Advice on getting invited to a game

Ive applied on a few LFG threads, and so far havnt had any luck, and wanted to ask if anyone had any advice for standing out from the crowd. Like anything I can do to make myself more likely to be picked. I feel like the easy advice is to just apply to more games, but Im only really interested in joining one game, and if I get invited to more than one, Ill feel bad about turning the second one down, so Im only really comfortable applying to one game at a time. Thanks for any advice :)

Every GM is going to differ in what exactly they are looking for when choosing players. But when I've advertised for games I've noticed a lot of people applying don't read the listing properly or just ignore things (I usually put a code word buried in the text for them to include in the application). I also look for someone that has filled out their roll20 bio and completed the roll20 tutorial, it shows they have put in a basic level of effort even if they are new. As to the actual application, try to be as articulate as possible but in a punchy manner. A paragraph character concept that's compelling without being a wall of text backstory. Maybe include a little picture of your character. I'd also advise you to reconsider only applying to 1 game at a time. You don't have to spam fifty applications, but if you are struggling to land a spot it's unlikely you'll run into the 'problem' of being invited into multiple games. Even targeting a handful of interesting games is going to broaden your chances. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice! I did most of the tutorial, but I just noticed I dont have the achievement so I probably didnt get the last flag or something. I should probably fix that :P Ill look into getting a handful of pictures to use for characters, and trying to be a bit more to the point with my backstory. I know the "problem" of multiple invites seems kinda egotistical, but it still makes me anxious.

I'm pretty clear about what I'm looking for in my listings, but perhaps a lot of GMs don't mention these things. Microphone situation is one issue of importance, to me at least. I need players who's mic doesn't pick up from their speakers (and echo my voice back to me).  Attendance is another issue. I think most GMs understand that sometimes players don't like a game and want to leave, but it's the ones who are half-interested that are trouble, because they take up a player slot, but only show up sometimes, or when they do show up, are distracted, and not paying attention.  I also like players who aren't too passive, but who don't hog the stage. Players who let others' characters shine, and try to cover other areas. I'll hypocritically mention that putting your time zone in your bio may help. I think also, when inviting, I look for players who seem eager, but not too eager. Like, they're interested, but not wild about it. I can't say why. Maybe it's that I expect they'll be too active in game, or disappointed if things don't happen as they expected.  Looking at my bio, I mention that I will let the GM know if I'm leaving the game. I understand if people don't like my game, but ghosting is very rude, and it may even get the player a bad reputation amongst players. So I'd suggest both not ghosting a game, and mentioning that you won't do it. I also put my rough age and my gender in there, which some GMs may be interested in. One thing further, I make a good effort to try and filter who I invite to my games, including having a voice chat with applicants before inviting. So, if I get invited to a game without such efforts, I lose interest, as I assume other players will have been accepted with such ease, and it's probably not my kind of game.

What I have learned about accepting new players into games I run: Don't join/run D&D 5e  Prospective players post a half dozen characters, expect the GM to read six different character w/ backstory, and don't take the time to read the two paragraph introduction to the game .   Some times they show up.  They always leave, usually without giving any input on why they left.  Even when you start every session with " let me know what you don't like so I, the GM, adjust the game so everyone is having fun ". Join a paid game Not my go to move.  But with a paid game, the other players and the GM have a reason for joining that night.  And the GM knows you are not likely to bail at the first moment. Find an unusual system Pathfinder and D&D have a bunch of game masters, and players feel they can leave whenever.  A system without that many players will be happy with some one new.  The more popular games...the new person can be 'spare'.

There is a fine line to balance on when submitting an application for a game, and it is completely dependant on the GM and the Game as mentioned above. Each GM will ask for different pieces of information, and like a job application or creating a resume you need to present in a way that corresponds with the GMs expectations. To much information will create a wall of text unbearable to read. This mostly happens when character backstories or ideas come into play and the excited player goes ham on writing a novel. So when creating an application be cautious and flexible, put in your character idea and keep it short but be open to creating a character anew.  Read the LFG listing make sure you are happy with the setting, rules and schedule. If you have any questions communicate with the GM and be sure to check your inbox and respond in a timely manner. This connection shows interest and effort which will go along way in getting into a game. At the same time try not to over do it, give the GM time to respond before sending a follow up.  Consider playing in different timezones. I'm Australian and it can be an absolute nightmare trying to find or organise games, so I actually run a lot of games in very odd timeslots (for myself) which maybe a bit crazy but it is a sign of unwavering dedication.  Be open to other game systems. It can be daunting as a new player but jumping in the deep end and playing a system you haven't heard of before or is off main stream can be extremely fun especially if you go into it with an open mind and just for fun. At that same time, try pick up games or one shots to build up those achievements and get some playtime.

