Who do you play with, and why?

[Stormborn]

In reading over the message boards and coming seeing things like "controling players" and the like I begin to wonder how game groups form. So who do you play with and why?

I play with 3 other people in what has been a very stable group. Sometimes only 3 of us play for one reason or another, but the group now conisists of 2 married couples (since I went and married the only other single person in the group). I have played once at a con in one adventure and ran a short adventure for my wife and another couple once but basically its these three.
We have other connections beyond the gaming table, and are friends first, fellow players second.

Now this can at times cause some problems. Play style and DM style varies widely,but we all learned or re-learned to roleplay together, so these things can be taken into account. Occasionally there are misunderstandings but these work out eventually, mainly because the commitment is again to the friendship not the game itself.

Having said that I would, from time to time, like to play with other people in other types of games and do stuff that I know my group will never do. Supers for example, wont happen because one person in the group is anti-super heroes even though the rest of us are for it.

So, since my gameing experiance has been rather limited (which is funny considering that I have written for Dragon and other published game material) I'm interested in knowing about your group.

Who do you play with? Ages, gender, education, etc.
Why do stay with that group?
How does the group dynamic change game play in your case>

 

[Crothian]

I game with friends. We hang out outside of gaming and even if i stopped gaming completely, I'd still be friends with them. That is very important.

More specifically I game with two couples. One couple have been married for like twelve years, they have 4 children. She's a stay home mom, he does computer support for the local paper while going to school (on line) for an art degree.

The other couple hjave been dating for less then a year but I've known them for much longer. I basically introduced them.

At times I wish we had more of a dungeon crawling group, as I'd like to explore that type of gaming more. But the women are really role play first (not that that is bad) and one of them refuses to participate in any dungeon crawl. So, it limits choices a bit. We also play a bit too much fantasy, I'd really like to try some sci fi but that's not their cup of tea.

One great thing though is no one is afraid of a new system. WE are now playing a d20 game and a Vampire the Masquarde game, but they wouldn't mind if we moved to a different system. They would have to be sold that the game is fun, and that the idea of the game is something they like. That is always more important then the rules.

That is the core group. We have about 8 other gaming friends that occasional play but they don't make group.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I game with friends. We hang out outside of gaming and even if i stopped gaming completely, I'd still be friends with them. That is very important.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

At first, I played with close friends. Through these close friends, I have met other people who also play, and I play with these friends-twice-removed. None of them are perfect (neither am I) and I am happy to have found good players with whom I want to spend (on average) one evening a week.

I'd probably have some problem gaming with people I don't know If they weren't at first presented by someone I know and trust.

AR

 

[Rel]

The guys I play with on a weekly basis are all very good, in some cases lifelong, friends. I've known them all for 10 years minimum. One I've known for nearly 30 years.

All of us are in our early 30's, within a couple years of each other in age.
We are married, without exception.
We have kids, with one exception (they are trying though).
All are "professionals" of one sort or another, though I'd place most of us firmly in the middle class.
All are college graduates with the exception of myself (I started and then quit).

If I'm itching to play something off the wall, I need look no further than the next NC Game Day where I've played with folks ranging from their mid-teens to mid-40's (and older) and from all walks of life. I've had a blast with that and I'm looking forward to the next one.

 

[DragonLancer]

I DM with 5 friends. Four of them are good roleplayers, one is a powergamer.

 

[Liquidsabre]

I welcome all to my game table and as a result have had many different gamers. Some of them I now can call friends of mine and we have been gaming together for almost a year now. Though this has resulted in the occasional aborted game session where we just hang out, but it's not so bad as we play weekly, we can afford an occasional hic-up in the story progress.

I try to run one group and play in another, doing one game/week if possible (run or play, not both). As a DM I believe it's important to maintain the player's persepctive for the sake of the game you run, it helps to see a little of what you're players are experiencing in the game you run.

This being the case I try to run for my group and play in another group. In my experience playign with the same great group over a long period of time, while awesome if such a group can be found, can result in a stagnation of play-style without new ideas and experiences being brought to the group. So I try to dip into other game groups to play, occasionally porting in a quality player if we lose someone from our core group, not to mention great other-DM ideas I can pick up on occasion and add to my repertoire.

On the other hand, a solid game group can also produce a great series of continuous adventures with characters everyone loves to play with and sometimes, if blessed with a creative AND mechanically-inclined DM, new PrCs, campaign specific feats, etc. Great stuff and it's why I try to do both!

 

[CalicoDave]

When I started playing (about 12 years ago) I joined a group that a friend played in. I didn't know anyone in the group other then the mutual friend. But we all got along well and had a similar playing style so things worked out. The core of the group is still together but we've added a few people and lost a few people over the years.

 

[JDragon]

I have played with a variety of groups over the last 18 years.

At first it was my friends down the street or at school I could get to play.

Soon, met a guy around my age that had posted a notice at the local game store. (I was 15 at the time) This was my first campaign, it lasted our entire freshman year. We became friends due to the game, but have drifted apart due to his move to CO.

Later I met people at DunDraCon (San Ramon Ca, Pres Weekend) and joined my first adult gaming group. I was 17 at the time and everyone else was 25 plus, and probably closer to 30. This lasted several years till the DM & his wife moved to the East Coast. (Phillip & Betty, you guys out there somewhere? ) Some of these people became friends outside of the game as well.

The last group I was a part of started much like my first, A local DM was looking for players and saw my post at the local store. I have gamed with people from this group for the last 8 years. People have come and gone, and come back, and we have met others at DDC which now play.

I would say for all the groups I've been apart of start as a gaming group, but most have developed into friendships with at least some of the people outside of the game.

And now I'm in the process of starting it again, as I have recently moved to the Sacramento area from the Bay Area.

 

[Kaleon Moonshae]

In high school it was anyone and everyone (my group consisted of 16 people at one point, we sat around a pingpong table in the garage).

In college it was friends or hand picked people (there were enough gamers that I could pretty much have as high of standards as I wanted)

Now that I am in the real world it is whatever I can find. My current group consists of a DM who is *good* just not quite my style, one player that is a joy to play with (lead singer in a rocka nd roll band as they say), and three others that are hit and miss each session. I rarely have the chance to choose my fellow gamers anymore since it is so hard to find a group.