Nightcloak said:
Agreed.
Wolf handled this situation well with his group (If I remember correctly, he had to let two players go). Hopefully he'll swing in to explain it all...
*Poke* *Poke*
Ouch! Hey, that hurts! Next time, don't use a sharp stick.
Anyway, his issues seem a bit different than mine. I have had to let 3 players go most recently and about 2 years ago let 2 go and about 4 months ago let one go. I have handle it well (most recently) and horribly (2 years ago). I am a much better DM today in Nightcloak's leadership area of expertise than I was 6 months ago.
At any rate, my first 3E game was at a LGS. It was advertised heavily by the shop and through local word of mouth. I am pretty well known in the area and when I showed up the first night (mind you, I let the shop owner handle the logisitics and just figured a group of 4-8 would show), there were 17 players at the table. By the end of character generation, I was down to 12, but still too many. The shop owner insisted everybody gets to play (I should have walked then, but I was excited about the new edition and having my first regularly scheduled weekly game in about 8 years), so I was stuck. Some quite or relocated, but I was saddled with 8-12 players almost every week.
In addition, I only knew 2 of them personally (one was a colleague I invited and the other a guy I had DM'ed for back in the late 80's and early 90's) when we started, so I got the associated unexpected behaviors. I grew to hate that game. It should have been a great campaign, but with that many people at the table, it takes away from everyone's enjoyment... including mine. There were conflicting personalities, silliness, stupidity, competition, flirtation (the 2 above-mentioned players got married because of that game).
Now, if they are friends, it becomes more complicated. My SOP now (sad that I have to have one) is to explain the problem, frame it as a "you" (as DM) problem, not a "them" problem, find an alternative game for them to play in and show them you care about them (if you do) by keeping in touch and seeing how things are going occasionally.
BTW, my post-hiatus gaming is three sessions old, but they were good sessions. That is to say, not perfect sessions, but good. The first was like a first session with a new group, the second was slow because the party was testing the strengths and weaknesses of an obstacle most of the session (Font of Bones from NG's ToA) and had a new player, and the third was interesting... It was scheduled for my house, but my plumbing went haywire an hour before the session. In addition, there was road construction on the main route here and when my players arrived, we couldn't get to our second choice location due to the traffic jam. We went to a community center we have used before (and fortunately, I can usually get on short notice - connections) and had a blast. Unfortunately, one of my players argued with the party's treasure distribution methods at the end of the session and asked me to make a ruling on how they HAD TO divide treasure according to the RAW (or interpreted). I declined ro intervene and the fireworks started and lasted for 30 minutes as they argued how to divvy treasure (but that story is for another thread).
BTW, I have a letter in Dungeon's Prison Mail this month!
DM
