Help - my group is in flux

[pogre]

I had set up episodic play for 8 players for my last D&D campaign. My problem was once we got going people started making the game a priority and nobody ever missed about three months into the campaign. A good problem to be sure, but one I had not anticipated.

I suspect if you set up an episodic campaign and things get going, at least three of your folks will start making your game a priority.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I have used a variety of methods:

1) Cancellation when 2 or more players can't make it.

2) DM runs PCs as NPCs.

3) Players approve certain other players to run their PCs in their absence.

4) Making the adventures short so they can be done in one sitting. No cliffhangers = no problem with flux.

5) Multiple active games: Every player is responsible for running a game (rpg, board, card, mini, etc.). Every week, plan on 2 different games, a primary and a secondary. Everyone brings whatever they need for the 2 different games that were chosen the week before. The primary is the one that is run, unless there is a reason not to (DM is sick, 2 players are absent, etc.).

 

[Stormborn]

I'm going to say what a lot of other people have said: episodic. Lots of framworks could exist for that:
-School
-Urban Campaign where PCs all know each other/hang out in similar places
- Military in which PCs not present could have other duities (guard, escort etc)
- Loose affiliated organization w/ some method of alerting members they are needed (JLA communicators, special message rings that only transmit the signal to gather) or a regular meeting schedule.

The hard part from a GMs perspective is to forget the idea of open ended sessions where you just stop playing and pick up next time. You really have to plan games that fit into your time frame and if need be alter them so they do. No two parters. That doesn't mean that you can't have an overarching plot, reoccuring NPCs, etc In fact it would be better if you did, allowing those elements to carry the feeling of continuity rather than logn involved dungeon crawls. But it does mean you are going to have to learn how to plan and run "done in one" games. Not an easy task, but in your case I think it would work out for the best.