Teaching New Players

[mara]

I've never understood the people who worry about finding players for whatever edition or game they play. I don't actively recruit 'gamers' for my games. I take my friends and turn them into gamers.

This is what I do as well, and to answer my own question, I haven't taught anyone to play D&D in the past year, though I have some friends I'm thinking of inviting to play once I get back home next year. I taught a group of friends to play 2e when I lived in the dorms, but that only lasted for a semester because I switched schools.

 

[mara]

One in the last year. It was more of a reintroduction though, since he had played about 10 years ago. Quite honestly, it's NOT MY JOB to introduce people to D&D. You're better off just introducing people to RPGs, then helping them choose their own, if you want to "grow the hobby".

That said, I also helped introduce another person to RPGs (Savage Worlds specifically) and I've helped introduce people to Tabletop Miniature Games (Reaper's Warlord specifically, but that actually was my job at Gen Con - so who knows how many).

I have no interest in growing the hobby for the sake of it, since I'm not a publisher and I game with friends. However, I've seen a lot of people mention that most gamers become gamers by learning from someone else, so I became curious to see how many people were actually doing that right now.

 

[Rabelais]

Just 1 in the last couple of years.

The SO of one of the other players in our group was introduced to D&D. I think she was an old Amber player though, so it was just a game change rather than an introduction to gaming.

 

[Khairn]

Between Worldwide Gameday, the Con in Seattle, and a few other newbies that saw what was going on and asked if they could roll some dice, I would say the number is between 15 and 20. I've always been willing to bring in and help new players learn the ropes.

 

[mara]

Between Worldwide Gameday, the Con in Seattle, and a few other newbies that saw what was going on and asked if they could roll some dice, I would say the number is between 15 and 20. I've always been willing to bring in and help new players learn the ropes.

And I apologize for not including higher ranges, I wasn't expecting so many. That's awesome.

 

[Vague Jayhawk]

I gave the core books to my second cousin. I tried to introduce his father to the game when we were kids, but he never had the imagination for it. His son does.

I voted 2, but now that I think about it, I think it should be 3. I am teaching two new players right now. I also brought an old player back into the fold.

I am doing what I can to spread the love.

 

[Agamon]

The last year? 0

The past 5 years? Around 8. So I'm doing my part, just not so much lately....

 

[messy]

just 1.

the notion that gamers have a "responsibility" to introduce new people to the hobby, well, sorta bugs me. :\

btw, nice pic, dragon snack

messy

 

[PoeticJustice]

just 1.

the notion that gamers have a "responsibility" to introduce new people to the hobby, well, sorta bugs me. :\

btw, nice pic, dragon snack

messy

Well, given that you think of it as a responsibility and not a privilege, you probably would be bugged by it.

D&D is a wonderful experience that ought to be shared with anybody interested. An active recruitment strategy furthers that. More than that, neophyte gamers are a lot of fun to have around. They let you shake off the dust of all the bad gaming habits you didn't even no you had and they increase your knowledge of the rules.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

I've introduced two people to fantasy RPGs in the last year, one liked it but didn't stick with playing and the other is hooked big time.