[DannyAlcatraz] What do you do about the D&D-only player?

[scourger]

Anyway, we couldn't really play something with less than the full roster of players, because we're not exactly bursting at the seams with players.

Yeah, our group is a little on the small side, too. So, when one or two players can't or won't come play, it usually results in a cancellation for everyone. I find this problem particularly acute for D&D. I like the D&D-only guy. He's a friend. But it gets old sometimes. Especially because I find D&D harder to run than other games. But now I'm in the middle of a module that I want to finish. I'm on a vacation from it now, but I did not intend to reprise it before doing something else. Now, I'm not sure.

 

[RFisher]

I've heard a lot of gamers say they'd never play system X only to be the first one to start creating a character when someone else offered to run system X.

Only once have I ever seen a gamer actually refuse to play a game. He happily played the probably-a-dozen-or-more other system we ever tried but flat out refused to try Ars Magica. In that case, we didn't play it. That group broke up not too long after that. That incident wasn't really a factor in the break up, but I think he & I were pretty much on different gaming tracks at that point.

Heck, his refusal to play Ars Magica may have had as much to do with the fact that I was the one recommending it than anything else. We were butting heads regularly at that stage, & I wouldn't put something like that past either of us. (^_^)

The only gamer I've gamed with who said he'd only play a handful of systems--prefering one particular system almost to the exclusion of all others: Our group wasn't a fit for him even though we were--at the time--playing his preferred system. He knew that before his first session with us was over.

Incidentally, his preferred system was D&D, but not 3e. (^_^)

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

IME the more difficult situation is when most of the group wants to play only D&D and one or two (one is often the GM) would like to try something different. Unless you have a good network of gamers and can find a different group, you are stuck. It isn't a horrible situation since you are still playing and hopefully having fun, but it can be a little frustrating when you really, really want to try something new, but others are unwilling.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

What I do is this...

"Here's the stuff I'm willing to run. Pick a couple; majority rules."

 

[Arnwyn]

For us, we're an entire "D&D only" group (well, everyone also give an exception for Fuzion to handle the futuristic/sci-fi genre), so we don't really have such problems. It's D&D only for medieval/fantasy, Fuzion only for sci-fi. That's it.

Groupthink, here we come!

 

[Eltharon]

I play with my brother and some close friends, so switching systems is typically prefaced by me convincing everyone how fun it will be. We will then play a session or two. If its fun, we continue. If its not, we go back what we played before. So far, DnD and GURPS are the only systems we've played for any length of time. WoD, WFRP, D20 Modern, Spycraft, and D20 Star Wars have all been tried and scrapped.

 

[jdrakeh]

I think it's usually best that the GM runs what he's enthusiastic about.

Agreed, so long as other players are interested, too. Having only the GM be excited about the game is as bad as having only the players excited. Both parties need to be having fun, or the game will typically end on a bad note.

 

[Theron]

My current group is D&D only. I knew it up front when they invited me and had to decide between no game at all or a game with a good group of people who didn't necessarily play my first choice of system. I went with the first option, and in the past year, my appreciation of 3.5 has increased significantly.

 

[Glyfair]

There also are often multiple games going on. I know in my group there are players playing in multiple games. We have multiple rotating games (one only once per month). Just because "the group" stops playing D&D to play something else doesn't mean that the whole group has to go cold turkey from D&D. Some might continue and fill in roles from outside the group.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Why would I be held hostage by a single player?

I would run the game I was able to sell a majority of the group on, and the remaining player could participate or not as he liked. If he ran a game and I wasn't interested in the system or setting, I wouldn't hold his game hostage to my whims, and I would expect the same courtesy.