Interviewing New Players

[Graybeard]

Any new players I bring in to my group I prefer to know them outside of gaming first. Two of my current players I met at work and got to know them there before asking them to join. Another is the brother of one of them. I also got to know him first because he would come visit at the store.

Two other players I met online. I emailed them and gave them a brief overview of what game I was going to be running, what types of things to expect in the game (intrigue, combat, etc), what day and time, etc. After several emails and a few phone calls with them, they joined my game. They worked out well.

Once I had a player bring a friend of his to the game without asking first. This did not work out well because the new player was a combat freak. That's all he cared about. Whenever there was charatcter interaction of any kind, he would become very impatient. He had a character that was a strong\silent type of fighter. This person would constantly remind the group that his character doesn't talk much. After about 5 or 6 sessions, we kicked him out.

I would recommend asking questions of potential new members to your gaming group to see if they will fit in with not only the current members but your playing\GMing style as well.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I was going to make a similar comment earlier on but then I read the Baron's post more carefully. He was specifically referring to carless people in small communities. I don't know how to drive. But that's directly associated with my decision to live in communities where I can retain an independent lifestyle without bumming rides off people all the time. In North America, at least, you need between 100,000 and 500,000 (depending on the kind of government and culture you have) in a community before the carless lifestyle starts working. I tried living in a town of 84,000 with no car for a few months -- it was not on.

I've spent time in communites of approximately that size, and the thing that makes public transit a no-go isn't just that everyone owns a car, but also that there's no distance between point A and point B. If you can't walk everywhere in under a half hour, you can at least bike there in 10 minutes. Perhaps if you're living out at a farm or something...but if that's the case you'd need a car to get to your house in the first place so it wouldn't be an issue.

Of course, the quality of transit in larger communities usually depends on whether they have any money, which varies from place to place. Once you clear about 150k people, if there isn't adequate transit, the place is probably too big to walk around in.

 

[fusangite]

I've spent time in communites of approximately that size, and the thing that makes public transit a no-go isn't just that everyone owns a car, but also that there's no distance between point A and point B. If you can't walk everywhere in under a half hour, you can at least bike there in 10 minutes. Perhaps if you're living out at a farm or something...but if that's the case you'd need a car to get to your house in the first place so it wouldn't be an issue.

I think you've been hanging out in better-planned, perhaps older communities than I. I find that most towns of more than 20,000 or so have 40-80% of their population living in even less dense quasi-suburbs than those attached to larger urban areas. I do find that older, more geographically isolated mid-sized North American towns are less likely to have this problem; but they're not really the norm anymore on this continent.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I definitely wouldn't be comfortable hanging out on the first date, so to speak. You don't know me so you want to get to know me, that's cool, but I also don't know you. Yes, a public place like a mall or a movie theater is okay, but why would I say yes if I don't know you?

I agree that it's not good to game with people you don't like. But asking them before meeting them to come over or to hang out is not the best way to get to know them, IMO.

Quoted for truth. Have met a few gamers whom I would not have "hung out" when first meeting them, but now that we have gotten to know each other while gaming, we do hang out and have a good time.

 

[S'mon]

I really counsel against the 'interview' with questions that are blatantly bent on teasing out 'problem' players. IME it's people's personality, not their gaming style, which determines whether they'll fit into a campaign.

What kind of questions do you recommend then? Or no particular questions? I'm about to interview prospective new players for my game next week so this thread is very useful.

 

[S'mon]

"What keeps you busy during the week?"
- The correct answer is either a job, full-time student, or a combination. I've had some bad experiences with those who are unemployed.

I agree with this, although I myself was recently unemployed for a year before I managed to get a new job, so if someone is unemployed but actively seeking work that's ok. I think long-term unemployed, living on state benefit (not a homemaker/housewife/househuband) and not seeking work is a potential warning sign. Although one of my best friends fits these criteria also.