What do you want in a role-playing club?

[Warchild]

I was at Con once and was waiting for a friend to get out of a Marvel game being run, so i was sitting on the floor against a wall. While i was looking at whatever it was that i had bought (i think it was the providence game - which is cool btw) i found out that i was in RPGA central. there was about 10 rooms that crisscrossed the small hall wall i was in and had constant traffic between the rooms with rpga members coming to the middle of the hallway in a loud huddle of people. They were trading magic items, spells, secrets, and Cohorts (!!!) between different characters, from different games, and apparently different settings. They rarely even roleplayed, they spoke of their character in the 3rd person, with paladins dealing with assassins and such things, all while i was sitting there with a stupified look on my face!!. I think i literally had my mouth hanging open, because a couple of them looked at me strangely. All though a couple did come up to me ask if i had anything to sell or trade!
That soured me on the RPGA forever!! I have a mailing list and a small association of gamers in my area and i am happy with that.
Ocassionally someone around here will suggest we get a RPGA hook up going, but i just refuse to participate. Call me a jerk, but i don't want anything to do with it! I got nothing against anyone having fun with what they like, but i don't have to like it myself.
I think a wideranging group similiar to the RPGA would either from the outset, or at least eventually would turn into something like this. I could be wrong.....but i don't think so. The evidence to contrary seems somewhat compelling.

 

[Maerdwyn]

I really like one of the local gaming clubs in this area: The Bay Area Role Playing Society ( www.bayrps.com ), which has just about everything I want from a local organization.

GMs can advertise their games for free (even if they aren't club members), The club itself runs multiple games around the SF bay area, and club members get discounts at some local shops. The monthly newsletter is usually full of good stuff (mostly D&D, but other d20 and non-d20 stuff, too). They have an RPGA affiliation, but the group is mostly dedicated to supporting home games.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Am I missing something, or did that poll really just have three questions? How the devil do they expect to create an RPG club that everyone wants simply by asking three pretty generic questions? Or are there filters so that you go on to other questions depending on how you answer the first three?

 

[Ashtal]

I don't know about filters, but after I answered the first three, it took me to a second page with around 5 or so questions that asked specifically what I would expect in a membership package, what I thought the membership benefits should be, what Cons I had attended, and what core books I owned (options being the main three plus the FR book, and the Adventure game).

I may have forgotten one of the questions.

 

[pensiv]

after I answered the 3 (age, habit, and membership) questions it said "Thank you for taking this survey!" and then redirected me to the D&D page.

Seems fairly silly to me.

 

[Pigeon]

I answered another four or so after the initial three (the same questions as Ashtal).

I checked the: "never been a member of the RPGA" box - maybe that has something to do being taken onto anther satge. The could just be seeing how to persuade non members to join up. I dunno...

(eddited to make at least some sense)

 

[Jezrael]

That was the worst poll I've ever taken in my entire life. I want the 2 minutes it took me back!

I got the 7 question poll, but the questions didn't really ask me anything except whether I buy WotC product and if I'd like a T-shirt for joining RPGA.

 

[Balsamic Dragon]

I agree that I would have liked to see more specific questions. I've had several problems with the RPGA, and none were addressed in the poll.

The biggest problem by far is the competition aspect. I wouldn't even mind the points for playing games so long as there wasn't that damn "vote for the best player" thing. It changes the feel of the whole game, to the point where I just don't play in RPGA events at all.

Balsamic Dragon

 

[der_kluge]

Balsamic, you share my dislike for the whole awards and trophies thing. Aren't we supposed to play D&D to have fun, not to compete?

But yea, I think the "survey" adds a couple of other questions if you chose never a member, or was once a member. Apparently, if you are already a member, they don't really care what you want in an RPG club, because apparently you are already happy with the RPGA as it is. Pfeh.

Someone from WoTC needs to come in here and explain this survey to us. It makes no sense.

 

[Henry]

That's interesting, because I had 3 Screens of information to answer.

The first page was demographics (age, are you a member, etc.), the second was questions about what I'd like to see, and the third were some additional questions about what I expect - about 12 questions in all, I beleive.

Apparently each person had a different questionnarie????