I'm a DM who only runs D&D 5e with 'Text Only'. No Video and Mics. My last listing read like the following.... INTRO blurb... basics.... THEN.... I'll be as honest as possible here, since I'd like to hope people join with the right sort of expectations....   My games tend to have an even mix of roleplay, investigation, combat and puzzles. Some sessions will be heavier in one aspect than the others. As a DM, I will always try and follow all the D&D rules correctly, but will sometimes steer away if it helps speed up the pace of the game or give a little more tension, risk, reward etc! I'm known to sometimes 'skip one or two steps ahead' if I feel that a certain situation is dragging on a little too much and the outcome is generally obvious to those involved. Please note that the game will probably have the odd bit of swearing from a player or two on the odd occasion (Maybe after they've rolled their 3rd critical fail in a row!)... plus there will hopefully be some gory death scenes! I will also add, I want to progress with story and would like to avoid including an 'evil' player character, or an untrustworthy rogue who keeps trying to steal from their party members.  ---- Please let me know if you're interested by posting a comment below, or dropping me a private message. - I'd appreciate it if you could let me know a bit about yourself, your real name (since I think it's weird continually calling someone something like "fairykiller1976" week after week, where you're from, any timezones, your experience and you preferred play style etc, etc – The bottom line is.... I'm far more interested to hear about you as a player, than a story and background about your planned character... In fact. Don't bother telling me much about your planned character at all. --- There were so many countless people who just applied without reading anything I'd written. It was just a copied and pasted 'Here is my character and their backstory' that they probably add to every application. These people had absolutely 0% chance of joining my game. Even if they were the only ones to apply, I still wouldn't have accepted them, since they were either too lazy to read instructions, too illiterate, or not have enough time to spare.... any one of these reasons would be enough not to be accepted :( My recommendation would be to take the time to read descriptions, and if possible, in your reply.... mention something they wrote, just so it shows that you were paying attention when reading it all.

Everyone above has great advice and I don't think I can add anything about how to make a good application that hasn't already been said. If you take that advice to heart, I think you stand a very good chance of getting into a game. I suggest that you consider playing some one shots either via the pickup game tool here on Roll20 or on r/lfg. Quite often a one shot can lead into a spot in a long term game. Many DMs like to vet players by playing a one shot with them before committing to a new player. Even if the DM doesn't have an open spot, you'll start to make connections with players who can suggest you to other DMs. I play with a network of people and before I go to the forums looking for a new player, I always ask the people I play with for recommendations.

I'm a DM for in-person games and a player on Roll20 because usually I'm the only DM available in real life. Nonetheless, I have a few tricks I picked up when applying for games here. Every DM is looking for something slightly different, but, in my experience, good applications have these three cores: show the DM you care, show them something interesting, and show them you're probably not a terrible person. SHOW THE DM YOU CARE Read the entire LFG listing. Follow all the player application instructions they request, right down to formatting. In your application, mention a few things from the LFG listing that piqued your interest. If nothing piqued your interest, you probably shouldn't apply for this campaign in the first place. If possible, create or modify your character concept to fit the DM's campaign. Indicate that you're the kind of player who respects the game enough to show up every week, assuming you can work it in without it sounding forced. If you're not that kind of player, respect the DM enough not to apply to long-term games. Play one-shots instead. SHOW THE DM SOMETHING INTERESTING In most cases, this will be in your character concept or backstory. As a player, I once ran across an LFG listing for a group looking for a DM. I very nearly applied even though I knew I couldn't handle running an extra campaign. Why? Because of the short, tantalizing character backstories. They were only a paragraph long, but there was just enough open-ended mystery in them that I knew I could build fantastic stories around them. Ever since, I've included a mystery that I don't know the answer to for every character in almost every player application I write, unless the application instructions don't allow it. My invite count ticked up afterward. Besides, if the DM pulls on that mystery, you'll end up having more fun. SHOW THE DM YOU'RE AN ALL RIGHT PERSON Mostly, this is going to come down to maturity. Older DMs are going to look for more mature players because having obnoxious and/or self-centered people in your group is terrible. Maturity doesn't matter as much if your DM is young, but be careful as a player with such DMs. An immature DM is often worse than an immature player. In general, though, follow the same rules you would with in-person socialization. Sound self-assured, be polite but not obsequious, and don't try too hard. Also, indicate in your application what kind of player you are, such as what your favorite aspects of roleplaying games are. Do you prefer combat or RP? Are you an active player? DMs want to know this kind of thing, and many will include that kind of question in their application instructions. If you do all that, you'll have a better time. But, obviously, DMs get a ton of applications on Roll20, so don't take it personally if you don't hear from them. As someone else mentioned, apply to a lot of games all at once to increase your odds of getting an invite. It's better to have too many invites than too few. And, no matter how much you want to play, DO NOT ACCEPT AN INVITE TO A CAMPAIGN YOU DID NOT APPLY TO. In my experience, that's a huge red flag. Every DM who reached out to me blind turned out to be horrible in one way or another. I don't know why. There's nothing inherent in the act of reaching out to a player that guarantees you're a bad DM. I suspect it's simply that good DMs are choosier when they're gaming with strangers, so they don't send out blind invites like that.

Thanks for all the stellar advice everyone! I think some of the best advice for me is to maybe be a little less overenthusiastic since I kind of have been for my applications. Im definitely going to apply for a few oneshots. I think Im gonna stick to D&D though, because I already have a non D&D game that Im DMing for some friends. Ill also update my profile a little, make sure I get the tutorial achivement, and stop excluding paid games from my searches. Ill also make sure to read over the description for a game twice, in case I miss anything :)