Gamers that didn't survive first contact

[Stalker0]

I figure I would keep this thread trend going a little longer.

You find this guy or gal, and thought they would be an awesome gamer. You bring them into your group, show them the game, and never hear from them again. Anyone have any good stories about potential gamers that just didn't shape up?

 

[D'karr]

I figure I would keep this thread trend going a little longer.

You find this guy or gal, and thought they would be an awesome gamer. You bring them into your group, show them the game, and never hear from them again. Anyone have any good stories about potential gamers that just didn't shape up?

Well how about they show up the first time and after that you decide to not invite them back ever again?

 

[Timeboxer]

Ah, yes. Once someone showed up to start playing in my usual game -- a friend of one of the other players. We had a good time, she seemed very enthusiastic, she was lent a few of my books, and we said we'd see her in two weeks.

Then we never heard from her again. By which I mean that all attempts to call, e-mail, and otherwise contact her failed, continuing to this day.

I never saw my books again.

 

[Joshua Randall]

"Never lend a friend a book, for you may lose both." (Franklin? Twain? someone like that)

 

[Dragonbait]

* One of the gamers met a guy at school who was reading the Psionics Handbook. He eventually came to a session. Midway through he asked to sleep over because he didn't want to have to leave the session early. Keep in mind no one really knew him. He then asked to borrow money for food. He was.. Kooky, even aside from all of that. He started calling me every day during my working hours, and once called on a Tuesday night at 11 PM trying to sell me Hero Clicks.

* A player showed up, decided to be a typical big strong warrior race guy, chose Chaotic Neutral and began to try to derail the entire adventure by disagreeing with any decision anyone made, then going off to do his own thing.

* A player who's mom was so nutty that she was only allowed 30 minutes to play. The 30 minutes started from the time she left school. We didn't know this time limit, and both attempts to have her play (she said she wanted to, and she kept talking about it) her mom came to pick her up before we even got started.

 

[El Mahdi]

Ah, yes. Once someone showed up to start playing in my usual game -- a friend of one of the other players. We had a good time, she seemed very enthusiastic, she was lent a few of my books, and we said we'd see her in two weeks.

Then we never heard from her again. By which I mean that all attempts to call, e-mail, and otherwise contact her failed, continuing to this day.

I never saw my books again.

This happens way too much nowadays! Thank god for the new "Amber" alerts for kidnapped books. Someday, this kind of thing will be just memories.

 

[Mean Eyed Cat]

"Never lend a friend a book, for you may lose both." (Franklin? Twain? someone like that)

Hmmm... I haven't heard that quote before. Although it probably explains these two quotes:

He who lends a book is an idiot. He who returns the book is more of an idiot. - Arabic Proverb

Never lend books, for no one ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are books that other people have lent me.
- Anatole France

 

[Tetsubo]

I had a new female roomie move in. We had met through the SCA. I needed someone to share bills with and she needed a place in my town. She asked if she could join my regular weekly game held at our apartment. She explained that she had a rather low-key playing style. I said OK.

Funny, but I've never defined the word "diva" as low-key. She was loud, obnoxious, hogged the spotlight and wanted all the attention both within the game and among the players. I told her that she wouldn't be playing again. Which was awkward as she was living there. But my players deserved better treatment.

She moved out the next month. I think she was there like a total of three months. Her Father just shrugged when he moved her out. As if saying, "Yeah, she's always like this".

It probably didn't help that I studiously avoided her blatant passes at me.

 

[MonkeyDragon]

In the first game I ever ran, I had my former tae kwon do instructor as an independant study professor. Being a former gamer, suitably nerdy, and acted more like a student than professor most of the time, he seemed like he would be a good fit.

He was excited when we made his character, and excited at the first session. He played well, was hilarious, and seemed to have a great time.

Second session he couldn't make because he had visitation with his daughter. Every week after that, he either had things to do, or visitation (he hadn't informed me of this every other weekend commitment). After the first few weeks, I stopped asking him if he was going to make it, and he stopped mentioning it as well.

I still don't know if he hadn't enjoyed the game and didn't want to play anymore, didn't take his other obligations into account when he said he wanted to join, or if he just flaked out.


I also once had a player in my at-school game that I invited to my summer game. I worked with him quite a bit online to get him the dragon pc he wanted, but he never even made it to the first session before the whole thing fizzled out.