Finding Players/GMs/Games

I have had a very frustrating time finding players and GMs on Roll20. I am unsure if its the games I am interested in, times I can play or I have a generally displeasing body odor. I have been experimenting with other places to look for players/GMs/games. I am curious what additional suggestions the community might have. Here are some I have either tried or will be trying: RPGGeek ObsidianPortal Myth Weavers Infrno G+ Communities Some hangouts I could suggest: Barrowmaze Open Table DCCRPG Fate Core G+RPG Hangouts G+ Tabletop Roleplaying Game Master Tips GURPS Hangout RPGG's Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Mutants & Masterminds OpenD6 Gaming OSR Roll20 Player Network Savage Worlds Star Frontiers Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Star Wars D6 Star Wars RPGs Star Wars RPG ONLINE The Dungeon World Tavern

The one thing that I've noticed is that, unlike table-top, where it's usually friends getting together, the online community many times has real-life stuff that comes up. Not that that can't happen IRL as well, but I've found it's more prevalent in the virtual gaming world. That said, hit me up via a PM if you want to join my game I'm going to start soon. 3.0/3.5 D&D. Homebrew world.

I have noticed that online people do not seem to be able to schedule for shit. Over and over again I run into people who commit to something (as far out as 4 weeks) and for some reason are unable to make it. It is very frustrating. I could understand once in a while, real life is indeed more important. But this seems to be something that occurs with an alarming frequency. I think the answer is probably somewhere between real life obligations and a mentality that its virtual/online. Social norms and commitments are not enforced because it is virtual. Therefore the person doesn't feel the normal compunction to follow through with a social commitment or to make contact expressing their inability to make it. Just my two cents worth of couch psychology.

That's kinda what I was getting at as well. I'm putting together a homebrew game if you like 3.0/3.5 D&D. I have my kids random times throughout the week, but my schedule is pretty flexible. Hit me up if you're interested. Hell sometimes I even play during work on my lunch hour. LOL

You just have to keep trying.  Don't expect much from internet people.  Eventually you will get lucky and get a few players that stick around (I'v had three players showing up weekly for 10 weeks now). I have not had much luck recruiting outside of Roll20 (though I only tried RPG.net and Google Hangouts).  The people who want to play on Roll20 should already be looking here.  If you have better luck let me know because I'm curious if the problem is the Roll20 Community or just the Internet in general.

It is the internet in general. As others have already commented, it is the social norms are not enforceable on the net. If this was real life and you were at a game store, you would run in to the person sooner or later but here on the net, you will probably never meet that person. I don't commit to any games because of being a full time student, part time worker, full time father and husband has kept me rather busy. To game regularly I have to run a pbp game. I had to close down my one live game due to family matters and I hope that sooner or later it will lessen enough to allow me to go back to live gaming.

I'm on my 4th Campaign and have had roughly 50% turn over turn over in players.  I have 3 regulars that have stuck through, but each adventure (4-6 sessions) sees 2-4 new players replacing folks that have dropped for on reason or another.  None of us has meet in person, just on-line.

This is completely a self interested opinion, but what about getting new players into your pools of players?  I don't mean new people you don't know, I mean new to PnP in general.  One of the things that seemed hard to me what trying to figure out a way to do this online (don't have any friends to play IRL).  Seems somewhat hard to break into the PnP gaming thing without already having an in with someone. The reason I say this is because this is how I kinda look at it.  What was your first civ you played as in Civilization?  Mine was Rome.  I've played as Rome fairly often with each new game.  There's a kind of "loyalty" to it because that was my first and I liked it.  How that translates into PnP is getting a new player and teaching them the ropes has a good chance of earning that person's loyalty and want to be a part of the next games and so on with that group.  I don't know if what I'm trying to say was explained well, but I hope you get what I'm saying.

I've been having this issue as well with finding games. Being a married military man I find myself sometimes at odds with making schedules. I find myself playing more of the games that are coming up right then when I log in, rather then planning something a week out. Something that could work (for those who like to log on and start playing) and its probably already being done, is that several GM's get together and accept a pool of players sheets of the same system. The GMs could then host games on different days and they all could use the same sheets for each game. If I gain a level in GM A's game and get some equipment, I could also use it in GM B's game and so forth. The games would be have to be based in the same world, setting, and would probably have similar plot twist. I think this may help and I'm sure its already being done, but that's my couple cents.

