Friends, Players, or Both?

[Teflon Billy]

Friends first and foremost.

We enjoy RPG's, but we do most things together, and RPG's are just an extension of that.

Our core group (approximately 15 people) have all had myriad bad experiences siting down and gaming with folks we would have avoided at a party or any other social situation.

Theo (one of my friends/gamers) put it best during our Live Action Vampire phase...

"I will not game with someone I wouldn't hang out with otherwise"

That's the compass point we use, and it works like a charm.

 

[Crothian]

Everyone I game with I also call friend. If there is a problems in the group, then in theory we can talk about it as friends. I doubt I'd game with anyone I couldn't be friends with.

 

[Tewligan]

Its odd how D&D is looked down upon as a nerdy activity while it is by its nature a social event. I guess we should all go to bars and watch reality television like the rest of the world

Very true. Last year I went to a big improv festival, and there was a lot of talk on a message board in the weeks leading up to it about what people would be doing during their free time there. A couple of people had mentioned in another thread that they played D&D, so I suggested that I could bring a few character sheets and a couple of books to run an adventure one of the nights there. A fair amount of people thought it sounded fun, but holy crap, some other people flipped! They were going on about how they couldn't believe we'd be meeting all these people from across the US and Canada, and we wanted to play D&D?! The point that we WOULD, in fact, be socializing for the few hours we played the game fell on deaf ears. Unfortunately, I didn't get to play with those folks because I didn't remember my books until a good 5 hours or so on the road to Memphis. Silly me.

Oh, a funny thing about that, too. There was a shuttle bus running constantly back and forth between the hotel and the place where they held the shows and workshops. I was talking with a guy from another troupe on the bus, and he smirked and said something like "Hey, I wonder where the guy who wants to play Dungeons and Dragons is?" His sheepish look was delightful when I laughed and said "Hahaha...THAT'S ME, YOU ASS!" He was really funny, and a good guy, so I quickly forgave him.

(And, in fairness, there WAS a lot to do - we were in the Memphis area, and the festival was held at a casino. I probably wouldn't have had time to play even if I remembered my books.)

 

[mistergone]

Ideally, I would play with just friends. It used to be that way, back in the day, but eventually, people brought in other friends, and associates, and so on. Nothing lasting forever, to my chagrin, I eventually wound up putting cards up looking for gamers in local game shops, as people drifted away and whatnot. Unfortunately, I met some of the worst people ever during that time, but also, I met some people who went on to become my friends. These days, the cycle has come back around and I'm pretty much without any friends that game. I don't know why or how that happens, people just seem to grow apart, move, get married, or maybe were flakes all along.

Right now, I'm in one game where I've known the DM for years on and off. Everyone else in the game are people he has known for years. I don't really fit in with the group. I'm hoping to get my own group started again, and I always try to game with people that I think I could be friends with.

I've ran into some strange situations, where I've gamed with people that are really cool, and seem to like to get together to game, but they don't ever want to socialize outside of gaming. I guess for some people it's something you just do part-time, like a job you really enjoy, but you don't want to hang out with your co-workers ever.

 

[Broken Fang]

All my players are imaginary firends of mine...does that count?

 

[WayneLigon]

I have both. I have people I've known for 20+ years in the group, and one guy we took into the group about three months ago. I dunno if anyone is doing anything socially with he and his wife out-of-game yet but I don't think so. We're getting ready to invite another stranger once I can get some info from him, and run his name around with the others to see if they've heard anything about him.

So far, the only people actually kicked out of a group I've been in have been people that the rest of us had no social contact with other than through the game. They just didn't work out, and the owner of the place didn't feel like having them in his house otherwise.

There have been problem with a couple other people who ARE friends. And truth be said, that's the only reason they're still there.

 

[Falcon]

The only people I game with are friends. Some I knew before a particular campaign, some became friends through a particular campaign. I am talk and meet people before I allow them into any campaign I DM, and I am fortunate to have contacts with several gaming groups, many members of which I go to baseball games with, catch a movie, go hiking, have barbecues, and go out and drink and talk. In other words, gaming is one set of social activities my friends and I engage in. It helps keep everything in perspective.

I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a hobby that I love dearly and my free time is precious to me, and I refuse to spend it around people I don't get along with.

 

[tburdett]

A few friends and a few acquaintances. It's difficult because I work nights and everybody else works during the day. I just don't have time to do stuff except for the regular Saturday game session.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I have almost always gamed with friends, though some of the people who are still friends now I met while gaming. Gaming just wouldn't be all that much fun if I didn't play with folks I could consider friends.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Gaming was a natural "in" with me for a lot of people I met in school, so I've been lucky enough to game with friends, or at the very least, friends-of-friends. This hasn't necessarily been positive though. I've gotten so spoiled playing with my buddies, I can't even conceive of playing with strangers. Unfortunately, my friends aren't available as much as they used to be, so I game a lot less frequently.