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Foundry of Decay

First Post
Another disenchantment thread ;)

Well, I'm not disenchanted with D&D, or with the D20 system itself, but I've been finding lately that I just cannot find a solid group to game with around these parts.

While I am very used to having one player at a time, since It's how I grew up playing the game, I find things lacking that you'd get in a moderate or larger group.

Right now I have two people I game with, but one has a full time job, a child, and is usually very tired on the weekends, which is quite understandable! We used to play roughly 2 times a month, with another player who is new to the whole game thing, and were doing quite well. Lately though, we tend to game all together roughly once every 6 to 8 months, if that, and I find it nearly impossible to continue a campaign that way, since I tend to forget nearly EVERYTHING that was going on with characters, plot, people and devices.

The second player, who is new, was getting twitchy to play again, so I decided to do a one and one campaign with him. Due to myself being busy, we agreed on the old schedule of 2 times a month. The problem I have with him is that he hasn't set into a group mind set yet. He roleplays impossibly well! And he makes some highly creative characters with their own attitudes and such, but the group dichotomy isn't working out since one of the characters he's playing is bullheaded, and impatient, and the other is a conniving little sneak with a heart of gold when it comes down to it. Since It's such a painfully small group of characters, I tend to have a couple lower level, or lower power NPC's head along with them, and the mix doesn't seem to blend.

I find myself growing more and more disinterested in continuing on with either campaign. One because I just can't remember the overall plotline, and the other because of an odd mix, and odd style of 'novel-book' RP (Which would be fine, if there were other player characters to balance his characters a bit).

I like to play, and I certainly hope to again someday, perhaps in a larger group, though finding one around here doesn't seem very easy, but I think I'm going to throw in the towel until I can figure things out.

I'm working, partially, on a doing downloadable furniture, crates, walls, portals, floortiles, and buildings, just to keep a sort of back seat interest going though.

I'm just curious if a lot of other people go through periods like this? Ones where they seem in between actual groups, but still have one or two players on the fringes that might be interested, but are usually working so hard that they just can't go through a session at all?

Eh, sorry for the long post. I guess this was an exersize of catharsis..
 

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BiggusGeekus

That's Latin for "cool"
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'd rather see someone walk away from gaming and have happy memories than watch someone get burned out and bitter.

Enjoy the break. I stepped away for about seven years. I came back and I'm loving it.
 

ATO_DM

First Post
Maybe you should sit back and be a player for a while, and let the guy you're playing with DM. I DM a lot and find being a player much more relaxing.

Also, if you want to find a larger group check out the local colleges for gaming clubs, as well as gaming stores. These players might not be great role-players, but they'll certainly have enough free time to play consistently. And with the guidance you and your friend they might actually become good role-players.

Good Luck!:)
 

Weeble

First Post
I see your plight. I DM a group that meets two times a month, unless something comes up to cancel a meeting. Only one of my players have I known for a long time, the others being players we contacted via the internet. Sometimes it is tough for us. My friend and I prefer more role playing (but it's been so long sense we have done this - high school), while the others seem to like a more combat-oriented campaign. I've grown to like both aspects, but my friend hasn't and the others rarely do anything in-character outside of combat. Part of the problem obviously lies with me, as the DM. I'm used to players that throw so much role playing at me that plots, ideas, and my own role playing come naturally to me. I have a hard time coming up with high fantasy plots and tend to keep things a bit "too real." But even though it is taking me alot of time, I'm evolving (or digressing) back to the way I used to be, I think.
In short, don't give up! Take a break if you need to, however long it needs to be. Tell your one player that you game with often to be patient while the two of you find more players. Find your local game stores and post away! Also tell the owner/employees that you are interested in finding a group. Do some local internet searches and post. Find anything you can on the internet that will direct you to fellow gamers in your area.
In the meantime, do the things you would do if you had a group but were in between sessions. Make tons of fleshed out NPCs with plot hooks. Make even more archetype NPCs that you can use over and over again by simply switching a few traits and the name. Make a crazy "published quality" 1st level adventure that will launch any future group into a campaign. Try to use every combination of rules in the DMG you can, from environment factors to dugeon ecology. If you haven't already, read the core rulebooks head to toe. Some of it can be boring, but you would be surprised at some of the rules you might miss if you just skim certain sections you knew well in previous editions. As a last resort (or a first one) find a good fantasy book or series. Aside from the obvious Tolkien or what have you, read the Thieves' World series printed about 10?-15? years back. I loved that series and always thought it would make a good D&D setting. I would be scared %&$!less to actually live in the city Sanctuary. Good luck to you and don't give up, at least not for good.
 
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Rashak Mani

First Post
Yep its sucks to be an adult gamer... my suggestion is try to find some new players to give your gaming a boost. People with kids and 2 jobs simply dont have the time and dedication to gaming that you need.

Follow the advice above maybe... take a break or HOLD ON !! Gaming is much more interesting than real life...
 
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Foundry of Decay

First Post
Good to know I'm not the only one then!

ATO_DM: I'd revel in being a player again, though one player is barely free enough to play, let alone create a campaign, and the other is very new to all of this, is still getting the hang of gaming in general, and doesn't even have all of the books to actually write out a series of quests yet (though he has shown interest in running a game somewhere in the future). I think I might check around the local college boards to see what I can find though!

Weeble: Good advice, and I'll likely be doing a local search for players. The game store we have here is more of a comic store than anything, but is slowly eroding into a game shop since the comic industry is in disarray. They do, if I recall, have a board for people to post to though.
As for the writing portion, I'd have to start anew, and get creative again.. I've so far written no less than 4 seperate 'starter' type modules for 3e (and countless others for Star Wars), and have used each. If anything, I might just nitter around with the world a little more perhaps, and certainly delve back into the novels I have hanging around half read!

One consensus I notice among the replies is that perhaps I should take a break, and I think I'll do just that. Despite playing only once every 8 months or so, I do a LOT of work on the games I'll be running (too much, perhaps), and I think it's time to just sort of spin free of the focus, and see what else is going on in the world.

I don't think I could ever just leave cold turkey or anything, as I find gaming to be a huge stress relief, and I've invested well.. More than an artists salary would allow in books for the new system ;)

Thanks for the replies all!
 

Fyrie

Explorer
I say stop DMing and keep playing (find a new group?), OR
stop DMing and switch mediums (go play some online games)
OR keep playing, switch mediums and find new players (dm a NWNs game, or use on online DnD aid)
 

Foundry of Decay

First Post
Fyrie said:
I say stop DMing and keep playing (find a new group?), OR
stop DMing and switch mediums (go play some online games)
OR keep playing, switch mediums and find new players (dm a NWNs game, or use on online DnD aid)

I think I'll start rummaging about for a new group and try to start up as a player again, though after a bit of a break I think. The last time I actually *played* in a game of D&D was when 2nd edition was at the pinnacle of it's popularity ;)

NWN is tempting. I tend to stay away from online games (well, at least the MMORPG's and their kin) due to the l33t speakers. NWN could be interesting (at least, I'll wait for all the 'cool' to wear off of the reviews to see what it's really like), especially since it seems you can control who joins in the games :)
 

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