Dark times for a gamer!

[shadow]

Alas, these are hard times for my gaming life! First of all I recieved an e-mail from the DM of the group that I game with. He anounced that he was taking a break from gaming and would no longer be hosting gaming sessions in his house. Thus my current gaming group is disbanded, and I am left looking for a new group to game with. In Southern Illinois, where I live, there is not a lot of gamers and to find an entire group of D&D gamers is a rare thing. (Although there are slightly more White Wolf gamers)

Then I came to ENworld today and found a shocking anouncement about more WotC layoffs. I was shocked to learn that Skip Williams and Jeff Grubb had been laid off. Now there are hardly any creative talent left at WotC.
Some years ago, I rejoiced at the fact that WotC had revived D&D through the release of a glorious new edition. I initially really didn't think much of WotC being brought out by Hasbro. But after the these latest layoffs, I have decided that the giant coporate behemoth Hasbro buying out WotC is the worst thing that EVER happened to D&D!
Oh mighty Wizards! Dost thou lie so low?

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Why doesn't the rest of your group just move on without him? I'm sure one of you could DM if you needed to

 

[Henry]

Shadow,

what is it about your current group that you all cannot resume play? One of you acts as DM, the others take turns hosting the game at their house, for those who have facilities for you all. Share the workload, and continue to enjoy each others' games and each others' company.

If you enjoy your group and your gaming, don't let one person dictate the actions of all of you.

And the truth is, you may have to be the one to take initiative and become DM, or become the first house-host youself.

Have you spoke to the other gamers about this?

In regards to the WotC nes, yes it is disheartening. It makes you wonder what else can they possibly do to derail WotC's position as premiere d20 company (as that is what is seems like to me)?

 

[shadow]

Why doesn't the rest of your group just move on without him? I'm sure one of you could DM if you needed to

The truth is that I suppose we could if we were all dedicated gamers. Unfortunately our gaming group had kind of shrunk before our DM anounced his retirement. Since the other members had other responsibilities (school, work, family) that took a higher priority over gaming, half of our small group would miss any given game session. The loss of our DM (and a place to play) was the final straw that broke the back of our small and fragile gaming group.

Oh well, there is always the pick up games that my University's game club runs.

 

[Tolen Mar]

I was Shadows GM. I simply grew tired of trying to coordinate all those schedules. I had players come in and drop out. My group changed completely over 4 times since I put it together with only myself and a friend who moved to Missouri as the true-blue stick to it members. Then he moved away.

Everyone was coming to my house because of my situation. My wife works midnight shift and I have a five year old son. It had to be at my house because she needed her rest and I couldnt take the car anywhere.

I'm not trying to dictate their actions, they are more than free to set something up for themselves. I would even like to be a part of it, but I wont GM anymore. I've got my writing projects, and I was trying to do a campaign, and I was trying to get everyone together. We tried different days, different times. I just got tired. One day I might try again, but not for a while.

Around here it is just too hard to get a group together that can stick for any length of time. Just once I would like to be a part of a group that finishes a campaign (as opposed to a false start every so often). Thats why I am going to try openRPG for a while. If there is a group that'll have me. (Anyone? Anyone?)

Okay, so I began a rant.. I'm allowed arent I?

On the other hand, news of the layoffs doesnt phase me anymore. It happens so often. Maybe all the talent will create their own company and keep doing the stuff we love them for. (A guy can wish, right?)

 

[Henry]

Tolen, certainly no one (myself in particular) is taking you to task - every person is responsible for the actions in their own best interest, and no one faults you that. When I told "don't let one person dictate your actions," I meant not to let the actions of one person dictate your own. "Oh, well, he's the only DM in the group - he left, what do we do now?" I have seen this in gaming groups in the past, when a small amount of initiative could have kept everyone playing.

If scheduling is such a problem, there may not be a strong solution, short of finding new players. Good luck to both of you in your future endeavors, and I hope that you may get your schedules worked out to satisfaction.

P.S. - With respect to the layoffs, what bugs me is the sheer VENOM directed lately at WotC over this. Stark bewilderment I can see - but such VENOM? Calling for product boycotts? Name-calling? It's just so childish in tone it surprises me. Perhaps with the recent major corporate scandals, some people are just itching for an excuse to react in compensation for something they could not have control over in other venues.

To any fellow gamers reading this who speak of boycotts and name-calling I offer two things: 1) Better now than November or December; and 2) civility is required here. WotC did nothing illegal or necessarily immoral here. I am very sympathetic for those who no longer have jobs this week (Especially the Williams'), and it is sad to see such talent get let go, but calling for vituperous action is not going to help anyone - or teach any lessons.