Difficulty finding players who ROLEplay vs Rollplay

We have a solid core of 3-4 players.&nbsp; We have never missed a session and sometimes run extra sessions.&nbsp; We do downtime roleplay via discord chat.&nbsp; I feel like the content is engaging.&nbsp; So why am I having such a hard time keeping players in these last couple of slots?&nbsp; My advertisement says ROLEplay vs rollplay, I try to vet the player before I invite them.&nbsp; Inevitably they join, play one or two games and then they leave the game and Discord server without saying a word.&nbsp; Had one who did tell me that the game wasnt what he thought it was.&nbsp; He expected more combat (The party is in the planning stages of a massive war in the underdark!)&nbsp; I guess I am just an old player who remembers when 8 or 10 of us used to get together around the table for a few hours each week and played the same campaign for a year.&nbsp; Seems like players today want video games not table top games.&nbsp; They bounce into a game and if it is not skyrimesque they quit and move on to the next campaign.&nbsp; &nbsp;I see so many players asking for Critical Role type games but once they get into one, I am not sure they know what to do....&nbsp; Anywho... I have one slot open in my game...&nbsp; If you have questions let me know. <a href="https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/91635/crown-of-the-abyss" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/91635/crown-of-the-abyss</a>

1) That link doesn't work you probably didn't set your game to looking for players. 2) What time/day do you play? 3) How long has the group been together? 4) What system are you even running?

Try this one... <a href="https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/91635/crown-of-the-abyss" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/91635/crown-of-the-abyss</a>

yeah that one works

I grok your frustration, although I'd focus on the fact that you have 3-4 solid players. I have a long-running game where we've had turn over with two slots and gone through a lot of the same issues (flakiness, especially) and turned those two spots over quite a bit. The accessibility of Roll20 means there's a lot more players, and a lot more players that don't come from the older schools of how to act appropriately in a game, or are aware of the massive amount of work and prep DMs have to do. The trade-off is that finding folks on Roll20 is easier and faster than it ever was back in the day. I wish you luck!

Thanks Apshai, I realize the shear number of players available on Roll20 means that many are going to not really have a lot of experience with the game (even the ones who claim it).&nbsp; So here's to hoping that I can find a one or two more players that share our vision....

Caleb, if you change your game description, that will help. Here's a suggestion: start the description with a clear statement about how much emphasis is placed on roleplay. Here's a quick example: "This is a game with a major emphasis on roleplay , including downtime roleplay on Discord. Combat is secondary. Please do not apply for the game unless you understand this, love this style of game, and plan to participate in roleplay between sessions." Just add that to the beginning of the description, and I guarantee that you will get better matches.

Thanks for the suggestion Greg!&nbsp; I will do that!

I really get how you feel. I don't think I can play in the game but I sent you a PM with my discord so we can chat.

Feeling your pain, 100%. Been in that same spot more than once.

I did a very lengthy selection process for my current table. I made a google form and then scheduled interviews with the potential players. Glad that I did that, it separated serious players from people who just throw their name into the application pool and hope they get selected. We have been together for a while now. Looking at your listing, it is very easy copy/paste player application. I haven't opened any of the people who applied already but I can imagine that there are so many post where the applicant didn't even bother to read your listing.&nbsp; If you are looking for players whom enjoy roleplaying more than rollplaying, I would suggest recording your voice as an NPC and asking something like this DM did in the past.&nbsp; Soundcloud link - Neither of these voices are me. Just curious... how you manage to DM for 8 players? :O&nbsp;

In previous editions parties were expected to be 6 players, like theya re expected to be 4 players now.

My Sanctuary game is made for 6 players [I have 5 players right now], and yes, it's a lot to manage, but the fights are very memorable. I throw things out there that will challenge the party, not just something with a CR and HP for them to beat down. My monsters and enemies use strategies and attack who they believe are the most problematic (example: If they see a cleric healing all their damage, and recognize the cleric is doing it, they point him or her out and co-ordinate against the healer, making it so the "tank" has to get in-between that and keep the healer alive). It's tactics like this that make the game challenging for a larger group. Increase the stats of monsters (though a lot of players really do not like this and some get up and scream and have a fit, then leave on grounds you're breaking Monster Manual rules or lore, or some B.S.). ^ Though that was a bit of a random post, it was more towards the question of how a DM can run a game with 8 players. Now onto the original poster's question. A lot of players are either new to the game or new-ish to the game. "I've been playing 3 to 6 months" is a new-ish player. Players come in from all kinds of backgrounds, where they are heavy gamers on consoles, phone apps or PC MMORPG's and don't recognize the RP value in D&D. They are used to killing something, moving forward, killing that, getting to a villain, killing that, and get rewarded all the time. But when you throw in a slower story, their interest wanes. This is why an application process is needed. It finds players into your style, and separates those who are just throwing an application out there to get chosen as opposed to someone who genuinely wants to be in your game. I've had multiple players sign up for my game with messages like: "I'm available Tuesdays or Thursdays" when it clearly says my game is on Saturday Nights... or, and this one's popular, "I want to play (insert Matt Mercer custom race/class here)" when I clearly stated PHB and Xanathar's Guide only. They don't really read it. They see the title on the main forum, and scroll immediately down and post an application. Not many genuinely read your storyline and requirements. Finding long-term DMs and long-term players is rare, and I cherish the ones I do find. So this is one DM who shares your frustration. &lt;3

