Do you gaming groups that only play on system?

[Golden age Superhero]

Thank you for the encouragement! I do play in two online games but it's not the same as in person and my wife, who is also a gamer, doesn't like online play. The games I do play online are fun though.

 

[MNblockhead]

Yes, it was last minute.
There were few ways in those days to notify players of anything ahead of time. I suppose I could have called them all up individually, but I expect (and can't remember exactly, because it was over 20 years ago) I didn't realize that I wasn't up for D&D until quite late in the day). We weren't all connected via social media in those days; that entire group came together by finding each other with a note pinned to a cork board at our local gaming store. I'm not even sure if I had a cell phone at that time... and it if I did, it was one of those pay-as-you-go accounts.

IIRC, I made the suggestion and they immediately got up to leave. No discussion. Not wanting to NOT play, I acquiesced and ad-libbed (poorly) a D&D session I wasn't particular prepared for. Yay. Great fun for me as the GM.

@JediSoth

People tend to forget that there was time when we weren't as connected as we are today. You either called someone at home or on mobile if they had them. And it was never one person who called whole group. You called one person, told them where and when to meet and told them to call another and so on. Text messages were expensive and most people had pre paid plans ( at least where i'm from). I totally get you and why you told them when you all met. That was usual back then.

I'm old enough to have started gaming before e-mail and cell phones, so I get it. As a DM, I would run the game we agreed upon and have a conversation about changing campaigns and system or at least trying something new next time as a one shot or mini campaign if I feel I needed a break from the current campaign/system. Not a judgement, just my personality. As a player, if the DM was burned out, I would rather play a session the DM if enthusiastic to run, rather than guilt the DM into sticking with the game they are burned out on.

It sounds like these were not long-time friends but weak acquaintances or strangers found from a community board at your FLGS. So I guess that makes the immediate noping out of the game less surprising. I'm not so surprised that folks would walk out on an activity with strangers if they are not interested in the activity and don't have a close relationship with the DM or other players. I'm more surprised that people feel so strongly about a game system. Personally, as a player, I can enjoy nearly any system. Even for systems I'm not crazy about, I would rather play than forgo my game night.

I have a friend who only plays 3.5. He will begrudgingly play other games because we are his only gaming group but he confided that he doesn’t have the time or desire to read giant tombs of rules in his spare time. He spends all day reading 400 page accounting documents and doesn’t want to read - he wants to play.

As a result, when we play other systems, he has to rely on us for rules and stuff and his lack of system mastery frustrates him. He never feels like he’s contributing.

As a GM, I have the same attitude. As a player, as long as the GM and other players are patient and don't expect rule mastery immediately, I don't think a lot of home work is needed. But some players, I suppose, approach their gaming wanting to fully master the system. I do understand that with more crunchy systems the first few sessions can be a bit rough. That's why when running one-shots or mini campaigns as a break from my main campaign, I stick with rules light systems. No only because it is easier for me, but it leads to a smoother and more fun session.

I hate to say this but part of the problem is Two Rivers is pretty small. I don’t know what your driving range is for other games around Wisconsin but the fact that you’re in an area without a lot of large pool of players is making it difficult too.

Yeah, not really in the boonies, but it is almost an hour and a half drive to Milwaukee. Does Manitowoc have much of a TTRPG scene? Would probably have more luck in Green Bay or Appleton, but that's still a good 45 minute to an hour drive each way. The only place I've played in person since moving to Milwaukee is at The Sanctum in Racine, which is at most a half-hour drive for me. I've been underwhelmed with the FLGS scene in Milwaukee (for play space for TTRPGs, there are some good spots for miniature wargames, board games, and card games). I was very happy to discover The Sanctum.

 

[BrokenTwin]

My core gaming group (weekly game, 2.5 hour time slot) has players that range in age from early thirties to late sixties. We generally have two different games in different systems going at once (the primary game, then the backup game if the primary GM can't make it). I think in the last two years we've played The Witcher, Pathfinder 2, Twilight 2000, Aliens, Lancer, Adventures in Middle Earth, and a couple of others I can't think of offhand. So we are definitely not a one-system group.

Having said that, I do also have a couple of once-a-month groups that were gathered specifically to play one system, so there's that. To the best of my knowledge, the only groups in my area that are diehard locked into one system are all younger D&D 5E players, which isn't unexpected when it's the 800lb gorilla in the room.

