JimBobOz,

You're a rude, arrogant, stupid, abrasive motherfucker. I'm done with your sorry ass, unless you want to bring it to the USA so I can kick it. Bye.

Melan's got the kind of thing I'm looking for, except maybe even branching out beyond game clubs into other kinds of public space. Colonel, I accept that this wasn't part of your experience, cool.

I wonder: does anyone have suggestions for how to make running this kind of game more fun? I have a few that are mostly familiar: quick chargen, enticing visual aids, keeping the action moving, goal-oriented play (dungeons or otherwise, having there being a thing you're trying to do is important), good showmanship on the part of the GM. Any other suggestions would be gratefully accepted though.

This isn't just theoretical wanking: I'm going to start running a game like this after my next minicampaign finishes up. Either at the hobby store, public library, or a coffee shop I know run by a gamer, depending on which looks like the best setup. So advice for how to do it well would be appreciated. I know I started the thread generally wishing there was more gaming like this, but the next step is to make it happen, so that's where I'm going next.

Some people mentioned con games, which are cool and do have obvious points in common, but they're like praying at church. I want the lapsed and the heathen as well, and no special space to support me.

I once sorta did this for Rifts, which also has all the trappings you named to pull this off.
What is very essential is a way you set up the quests and the characters.
For that Rifts thingamajig, I created a special volunteer unit, that would be subsidized by the NGR governement to help/investigate in D-Bee villages across the patrolled border.

So I had the aerial insertion, pick up and reinforcement option whenever it was needed.

EDIT: To bring in new characters, move away old ones, and end the session, even though the mission is not accomplished. They had pick up times, that coincided with the real time schedule.

Quote from: CalithenaJimBobOz,

You're a rude, arrogant, stupid, abrasive motherfucker.

I could have told you that!

Here's the thing - a person's personality comes through more when they game. Consciously or unconsciously, you can't avoid it. As a result, I won't game with anyone I would not associate with outside of the game. It doesn't mean I will hang out with them outside of the game (one of the players in my Exalted game I rarely see outside of the game) only that I would if the chance arose.

Quote from: CalithenaInteresting. I have no interest in WoW, but I have a lot of interest in low-social-commitment face-to-face RPGs.

For some reason, that seems wrong. Like saying you like to frequent bath houses.

Some of my most fun gaming experiences were convention games.  But that's mostly because I was meeting new gamers and playing with them.

Even the friendly local gaming store only has the same dozen+ role-players, and while I don't mind playing with them their games are often already in-progress and closed to new players when I come around checking the boards.  So it's pretty much whatever group I can wrangle up for myself...  which means my friends.

If I lived in a big city, perhaps things would be more open or different.  I do think it would be nicer to be able to meet more fresh gamers and play with them.  I'm a friendly sort.

I still don't understand why Calithena can't get this from con games, or demo games in stores.

Gah. I don't even consider demo games or tryouts to be actual gaming.

Con games (at least the majority of the ones I've been in) aren't far removed from demo games.  The "Living" campaigns are pretty much the exception, because I at least have some consistency with the character and there's an actual campaign going on.

Isn't the "Living Greyhawk" thing more or less what you're describing, Calithena?  I ask this not really knowing much about LG (or any of the other "Living" campaigns available), so perhaps I'm completely off base, but that seems to be an organization deliberately organized for random people to get together and game in the same setting.

Anyhow, while I agree that there should be more social networks for gamers to meet and get to know each other, it would be hard for me to run the kinds of games that I want to run with random strangers.  I need some degree of cohesion and consistency over time.  Occasional con games can be fun, but I'd rather that not be my regular game.

Quote from: WilFor some reason, that seems wrong. Like saying you like to frequent bath houses.

Huh? Its great for opening up the pores!

On a more serious note I think making that link is silly.  For example I kid TonyLB about being promiscuous with his gaming but only in pure jest. Perhaps your post was in jest too?

Quote from: blakkieHuh? Its great for opening up the pores!

On a more serious note I think making that link is silly.  For example I kid TonyLB about being promiscuous with his gaming but only in pure jest. Perhaps your post was in jest too?

That could be a very strong possibility.

Quote from: WilFor some reason, that seems wrong. Like saying you like to frequent bath houses.

to me it shows a level of contempt for one's fellow man, if you aren't willing to extend the basic social courtesy of treating your fellow gamers as sometihng other than a tool for your own amusement.  

I would go so far as to say that knowing that a player had that attitude would make me disinclined to even want to play with them in such one-shots as Calithena describes, because I would expect him to have no investment in the games success or the enjoyment of his fellow players.  

Much like the Internet, where folks will say and do a lot of shit just because they expect never to have to confront the consequences in real life, I would expect this sort of "gaming slut" to do a lot of stupid shit because he goes in with the expectation of never playing with the rest of us again.

J. Arcane, are you talking about something I've suggested here? By 'low social commitment' I mean, at a minimum, the basic courtesy people show each other at work or in the classroom, plus the additional general friendliness that goes into 'hey, let's sit down and play a game together.'

Well, whatever. This thread is done for me; I'm going to be running public games at the local coffeehouse in a few months, and I'll stop back in to let you know how all this went in practice. I am writing some explicitly miniatures-driven roleplaying rules with very simple chargen that I think will facilitate this kind of play. So I'll have some fun with that too. And I assure that as the GM of such a game I'll be working my ass off to help the people playing have a good time. We'll see how it goes.

Quote from: Calithena... Well, whatever. This thread is done for me; I'm going to be running public games at the local coffeehouse in a few months, and I'll stop back in to let you know how all this went in practice. I am writing some explicitly miniatures-driven roleplaying rules with very simple chargen that I think will facilitate this kind of play. So I'll have some fun with that too. And I assure that as the GM of such a game I'll be working my ass off to help the people playing have a good time. We'll see how it goes.

Good luck with this experiment!  Be sure to let us know how it turns out.
:wizard:

(Is this a coffee house in Ann Arbor?  I wonder if it's one of my old procrastination dens ...)

Actually, it's a new place in Ypsi, Bombadil's. Highly recommended stopover if you're coming through downtown on M-12.