At the end of last summer my regular game kind of fell apart, mainly due to one of our players leaving to pursue a career in NY. Our group had survived several people coming and going, but we'd gotten so far in the Age of Worms campaign with this member that it felt wrong to continue without him.
I thought I was just taking a hiatus, and that we'd be able to inch forward at a slower pace, but in reality things haven't really been the same. We've played through the first third of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, as well as running Mad God's Key... But our group just hasn't gotten back on its feet. To compound this, another key member has just had a third child, so I don't know how much time he has to while away some hours chucking dice with us either.
The announcement of 4th edition, and the various opinions that has raised hasn't really helped either.
It has been weird not to play after such a long time with the game being at least a bi-weekly event that I looked forward to. I'm sure this happens to a lot of people, but its just mind boggling to me that I can't get four other guys together to hang out for three hours.
Wasn't really looking for advice, just thought I'd post and see if anyone else has similar stories.
Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.
Yeah, I'm in a similar situation. I only have two players and it seems like we're all just getting too busy with real life to game anymore. It stinks, but that's the way it is. I hold out hope and I really want to start a new campaign, but I don't know if that will work out.
I'm on a brief haitus myself at the moment. Several of my players seemed to decide to get themselves pregnant at roughly the same time. As both are now within days of givng birth the game has been put on hold. I have to give them a bit of time after their babies are born too see if they want to keep playing - I can easily replace them but don't want to do so until they actually tell me they don't feel that they can handle a newborn and game. I know nothing about newborns but hear rumours that they sleep a lot so maybe they'll still be up for gaming after a short period of adjustment. I'll eventually see how this all plays out and move on from whatever the situation is.
I know the feeling. Two years ago I moved about 4 hours away from my home town and with work and other activities it's been hard to game on a regular basis. There was a long stretch in the 90s where we only gamed occasionally, then right before and after 3rd edition came out we played regularly, then another gap for a year or so, then up until my move, the last few years were almost weekly games. Since then I think it's only been a few sessions per year but when we get together we almost always have a marathon 10-12 hour session.
L
|
I'm on a brief haitus myself at the moment. Several of my players seemed to decide to get themselves pregnant at roughly the same time. As both are now within days of givng birth the game has been put on hold. I have to give them a bit of time after their babies are born too see if they want to keep playing - I can easily replace them but don't want to do so until they actually tell me they don't feel that they can handle a newborn and game. I know nothing about newborns but hear rumours that they sleep a lot so maybe they'll still be up for gaming after a short period of adjustment. I'll eventually see how this all plays out and move on from whatever the situation is.
Just have them bring the little ones along. Game on! :P
|
My group has been on hiatus for awhile now, as schedules tend to conflict and it's hard to find one day that everyone is free between work, school, and significant others. I've taken this as an opportunity to prepare our next campaign and make a complete homebrew world. It's a trying task, but this break is the perfect time to do it.
I've taken a very long vacation from gaming (about 9 months). Last summer I started visiting a couple of messageboards for the first time and shortly after that 4th edition was announced. It was at this time I found out how political gaming seems to be. Everyone is choosing sides, one can seldom enter messageboards conversations without being criticized for liking or disliking an aspect of gaming; the edition wars, companies continously changing their policies, rule updates, all of this has dampened my gaming spirit. Most of this affects my approach to D&D but to a lesser degree, gaming in general, which saddens me to say because it was the game I ever played and Greyhawk is still a very soft spot in my heart. I still read and occasionally post on messageboards but I try and limit what I say in order to not be criticized. As far as getting back into the playing mode, well, I'm working on it, it just doesn't look like it will be D&D for a long time. It is hard to let go (and part of me does and part of me doesn't want to let go). I still download things from sites but I am not as feverish about seeking the material out. I save things for a rainy day when I hope my thinking will one day change. I haven't boughten any D&D material other than Greyhawk Ruins which I found used. I never did finish my 3.5 collection as a result of this dampered feeling.
I know what you guys mean. My game has dwindled to solo play, but my favourite player is involved so I'm going to keep at it. I seriously thought of just quitting but I enjoy it enough that I want to give it another shot.
I know the slump. I was hit by it alittle while ago. But the good news is I am making a very nice recovery.
ArchLich's Tips to Slump Recovery:
1) Know when to let a campaign retire.
2) Cut the Dead weight. We have all had those players that just can't get with the setting and/or team.*
3) Make sure you are playing what you want to play.
4) Don't be afraid to house rule things to your satisfaction.
