Quote from: lotharlocnarI been playing since 1975/76ish I had played with Arneson and Gygax and that crew a little way back in the day. I love 3.5 D&D D20 stuff. I been running a campaign now for almost 8 yrs. and thankfully it's been a great time. I do not allow children to play (under 21) unless there is a family member here. I run every other weekend on Saturdays for about 12 hours or so. I use all d20 stuff I can as well as core. We are nearly all epic levels now and they love the continued plots and ever changing game that makes D&D such a great game.
We do need more women involved though! They add a whole new aspect to role playing with a bunch of guys at the table as well.

Dang.. I thought I was a battle-scarred veteran!

Anyhow, welcome to the forums!

And I agree.. This hobby needs a dose of estrogen!

Quote from: LancerSh!t.. Some of you guys started gaming before I was even born..
I was born in '78 and didn't start gaming until the early-mid 90s.

hahahha..... started RPG gaming (playing D&D) in January of 1977, Was GMing by 1978. Was playing wargames since 1973. Owned my first wargame in 1974. Avalon Hill's Panzer Leader. Attended my first gaming convention in 1979?, Ghengis Con when it was hosted in Denver at what is now University of Denver.

Kyle has it right: You just set aside time, you invite people, and you game.

Yeah, sounds easy. I know you have a million reasons why that won't work, but seriously, you just have to set your priorities.

Some habits are going to have to go. You can't just "casually game" if you ever did that before, for example. In the adult world we do things on a schedule. You just figure out which day of the week is good, and which 4 hour period you want to host 4 people in your house and you are set. casual gaming was over the second you stopped living in a "dorm".

Finding people might be your biggest hurdle. If thats the case, all I can tell you is "keep trying" or switch games to one people in your area actually want to play. Or join an existing group that fits in your schedule. Look around online. Post ads.

But making it happen? t's easy. Just remain cognizant of two facts:

1) Being a good host is important if you're hosting. Being a good guest is important if you're a guest. That's just how grownups do stuff. Bridge club, poker night, whatever. Its the exact same vibe.

2) be a good facilitator if you're the GM. Allow yourself to have a good time socially if you're a player. Because why? Because this is what the adult world expects at this sort of gathering.    

Gaming in the adult world is easy if you can acknowledge that high school and college (and the way you did things back then) are over.

Heh. Born '81, started gaming in the early '90s.

Quote from: Abyssal MawKyle has it right: You just set aside time, you invite people, and you game.

Yeah, sounds easy. I know you have a million reasons why that won't work, but seriously, you just have to set your priorities.

Some habits are going to have to go. You can't just "casually game" if you ever did that before, for example. In the adult world we do things on a schedule. You just figure out which day of the week is good, and which 4 hour period you want to host 4 people in your house and you are set. casual gaming was over the second you stopped living in a "dorm".

Finding people might be your biggest hurdle. If thats the case, all I can tell you is "keep trying" or switch games to one people in your area actually want to play. Or join an existing group that fits in your schedule. Look around online. Post ads.

But making it happen? t's easy. Just remain cognizant of two facts:

1) Being a good host is important if you're hosting. Being a good guest is important if you're a guest. That's just how grownups do stuff. Bridge club, poker night, whatever. Its the exact same vibe.

2) be a good facilitator if you're the GM. Allow yourself to have a good time socially if you're a player. Because why? Because this is what the adult world expects at this sort of gathering.    

Gaming in the adult world is easy if you can acknowledge that high school and college (and the way you did things back then) are over.

You've all made excellent points without suger coating anything.  I suppose one of the big frustrations I have is that you coordinate time, and then most of the people cancel on you for one reason or another.  I know, I know...no excuses

As far as a host, I typically am the host and I try to make it a decent environment.....read: well fed.   It is not unusual for me to have a large roasted ham (something you can munch on all night), or take a break to have steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, and fresh cooked vegetables.   Something solid to offset the chips, cookies, and soda that we've been munching on all day.

