Why is "I don't like it" not good enough?

[Mallus]

Or make friends with local people and then invite them to game with you.

A few years ago the only people I gamed with were local folks I met through ENWorld. They turned into friends. It was like magic!

 

[Zhaleskra]

I have a couple feelers out, one on a different game board, one on a furry board. No responses to either yet.

That's a little strange on the furry board because I'm offering a furry game to start with. Maybe I said too much about the system.

 

[Cyronax]

I have a couple feelers out, one on a different game board, one on a furry board. No responses to either yet.

That's a little strange on the furry board because I'm offering a furry game to start with. Maybe I said too much about the system.

Where did you post these 'feelers?' Why didn't you just call them angels instead of 'Furies?' Have you tried any historical enthusiast war-gamer groups? The Furies would seem to be a popular theme for most D&D-derived games. Maybe you should call them Erinyes. That's a better known D&D association. Furies also have some connections with Valkyries of Norse myth.

Interesting idea, playing an angelic type character. Are most of the characters deva-like? Or to put it into older edition-ese, half-celestial?

C.I.D.

 

[Tewligan]

Where did you post these 'feelers?' Have you tried any historical enthusiast war-gamer groups? The Furies would seem to be a popular theme for most D&D-derived games. Maybe you should call them Erinyes. That's a better known D&D association. Furies also have some connections with Valkyries of Norse myth.

Good suggestion. Also, of course, Yggdrasil is the "world tree" of Norse mythology. I would definitely play up the Viking aspect of the game, given that strong starting imagery - maybe something about their iron weapons, and the strong themes of fate and predestiny that go through so much of the Norse mythos? Call it something like "Yggdrasil, Iron, Furies, and Fate".

 

[Cyronax]

Good suggestion. Also, of course, Yggdrasil is the "world tree" of Norse mythology. I would definitely play up the Viking aspect of the game, given that strong starting imagery - maybe something about their iron weapons, and the strong themes of fate and predestiny that go through so much of the Norse mythos? Call it something like "Yggdrasil, Iron, Furies, and Fate".

Thanks Tewligan. That's a good idea. I forgot about Planescape and the Yggdrasil/World Tree.

Is it a good idea to mix Greek 'Furies' with the Norse myths? It seems fitting given the place of Valkyries, but still, its a mixing of cultures, which is always controversial.

C.I.D.

 

[Zhaleskra]

Where did you post these 'feelers?'

Iron Crown Enterprises forums and Midwest Furries forums. On admittedly short notice. Since the initial post I have revised my first available Sunday.

 

[Cyronax]

Iron Crown Enterprises forums and Midwest Furries forums. On admittedly short notice. Since the initial post I have revised my first available Sunday.

Wow I haven't heard of ICE in years. Good place to find Furies. I still own some of their old sourcebooks (esp the Spanish version of Minas Tirith). I guess in a way, Gandalf is a Fury too, since he's an Istari/Angel/Wizard. Mighty powerful Fury.


C.I.D.

 

[Tewligan]

Thanks Tewligan. That's a good idea. I forgot about Planescape and the Yggdrasil/World Tree.

Is it a good idea to mix Greek 'Furies' with the Norse myths? It seems fitting given the place of Valkyries, but still, its a mixing of cultures, which is always controversial.

Well, D&D has always been a mishmash of stuff pulled from different cultures, whether it's an ogre magi living the next room over from a rakshasa in the dungeon, or the tendency of players way back in the 1E days to make clerics of whatever god whose picture they most liked in "Deities & Demigods". I think Zhaleskra's idea for a Norse/Greek mashup game sounds fun, and IMO really harkens back to the old feel of D&D.

 

[Cyronax]

Well, D&D has always been a mishmash of stuff pulled from different cultures, whether it's an ogre magi living the next room over from a rakshasa in the dungeon, or the tendency of players way back in the 1E days to make clerics of whatever god whose picture they most liked in "Deities & Demigods". I think Zhaleskra's idea for a Norse/Greek mashup game sounds fun, and IMO really harkens back to the old feel of D&D.

Yes indeed, Tewligan. Its important to respect D&D traditions, but its also important to look forward and consider others' opinions or not.

As for Zhaleskra's masshup, I'm impressed. The dual inclusion of Greek Furies with Norse Valkyries sounds awesome. It helps appeal to many male D&D players imaginations of beautiful warrior-angels arriving on the battle-scene.


C.I.D.

 

[Hussar]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Cyronax- that Furry (as in people who pretend to be animals) not Furies (Greek myth). Or is it that Zel has typoed.

Zel, there are a plethora of good sites for trying to find gamers. rpgloop - Welcome! is a good site for one. Google is definetly your friend here.

Now, on to the goodies:

Shadzar - I honestly do feel your frustration. I've been there. When I first started building my online group is was a very painful experience. Players that would sound interested in joining, soak up lots of my time getting their character ready, only to flake out at the last minute. Or players who would try wildly innappropriate characters. Or players who wouldn't make the slightest effort to learn anything about the setting that was being played.

Oh yeah, I totally feel your pain. I used to be where you are now. But, I'm going to impart my little bit of wisdom that I gained from that experience. No amount of banning, building walls, or being hard nosed will make these people better players or people that you want to share your table with. It just won't. Their playstyles and yours (and mine) are just incompatable.

My solution was to advertise my games being the biggest douchebag I could possibly be. That weeded out 90% of the flakes. My online adds were brutal (and, I'm not exactly the most sensitive person in the world in the first place). Lots of THOU SHALT NOT and YOU WILL BE ON TIME, and that sort of thing.

Plus, I made a very coinscious effort to be very clear what the players could expect from me. This much time is what I'm willing to spend on the game, this is how much flexibility I will give you, this is how much prep I put into the game. So one and so forth.

Once I did that, I had a much better time recruiting players. If the player was willing to bull through all the assinine social roadblocks I put up, he or she was likely to be a pretty good player. At that point, I relaxed an awful lot and became much more likely to be flexible with people's concepts.

It worked for me. I've managed to put together a fantastic group with incredibly creative people who continually surprise me and make my game something I look forward to every single week.

But, man, it took a LOT of hair pulling to get to that point.