* "What is good really?", "Hey, I'm just role playing my character!", "I'm going to play a drow pirate." (Even though this is supposed to be a lizardman desert campaign.), etc.
|
|
This has happened to me, too. The sad fact of the matter is that real life in one's adult years and gaming are somewhat incompatable a lot of the time. 4-6 hours of time together that fits everybody's schedule is doable every few months, but weekly? Biweekly? Monthly? I wish. With gas getting so expensive driving anywhere but work is becoming anathema to a lot of my former group members, too. To compound this, I live in a small town of around 7,000 and my friends live about 1.5 hours away (by a combination of car & train, no less) in the nearest major city, so it's REALLY hard. Also, I'm somewhat picky about who I game with. I prefer players that bathe, have at least a modicum of basic social graces, and have a life outside of gaming. ("it's my primary hobby" is fine. "I don't think about ANYthing else, ever" is not) I figure when I retire, I can look up other gamer retirees and get a few decades of good, solid gaming in during my golden years.
It isn't just a problem for you geezers (yes, you too, James!). I'm 20, and I've been in a slump for about two years. After high school, all but one member of the group moved away for the military and distant colleges. It's proved amazingly hard to actually find anyone on my own campus to play D&D with. There have been brief reunions with the old group over the holidays, and a two-player stint last summer when one came back. That struggled on from 1st to 5th level before time ran out. I tried numbing my brain with WoW for a while, but then got too busy at school for even that. Over the last few months, I'd actually set D&D completely aside, out of my mind, resigning myself to an indefinte future without gaming.
And then, lo and behold, two of my friends at college asked me about D&D just a couple of weeks ago! I rounded up another player, still have one member from the original group, and am currently teaching the newbies about races and classes. This Wednesday, we're getting together to roll some characters up.
Soon, the sweet, sweet music of plastic polygons hitting the table will fill my ears again. Ahhhh....
|
|
It isn't just a problem for you geezers (yes, you too, James!). I'm 20, and I've been in a slump for about two years. After high school, all but one member of the group moved away for the military and distant colleges. It's proved amazingly hard to actually find anyone on my own campus to play D&D with. There have been brief reunions with the old group over the holidays, and a two-player stint last summer when one came back. That struggled on from 1st to 5th level before time ran out. I tried numbing my brain with WoW for a while, but then got too busy at school for even that. Over the last few months, I'd actually set D&D completely aside, out of my mind, resigning myself to an indefinte future without gaming.
And then, lo and behold, two of my friends at college asked me about D&D just a couple of weeks ago! I rounded up another player, still have one member from the original group, and am currently teaching the newbies about races and classes. This Wednesday, we're getting together to roll some characters up.
Soon, the sweet, sweet music of plastic polygons hitting the table will fill my ears again. Ahhhh....
What! Who let you out of the tent?!
Damn!
I haven't been in a regular D&D campaign in some time, but it's not through any choice of mine. I don't have a FLGS. I've found one game in my area, and the DM was a total nutcase.
|
If there are any Conventions or demo retail games in your area, MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND!
I hadn't been playing D&D for a few years, and was getting quite frustrated, buying all those books, and no opportunity to use them. So I decided to bite the bullet and attend some local game Conventions.
You get to meet new people, experience different styles of play, and observe other players compatible with your style.
It was while playing Living Arcanis that I was recruited into another player's home Arcanis campaign. And now, I've introduced them to Pathfinder!
It was while running a World Wide D&D Games Day event at our local games store last year that I met a player who had just moved from interstate, looking for games to play, and accommodation close to his Uni. He's now a housemate and a regular in our Arcanis, Runelords and Crimson Throne campaigns.
Next, I'm hoping to run Pathfinder Society sessions at our local game store when the campaign launches in August, and at local Conventions when they roll around next year :-)
So, the best advice I can offer is, get involved! You have to get out where there are keen players looking for games, or make those opportunities happen yourself.
I am in a bit of a gaming renaissance myself, but I've gone through my fair share of dry spells. What I've noticed is that there is a bit of perpetual motion involved when it comes to gaming. As long as you keep playing regularly, whether that interval is weekly, monthly or even every other month, you will keep playing- and games will crop up around you to boot. Once you stop however, you well and truly stop, and it's damn hard to start up again. As hard as PBP can be, I'd suggest it for those who are soured on gaming of late, it's a good way to keep the juices flowing without being taxed too much. You may even rediscover the love of the game, and start rolling real-time again.
I haven't been in a regular D&D campaign in some time, but it's not through any choice of mine. I don't have a FLGS. I've found one game in my area, and the DM was a total nutcase.
Yeesh. I've certainly been there before, in college. The DM literally ended up standing on the table, screaming at the players- an utter control freak. I hope your circumstances change soon.
|
|
I'm there right now. I had a great group back in Alaska, but in all the years since I graduated college, that one group was a four-year anomaly--lately, it's one of two stories: I just can't find anyone interested in playing, or anyone with the time to play. We're all just too busy, or our schedules don't mesh.