@ Kabius : PbP games are a different horse then what is being discussed here but you have a good opinion that applies across the board to games in general. PbP gaming is a minority because most people want to game live but as more people are discovering that how much schedule conflicts impact on one's hobby enough to limit live games, they turn to play by post games to get their gaming fix. @ Corey : I've been in those type of games. I've heard of them being called pool games and no that is not referring to swimming pool or shooting pool. It is referred to a group (a pool) of gm's that work interactively with each other in one setting where players could use their characters in any of the gm's games with some sensible restrictions. Those restrictions was mostly if said character was in the middle of a session then he was in it till the next town. Said character had to be within the stated level limits of that particular GM's adventure. This was meant to keep 10th level pc's from joining a party of 1st level characters and destroying the adventure. What happens in one adventure could impact on the other adventures that the other GM's are running. Example: There was a war breaking out in one country that had a party of pc's, so there is a demand for mercenaries in another country and monsters are now running amok in that country due to the lack of fighting men. There are other implications that could be played out also.

While I have had great luck with my current scheduled Roll20 game I have found my asynchronous games (such as Axis and Allies) do have issues due to a lack of a committed time. It takes finding the right kind of person to be able to self-regulate PbP and asynchronous attendance. For that matter, it takes finding the right kind of people for scheduled game attendance whether Face to Face or Online. - Gauss

@ Metroknight : I played in a Pathfinder game on IRC chat that was like that. There were several people who could act as GM's if they submitted a decent enough game and that it wouldn't be to overpower. They also had to put the level restriction on them and all that, but it still worked pretty good. It meant that some of the GM's could also be players.

@ Metroknight Just to clarify, I wasn't talking about play by post type of games.  I was referring to games like you would play through this in real time with several people.  PbP doesn't appeal to me at all and since I don't have IRL friends that are into PnP stuff, it's hard to get into games, so that's why I signed up here hoping to get started.  But I am glad you think what I had to say made sense.

oh ok. I'm sorry to have missunderstood you.

Corey,  Your first post is something I have been trying to do for a while both via internet and RL, but the DM's are the players that way the DM gets to play game some too. If you are intersted something like that PM me. 

I've been fortunate in that the two ongoing campaigns I'm part of here on Roll20, we've had very little player turnover. As in almost none. It just takes perseverence and a bit of luck to find a steady, reliable group.

I get the feeling that the only way such a system really gets working is if you have a group of people that anchor it.  I'm in one game atm that is made up of several people that are RL friends and relatives.  It makes for a very solid group at the core and then that can be built around. If something like that's gotten rolling here, I don't see any signs of it so far.  Its not easy, it can be a ton of work for the organizers, I know in the chat rpg's like that, most gm's would burn out within 6 months.  I'd love to see a game built up around that concept, for instance, the players belong to a mercenary group and go on short adventures that are all tied together in one setting.  Something that allows different sets of players in each game and adventures of a manageable size that aren't too interconnected.

I have made two recent attempts to play in a game via Roll20 recently. Last weekend I set up a game that 4 people agreed to attend. One sent me a cancellation, the other 3 simply failed to show up. The reason from 2 of the no-shows was that they over slept. Tonight, I joined a game and the GM failed to show up. No notification. I keep things in perspective - I've been role playing forever and doing it online for a number of years. Life happens, but this isn't a throw-away effort. For the players it's character creation and for the GMs it's a massive amount of prep - for everyone it's arranging schedules. As a grown up with a bunch of kids, my schedule is challenged. Common courtesy is not too much to ask.  I wish there was a Linked In style service for gamers - a way to share player recommendations and vet people to know if they are reliable or not. Impractical, but I don't need people who can always show up - just people who let you know when they can't. 

Have you thought that possibly half the problem with any free to play campaign is that it's free.  Anything with no £ / $ value has little seen worth as all the efforts and time put into building campaigns go unnoticed.  There are no consequences for dropping out. Has anyone thought about charging for a game.  Would only need to be a toke amount - say £1 or $1.  It's a toke gesture but indicates that the players are serious to the GM and the GM having accepted the token payment may be more inclined to show up.  Traditionally in face to face sessions the players buy the pizza / beer for the GM - this could be the equivalent as the GM can either fund the roll 20 subscription or buy a beer with the cash.    You may find fewer players interested in your game but those that are are likely to stick around.   I'd pay a few bucks per game with pleasure if I knew I was getting a quality experience.

If that is the case and you can find the players, they can offer to pay for your subscription. It is only 5 per month so if you game 4 times a month (once a week) and have a group of 5 players, that comes out to 25 cents per player per game.

I don't think that's a terrible idea.  I'd totally throw $5 at someone if I could get into a nice game of Shadowrun and have them show me the ropes and teach me how to play.

I think that's why convention games are ~$6. It's not a bank killer and likely keeps folks from signing up on the off chance they might be interested in a game. That's an outstanding idea. 

Hm. I wouldn't charge, but it's an interesting thought. I might actually put in a "Feel Free to Donate, It Goes Towards The Game" notice.

Remember this is something that is not officially endorsed by roll20. This would something between you and your players.

Another option could be a rep. system - something like VB karma or what not.  A "virtual" currency that could be traded and earned.  Can't be "free" to handout, either, or people could just scam the system.  Even something for the forums to denote involvement beyond the mentor/supporter tags...