Having trouble with my gaming group

[Synthetik Fish]

Ok guys, say a DM's post on a player... here's a player's post on his group.
I'm "from" a city about 25 minutes away from my college, and I live on campus during the school year so I wanted to fidn a gaming group near there. I went to a local game store and got hooked up with a game through them. I ended up bringing my friend into the game, too. Neither of us have any other games curently availible to us.

Well, I'll jsut cut to the chase. There is no role-playing in my group at all. Shoot, theres almost no PLAYING happening. When we're in town or whatever, no one does anything. Me and my friend (James) struggle really hard to interact with people. There's 4 other players, so you think that people would be doing stuff and it'd be fairly entertaining. Nothing. In combat, we (james and I) have to direct people (trying not to sound demanding) jsut to get stuff done!

Transitions are the worst. 5 minutes of solid silence isn't unusual after a fight, or traveling, or what not. One time, James purposely was being quiet when we were trying to plan out how to nab a bad guy, and I was throwing out my ideas and asking people what they thought. Nothing.

It's so discouraging. Wahts even more discouraging is that this is hte ONLY game that I can find, and beyond this game I haven't played in over a year. Supposidly 2 of the other players have played for 15 years (one thinks hes the big sh*t... but he never DOES anything!!) and the DM is experienced too.

What should I do? I want to go to them and tell them that they need to get into the game more, but I don't want to sound like a prick.

 

[DragonLancer]

What comes to mind is simply "find a new group." It sounds to me from your description that this group is dead... in more ways than one. Say to the DM that the game isn't working out for you both, thank him for letting you join, and then try to find another group through that gaming store.

Also if you are at college, isn't there likely to be gaming groups there? You could try asking around or putting up "wanted" posters on notice boards?

 

[Sidereal Knight]

I agree with DragonLancer.

You're probably trying to have fun playing D&D... if you (and your friend) aren't having fun, it's time to look for a new group. There are ways to excuse yourself from the group without being a jerk, but also without coming up with a cover story:

"I think I'm looking for something other than what you guys are interested in... I don't want to ruin your fun, so I think I need to bow out. No hard feelings."

Make it about you rather than them... don't tell them you think they're terrible players, etc. If you have to, do it by phone or email.

I would try posting in the ENWorld "gamers seeking gamers" section. When I went looking for an additional player earlier this year, we lucked out by getting some very good responses that way.

Good luck!

 

[Voadam]

1) Talk to the DM and say you want more NPC interactions. If you can't get roleplay out of your fellow PCs get it out of the DM.

2) Talk to other players' characters in character, ask their opinions on things, make jokes with them in character, give them complements, give them orders, ask questions that don't have a yes or no answer, etc.

 

[Crothian]

Start talking in character to everyone. And react as if what the other players do is in character

"Durgain, I say we go through the back and nab the villian. Why you being so quiet? Are you bespelled by something? Durgain say something!"

ot just get together with everyone on a non session night and talk it over

 

[Mystery Man]

Offer to run a game so you can show this inept DM "how it's done". School 'im!

 

[IronWolf]

Before you give up too soon, expecially if you don't think there is much luck of getting another group together in a timely manner I would certainly try a couple of the things mentioned in this thread already. Try talking the the DM and other players outside the game and see what is going on. Maybe there is some dynamic you aren't aware of and once you are could help facilitate a more intereactive game. Another way is (as already suggested) just handle everything IC trying to generate conversation or some form of interaction. If they really are just sitting there blankly though, the outside of the game option may be the only thing that works. I would try those though before I completely gave up.

 

[Synthetik Fish]

OK, I will try to address each issue:

I don't want to drop out of this game necessarily, becuase this is the ONLY game availble right now. I already made some posts on the gamers-seeking-gamers section, and got no response.

We've TRYED interacting with them. They jsut don't respond. We've asked them questions, and asked what they want to do, and they alway say "dunno." It's SO aggrivating.

The DM is the one that lets the game die sometimes. After we finish a task, he'll kinda page through his notes for a few minute. The whole table jsut gets silent.

I know it sounds like im griping-- im really not. I'm jsut trying to accurately illustrate what its like.

 

[William Ronald]

I think this thread offers good advice. Possibly running a game, featuring role playing, might help. I think that it is best to try the advice on this thread, and see if it works.

If worse comes to worse, find or make another group. Sometimes, people have different expectations from a game. I think that a good group can support different play styles, but it is also important for players to have common goals and interests. Don't despair.

 

[Zenodotus of Ephesus]

Synthetik Fish - I think you either need to take over as DM of this group or start a new group and DM. Your current DM doesn't run the game the way you would like him to run it and it sounds like he never will. It sounds like his ability to set the pace is in low gear compared to your style of play. Even if it ends up you are only running the game for your one friend for a little while, that's okay because it will also give you some time to build up a bit of a setting or read up on a store-bought setting before you are able to attract more players.