How Often Do You Cancel Sessions?

[Dannyalcatraz]

For our group, its kind of seasonal.

Nov-Feb are hard months for us to get together, due to holidays, birthdays, kiddie events, travel and job issues.

Beyond that, its usually only when we have a serious scheduling conflict.

 

[Crothian]

We average about once a month over the year but we cancel more in the winter becasue of weather issues. For me it's not the number of missed sessions but the reasons why we miss them. This past week we missed the session because the DM got a last minute phone call from his wife and there was some sort of water and plumbing issue and she was freaking out about it. Those things happen. We know sessions can be called for sick kids, people have to work evenings, weather probklems, and family issues/emergencies. If we miss 10 sessions in arow because of these things it won't bother me that much.

However, if we miss a session becasue someone forgot about it or some other lame excuse then I'm upset. Luckily, with the current group we don't have that problem.

 

[greatamericanfolkher]

Another evening with yet another game cancellation has got me wondering: do others cancel the game as often as my group does?

We strive for a weekly game. This month, 3 out of 4 sessions have been cancelled. Most of them without so much as eight hours notice. (One of them was cancelled without anyone telling me at all.)

Since I joined the group in December, we've had 13 scheduled sessions. All except maybe 4 have been cancelled.

As I'm not the host or DM of the group, I have no control over how regularly we play. I know only that I make plans to attend repeatedly and more than 70% of the time we don't actually game.

Retreater

For every game other than my Ghostbusters game I will run with a minimum of two players present. (Ghostbusters I only run for the full group because that's our "let's learn GURPS" game.) I vary rarely cancel games, and it's usually for weather.

 

[aco175]

We did cancel a few years ago due to Christmas falling on game day. Other than that only serious illness or more than 12" of snow. We do play on Tuesday's, so not much goes on with holidays and family.

 

[Dice4Hire]

My group is only three total, so one absence is a cancel.

If I had four or more players, I would play with only three, but two is too few.

We generally play 3 of 4 weeks on average, but occasionally hit weeks-long dry spells.

I almost never cancel
One player cancels once in a coupld months
Tee last cancels once a month minimum.

 

[ProtoClone]

Well as the GM of my gaming group, and part time performance artist, I can say that I probably do.

During the Winter seasons it is easier for me to run a game because that is when my performance schedule slows down. But once Summer hits, it gets harder and harder to run a session because at least one weekend a month I am out of town for a show.

Because of this I am considering stepping down for the Spring and Summer to be just a player while someone else decides to step up. Then once Fall and Winter comes around I will take the spot back if it is possible or if I want to.

 

[Tanstaafl_au]

One of my regular games is every designated a weekly thursday game. Its my most cancelled game I've had. Mostly because I will get work commitment come up which doesnt happen for my fornightly game on a saturday. But try not to miss more than 2 sessions in a row.

The thursday night also has four player - I'll play as long as there is 3 players, so most oftens its my fault.

I like the idea of playing something regardless for an oft cancelled game.

 

[Retreater]

There's four players and a DM in our group. When it's the DM (and host) cancelling the game, there's not much of a recourse.

It just seems that someone is always sick or has to work late or something. I know that I was in another gaming group for about 15 years and we've cancelled about the same number of sessions in that 15 year period as this other group has cancelled in three months.

Retreater

 

[MinistryOfGame]

My game doesn't cancel. Hell, I had pharyngitis once and still ran my game. I've run my current game with one player. As long as the players want to play, my game runs on time. Oddly enough, people didn't want to play on Christmas day, or when I was interstate.

The game I currently play in, though, has a stupid amount of cancellations. More than 50% of them come straight from the DM wussing out for whatever reason. Furthermore, he's a bit of a control freak, and he doesn't like the idea of anyone else running a game during his slot (so that our game would have a bit more flow). But when he's away, we just play board games or someone else runs a one-shot.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My game doesn't cancel.

Lucky SOB! I have questions:

How old are you?

Is your Significant Other a gamer? If not, are you willing to sleep with one eye open just in case game night conflicts with an important date, like an anniversary, just to make sure all of your body parts remain attached?

Do you have kids?

Do you have a job that sometimes involves travel or overtime?

Have you ever required surgery?