Do you have the Duty to game??

[Timothy]

Okay, seeing the other threads about dead games and such, I thought I would post this.

I think when people enter a game or start one, they have a DUTY to uphold against the (other) players and/or the DM. You have comitted yourself to something. And you should stick with that. You should try to do as much as you can the keep/get a game going. I think at the moment, and I blame myself too, people think too lightly about joining or starting a PbP Game. I know I have gotten myself in a lot of work with a Game of Elves, but now that all the work is done (thanks to everyone who helped, specially Guilt Puppy) A lot of my players have gone away. I don't like that, and the devolpement didn't longer than it have too.

Anyway, I'm ranting now. What do you think about duty, should you stick to a game because you promised and damage other players by droppimng out? or should you quit if you don't like it.

 

[GruTheWanderer]

I'm not sure what the appropriate balance is in PbP games. In real life I ask my gamers to commit to six weeks at a time (we game once a week for three hours). This is enough for a module. But I wouldn't know what type of commitment to ask for in PbP. My first Spelljammer adventure took four months.

I honestly don't mind much if my players leave. If they don't enjoy the game, they are unlikely to contribute much to the game. What I do mind is players leaving without saying anything. My email address is available, and all it would take would be a single message.

I think one of the base problems is that we don't see that people are losing interest until they are gone, which is a disadvantage of the medium. In a face-to-face game, you could adjust more easily (by picking up non-verbal cues). Here there is little you can do if others do not explicitly write down their concerns.

 

[Zhure]

I agree on the whole duty thing; it's an implied social contract.

If you join a game, stick to it. If you are dropping out because the game isn't what you expected or for time constraints or whatever, tell the DM.

If the reason seems like it'll hurt the DM's feelings, then make up some white lie.

Vice-versa for the DM if he can't continue the game. At least show the courtesy to tell the players.

Another duty is to tell your fellow gamers how often you'll be posting and let them know if you're going to be out a few days.

I feel like ranting on this sometimes, too.
Greg

 

[The Forsaken One]

Well in my game, right from the start when I was recruiting and char building (which in all took about 5 hours hehe) I demanded commitment from my players for a LONG time and I warned for that in the recruitement that it might take more then two years to finish it. But I liked the idea of an intense game where players and GM get along and devellop a nice epic story line. Something I might turn into a book or script. And now were busy for months on end and everyone is still enthusiastic and posting rates are awsome.

The rping my players are doing is like ... amazing. Really and they take alot of initiative and post each day. Mostly even more then once, and that keeps me as GM enthusiastic and one of my players even put up a site for the game with notes and character sheets and stuff. I was so impressed and I still feel very flattered and honored to have such players. I see games die or not get off the floor all the time and I attempted one and its going like this. I feel awsome.

But I agree that commitment from players should be demanded for alot of games. The same goes for the GM is he is williung to put in the time and willing to commit to the long run. I know I am for my game and I gave it alot of thought since it would demand alot of time from me and most certainly just a bit at least once a day.

I believe that if you have a good game/plot and action and a committed GM that updates alot a game can last almost forever. Most imporant is that I see in my game that we start to know eachother for who we are and what plays in our real lives. Were turning into friends and that's a bond that'll make this game a classic. (unless someones internet dies out permanently grrrrr)

Sadly enough we had one player who just stopped posting and whom we never heard from again. We were reluctant to let go of him at first but we voted... all in favor and we searched for a replacement. And he is very committed, active and his RPing is impressive. He took on the daring job to continue with someone elses character... But that character hardly was a character at all and now it really is someone and you get to know him and hes got a real thing going on. A real him so that you can guess how he's gonna react as a person and not as a metagaming player.

All in all... it starts with the GM if a game survives or not. But players must think twice before committing to a game with a GM with a plan and with certain prospects in his mind. When a GM has everything planned and worked out.. and things crash and burn it's a huge bummer. If I had to quit my game now, I'd be devastated since I am have a really really good time and ALOT of fun, thanks to my players who keep surprising me. We're starting chapter two next week I hope, maybe the week after. Depends on how soon we finish this last combat and RPing.

Hope u guys get as lucky as me with your players. I owe it all to them.

(It's fun to see how certain people get certain reputations around the IC boards Wonder if I got one )

 

[Shapermc]

/me is blushing behind his monitor. I am one of the persons for TFO's group. I am the one that set up the website (TFO, it really was not that big of a deal). Well anyways I will put my $0.02 in about commitment.

TFO is right, the *expected* commitment should be stated at recruitment. There are 2 games that I am in where I am the only person that posts one time a day. This is not a problem, they can go slow as long as I know about it. There are times where I wonder about a few of my games if they are going to survive or not, and then they pick up out of no where and I cannot keep up with them.

I like to occasionally make some spurring posts. By this I mean that i will assume responsibilty for the full group and relocate us or make a descision for every one. This is usually not important or plot changing, just doing what I think is the natural course for things. I have not gotten a complaint about doing this yet, and it usually inspires everyone to start posting again and real quick like.

Then there are other games where if I don't check them ever 3 hours or less I get left in the dust (I'm looking at you TFO ). That is alot of fun as well. But all in all if someone drops out of a game there is nothing you can do. If your email is open to them, usually theirs is open to you. YOu can always shoot them an email and question things or just get closure. These PbP games are extreamly taxing for a DM and I am almost inclined to think that even more of a commitment is needed of a PbP GM than a Face-2-Face GM.

I am in 4 PbP games right now I I think I am set untill one finishes. I am having alot of fun being more in character than I ever can be IRL. It is also a time killer at work . But I am one of those good PbP players, I told every GM that untill my PC is fixed that I can only post at work. So your rant does not apply to me, I'm Immune!

 

[The Forsaken One]

So your rant does not apply to me, I'm Immune!

Blablabla. Talking about miserably failing a bluff check

 

[Jemal]

(It's fun to see how certain people get certain reputations around the IC boards Wonder if I got one )

YEP.

You're "That Guy who compliments his PCs for a great game even though he's a great DM, and it's his doing too."

And back on topic to the thread:
I Don't plan on dropping out of any games, whether I'm a DM or a player, until they either finish or my character dies. If A game I'm playign in does go like a week without posts, I usually try to Bump it somehow to get it going again, but if that doesn't work, then It just wasn't meant to be. As for DMing, I may take a little extra time, but I will ALWAYS post to my games, so long as there is any interest in them at all.

[hijack]Speaking of which, for everyone that signed up to the Strange New WOrld campaign: I finally figured out what was wrong with my comp, and can now post new threads, so it's up now.. Go, post, kick ass, whatever you want.
[/hijack]

 

[GruTheWanderer]

I like to occasionally make some spurring posts. By this I mean that i will assume responsibilty for the full group and relocate us or make a descision for every one. This is usually not important or plot changing, just doing what I think is the natural course for things. I have not gotten a complaint about doing this yet, and it usually inspires everyone to start posting again and real quick like.

Amen, brother. This is exactly what I hope all my players will do if they see the need.

But all in all if someone drops out of a game there is nothing you can do. If your email is open to them, usually theirs is open to you. YOu can always shoot them an email and question things or just get closure.

This relates to a new requirement I am going to add to my games. If your email address isn't public, you must send it to me. I have several players who stopped posting in my games, and I didn't have a way to reach them, even though they are still posting in other games.