Haha, just kidding. I have no problem getting people to play. I play D&D4e which is incredibly popular. Suckers! But lets talk about forming gaming groups. This should work for just about any game where there are more than 2 or three people that want to play in your area.

I was just looking at some other sites and they all had variants about this question.

So here's some ideas:

The way I get people to play is I make an announcement somewhere that I am running a D&D game and then I filter through all the responses I get (usually within the hour) so I don't end up with too many people. This year, I moved away from campaigning to mostly running the Living Realms stuff, so the nature of the games itself (lately) is episodic, which means I could have totally different players from one game to the next.

So here's some resources that help you do what I am talking about:

Step 0 - Don't sell a fucking thing.

This is completely contrary to what a lot of other people are saying, but if you want this to actually work, listen up.

You don't need to "sell", "trick", "train", or "cajole" anyone into playing anything. Ever. You shouldn't even try, because it's bullshit. Find people who are already interested or curious in a game you want to play and simply invite them. If they have a good time, they will come back. If they do not, you will not see these people again. You will not create converts. You will not train people to have fun your way. But more often than you think, you can find a kindred spirit who likes the same activity you do if you just make the barest effort.

Step 1- Take Advantage of the Network.

The internet, and the social network that represents everyone you know. This is the ocean in which you will swim in order to find people to enjoy this social activity with. Note: Abandon the idea that you should only play with your friends right now. Definitely invite your friends, but you may find yourself making new friends too if you just widen your horizons a bit.

WARHORN.
http://www.warhorn.net look at setting up a "recurring gameday" that way you have a site where you can kind of announce what you are running and give people a method for contacting you. It's not really a gameday, it's just your gameroom or a weekly get together, but still. This is a great management tool. Also its free.

YAHOO GROUPS:
http://groups.yahoo.com/ is what we use in LFR land. Each region has a group and often individual areas (like say.. "Baltimore" or "DC" have their own list as well. If you can get people to join your group, you can make announcements there.

MEETUP
http://www.meetup.com/ - I don't actually use Meetup that often but I have found quite a few players this way two years ago. Some of these guys I still game with every once in a while and I'm facebook friends with a lot of these guys.

Speaking of which...
FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com - no seriously. Join or start a facebook group dedicated to your favorite game, and if possibly try to localize it. If your favorite game is Tunnels & Trolls you could join the main Tunnels & Trolls group and then start a "Tunnels & Trolls- Baltimore" and advert it there, and see if you get people to join.

There's also leaving a flyer at the local gamestore or exchanging phone numbers with casual aquaintenances you meet at game shop or work, or relatives or wherever else. I filled out a 25 things about me thing on Facebook and had several people from my old high school (I graduated in 1986) and my work come out as people who liked D&D and would be willing to play.

Step 2- Don't be a pussy!

If you are one of those guys who is afraid to game with people you don't know intimately or who have not filled out an extensive lifestyle questionnaire or something, you're probably fucked. Gaming is a social activity and a great way to meet new people. Contact these people or make yourself available to contact and see if you can't arrange a game.

That said, if someone is obviously a little bizarre when you talk to them over email or phone, don't invite. I mean, seriously, people are using Craigslist to hook up for sex, and managing to screen things somehow. This is just GAMING. Don't take it so seriously.

Step 3- Find a Venue.
This could be your own place or a public place that will allow you to have fun. I am lucky enough to have a great gameshop nearby that allows us to use their big upstairs area for arranging games, but I run stuff at my apartment sometimes, and I've even run stuff in Hotel lobbies and other public venues. In college we used to play in the University Center lobby and sometimes at the public cafeteria. This weekend I have been invited to a "private gaming club" out in Frederick, MD that some dude is hosting out of his basement. Some apartment complexes have party rooms and there are other places you can get. Look around at your options.

Step 4- Manage It.
No seriously. This shit doesn't manage itself. Have everyone show up on time as well as you can, and seated. Arrange for food if that's part of what your group does. "Hey does everyone want pizza? Ok, pepperoni ok?" get consensus quickly, don't let people debate. If you are arranging this, YOU are the host and manager. Then kick the game off on time and cut it off when you have determined the shut down time will be.. if that's three hours or four hours, make sure everyone knows beforehand how long the game session will last. Otherwise people will drift out as they reach the end of their endurance.

Oh I left this out, but I meant to mention it as a network resource:

These forums (TheRPGSite) and the ones at Enworld and Wizards.com are all places I have found people to play with. TheRPGSite people were all people that played online (via a Skype/Screenmonkey virtual tabletop type method)

I have met several real life players via Enworld and Wizards though, many of whom I have maintained a gaming relationship with that has lasted years, and even networked in and become friends-of-friends. A lot of the guys I carpool to DDXP and GenCon with are people I met originally through gaming contacts I met through forums.

ALSO:

Don't count out online/virtual tabletop gaming. There are a number of tools out there (conference calling via skype or ventrillo or other teamspeak applications), and virtual tabletop/battlemat applications  out there.

Many of these apps are totally free.

Lots of good info!   BTW, have you had success in getting RPGA folks to try out non-D&D games?  

