Star Wars RPG (Fantasy Flight) — Regular Game, Deposit Required

I am looking to GM a regular Star Wars RPG (Fantasy Flight). Our theme will start out in Edge of the Empire though players may development characters from ANY of the core books and supplements and I'll work them into the story. This will be a weekly Thursday evening (9:00PM EST) game. Each play session will be between 2 and 2.5 hours. One of the biggest difficulties I've found with getting people together online is an inordinate amount of people who start a game just to try it out who subsequently  drop the game after one or two sessions. This has made it difficult to organize a regular group in the past and I know there are quite a few others that would really like a regular group but they share the same frustration. THEREFORE, I'm going to require a $25 deposit (using PayPal) for a seat in my game. After you attend the first 8 sessions, I'll refund your deposit. Players who quit before attending 8 sessions forfeit their deposit (or players who miss more than 2 of the first 10 sessions after they join). I will put a legal document on my company's website (I have a web development firm) and handle transactions through my company's website and Paypal account. I'm hoping this will attract people who are serious about looking for a regular group.  Finally, if you're not sure but this sounds interesting to you...I'd be happy to meet you on Google Hangouts to chat and give you an overview on the kinds of games I run. 

Props to you for doing it this way. It is hard enough for GMs without players constantly dropping out. (not applying for the game, i'm just happy to see a fellow GM serious about their game)

So... What if I join your game, pay the fee, get 2 sessions in and it turns out I just hate your game and want to leave?  Will I be refunded my money then or am I going to be penalized for having a genuine issue with the game?

Beginners welcome? 

Discussion about whether Pay to Play should be allowed, and opinions regarding pay to play are off-topic for this forum.  Pay to Play is allowed, please only post if you are expressing an interest in joining the OP's game.

I'm actually really interested in this myself.  What would be the starting date that you're looking at? Also is Thursdays the only day you'd be willing to host? 

Questions Answered 1. Is this pay to play? First of all, it's not "pay to play"...players genuinely interested in a regular game and demonstrate that by showing up for at least 8 of the first 10 sessions after they join get their money back. Anyone who has grown frustrated looking for a solid ongoing campaign made up of random people online know exactly why I'm trying this. If you don't know why, no offense, but you are likely precisely NOT what I am looking for (unless of course you are new to playing RPG tabletops online). I want to spend my prep time actually developing interesting adventures, not having to recruit ad nauseam to fill seats from players who are just wanting to try the game.  Any funds generated by drop-outs will go directly towards the purchase of supplements to benefit the group. 2. "So... What if I join your game, pay the fee, get 2 sessions in and it turns out I just hate your game and want to leave? Will I be refunded my money then or am I going to be penalized for having a genuine issue with the game?" If you join and "hate my game" and leave you've forfeited your deposit. However, I don't want your money, I want your commitment to complete at least 8 of the first 10 sessions after you join.  I'll add here that if you are removed because you are a jerk or your behavior is spoiling the game for everyone else, you still lose your deposit. Most mature adults should not have this problem but if you find other GMs remove you from their groups, it's highly likely this opportunity isn't going to work out for you. As I said in my original post, I'm willing to meet people on Google+ Hangouts from a chat. That's probably a wise first step for both of us to discern if this is going to be a good fit. 3. What if it is me and a friend or spouse? Do we have to make 2 deposits? Yes, absolutely. A couple who leaves leaves us with 2 seats to fill. ___ A quick word about me. I'm 43, a successful businessman, public speaker, personal coach & teacher. I started GMing RPGs in the early 80s with D&D and played until the mid-90s. Took a break from the hobby (raising kids, building business, community works, etc.) and started playing again about 5 years ago with Pathfinder (since then also ran D&D 5th, & Castles and Crusades). I've gotten into the Star Wars RPG over the last few months and am a HUGE FAN!!! of it. The narrative dice system allows a tremendous amount of creativity and, with the right group, offers an unparalleled play experience.

And regarding starting date...that will depend on how quickly the group comes together. Thursday evenings at 9:00PM EST will be the time however. Also beginners are indeed welcome.

If you are interested, please PM me and we can schedule a time to meet on hangout to discuss.

$25 buy in, that's interesting. If someone were to pay you $50+ could they get extra XP or better equipment, maybe a boost in earned xp, credits...All joking aside I was curious what the deposit was about. Unfortunately the time frame doesn't work for me to even consider, I find it really hard to find a game that works with my schedule :(. I love this system and have been GMing it for my local group but lately it's been really difficult to get together. 

GenKitty said: Discussion about whether Pay to Play should be allowed, and opinions regarding pay to play are off-topic for this forum.  Pay to Play is allowed, please only post if you are expressing an interest in joining the OP's game. As GenKitty mentioned above, let's make sure to keep this thread on topic, thanks!

While I can't make your game (not yet anyway. Maybe once the kid heads off to college this summer you might have a slot for me! Heh.), I can completely understand your reasoning for the deposit. Had several Fantasy Grounds games fall apart because individuals just showed up when they felt like it. Hope this works well. Keep us posted if this sort of thing actually helped! Might give it a try myself!

i have been looking for a seroius game for a while i am definatly interested

I am interested if there are starting lol spots open. jim