Downsizing

[catsclaw227]

And my final bit of advise, in case you are someone who does not like social confrontation: Decide who you're going to cut. Tell everyone that you're going to do it randomly. Make sure the chosen person loses. Heck, put names in a hat and have someone else draw. Just make sure that the person in question is the only name in the hat, then destroy the other slips quickly so no one can find out. You can also print up multiple name lists of the whole group, with that person as each number on different lists. Then have someone else roll. Just pull out the correct list and close your folder.

While all of your other advice is good, this is a powderkeg. If the DM doesn't like social confrontation, this has the potential to be a huge problem if someone finds out and starts blabbing at the gamestore about your "random" selection process and trust will be lost with all players.

 

[S'mon]

I'd break it into two games, if you have the time.

I don't - I'm only allowed out 2 Saturdays a month, and with the baby even that's a stretch. If I could play more I'd be running the same game more frequently anyway, rather than 2 different games.

 

[catsclaw227]

I don't - I'm only allowed out 2 Saturdays a month, and with the baby even that's a stretch. If I could play more I'd be running the same game more frequently anyway, rather than 2 different games.

Congrats on the baby! We are the same. I have a 5 1/2 month old, and I get my two Saturdays a month too.

 

[S'mon]

Congrats on the baby! We are the same. I have a 5 1/2 month old, and I get my two Saturdays a month too.

Congratulations on both the baby and the 2 Saturdays - when Bill was that age I wasn't allowed out of the house except to push the infant stroller round our local cemetery.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

Lets see, 8 players, 1 obnoxious already got the boot, and 1 "ultimatum guy" who says he won't come back unless the group size changes...looks like "problem solved" to me!

This. I found amusing that he won't come back if the group doesn't shrink some, but the group shrinks if he doesn't come back....

5-6 players is my "comfort zone," personally.

 

[cougent]

In 2000 I started a new group with 4 players, by 2002 we hit 16 players and I had a co-DM. It was fun, but it was very intense also. Several real life issues whittled it back down to 6 consistent players and 2 most-of-the-time players which ran just fine through the end of 2004. From that I derived that *my* ideal group size is 7 players, with 6 or 8 being close second. That just seemed to be the perfect mix for steady action without drag and with enough diversity to remain creative. I have tried to run groups of 6-8 ever since.

I am curious if your one player who wanted a smaller group was possibly unhappy with the particular obnoxious player that already left? With him gone might the the other player be content in a large group again?

If you really cannot accommodate all your prospect players, then select the best fits and just politely inform the others there is not enough room. They won't like it, but you can only do so much. If everything else is equal, then I would let attendance be a major determining factor. It could prove very hurtful / insulting to someone NOT selected to discover later on that you selected someone who only shows up 50% of the time.

 

[Oni]

Personally if it were me I would do something like this. Get everyone together that's interested and you're interested in having. Tell them that you only have so many slots for your game because it's difficult for you to run a game with more people. Ask if there is anyone that is willing to step aside. If you still have too many people have them randomly draw to see who is in, telling them anyone that isn't selected will have first choice next time you start up a new game. No reasonable person can fault you over luck of the draw.

 

[S'mon]

I am curious if your one player who wanted a smaller group was possibly unhappy with the particular obnoxious player that already left? With him gone might the the other player be content in a large group again?

I'm not sure. That might be a possibility. Obnoxious guy's repeated comparing of orcs to African-Americans though was something that bugged me (he was playing a half-orc, and seemed to be aiming to be the half-orc Louis Farrakhan, including rewriting my setting's reality to do so), but I don't think that player picked up on it.

 

[S'mon]

Personally if it were me I would do something like this. Get everyone together that's interested and you're interested in having. Tell them that you only have so many slots for your game because it's difficult for you to run a game with more people. Ask if there is anyone that is willing to step aside.

I definitely won't do that, because all the quiet-but-good players will step aside, and I'll be left with all the demanding extrovert loudmouths.

 

[S'mon]

Thanks for all the replies, but I was really interested in whether anyone else has experience of selecting players from among good players, especially in a club context or similar where you don't know them very well. Anyone?