I have always DM'd tabletop rpgs for 8+ for the past 20 years.&nbsp; I cant even remember a time that I had less than 8.&nbsp; I have also been a storyteller for enormous larp games (200+ players but I did have assistants).&nbsp; I can say that the technology seems to get in the way some and I am finding my Ideal party size closer to 6 while using Roll20.&nbsp;&nbsp; I think the most important part to running an 8+ person game is that your players need to be active players.&nbsp; I am an admittedly weak DM when the players want to sit back and wait for me to tell them to do something.&nbsp;&nbsp; I think Selene hit the nail on the head....&nbsp; many of these players are used to: kill something and get stuff, move to next room and kill something else get more stuff, move to next room and kill something and get different stuff.....&nbsp; I appreciate the input though.&nbsp; I am going to continue to sally forth for now!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just a quick question, I am a long time pen and paper dice chucking, paper hording junky from many years ago. Sadly I've not had the chance to really ROLEplay in a long time. Someone just recently introduced me to this fabulous resource. Your style of game is what I remember loving the most, not just loot filled murder fests. I need to work on a character and come up with a decent backstory all of which I won't have ready in time for this current slot I would wager. So would you accept an application to hold onto in the event you are looking for a new roleplayer in the future?

I feel your pain in regards to flakes. Just had a GM flake (game deleted / discord channel deleted) within two hours of start time. It was the 2nd session, the 1st being canceled with an excuse from GM. If you are playing 5e and are still looking for someone, I am definitely available for a saturday night/afternoon campaign and would probably be a good fit for you. I have another solid person who is looking for a Saturday game as well.

Many of us have been there. It's sufficiently bad that I more or less expect games in any popular system (basically D&D 5th and Pathfinder) to flake out by default before they get truly going - and I vet pretty hard (as player and GM). In my upcoming campaign, I'm just going to insist on AD&D, or Shadowrun 3rd edition (depending on which I will start up first). At least you know you'll get old school folks that way! It may sound discriminatory, but you avoid a lot of flakiness by only recruiting age 30+, as well. I'm not happy about it, since you're bound to miss out on some good folks, but given the chaff-to-signal ratio, we cannot help but to filter somehow.

I feel ya, we have some solid players, and others who come and go...I'm trying to get playtesters for a new campaign since our other one (Dark Sun) lost like half the crew due to scheduling and RL stuff...if anyone's interested in a Scifi/Fantasy hybrid feel free to PM me. It's along the lines of Blade Runner meets LotR...going for a sort of Shadowrun vibe, though the system is AD&D 2e, with a bit of Savage Worlds mixed in (mostly for vehicles and such)...the Dark Sun game (also AD&D 2e) could still use some who would like to join out Sunday sessions (1pm EST) *Been DMing/playing D&D in various editions for roughly 21 yrs...I also run a gaming convention in PA in the summer and an RPG Exchange program which offers a community-contributed 'Loot Crate' of sorts and have various sponsors in the RPG community (members of the Gygax family, Dwarven Forge, and many more; needless to say, this is a hobby I take very seriously)

There's been a bunch of good points made already, but one other springs to mind: you don't say anything about the theme of the game, nor a description of the current characters. Given that new applicants will be joining an established game and an established storyline, these things matter.

DM Southie said: Pat vdR said: There's been a bunch of good points made already, but one other springs to mind: you don't say anything about the theme of the game, nor a description of the current characters. Given that new applicants will be joining an established game and an established storyline, these things matter. I've tried various attempts at posting, but people inevitably either A) dont read it or B) read it but still try to use stuff not mentioned in the creation guidelines, it's like people have selective capacity for games...they see one or two things that interest them, then don't bother going beyond that point- for my upcoming campaign (Savage Earth, an AD&D/Savage World hybrid) we have a few players, with several pending... A Human Psion (Auditor); a minority repot 'Precog' / Judge Dredd type, basically a rogue cop who's not afraid to get his hands dirty A Human Ranger (Sabotuer); a PMC contractor who sells his services to the highest bidder A Human Thief (Aperusa); a space-born 'gypsy' who's hustling his way across the planet, one con at a time A Human Arcanist; a practitioner of magic who deals in the mysterious arcane arts A Human Totemic Monk; a student of unarmed combat with an affinity for the natural world, akin to a warrior-druid -There's a couple 'pending,' but until they confirm, I'm not gonna post I was, of course, replying to the original poster. Although it may apply to you as well, I cannot actually know you and they are the same. if you are not, please don't hijack the OP's post.