When does this start to NOT suck?!?!

I am trying to get into a game of 5th edition D&D and I have applied to a number of games. I have taken the time to fill out peoples' applications. No one ever gets back to you. I applied for four games for Monday night and none of them picked me up. I see people with over 1000 hours "played". Is that over 1000 hours waiting for the opportunity to actually use this website!?!? This is getting real dumb, real fast. Thank God I didn't pay $50 to find out that this is a giant revolving door of waiting and disappointment. I realize that players out-number the GM's by a ton. So in order to "play" I have to host a game for other people to play!?!? Perhaps I should be paid the $50? Just for the record, I am not usually like this. I don't get on a website and flame it just for the heck of it. I have just been planning on getting to play this Monday night and looking forward to it. Now it all went down the tubes. I get on here after a 13 hour night shift only to be disappointed again. It gets old quick. Now I will have to wait until sometime this weekend ............ MAYBE! Something needs to change. 

I don't know why you haven't been able to find a game. I've only been searching for a little over a week and my wants in a game are pretty specific (5e Only, D&D setting, Voice, Using Roll 20). I've turned down two campaigns because I already had things during that timeslot.&nbsp; Post one or two of your applications so we can take a look at it. <a href="https://app.roll20.net/users/1345370/jj" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/users/1345370/jj</a> Contact JJ here and tell him you want to go through his Combat Basics. Even if you already know how to play and you already know how to use Roll 20 he invites anyone. It's just a learn the basics of how to make a character and how to use Roll 20. Even if you know these things it will get some played hours on your profile. As for paying $50 dollars. Who knows if it helps or not. It might get you a longer look just because people might feel you are more serious about playing. Anyways post a couple of your application posts and I'll see how I think they can be improved.&nbsp;

Dear Brad, As a DM and player of several games here on Roll20, I assure you that you don't have to pay any money to enjoy Roll20. All it takes is a little patience (you only joined the site 5 days ago), and a willingness to be flexible. I can see that you're really eager to play, and you've come to the right place for that. However, ranting like this won't make anybody more eager to pick you up for their group. Roleplaying games are at their very heart a social game, so you should try and approach it socially. When you say something needs to change, there is a different forum for that, if you have a specific change you'd like to see. If you're just getting some anger off your chest, I feel ya, but I can't really help ya. We're all looking to have a good time playing games here, especially the people at roll20 who offer you such amazing tools for free.

As a thousand hours gm and player I can say the secret is the flexibility. If you want play just one kind of game your chances to get frustrated are higher, if you are willing to play and learn new games your chance to find something which you might enjoy will increase.&nbsp; And remember, finding a good group requires some negotiation and patience.&nbsp;

I had a similar experience so I decided to create my own game and included the need to find a DM in the description. Seemed to work well. You can transfer the gm roll when it's game time.

All good points. Here is the thing. I don't want to learn how to play 80 different games. I only want to play in a dedicated group once a week. That's all I ask. As for being social, I am VERY social. Make a 5th edition game and invite me. You will find that I am very social and VERY funny. I always leave people laughing. This rant is a product of my frustration that I cannot find a game. I have to play at night. I am not going to ignore my kids during the day to play. I work the night shift so 50% of all nights are out for me. I need to get into a game. If I can get someone to put me in a game, I will GM a game for them when I learn how. I will try to make a game and post it. I guess we will see where that leads.&nbsp;

If you'll post a couple of your applications I will help you spice them up so you get more PMs sent your way. Also send me your Skype and we can setup some time and I'll explain what I do now to find games with above average success. I've had a lot of success crafting my posts on certain &nbsp;ways and no success doing it other ways.&nbsp; If you aren't interested in that sort of help please also let me know as I keep looking back here for your replies and if you aren't interested I won't need to.&nbsp;

I understand the frustration. Here is some concise advice you can use. Applications- apply to games that are not already hemorrhaging applications and try to read into the demographic applying for (and running) the game. If you are a father of two, chances are you aren't looking for a high school game. Also, save your applications (and potential PCs) so you aren't just regurgitating it over and over. 1,000+ hours means nothing. Some people log onto a game and walk away, never leaving the game room. They accrue hundreds of hours of 'time played,'&nbsp; but there is actually no substance to those hours. Check out the number of die rolls they have made for those hours (die rolls/hours played) is a good indicator if they are actually playing. "I realize that players out-number the GM's by a ton." This is an understatement and a lesson best learned quickly. Post a game you are going to run and you'll have 20+ applicants in one day. Post a 'Looking for DM' and grow old waiting. The best advice I can give you is run a game (even if it's a one-shot), starting networking and get a few decent players behind you. Once you have a something of a 'Roll20 Social Circle' things will start getting much easier. You'll have some leverage. Garreth M. said: ...ranting like this won't make anybody more eager to pick you up for their group. Roleplaying games are at their very heart a social game, so you should try and approach it socially. What he said. Best of luck.

