Does your group send session reminders?

[buzz]

I run a game every other week at my place, but we have a dues system that pays for food and props for the group (I'm far too poor to blow my money on miniatures that will only be used for this group).

And here I thought that DMs who charged for theitr services was just a 'Net myth!

Who gets to keep all the minis? What happens if someone leaves the group?

 

[maggot]

I send out reminders, and when I don't I get emails saying "are we playing this week?" We try to play every other week, but sometimes every week and sometimes week go three weeks between, so the reminders are necessary.

But reminders were necessary even when we played every other week like clockwork (calendarwork? Anyway I was out of town every other week so there was a hard schedule). Even my old every week game had times we did not play (holidays, DM vacations, etc.) and so reminders were still needed.

 

[Arnwyn]

Does your group send out reminders about when and where you're meeting in advance so people remember to set their plans accordingly? I'm also curious if you feel the need to remind people or if it is merely a courtesy, will people forget to show up to a session if the DM (or some other designated member) doesn't send them a personal reminder to come?

No reminders for us.

We play on a set schedule (once every two weeks), same day, same place, same time.

The only reminders sent out is when something changes that would require a cancellation of the session.

 

[Wombat]

Our group has a Yahoo Group site.

A couple days before the game there is usually a "WOO HOO! Almost game day!" post by someone.

We don't really need this, except as a way to releave tension and express joy

 

[LostSoul]

I avoided this and many other problems by poisoning all the players during the first session. It's slow acting, so they only need the anitdote once a week. I make sure to only bring enough to stave off certain death for one week, so they don't try and jump me. Everybody always shows up on time.

It makes for a very smooth game.

 

[Mystery Man]

I use a group software calendaring thing on Yahoo, it sends out a reminder for met to all my players 15 days and then one day before we play. I just set the date and it does it for me. Heck, even one time I (and I'm the DM!) forgot we were playing!

 

[genshou]

I avoided this and many other problems by poisoning all the players during the first session. It's slow acting, so they only need the anitdote once a week. I make sure to only bring enough to stave off certain death for one week, so they don't try and jump me. Everybody always shows up on time.

It makes for a very smooth game.

Alas... in a perfect world...

The only non-PbEM game I'm involved in right now is over IRC, and if the DM didn't send a weekly reminder, no one would show up. Back when I lived in Utah and played in Lela's game, the game was regularly scheduled and I knew the hosting family well enough to easily find out if plans changed (I was friends with all four siblings, who all ended up playing in the game at one point or another, as well as with the parents). If I ever get a local gaming group together (or find one that isn't practicing isolationism), I'll be sending out weekly reminders with session recap included.

 

[GQuail]

We have a set, weekly time and place, so we don't require reminders.

Exact same here. If I see my players between sessions (often on MSN while at work ) then I might confirm they're still OK for this session, but they're usually not bad about letting me know in advance if they're going to be a bit late or not turn up at all. There's no formal thing, though.

With seven players, it's less of a deal if one doesn't make it, so I guess that's a factor. In the past three weeks we've had two full houses, and hadn't one of those for several months prior.

 

[DragonLancer]

We play every Sunday at the same time, so we have no need to send out reminders.

 

[Steel_Wind]

It's Saturday. We game at about 3:00 pm. It's been that way for fifteen years+

Sometimes, some members of the group people can't make it - and they post to the mailing list in advance.

Sometimes, the session location may change from the default - and it's posted to the mailing list.

So - we don't send a reminder and don't need to in the sense of telling people to show up.
We somtimes do send a reminder telling people to not show up

I think that's a different point than what was being asked.