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283395You will not train people to have fun your way. But more often than you think, you can find a kindred spirit who likes the same activity you do if you just make the barest effort.

Bingo!

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283395Abandon the idea that you should only play with your friends right now. Definitely invite your friends, but you may find yourself making new friends too if you just widen your horizons a bit.

Crazy Talk!  Everyone I didn't already befriend in grammar school is a child molesting lawncrapper!  Oh gods, don't you read the internet?

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283395MEETUP
http://www.meetup.com/ - I don't actually use Meetup that often but I have found quite a few players this way two years ago.

I have found Meetup to be an awesome tool.   Our 4e group gets 70+ people once per month to descend on a local game store.   It's quite awesome.

BTW, why Facebook instead of MySpace?

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283395This shit doesn't manage itself.

THIS is where I suspect many groups fail.

Quote from: Spinachcat;283400Lots of good info!   BTW, have you had success in getting RPGA folks to try out non-D&D games?  

There is a guy named Mike who joined our Thursday group expressly to try and meet people and lure them over to playing other games. ...And he has had little-to-no luck, according to him. I have had plenty of luck in getting RPGA folks to try other D&D and AD&D campaigns though. I mean, that's about like me. I only really care about D&D, myself. And I am even more specific in that I only care about DMing D&D (any version- but especially Basic, AD&D1e and D&D4e), and leveling up my two LFR characters. I loved D&D3e but I the last game I ran was at DDXP 2008 and it went great, so that was good final memory of D&D3.

If you said "hey, anyone want to play (whatever other game)?" I would just bow out.. I figure that spot is best reserved for a fan of that game.

There were periods when I was running Mutants and Masterninds though. I'd be really tempted by Palladium Fantasy or Rifts too, I guess.

Quote from: SpinachcatBTW, why Facebook instead of MySpace?

The networking interface is just easier for me to deal with. I dodnt even think about Myspace, even though I have a Myspace... but I don't use it.  on the other hand, I check my Facebook every day. I guess it depends on what software you are using.

AM,
  Good post, this pretty much matches my experiences.
  I just want to reinforce #4. There is this idea that if everyone knows they are supposed to show at a certain day/time, it will all happen magically.
  Don't rely on magic, follow up with people. Its not that hard to send an e-mail on game night to remind people its tonight.

  The other thing that needs to be managed, new games.

  Every group has "that guy," he buys every new game that comes out, which meaans they want to change systems every 2-6 weeks. You need to talk to the group and figure out what they want. If they want to change systems often, then work out who to transistion that, otherwise,give the group a change to tell that they likelonger campaigns.

Here are some more places to find gamers-

  AccessDenied
  meetup
  NearbyGamers
  Pen & Paper Games
  rpgbomb
  RPG Registry
  SJG Player and Store Finder

I've also had luck finding people on forums like enworld and dragonsfoot.

Bribe them with rum.

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283395I have no problem getting people to play. I play D&D4e which is incredibly popular. Suckers!

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283395Step 0 - Don't sell a fucking thing.

This is completely contrary to what a lot of other people are saying, but if you want this to actually work, listen up.

You don't need to "sell", "trick", "train", or "cajole" anyone into playing anything. Ever. You shouldn't even try, because it's bullshit. Find people who are already interested or curious in a game you want to play and simply invite them. If they have a good time, they will come back. If they do not, you will not see these people again. You will not create converts. You will not train people to have fun your way. But more often than you think, you can find a kindred spirit who likes the same activity you do if you just make the barest effort.

.............

Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb;283426Bribe them with rum.

I find pot works well too.

Pen & Paper Games
 
This is highly recommended. It looks like crap--until you find out it's hooked up with google maps or some such. Very popular, too. Somebody from my area actually got in touch with me the other day.

But of course he wants to play 4E.

So I gave him AM's number.

One thing that does help is to put your real location in on these types of forums so that other posters can see where you are based.

Quote from: jeff37923;283429.............

Well, what can I tell you, Jeff? The way it works is... I say I want to play a game, offer to host, and I get 20 responses because they all want to play the same thing. There's no sales pitch or cajoling the group to do anything my way.

Of course I live in the mainstream gaming world.

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283507Well, what can I tell you, Jeff? The way it works is... I say I want to play a game, offer to host, and I get 20 responses because they all want to play the same thing. There's no sales pitch or cajoling the group to do anything my way.

Of course I live in the mainstream gaming world.

Except you said that you didn't have to advertise or cajole or bribe people into a game after you advertised the game system.

Quote from: Abyssal Maw;283507I have no problem getting people to play. I play D&D4e which is incredibly popular. Suckers!

Ironically reads like an advertisement.

Just like your bit about "living in the mainstream gaming world," seems kind of defensive.


See, I agree with the statement that all you should have to do is declare that you have a game you will be running and the when and where - nothing else needed. Except you didn't follow your own advice and preceeded the entire post with a declaration that since you play Your Favorite Game, that you never have a problem with getting players for it.

QuoteBribe them with rum.
I find pot works well too.

I want to play with you guys!
Bribes work. I reinforce attendance at the flgs by using the little grill out back, or by setting up my cooler to make homemade ice cream. Bring a little value-added to the game. Little prizes can be fun, too.