Non-gaming Gamers

[Sado]

Are there an of you out there who love playing rpg's, but don't have a group, haven't had one for a while (if ever), and don't see yourself hooking up with a group any time soon?

That is the situation in which I now find myself. Although I met my first group about 12 years ago in the navy, I don't have that much time actually gaming. After I got out of the navy I didn't play again until last year. That group split up, and I don't really have time to get out and find a new group due to RL concerns. A big problem I had with my last group was that I work third shift and sleep during the day, which clashed with everyone else's schedule. I know even if I find another group, that problem will come up again as long as I keep working here (hopefully not too much longer). Plus I just don't get out much, having a full plate with work and my girl at home, so I don't really have a chance to meet up with any gamers. I don't really have much of a life outside of work and my home life. These boards are just about the only contact I have with one of my favorite hobbies.

I was just wondering if there was anyone else like myself, who follow the hobby, know the system, publishers, settings, and lingo, but don't actually have a chance to play.

 

[aurance]

Me

No consistent gaming since the end of undergrad, about 3 years ago.

 

[Li Shenron]

I am currently playing in 2 different campaigns, and will start a third later this year, plus some discontinuous PbP game, so I cannot really say I am idle

But it happened in the past years that I didn't game for a long time. Before 3ed we played previous D&D for a while, but in between there were a few years when I only read books and played computer RPG because it was too difficult to arrange a gaming group.

Mostly I think it's a matter of taking the initiative to start. I remember it was very hard to convince some friends to gather one night and try the new 3.0 rules, it took a month just between making them agree to try and actually find an evening when everyone was available. When we gathered, everyone seems in the mood of having something to do without really wanting, but after we started the game, they wanted to play again the very next night to see what was going to happen with the adventure, and after that we basically never stopped

 

[Pbartender]

A big problem I had with my last group was that I work third shift and sleep during the day, which clashed with everyone else's schedule. I know even if I find another group, that problem will come up again as long as I keep working here (hopefully not too much longer).

What does your work schedule actually look like?

I work a 5-week rotating shift, which means I work 12-hour shifts on 2 out of every 5 weekends. It was a big problem with my gaming group for a while, since we were playing every Sunday evening. In the end, we begin playing two different games. One I DM (or play in) on the three weekends I'm not working, and another different game for everybody else on the two weekends I am working.

Right now, we play D&D on the weekends I'm there, and Spycraft on the weekends I'm not. It's worked out quite well for the last year and a half or so... It may be a solution for you.

 

[Sado]

What does your work schedule actually look like?

Wed-Sun 11pm-7am. Every 3 months we bid on what shifts we want, with senior people getting first choice. There are three shifts, 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm, and 11pm-7am. You bid on which shift you want and which days off you want on that shift.

Everyone else in my last group was 9-5 M-F. Friday nights and weekend days were good for them, and not so good for me. That wasn't the only reason I quit (the whole group sort of fell apart, but that's another story).

 

[dekrass]

I haven't gamed with an actual group since high school. I can't get more than one or two people together at once. I work a combination of 2nd and 3rd shifts, each week the days change. All the other gamers I know work varied and completely conflicting shifts.

Right now I have one friend I manage to game with, on average once every 2 to 6 weeks. Hopefully I can pull more together soon.

 

[Sado]

Me

No consistent gaming since the end of undergrad, about 3 years ago.

Misery loves company . Sorry to hear you're in the same boat.

I haven't gamed with an actual group since high school.

How long is that? I went 10 years between gaming groups. Although I did kind of lose interest for a while when I got into computer games. Now I'm trying to juggle both, as well as an Xbox and some lite tabletop wargaming.

 

[KenM]

I'm a non gaming gamer. I moved accross state a couple of years back. The couple of game stores we have do card games and warhammer. No one wants to get any RPG's going. When I tryed to get a DnD game going, it was all young kids that had to leave early/ not show up half the time. Not the type of players I want in a long term DnD campiagn.

 

[Pinotage]

I don't have a group and don't intend to find one. I exclusively play PBEM, and find it more than enough to suit my rpg needs. Not nearly as time consuming, I love the creative writing, you can play as many games as you like as player or DM, and you can play it every day! Slower sure, but just as much fun, IMHO.

 

[Pbartender]

Wed-Sun 11pm-7am. Every 3 months we bid on what shifts we want, with senior people getting first choice. There are three shifts, 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm, and 11pm-7am. You bid on which shift you want and which days off you want on that shift.

Yeah, that's a bit rough.

I've got a rotating shift, but at least it's a regular rotation. I pretty know what shift I'll be working every day for the next couple years.

All I can say is good luck if you're looking for a new group... And make certain anyone who plays with you knows you work a funky shift right up front, they'll usually be a little more lenient that way.

Anyway, back to the subject...

I'm not now, but in college I was a non-gaming gamer for a long time. It was just a bad time. I was burnt out on 2nd edition, and my gaming style differed so vastly from all the other RPGers I knew in college... It was period in the 90's when Magic cards were exceedingly popular (I'd burnt out on them too), and everyone was just getting into the MMORPG craze with Ultima Online. All the other D&D players I knew had gotten into a resultant K3wl L00t! and M4d Pow3rz! craze, that just wasn't my kettle of fish.

To put it another way, they were all playing the sort of Chaotic-Neutral game that I'd played in junior high school (not to cast any general aspersions on junior high school students, but you get the idea...) that I'd long since grown out of.

I played the occasional game, but they never lasted more than an adventure or too, due to the adversarial nature of the PCs involved. Oh well.

So I didn't play much at all, until after I'd graduated. 3rd Ed. came out, and via EN World I found a gaming group that met every week a block away from my house. I've been playing with the same group (more or less) for the past four years now.