Brad K. said: All good points. Here is the thing. I don't want to learn how to play 80 different games. I only want to play in a dedicated group once a week. That's all I ask Then you're going to be sorely disappointed here. Pathfinder, and D&D have a ratio of ~100:1 Players to GMs. If not higher. Learning to play other games isn't hard if you're willing to work with the group and the group is willing to work with you. A lot of GMs have a screening process, one of which is looking back at posts to see how the player contributes to the community, and how they search for games. These kinds of rants are... unfortunately, a black mark. It stands out as entitled, or tantrum-y; "I've applied to X games and NO ONE ever picks me! I want to play now, daddy! Now!" Dustin said: "I realize that players out-number the GM's by a ton." This is an understatement and a lesson best learned quickly. Post a game you are going to run and you'll have 20+ applicants in one day.&nbsp; This is actually -wrong-. It's all about knowing the market. My Pathfinder game gets 30+ applications. My Exalted game gets ~2-10, and the quality of the latter is generally higher, and more fleshed out. Which means that it is, in fact, easier to weed out people who don't spend effort, or are not what I'm looking for. Whereas, PF/5e players tend to post sheets, "This is what I'm going to play", don't discuss it with the GM, and have crude, if not terrible english skills, and I have to slog through people who have no social skills, or poor attitudes who feel they deserve to play more than anyone else. My suggestion is, 100%: look at games with smaller playerbases that interest you. If you want to play 5e, you're at the mercy of the thousands of other people who also want to play 5e, and have a much smaller chance to play. If you don't want to learn other games, then... keep at it. Eventually you'll find a game where you'll get in. You might not have a lot of fun with that one, and have to find yet another game and start the process over. But, eh. It's a process.

Johnny said: I had a similar experience so I decided to create my own game and included the need to find a DM in the description. Seemed to work well. You can transfer the gm roll when it's game time. That's the way to go, that's how I ended up with my group. Going strong for 9 months now, enjoying it very much. If you put in some effort, it will eventually work.&nbsp;

I agree with the above couple people who've posted recently. After I get a few more games under my belt I plan on running as many one shots as it takes to get two really solid groups together. The crux there is getting that experience so I'm comfortable DMing. Finding a good DM and good people who are reliable and play during the time slot one is trying to play in is like finding a unicorn for 5e.

I mostly run games, so it's not as much of an issue for me. However, when applying, I think it's important to let the GM know some specific things, such as: Do you have a good microphone (assuming it's not a text-only game) Are you willing to use in-game sound, google hangout, skype, ventrillo, mumble, teamspeak, and so on.&nbsp; A good character idea, which gets the point across, but isn't so lengthy that the gm says tl:dr (a picture of the character in the app can help too). Some alternative characters you're willing to play if the role/slot you want is already taken Your expected attendance rate Do you have much background noise Are you willing to chat with the GM before acceptance? If so, either post your skype (maybe not wise?) or just let the GM know that you would PM it to him (or some other voice method). Your rough age. Your willingness to work with other players and the GM. As a GM, I prefer players who cooperate with me and each other, rather than lone wolves who must be dragged into the adventure. Those are mostly what I'm looking for. I've started chatting with applicants ahead of time, because bad microphones, background noise, voices that are too loud/quiet, or just very aggressive seeming people are not the ones I want to invite. I feel a little weird demanding little background noise, because I usually invite my best friend to the games, and his dogs never shut up, but more background noise certainly doesn't help.

You've never applied for any of the Games I run, 100 plus games, played with near a thousand different players, and over 4,000 hours played nearly all of them as a GM/DM... -Ajax

Ajax is someone that's easy to get into a game with. I feel like most players on this site have played with him at some point.&nbsp;

Unfortunately on roll20 it is hard to get a game going if it is a popular system. Most of the good folks here can help you, but to do that please give us a link of a game where you have applied if it is still in LFG so we can see your application or post a sample of an application you have used until now. Your time zone would also be good to have. I understand you might be frustrated but please help us here with more information about your current situation. You also need to understand that regardless of system played, finding a gaming group can be a long and tiresome process.

As a DM, I can say that a lot of my players are admitted on a first come first serve basis. &nbsp;If you're applying for a game that has 2 hours before it hosts, you likely won't be admitted in. &nbsp;While I understand waiting isn't your ideal, it's better to get into a game 2 weeks down the road then to never get in a game at all. Also GMs talk, so if you're a player whose been absent a lot or left the game without telling anyone, underground blacklists are a thing. &nbsp;You think finding a DM is hard? &nbsp;Try finding reliable players who show up to the game.