[RPG] Gm question: New players dropping from sessions.

[Mort]

Would like to know how other GMs handle this kind of thing.
- Karma.

I tend to be very forgiving of work/life conflicts - especially if my player provide notice.

What I despise is simply not showing up - there's just no excuse for not providing some kind of "can't make it" in this day and age. Fortunately, my players know this and everyone is quite communicative.

What I find interesting, is the ones with the most commitments are much less likely to cancel. My player with a high stress-high hours job, a wife that travels internationally most of the month AND triplets hasn't missed a session except absolute emergencies.

The non-married, no kids and a fairly low key job - player - I basically treat him as a guest star because 3 out of 4 sessions he'll cancel at or near the last minute. But since I know this and can plan for it, it's no big deal.

Seems like the problem in the OPs case is there hasn't been any patterns or trust established with the new players. IF they're friends -talk to them and see how serious they actually are. If just potential players - maybe send an email to suss out seriousness and let them know you wont have much more patience.

 

[Karma Kollapse]

I definitely have been forgiving with work conflicts - one of the players who left a few months back worked as a surgical nurse and would have to bow out of games at the last moment when operations would overrun. I mean, what am I going to do, tell him not save a person's life?

This isn't the case with either of these players though: one agreed to a bunch of dates, and then seems to have realised he is going to gigs on those dates instead, and hasn't so much as created his character yet (which should've happened over a week ago now). The second agreed to a bunch of dates, and then on the day of each let us know he had a work shift that day. I'd have thought shift workers would be much better at sorting out their dates... maybe I just expect people to be too organised! Either way, both cases are a bit odd for people who have just joined a group.

IF they're friends -talk to them and see how serious they actually are. If just potential players - maybe send an email to suss out seriousness and let them know you wont have much more patience.

Yeah that's the problem - I've met both of these people only once each, so they aren't people I know well. The Starfinder player does have two close friends in the group (they all joined as a trio), and the others seem to have expressed some frustration as well which makes me think things aren't quite as clear cut as 'had a work conflict'. I'm very much for patience - all I've done is send a message asking if he is sure work is likely to prevent him from playing regularly - but we do have other people who want to join the Starfinder group who I've had to say no to because we are full. It seems sorta stupid having someone take a slot and then not show up, someone else could be sitting in their seat having a good time.

As for people not showing up at all or peoople missing sessions 3/4 times... I'd probably ask them to drop out at that point, or at least try and find out if there's some sort of major issue like social anxiety or depression stopping them from showing up.

 

[Karma Kollapse]

Holy morning glory. You are griping because your players emailed to cancelled. Please ship one of those players to my house. Don't forget to put air holes in the shipping crate and no cod.

Took me a while to realise you meant cash on delivery. I was so confused... why would you not let the players have fish? Players need to eat maaaaaan....

And yes perspective is important - I'm lucky to be GMing in a city where there's so many players looking for GMs that I'm not having to struggle to piece a group together with a bunch of people who barely want to play in the first place.