I suppose right now the biggest challenge is finding a new group after 20+ years of playing with my old group, and getting said new group to be willing to play the games I've created.  I'd pretty much have to be willing to play whatever they want until I build a rapport and trust level for them to try my setting.  

I have to say I'm fairly picky with who I game with as well.  I am not a big fan of immaturity, heavy drinking of alcohol, or min/maxing, which limits who I can game with.  To me, listening to drunk people telling gay jokes or making crude comments about NPC women for half of the night isn't a fun experience.  Let's just say I'm really tired of the old "Morning cums, make a dex check" comment.  So I suppose I'll have to ease up on that front as well.


Oh, and for the record, born in '74, started gaming in '82 with my older brother and his friends.

Here's what I did 4 years ago.

I put in a call to gamers in our neighborhood newsletter. Got one response. He brought another two. A couple of weeks later got another response. My neighbor looked like the geek type so I asked him. Within a month we had six gamers. Perfect.

We range in age from early 30's to early 40's. We all work at least one job some work two. We are married. Five of us have kids. One has three, two have one, another two have two and the last is trying to adopt. Kids range in age from a year old to 15 years old.

We try to meet once a week on Tue, Wed or Thurs. We game from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm. On average we game 3 nights a month for a couple of hours at a time. If someone is not there, we black bubble him and he gets no experience. Tough.

Usually it is a trade off with my wife. I get my one nightly guys night gaming and she gets a lady's night out.

Weekends, with the rare exception, is reserved for family time. That's what sold my wife.

Quote from: Acta Est FabulaYou've all made excellent points without suger coating anything.  I suppose one of the big frustrations I have is that you coordinate time, and then most of the people cancel on you for one reason or another.  I know, I know...no excuses

Always remember: the game must go on.

• If ten people show, draft one of them to GM, and split the ten.
• If four or five show, game on as usual.
• If a couple are missing, game on.
• If so many are missing and they're key to the campaign, then run a one-off, or draft one of the players to GM a one-off (as I did the other night and described here). Game on.
  
• If no-one shows, spend the evening ringing up gamers present and past for a chat, searching on the internet for new gamers, preparing your Dream Campaign, or at least reading your rpg books. You're alone, but still gaming on.

The game must go on! Only in this way do you keep your enthusiasm up and miss those horrible dark periods of several months or years without gaming. It also helps, I find, in keeping gamers showing up regularly. If you always have the same time and place every single week, there's none of that "oh I didn't know if anything was on" bullshit. And if players know that the game will go on without them, they'll be more anxious to join it. Just think of how few people are late to movies at the cinemas, and compare with sitting down to watch a DVD - at the cinema, you know they're going to go ahead without you, this makes you anxious to be on time. Be the same with your game group. :cool:

Again, that's if you decide that gaming is what you really want to do. I dunno, maybe really you just want to hang with your old buddies. That's up to you.

Quote from: Acta Est FabulaI suppose right now the biggest challenge is finding a new group after 20+ years of playing with my old group, and getting said new group to be willing to play the games I've created.  I'd pretty much have to be willing to play whatever they want until I build a rapport and trust level for them to try my setting.  

I don't know what your setting is, but I find players are generally easy-going and will try lots of things. The exception are those in the 20+ year groups, those bastards are fussy. "Different! Wrong! Stranger! Danger!" Fuck that.

Just shop around for gamers and groups. Don't worry if they seem imperfect, so long as they aren't total freaks, give 'em a go. You have nothing to lose except your boredom.

Quote from: lotharlocnarI been playing since 1975/76ish I had played with Arneson and Gygax and that crew a little way back in the day. I love 3.5 D&D D20 stuff. I been running a campaign now for almost 8 yrs. and thankfully it's been a great time. I do not allow children to play (under 21) unless there is a family member here. I run every other weekend on Saturdays for about 12 hours or so. I use all d20 stuff I can as well as core. We are nearly all epic levels now and they love the continued plots and ever changing game that makes D&D such a great game.
We do need more women involved though! They add a whole new aspect to role playing with a bunch of guys at the table as well.

