Lord_Blacksteel
Adventurer
I've dealt with this a little bit in my time. Here are some options:
One hint - stop sending out those emails in advance. Let them notice that they didn't get anything and see if they send something out asking about timing and details. People sometimes take things for granted until they disappear. If it's more of a two-way communication then you may see more responses.
Be careful with the divergent XP rewards in a level-based game. If the same players have the same patterns repeatedly then you may end up with a level gap and that can be bad with a small group especially.
Another thought - 4E does reward those who spend some time digging into the mechanics. If they are as interested in socializing as they are in actually playing then maybe try another system. I would suggest an old-school D&D game (Labyrinth Lord is a good example) or Savage Worlds as both play very fast, don't have a lot of rules overhead or mechanical complications, and have fairly short rulebooks. Savage Worlds also adds the physical elements of playing cards and some kind of markers for bennies, making it feel a little different than some RPG's. There's no lack of free supporting material for both online either.
My final suggestion - look for another player or two. Peer pressure, interest in meeting the new guy, whatever, it can change the dynamics of the group.
One hint - stop sending out those emails in advance. Let them notice that they didn't get anything and see if they send something out asking about timing and details. People sometimes take things for granted until they disappear. If it's more of a two-way communication then you may see more responses.
Be careful with the divergent XP rewards in a level-based game. If the same players have the same patterns repeatedly then you may end up with a level gap and that can be bad with a small group especially.
Another thought - 4E does reward those who spend some time digging into the mechanics. If they are as interested in socializing as they are in actually playing then maybe try another system. I would suggest an old-school D&D game (Labyrinth Lord is a good example) or Savage Worlds as both play very fast, don't have a lot of rules overhead or mechanical complications, and have fairly short rulebooks. Savage Worlds also adds the physical elements of playing cards and some kind of markers for bennies, making it feel a little different than some RPG's. There's no lack of free supporting material for both online either.
My final suggestion - look for another player or two. Peer pressure, interest in meeting the new guy, whatever, it can change the dynamics of the group.
