So you're joining a new game...

[Morrow]

This question is sort of inspired by this thread.

So you have the opportunity to join a new game, but you don't know a lot about the DM or the other players. Maybe you know a couple players, but have never gamed with them. Maybe you've seen the DM as a player, but never as a DM. Maybe you don't know any of these people from Adam. Whatever. What kind of information will help you determine whether or not to join this game? What kind of information will allow you to decide if this game is your kind of game? What do you need to know up front, and what is negotiable?

Go.


Morrow

 

[Doug McCrae]

What kind of information will allow you to decide if this game is your kind of game?

Playing a game with them. If you like it you stay, if you don't you leave.

Ask us a tougher one next time.

 

[Zappo]

Yeah, the only way is to play a game or two. D&D is too flexible; you can't accurately judge a game from simply talking about it unless it is truly horrible or truly wonderful. Even if someone told me "oh, we're playing an evil hentai campaign with the rules from the BoVD and BoEF", there would still be a (slim) chance of it being fun and enjoyable.

 

[IronWolf]

I think the best thing to do is play a session with them. Let everyone know its a trial session to see if you fit in well with the rest of the group and if you like them as group. If you aren't happy or willing to see how things go after the first session, you do not go back, but no hard feelings.

There is a lot to getting an enjoyable group together. A trial session will help make sure that everyone's style is on the same page which will hopefully lead to a fun game.

 

[Crothian]

play a session and see how it goes, only way to be sure

 

[shilsen]

As everyone here has said, except that I'd make it a couple of sessions. I'll be gaming in a week with a new group (decided to get in some extra gaming) which consists of people I don't know and have never met in person. I'll reserve all judgement till the end of the first two sessions.

 

[Morrow]

These are some interesting responses, but I'm not entirely sure they're representative. Dissatisfaction with Your Gaming Group? and similar threads on these boards leave me with the impression that there is a significant percentage of gamers out there with pet peves that will kill their enjoyment of a game, regardless of its positive qualities. Perhaps I'm missreading things. I started this thread because I figured that if there really are those hot button issues that can make or break a game, regardless of its merits, it might be worth knowing what they are ahead of starting (or joining) a new game.

It's about asking the right questions. If Fred the Barbarian is going to become enraged and stomp on everyone else's fun because the DM won't roll everything in the open, wouldn't you rather find out before the campaign begins, rather than three sessions in when he starts frothing at the mouth and throwing his dice bag at the DM's screen?

Morrow

 

[frankthedm]

if someone told me "oh, we're playing an evil hentai campaign with the rules from the BoVD and BoEF"...

I'd tell them, "I'll have my Lolicon Alienist ready next week!"

 

[JesterPoet]

If you smell gamer funk from the driveway/parking lot, get back in your car and go home. Otherwise, give it a shot, and see how it goes.

 

[IronWolf]

These are some interesting responses, but I'm not entirely sure they're representative. Dissatisfaction with Your Gaming Group? and similar threads on these boards leave me with the impression that there is a significant percentage of gamers out there with pet peves that will kill their enjoyment of a game, regardless of its positive qualities. Perhaps I'm missreading things. I started this thread because I figured that if there really are those hot button issues that can make or break a game, regardless of its merits, it might be worth knowing what they are ahead of starting (or joining) a new game.

I think the thing is what is a pet peeve for one is a great thing for someone else. I am not sure that one could formulate a list of questions that would cover all the bases. What is a pet peeve to me, may be something you love to have or see in a game. You would be likely to get a questionnaire that is over 100 questions long and *still* not cover everything.

Each gaming group is different. In ours we look for people that mesh well with our group. How do we determine who meshes? First its a two way street, while we may like someone, that person my not like our group. It just works out that way sometimes. When introducing new members we try to meet them outside of the game and chat over a dinner or drink. If everything goes well there then we bring into a gaming session or two. There are chances we get along great in a non-gaming setting but one of those pet peeves rears its head in gaming sessions.

Before all of this the DM tries to give a run down of our gaming style any house rules, etc. This may rule out some people right away, but in other cases it still takes a session or two to figure it out.

Getting through a couple of gaming sessions is the only real way to see if a group is a good match for you. That is where the cohesiveness of the group will be clearly evident.