Have common issues been found to be behind why topics are crashing RW?

[MNBlockHead]

The problem where I live is that the only surviving gaming stores are 45+ miles away.

Ouch! I am spoiled. I have a number of great gaming stores in easy driving distance. There are also active gaming groups that organize on Meetup.com. We also have a number of conventions and events that have organized RPGs offered.

The best of them has a nice big gaming room, but they schedule open RPG night once every other month (at least as an advertised via social media event).

Getting a table to play at evening and weekends is nigh impossible if you don't have someone who can leave work early grab a table. I don't bother playing at the game stores. I'd rather play at home anyway. The one exception is I do like to play a game or two at Con of the North each year just to enjoy being a player and learn from other, more experienced GMs.

Although I have met a lot of nice people and good gamers, I've met 5 times as many twerps that need a good slap to the back of the head from NCIS Agent Gibbs.

When I was looking for players, I made it very clear what my campaign would involve and had some e-mail back and forth before the first games. After that I go with recommendation from existing players when additional players are needed.

 

[Viking2054]

I also prefer to play at home, unless I am meeting new people for the first or second time. If one of my players wants to invite someone new then I ask them when are they hosting the game for the meet, greet and play? If they don't want to host then we may arrange the drive to the gaming store to try out the new person. I've only had two players over that became sic dogs on them if they ever step foot on my property again. Although I've gamed with one other that if he knew where I lived would also be on that list.

Anyway, I've got a solid gaming group albeit with one whiner and his son. The son is a decent kid and doesn't whine like his dad. Too bad for my group the son recently joined the military. Good for him, just hate to loose a decent gamer even if he still has stuff to learn about decision making in an RPG... I blame computer games for some of his decisions.

Anyway, when my group gets together, it's usually at my place since I have a nice space where I can set up a couple of 8 foot folding tables side by side to throw a gaming mat on top of. But meeting new people is done someplace else.

The store I go to for semi-organized gaming also uses Meetup.com to announce when the RPG days are. I think they also use it for Magic The Gathering and other card games as well as the various miniature battle games that get played there. Of course they let you come in and set up a table if you want, each player just has to pay for their seat or use one of their credits earned from purchasing gaming material at the store.

 

[Parody]

Up here there's no paying for tables at stores and, barring planned events that take up all the space, you can normally run whatever you want. I always buy at least a drink and a snack to help support the store, but there's no requirement to do so.

The only real downside is that it's a half hour to anywhere from where I happen to live in the suburbs.

Thankfully I haven't had to recruit outside of folks I know for a while now.

 

[Viking2054]

If you support the store I play at, you get one credit per $5 you spend at the store. Some of the staff are lax on checking people who walk through to the gaming area while others are better about asking. But the policy is $5 a seat for the day or 1 credit you've earned on your account. The gaming area takes up probably at least half the store and might be close to two thirds of the store. I've earned enough credits, that I've never had to pay an additional dime and could probably seat a few others for a while. It's also the nicest store in the area, in my opinion.

For the adult players supporting the store, this is no big deal in my opinion. For the others, it becomes a cheap babysitter so mom and dad don't have to worry too much about their kids that are into gaming. I've seen a lot of RPG's, collectible card games, and miniature battle games run at the store. They have nights for Pathfinder Society, D&D Adventure Path, and Magic the Gathering where space is reserved for that night's highlighted game (whatever it may be). The weekends also have highlighted gaming events that rotate from month to month. They also host what they call a minicon (short for mini-convention) once a year.

The two other stores in the area don't cater to RPG's as much and don't devote as much space for people that want a place to play. So the $5 isn't a big deal and once you find a good gaming group, you meet at someone's house instead (if you can).