driven up to an hour and a half Over 80 miles at speed on the Interstate one way. And I am the DM.

This does not include convention games.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I've commuted 12 minutes to a FLGS and another 12 to a player's house for a game (leading to appx. a 25 minute drive home after the game), but that was for an unusual situation - basically, the FLGS, which normally stays open late for gaming, didn't that night. Other than that, I can't imagine going more than 15 to 20 minutes for a game.

 

[Tarek]

In Woodbridge, there's Game Parlor's Woodbridge store off of Smoketown Road opposite Potomac Mills.

The RPG room back there isn't used that often, and it's a beautiful location to game. Bright, clean, spacious... RPGA events tend to happen on an irregular basis there a couple of times a month.

I used to commute from McLean up to one of Baltimore's suburbs; a 50 minute drive one-way every Saturday. Then I couldn't make it regularily due to changing jobs and shortly after that gas prices went up and I stopped going. Now I'm even further out from DC, so I'm not travelling very far for gaming if I can help it in any way.

It's a shame, because that was a very engrossing campaign. I'd dearly love to get back into it sometime.

 

[fusangite]

The quality of the game and group varies directly with how long I am prepared to commute. Fore one of Teflon Billy's games, I travelled 4.5 hours each way. In a mediocre to bad campaign, 25 minutes is my upper limit.

 

[Xyanthon]

I live on an island (Vashon; southwest of Seattle). Half of the group lives on the irritating-to-get-to-by-highway part of the mainland (Kirkland); it generally takes a little under two hours to get from one end to the other, assuming non-rush-hour traffic. Often, we take a bus most of the way, to save $14 on the ferry ride, not to mention gas.

Hehe, I feel your pain. I lived in Bothell. It seems as if it takes at least an hour to get anywhere in the Seattle area. Now that I'm in Okinawa though, I haven't met any gamers yet though it'd probably be a commute there as well. Even though this island is pretty small, the traffic can make a 6 mile trip take about 30 minutes.