Here's why the RPGA has failed me

[kenobi65]

I mean, I don't even know if the RPGA runs events or if those events listed on the calendar are just independent GMs running home games.

The RPGA itself only runs events at a very small number of big conventions (D&D Experience, Origins, GenCon, and, last year, the Penny Arcade Expo). All the other "RPGA events" that are out there are organized by individuals or groups, but not the RPGA itself. By and large, the RPGA doesn't run games; they simply facilitate organized play for those who want to organize games.

True "home games" that are organized by RPGA players don't even show up on the RPGA calendar. In theory, everything that shows up on the RPGA event calendar is a "public" event, though many of them are smaller game days, where there may only be a single table running, and all the seats are already filled. If you see an event on the calendar that you're interested in, you should get in touch with the contact person for that event, and see if it's truly open to the public.

The simplest explanation for "why aren't there any RPGA events in my area?" is "no one has organized any." The RPGA itself doesn't set up events. If an area has a lot of RPGA events, it's because volunteers have set them up. If you don't have RPGA events in your area, and you want there to be some, it may require you to take the initiative and set things up yourself.

 

[kenobi65]

Obtaining memberships are kind of hard for me. I don't know who to contact about joining.

To build on this for Chris's benefit...

I *am* an active RPGA member, but this is a recurring complaint that I see (and you probably do, too) on the RPGA message board. The fundamental answer to "how do I join the RPGA" is "go to an RPGA event and get a membership card/application there".

I understand why RPGA doesn't allow people to join online (for the rest of you, it has to do with (a) legal issues with protecting the personal information of minors online, and (b) the wasted effort that had been spent in processing online applications for people who then never played an RPGA game). But, it's a continuing source of frustration for some people, particularly those who want to act as "Johnny Appleseeds" in areas that don't currently have an active RPGA community -- that first guy needs an easy way to get his own membership, not to mention memberships for his friends.

Maybe with the conversion to the new database system, you guys can come up with some way to offer online applications again.

Mike Mistele

 

[Thunderfoot]

Yep - Kenobi is correct.

As an active member, I run games monthly, but the seats are filled, because its a home game.
However, there are several RPGA sponsored games in my area. If you ever go to a convention, see if there is an RPGA game, register and then start games in your own area.

I'm lucky in that I was a roll-over member back when you actually had to PAY to get in. Now its free and once you figure the system out, really there isnt much of a problem, as far as I see it, for registering and booking games. The system is a bit overly complex, I agree, in certain aspects, but, for me, its worth it. If you aren't going to be running games, attending cons or spreading the word (so to speak) the RPGA really isn't advantageous for you, if you have that prophet like mentality or can really sell it, teach it or preach it - please, consider joining and trying to improve it.

 

[Tclynch]

Never understood the whole alure of the RPGA. Never played in a RPGA game and really....I dont think I've missed a thing.

 

[PaulofCthulhu]

Scott and Chris might not wholly agree with this, and it may change with 4E (after all organised play was described as one of the pillars of 4E if I recall correctly) but the RPGA doesn't really exist as an entity which you 'hear from' any more. It is almost entirely a mechanism for co-ordinating organised play, via various campaigns (currently Living Greyhawk, Xen'drik Expeditions and the tail end of Living Kingdoms of Kalamar) and a few other activities like the D&D Open and some involvement with Worldwide D&D Gameday.

The extent to which the RPGA is useful to anyone is almost entirely linked to how much that person wants to play in an RPGA-facilitated campaign. If you do, the RPGA will provide countless modules via its network of volunteers, along with a certain level of volunteer support to conventions etc. If you are not interested in one of the campaigns, the RPGA has nothing to offer.

Now, I like Living Greyhawk as it meant that when I moved to a new place I could get regular and semi-regular D&D games without having to commit to one small group of people or one single campaign. I like the shared-world aspect of LG (and would like it re: Xen'drik Expeditions, if I'd ever really found anyone to play with!) and am hoping to get LFR going in Sheffield (where there isn't, it seems, much RPGA stuff going on) as soon as it starts. If these things are not a benefit to you, then there's no real point in worrying about the RPGA as it isn't applicable to you!

I was given an RPGA number, for use with their web site to get access to further details to play in games, get support materials.

The access never worked, multiple email requests for help and even phoning - no answer.

Polyhedron UK initially pulled me in, but as I said, that got canned after issue #8.

A pity, it did sour me on the RPGA. Whereas the old TSR UK Players Association under Don Turnbull was quite brilliant.