Welcome aboard.  

Do you know Old Geezer then? Because you sure better not be stretching the truth about having gamed with Gygax and Arneson (not that I'm saying you are, but hey, a lot of people claim stuff on the internets), seeing as how we have someone who verifiably did hang out with those guys (and invented the Gelatinous Cube, if I recall the story right).

RPGPundit

People playing with Gygax and Arneson is like those books where the blurb tells you he was an SAS guy who was part of the Iranian Embassy Raid... must have been a couple of hundred blokes there...

Quote from: RPGPunditseeing as how we have someone who verifiably did hang out with those guys (and invented the Gelatinous Cube, if I recall the story right).

And that was the one that killed my first character! Alas, poor Jim Bob the Luckless...

Damn you, Old Geezer! You shall feel my nerdfury! :rant:

Quote from: Acta Est FabulaI suppose right now the biggest challenge is finding a new group after 20+ years of playing with my old group, and getting said new group to be willing to play the games I've created.  I'd pretty much have to be willing to play whatever they want until I build a rapport and trust level for them to try my setting.  

I've been having the time of my gaming life with my current group after going through a gaming slump which lasted close to three years. I'm extremely picky about the people I game with too. This new group only played TSR & d20 games before I showed up. I was only supposed to fill in for their regular GM who wanted a bit of a break....this was two years ago Picky is fine, but IME you got to take risk and meet up with new folks if you're not gaming and want to game. If it doesn't work out - not having fun - just walk.

Regards,
David R

I advertised for and joined a group just under 2 years ago and we're adult about it - when we have time we game. When the SO has something else planned, we fold. We move the gaming day around from week to week so that we can fit in.

We've lost a player and gained a player and we just recruited another.

I am toying with the idea of a Skype Video/iChat video game though with a friend of mine who moved to Cyprus and has found no gamers there.

My kids love game night, and I'm lucky enough to have a group that is not only respectful of my kids, but downright encouraging and engaging. With me working in Law Enforcement i have rotating days off, and I am currently on second shift-which sucks flaming diseased monkey balls-so scheduling is a bitch. But we make do.

I try to game twice a month, if not more-and generally I am successful.

Quote from: Serious PaulMy kids love game night, and I'm lucky enough to have a group that is not only respectful of my kids, but downright encouraging and engaging. With me working in Law Enforcement i have rotating days off, and I am currently on second shift-which sucks flaming diseased monkey balls-so scheduling is a bitch. But we make do.

I try to game twice a month, if not more-and generally I am successful.

I can empathize.  Out of all of my friends, the one who loves gaming the most is a corrections officer, and typically works 12am to 9am W-Sun.  But that changes on a nearly weekly basis.

A few of the things that help our larger gaming circle:

• We have a schedule posted online with e-mail reminders.  
• As it became more difficult to get time weekly, we moved to gaming either every fortnight or on fixed weeks (1st and 3rd of the month, for example).
• We arrange for car-pooling of those who live further away. Not only does it make things more convenient for some people, it also makes it harder to flake out!
• We have an open-game night every Monday, and whoever is available show up.  It's low-commitment and helps people stay in touch with gaming.
• We break into smaller campaign groups for whoever is available on other nights.
• We have a lot of couples where both are gamers, which makes scheduling easier as well.
• We run shorter episodes than we used to (about 4 hours in stead of 6-8.)

Quote from: Acta Est FabulaAs far as a host, I typically am the host and I try to make it a decent environment.....read: well fed.   It is not unusual for me to have a large roasted ham (something you can munch on all night), or take a break to have steaks, garlic mashed potatoes, and fresh cooked vegetables.

You happen to live in the Montreal area?  :haw: