Quote from: Captain Rufus;422042I am getting to the point where I am ready to quit buying gaming stuff and possibly give up on gaming with other people its become so hard to find a group.

I have more or less stopped buying gaming stuff which I am not going to be using in a game.  Awhile ago I thought about picking up the Dresden Files rpg books.  But in the end I decided against it, since I probably won't ever play a game of it.

At the present time I have stopped buying any new WotC D&D books.  So far there are no 2011 4E titles on my "must buy" list.

I still pick up the monthly Pathfinder AP books, largely for pleasure reading material.  But I don't bother buying any of the hardcover Pathfinder books, nor any of the 32 or 64 page supplement books which are mostly crunch heavy rules stuff.  Crunch heavy Pathfinder books are kinda useless if one is not presently playing a Pathfinder game.

I still have a weakness for Dungeon Magazine.  Back in the day when I took a 15+ year hiatus away from rpg games, Dungeon Magazine was the last thing I gave up.  I was still reading new issues of Dungeon for another year or so, after I stopped playing any rpg games.  At the present time, the monthly Pathfinder AP books are the closest to what Dungeon Magazine use to be.

Lately I've been reading the new D&D comic book series by IDW.  (It's only on issue #1 so far).  Despite the cheesy cliched D&D storylines so far, it's not much different than the sort of stuff published in the Pathfinder AP books, but in comic book form and without any 3.5/PF/4E crunch stats + rules.  

I may very well end up dropping the Pathfinder AP books from my monthly purchases, and just pick up the monthly D&D comic instead.  Also it's only 4 to 5 bucks a month for a comic book, instead of 15 to 20 bucks a month for a Pathfinder AP book.

Quote from: Captain Rufus;422042If it wasn't for a once yearly con and D&D Encounters I am not sure I would have done much of ANYTHING for gaming the last 6 months outside of a couple pickup games that never got a single person to play what we were playing.

Same here.  (Though I didn't go to any cons this year).

My previous 4E D&D group collapsed about a year ago, due to changing interests + priorities, player apathy, burnout, etc ...

Quote from: Captain Rufus;422042People don't seem interested in finding groups at all.  I mean, I even bought into D&D Essentials I was so desperate to get an RPG group going.

So folks can't find a game so why bother buying anything new or even bothering?

I only picked up the 4E Essentials RC and "Heroes of the Fallen Lands" books, largely for playing this season of 4E Encounters in "Keep on the Borderlands".  The DM sometimes doesn't show up, where I ended up having to DM the session.  (Otherwise there would be no game at all that session).

With that being said, if I didn't play 4E Encounters, I certainly would not have purchased any 4E Essentials books.

At this point, my weekly 4E Encounters game is slowly collapsing too, from not enough players showing up weekly and the regular DM being kinda flaky.  I'll be bowing out soon from this 4E Encounters game.  Then I won't be playing anything.

Quote from: Werekoala;422224Yes, but wasn't it an impressive history lesson?

Now go back to the Fulda Gap, you troublemaker!

I buy all my chinos and dress shirts at the Fulda Gap.

Quote from: Benoist;422135Sure. Absolutely. It's just that I'm not seeing what is so darn difficult for people to just propose to play a role playing game with friends just like you'd propose an evening playing some other game, or watching movies together, or whatnot.

It's like role playing games have to be that sort of weird cult-thing that only dedicated people do. Well, no?? Doesn't have to be that way at all. Some people I know are playing in campaigns, only once every month or two, and that's perfectly fine that way.

I don't know why that is that so many gamers seem to have trouble breaking the ice with non-gamers or worse, wouldn't even *THINK* of TRYING, at least.

It's puzzling, don't you think?

It is, though thoroughly predictable, as is the whole annoying geek culture phenomenon.  When I hear people talking about it is a fun, wry manner, I'm ok with it.  But people who speak about their inclusion in said 'wierd, cult-thing' plinter group merely intensifies the issue.
It's a hobby.  It's a fun hobby, now tied into all sorts of other hobbies and interests. I have hardcore gamers involved and people who have never gamed before.  
The only thing that can be a little different is the time investment of a campagn, but sometimes you don't even talk about that.

Quote from: LordVreeg;422273It is, though thoroughly predictable, as is the whole annoying geek culture phenomenon.  When I hear people talking about it is a fun, wry manner, I'm ok with it.  But people who speak about their inclusion in said 'wierd, cult-thing' plinter group merely intensifies the issue.
It's a hobby.  It's a fun hobby, now tied into all sorts of other hobbies and interests. I have hardcore gamers involved and people who have never gamed before.  
The only thing that can be a little different is the time investment of a campagn, but sometimes you don't even talk about that.

I don't knwo what your non-gamer mates are like but most of mine would prefer to play golf, get a beer, go for a meal etc than play an RPG. And if you mix in the fact that social events are increasingly tied to kids and partners then ....

It's hard enough getting them to play pictionary for Christ sakes

Quote from: jibbajibba;422288I don't knwo what your non-gamer mates are like but most of mine would prefer to play golf, get a beer, go for a meal etc than play an RPG. And if you mix in the fact that social events are increasingly tied to kids and partners then ....

It's hard enough getting them to play pictionary for Christ sakes

Well, that varies. My players range from forty-somethings with children and work and all that to almost - thirty living on their own and with no attachments apart from work. And I have introduced several people without a problem.

Quote from: jibbajibba;422288I don't knwo what your non-gamer mates are like but most of mine would prefer to play golf, get a beer, go for a meal etc than play an RPG. And if you mix in the fact that social events are increasingly tied to kids and partners then ....

Most of my old non-gamer friends who have not cleaned up their acts, are still doing the same stuff they did decades ago, such as:

- hanging out at nightclubs
- going to rock concerts
- drinking booze every day
- playing crappy music in a live band, or recording crappy music at their home studios
- overnight stays in jail, for public drunkenness


Of my non-gamer friends who have cleaned up their acts over the years or who were never in trouble to begin with, they're doing stuff like:

- watching television every evening
- playing golf or tennis
- going to the movie theater with the wife/gf and/or kids


These two groups have very little to no interest in playing any rpg games.

I don't even bother asking anymore, if they're interested in playing any rpg games.  Not even a one-shot evening game.

Quote from: jibbajibba;422288I don't knwo what your non-gamer mates are like but most of mine would prefer to play golf, get a beer, go for a meal etc than play an RPG. And if you mix in the fact that social events are increasingly tied to kids and partners then ....

It's hard enough getting them to play pictionary for Christ sakes

See, #1, I like going for a beer or going out for a dinner with my gamers.  So we share that anyways.

My wife is one of my best players, we do dinner during sessions.  Spouses routinely come and work on projects or correct papers (and laugh at us).  I find that making is a more inclusive event helps.

I understand how lucky I am, but I have 2 groups i run with a waiting line.

Quote from: LordVreeg;422316I understand how lucky I am, but I have 2 groups i run with a waiting line.

Sorry for the digression, but, out of curiosity - how do you decide on what's a "full" group before you decline new players?

Quote from: Cole;422326Sorry for the digression, but, out of curiosity - how do you decide on what's a "full" group before you decline new players?

My group is full now (nine players and one GM) because I can't cram any more people in my living room where we play. It's very crowded as it is now and we are using the largest room in the house.

Nine is too many.

 Six is 'just right' but still maybe too many.

Four to Five players, Plus the GM is usually 'just the right size'.

- Ed C.



...Or as we used to say in the late '80s/early '90s  - if its more than the number that fits on a standard transporter pad, than you got too many. Time to start a second group. Played/GM-ed a LOT of FASA STAR TREK: The RPG back then  

Quote from: Koltar;422339Nine is too many.

 Six is 'just right' but still maybe too many.

Four to Five players, Plus the GM is usually 'just the right size' for me.

- Ed C.

Fixed your typo.

I am very happy with gamemaster + 3 (+4 at the most) as it gives the intimacy needed to tell some good stories but still has enough "random player moment" to keep the game going in unforseen directions. In my opinion at least.

Quote from: DominikSchwager;422343I am very happy with gamemaster + 3 (+4 at the most) as it gives the intimacy needed to tell some good stories but still has enough "random player moment" to keep the game going in unforseen directions. In my opinion at least.

But if Randall is having a blast running a game with 9 players that is cool and ok, right?

Quote from: DKChannelBoredom;422346But if Randall is having a blast running a game with 9 players that is cool and ok, right?

It is his game. He can run it for 25 people for all I care.

Edit: I must say I admire the gamemaster who can keep a session for 9 players flowing.