I've been painting miniatures for six months now, and reading the Pathfinder books, waxing nostalgic for the good old days...
|
If there are any Conventions or demo retail games in your area, MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND!
I hadn't been playing D&D for a few years, and was getting quite frustrated, buying all those books, and no opportunity to use them. So I decided to bite the bullet and attend some local game Conventions.
You get to meet new people, experience different styles of play, and observe other players compatible with your style.
It was while playing Living Arcanis that I was recruited into another player's home Arcanis campaign. And now, I've introduced them to Pathfinder!
It was while running a World Wide D&D Games Day event at our local games store last year that I met a player who had just moved from interstate, looking for games to play, and accommodation close to his Uni. He's now a housemate and a regular in our Arcanis, Runelords and Crimson Throne campaigns.
Next, I'm hoping to run Pathfinder Society sessions at our local game store when the campaign launches in August, and at local Conventions when they roll around next year :-)
So, the best advice I can offer is, get involved! You have to get out where there are keen players looking for games, or make those opportunities happen yourself.
Gamers are freaks and social rejects why would we socialize with them? :)
I'm on a brief haitus myself at the moment. Several of my players seemed to decide to get themselves pregnant at roughly the same time. As both are now within days of givng birth the game has been put on hold. I have to give them a bit of time after their babies are born too see if they want to keep playing - I can easily replace them but don't want to do so until they actually tell me they don't feel that they can handle a newborn and game. I know nothing about newborns but hear rumours that they sleep a lot so maybe they'll still be up for gaming after a short period of adjustment. I'll eventually see how this all plays out and move on from whatever the situation is.Just have them bring the little ones along. Game on! :P
Thats my theory on this too - bring them along, swaddle them up and hang them on the walls. Then start rolling them bones.
I've yet to find out if this will be allowed to fly. On a side note anyone know how to induce labour? One of the ladies has now given birth and its in my best interest to get the other munchkin out into the light of day ASAP so that mother and baby can get on with...well whatever it is mothers and babies do and I can wait a month and broach the subject of whether they want to keep playing. That month adjustment period does not start until the baby actually makes an appearance so I'm all for getting the little tyke out of my player ASAP.
On a side note anyone know how to induce labour? One of the ladies has now given birth and its in my best interest to get the other munchkin out into the light of day ASAP so that mother and baby can get on with...well whatever it is mothers and babies do and I can wait a month and broach the subject of whether they want to keep playing. That month adjustment period does not start until the baby actually makes an appearance so I'm all for getting the little tyke out of my player ASAP.
Here's a do it at home method in case you don't want to wait for the doctor or the baby isn't cooperating with your gaming schedule. Of coarse I reccommend not taking it to seriously!
Acupressure techniques help you to induce labor naturally, and have an easier and shorter labor! Acupressure helps you avoid medical labor induction and brings on your labor naturally. Scientific evidence proves that natural labor induction with acupressure is effective. Stimulation of specific acupressure points induces labor in up to 83% of women within 48 hours, sometimes in 25 minutes. Acupressure triggers your labor by stimulating contractions, helping your cervix to dilate and getting your baby to descend.
As a new Dad, it has been a bit of a strain to keep the dice rolling, but I assure anyone out there that it can be done.
Don't give up! Socializing with your fellow gamers may end up being the only time you have to talk to another human that doesn't look up at you with unconditional love... then drool all over their shirt. :-)
(my daughter really wants to roll those dice... just got to work on that hand eye coordination...) :-)
-roth
Here's a do it at home method in case you don't want to wait for the doctor or the baby isn't cooperating with your gaming schedule. Of coarse I reccommend not taking it to seriously!Acupressure techniques help you to induce labor naturally, and have an easier and shorter labor! Acupressure helps you avoid medical labor induction and brings on your labor naturally. Scientific evidence proves that natural labor induction with acupressure is effective. Stimulation of specific acupressure points induces labor in up to 83% of women within 48 hours, sometimes in 25 minutes. Acupressure triggers your labor by stimulating contractions, helping your cervix to dilate and getting your baby to descend.
Sadly I'm still in a holding pattern while I wait for the little miscreant to make an appearance. I have a sneaking suspicion that that she won't let me anywhere near her while holding needles.
Worse yet another one of my players has now announced that He's getting married in a couple of months. Its like real life is plotting against me with a series of never ending gambits to delay rolling them dice. I'm hoping to get a few sessions in between the emergence of the tyke and the marriage...I've got some chance in this regard as its a male player thats getting married and my experience with Weddings is that Grooms don't actually do much except follow orders.