It does help to remember that when you don't have a breadth of experience playing different systems, it can be a lot harder to pick up a new one. Kind of similar to how picking up your third language is a lot easier than picking up your second (or so I'm told), because you've already taught your brain that there's different ways of doing these things.

As to the details of the OP itself, I can't really comment without having been there. It does suck that they booted you from the group like that. Unless you were vocally criticizing their preferred system non-stop, I can't imagine that alone was the reason. But who knows, maybe they just had thin skins and couldn't handle you not agreeing that their preference was obviously superior?

I'd recommend giving online play a try, but it really wasn't my thing.

 

[Golden age Superhero]

I'm old enough to have started gaming before e-mail and cell phones, so I get it. As a DM, I would run the game we agreed upon and have a conversation about changing campaigns and system or at least trying something new next time as a one shot or mini campaign if I feel I needed a break from the current campaign/system. Not a judgement, just my personality. As a player, if the DM was burned out, I would rather play a session the DM if enthusiastic to run, rather than guilt the DM into sticking with the game they are burned out on.

It sounds like these were not long-time friends but weak acquaintances or strangers found from a community board at your FLGS. So I guess that makes the immediate noping out of the game less surprising. I'm not so surprised that folks would walk out on an activity with strangers if they are not interested in the activity and don't have a close relationship with the DM or other players. I'm more surprised that people feel so strongly about a game system. Personally, as a player, I can enjoy nearly any system. Even for systems I'm not crazy about, I would rather play than forgo my game night.


As a GM, I have the same attitude. As a player, as long as the GM and other players are patient and don't expect rule mastery immediately, I don't think a lot of home work is needed. But some players, I suppose, approach their gaming wanting to fully master the system. I do understand that with more crunchy systems the first few sessions can be a bit rough. That's why when running one-shots or mini campaigns as a break from my main campaign, I stick with rules light systems. No only because it is easier for me, but it leads to a smoother and more fun session.


Yeah, not really in the boonies, but it is almost an hour and a half drive to Milwaukee. Does Manitowoc have much of a TTRPG scene? Would probably have more luck in Green Bay or Appleton, but that's still a good 45 minute to an hour drive each way. The only place I've played in person since moving to Milwaukee is at The Sanctum in Racine, which is at most a half-hour drive for me. I've been underwhelmed with the FLGS scene in Milwaukee (for play space for TTRPGs, there are some good spots for miniature wargames, board games, and card games). I was very happy to discover The Sanctum.

I am in a bi-weekly Pathfinder game and I think some of the people that left us are local so there is a community. However, the gaming store I play has stairs to the gaming table and my wife is confined to a wheelchair, also the area we play it is kind of cramp since the rest of the gaming area is for Magic players.

 

[GMMichael]

Age discrimination in RPGs is a thing.

I'd let Gandalf be my DM.

So now I am really bummed because it seems that I am always getting into trouble for having a contrary opinion. Is there something wrong with me?

There's nothing wrong with you, but it doesn't hurt to get an outside opinion and/or change gears once in a while. Lord knows I could . . .

 

[Umbran]

On what timescale are we talking?

I tend to run years-long campaigns. So, the game I run will be one system for a few or several years, and then may switch systems to another game.

Other groups I have worked with since 2020 have all stuck to one game. But, they have been shorter than some of my campaigns. They haven't had a chance to demonstrate if they are strictly sticking to one game only.

 

[Golden age Superhero]

I have played in games that lasted for years. Hell, I ran a Golden Age Champions game for several years. However, I did trade off GMing with other GMs. I was never in a gaming group with one forever GM.

 

[aramis erak]

Last time i was in a single-system group, I was running at the game store. 2017 or so.

I've not been a single system player since 1983, and wanted to try Star Frontiers from the first time I saw it advertised in a comic book. Then again, I'd a couple consims of various kinds under my belt before D&D... AH Survival, 1776, Tactics II, Chess, and Feudal.

Star Frontiers wound up being my second RPG...

I started playing AD&D in summer 1981... Since 1983, 200 different systems I've used as player and/or GM...

My campaigns tend to be 3⋯6 months... Next sunday makes 4 months with the Jackals campaign, but not all games get a campaign, and I oft run two at a time, sometimes 3. And I have no issue running a 1-3 session one-off. I even have a few games perfect for such.