 

[Bagpuss]

I joined the RPGA (UK) in about 2001 on the recommendation of a friend. I got a couple of issues of the UK RPGA magazine (excellent, but was then canned) and then heard nothing from them after, despite several attempts at contact, alas.

So I'm afraid I was rather disappointed.

Ah yeah I remember when RPGA (UK) was a separate branch, with it's own version of Polyhedron, I joined and paid for a 3 year membership. Then a few months later they declared that Polyhedron was folding and RPGA membership was going free. All existing members would get a Dungeon Subscription for the remainder of their paid membership.

Of course this never happened in the UK, they just took our money and ran. Eventually over a year later they sent a battlemat as a sort of apology.

In the UK the RPGA use to organise schools competitions with prizes, which I personally know got lots of brand new players involved in the hobby. Of course all that got canned when RPGA USA took over, now as far as I can see they do NOTHING to promote the hobby. The just support existing gamers, and very few of them, mainly the Living campaign folks.

 

[MW Turnage]

I'm not a RPGA member, and have no intentions of being one; that style of play has never particularly appealed to me. There's no denying how much of a draw it is to many people, though. For several years now, our local con (MidSouthCon) has had a strong RPGA presence. I don't know the exact numbers, but more than half of the gaming attendees put down RPGA as their primary reason for coming. Quite of few of them are making 8+ hour trips. I've talked to entire groups that have driven up from Alabama, Texas and Louisiana just to play in a sanctioned game.

Now that's dedication. That's also a significant attendance boost for cons that provide RPGA games. That's win-win to me. The RPGA folks gets to enjoy themselves, and the cons I attend stay healthy. For that reason I'm very pleased to see the RPGA getting things more organized, and I hope that continues with the arrival of 4e.

 

[kenobi65]

Now that's dedication. That's also a significant attendance boost for cons that provide RPGA games.

Well...it'll be interesting to see if this continues in 4E.

Most RPGA convention play today is Living Greyhawk. One of the notable features of LG is the "regional" system -- real-world areas are mapped to regions within the world of Greyhawk (for instance, your MidSouthCon is in Tennessee, which is part of LG's Yeomanry region). Each region publishes a number of "regional" adventures each year, and, in order to play in a certain region's adventures, you have to actually be in that region. For example, if you want to play a Yeomanry adventure, you have to actually attend an event that takes place in the Yeomanry region (Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi).

It does appear that the regional system attracts some players to travel to conventions, in order to play in regions other than their home region (and, thus, play adventures that they cannot play at home). Another factor that attracts players to conventions are the special events (interactives and the like) that are only offered at certain conventions.

Living Greyhawk is ending this year, as the RPGA shifts to supporting 4E; the new Living campaign will be Living Forgotten Realms. While LFR will have a regional system, from what's been discussed so far, it doesn't appear that you will need to travel in order to play in another region's adventures, and many RPGA players are predicting that this will decrease the attendance at (if not kill outright) many conventions, especially those that are primarily RPGA conventions.

 

[Piratecat]

Never understood the whole alure of the RPGA. Never played in a RPGA game and really....I dont think I've missed a thing.

Actually, I'd say you have.

Everything I know about GMing came from studying astonishingly good DMs in the RPGA. Jay Tummelson (now with Rio Grande Games), Teeuwynn Woodruff (who is now at WotC), the late Brett Bakke, and a dozen more -- people who could make a pre-written module simply sing. I've had some of the funniest, most exciting D&D games of my life running or playing in RPGA classic games. I've also made dozens of great friends who I'm in touch with to this day.

Of course, I've also played with sucky tables and beginning DMs. It happens. But in my experience, the superb outweighs the mediocre.

The Campaign style of RPGA play doesn't appeal to me, so I can't speak for games nowadays. But I'm hesitant to condemn RPGA games as a whole. If you want something a lot like I'm describing, try coming to one of the EN World game days, or play in ENW games at GenCon. It's very similar to the old classics: friendly people and good DMs running really good games with pre-gen characters.

 

[Zaruthustran]

The RPGA itself only runs events at a very small number of big conventions (D&D Experience, Origins, GenCon, and, last year, the Penny Arcade Expo).

To Martian Agitator: dude, PAX takes place in Seattle. It's the largest multi-platform gamer festival in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to RPGA and other games, it's got booths from exhibitors such as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, WotC, Wizkids, Ubisoft, Namco, Fantasy Flight Games, Privateer Press, etc. etc. Last year, Bungie chose PAX for the world public premier of Halo 3 (see the craziness here ).

You should probably check it out.

http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Arcade_Expo
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/pax-technica-looking-back-at-penny-arcade-expo-2007.ars

-z

PS: Teeuwynn is indeed rad.