As a new Dad, it has been a bit of a strain to keep the dice rolling, but I assure anyone out there that it can be done.
Don't give up! Socializing with your fellow gamers may end up being the only time you have to talk to another human that doesn't look up at you with unconditional love... then drool all over their shirt. :-)
(my daughter really wants to roll those dice... just got to work on that hand eye coordination...) :-)
-roth
Does the mother game as well? If it was just the Dads I had as players I'd have more confidence that the player would be able to make time. Eventually the lovely mother gets sick of Dad hovering around and 'takes a break' by allowing him to go off and roll dice for a few hours but in this case the players are the mothers, which presumably means bringing baby along and all the hassles that involves. Not sure if this will have much effect or not - guess I will see.
That said I'm not hugely concerned. My game will continue regardless. I've literally got at least five people that have expressed an interest in joining the group should a seat ever open up. I just don't want to tell the young mothers that their off the roster, I'd rather them tell me how they want to handle this.
Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.
I love stories about dead kings but...
I see no slump in the foreseeable future. For one, I just started my own little studio of pure gaming madness:
And we all at Paizo will be proffering up gaming deliciousness non-stop.
AWAKEN THOSE DEAD KINGS! :-)
|
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
|
Yay Nick!
We played four or five nights a week for 5 or 6 hours while I was at grammar school and once evryone got jobs and moved away it dwindled to nothing. I even ended up moving to the Netherlands. Eight years later I found a group here - glad I learned Dutch!
They only play for 3 hours a week, and alternate between two campaigns, but at least I'm getting something again! And DM-ing STAP :)
Yay Nick!
We played four or five nights a week for 5 or 6 hours while I was at grammar school and once evryone got jobs and moved away it dwindled to nothing. I even ended up moving to the Netherlands. Eight years later I found a group here - glad I learned Dutch!
They only play for 3 hours a week, and alternate between two campaigns, but at least I'm getting something again! And DM-ing STAP :)
The good ole days!
Back when I was in Middle School, my friends played EVERY day afterschool...life was so great back then.
There was one summer that a few friends of mine and I got together nearly every day to play as well. Great times!
Does the mother game as well? If it was just the Dads I had as players I'd have more confidence that the player would be able to make time. Eventually the lovely mother gets sick of Dad hovering around and 'takes a break' by allowing him to go off and roll dice for a few hours but in this case the players are the mothers, which presumably means bringing baby along and all the hassles that involves. Not sure if this will have much effect or not - guess I will see.
That said I'm not hugely concerned. My game will continue regardless. I've literally got at least five people that have expressed an interest in joining the group should a seat ever open up. I just don't want to tell the young mothers that their off the roster, I'd rather them tell me how they want to handle this.
No, despite my best efforts my wife isn't the gaming type.
If your Mother/Gamers are the caring, well intentioned types that I suspect they are. (I can't see you hanging out with the other type Jeremy)They, like my wife, will be taking a month or two off from EVERYTHING.
I took two weeks myself, and didn't feel like it was long enough babywise. Coming back to game after a month off was like sweet nectar though, so you shouldn't count them out completely. In fact, make sure to invite them to play again in a few months, a person can start to feel trapped by the baby. I have found that outside of a round of golf, I can still do just about anything I did before. Is your game "full" at the moment? It sounds like a shame that those other five folks can't join in. Do they already have a main game they play in?
-roth
No, despite my best efforts my wife isn't the gaming type.If your Mother/Gamers are the caring, well intentioned types that I suspect they are. (I can't see you hanging out with the other type Jeremy)They, like my wife, will be taking a month or two off from EVERYTHING.
Two Months! Groan; I don't want to have to wait two months.
I took two weeks myself, and didn't feel like it was long enough babywise. Coming back to game after a month off was like sweet nectar though, so you shouldn't count them out completely. In fact, make sure to invite them to play again in a few months, a person can start to feel trapped by the baby.
Yeah - I do sort of wonder if my players might be into playing in part just to 'escape' from being 'trapped' by the baby. One of them probably will get to this point I suspect the other is a rising star as a lawyer and she may just find that she does not have enough time to pick her career back up, plus be a mother and fit gaming in as well. Guess I will see.
I have found that outside of a round of golf, I can still do just about anything I did before. Is your game "full" at the moment? It sounds like a shame that those other five folks can't join in. Do they already have a main game they play in?-roth
My table is full at the moment. I've got seven players and am not taking any more. In fact I tend to think 6 players is pretty ideal and probably would not even bring a new player in if I just lost one player due to a new baby. Unfortunately these players don't know each other and therefore are not in a position to start a group with each other.