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04:45, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Posted by GreenTongue
donsr
member, 2442 posts
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 00:02
  • msg #8

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

the ebb and fl;ow of players and  games will always be aprt of this genre. years ago it was the same on other site..its still the same.

1..everytime a new  Sci-Fi mocie....Undead TV show...or  war  show comes on...dozens of  games pop up, using dozens of  Game systems  or Free from

2... GMs   are sometimes as flighty as Player ( i always  check how many deleted  games a GM has..and how many total they have)

3..lastly, some players  want to 'try something  new", but end up  loosing interest until the next one pops up..( more or less , what Sunruauner said )

as a Player? you can't  control what a flighty GM does..as a GM, you can't control the likes  and dislikes of players, or thier attentionspan...Play the games the best you can, Run the  games  for fun, not to get the Nobel prize, or get on the honor roll for your style.
evileeyore
member, 603 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined 20150819
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 02:02
  • msg #9

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

donsr:
2... GMs   are sometimes as flighty as Player ( i always  check how many deleted  games a GM has..and how many total they have)

I hate that GMs can scrape a game and reuse it.  Makes it impossible to trust when you see a GM has only 2-3 games.

But, everything donsr said.
ladysharlyne
subscriber, 3226 posts
Member before Oct 2005
THE GLASS IS HALF FULL
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 08:34
  • msg #10

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Actually that is misleading in a lot of cases as you never know the full reason behind a closing or reopening of a game.  If players quit playing and interest waned then why leave them open indefinitely?  A GM may like the concept and try again in the future as we are always getting new members on this site.  A GM has the right to try again.  Also something technical may have gone wrong with the game mechanics and can’t be fixed by Admin so the GM and their players lose all their past writings and storylines and have to start fresh due to no problem of their own.  Especially what has happened in real life as well.
Sadly a GM has to make decisions more due to players reactions than because they want to just delete and make more.  It is absolutely not a sign that the GM is untrustworthy.  Many new GMs have to try and a game not working out and deleted is not a failure but their learning experience.  A good GM always should tell what players they have that it was a good try and yet didn’t make it.  That one day they may try again   But in most cases it is the players disappearing with no word, leaving other players and the GM hanging, sometimes a game can work around this by players or the GM pickin up the orphaned characters but there is only so much that any GM or Players can handle.  When a game becomes more of a chore to all then it is time to end it.  That doesn’t mean a GM should not ever try the concept again.
This message was last edited by the user at 08:37, Sun 05 Dec 2021.
DarkLightHitomi
member, 1594 posts
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 08:49
  • msg #11

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

I'd like to point out that not all games are intended as serious campaigns either. Nearly all of my games were intended as playtests, which is insanely difficult to get players for, so they end up short and quickly over.
donsr
member, 2443 posts
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 13:37
  • msg #12

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Lady?  the point has been made  about that over the years, every time i bring that up? But if you see some  one who has  3 games  running and 3 deleted?...they you know its more or less on and off...when they have a great many deleted...,thats a red flag to me.

 everyone chooses games for , what they think will be the content...content doesn't matter if you are left hanging for  weeks  for a post.

 Everyone here..new folks and vets, have their  own way of sorting out games, this is  just mine. and has  worked very well for me.
Hunter
member, 1697 posts
Captain Oblivious!
Lurker
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 16:28
  • msg #13

Re: Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

donsr:
2... GMs   are sometimes as flighty as Player ( i always  check how many deleted  games a GM has..and how many total they have)


I happen to be bipolar, which can make me really flighty as a double and triple guess myself.   But like DarkLightHitomi said, most of the games I've GMed have been non-standard.
donsr
member, 2445 posts
Sun 5 Dec 2021
at 17:58
  • msg #14

Re: Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Hunter?  we  all do what we can, with what we have. The fact that you are doing is, is great, to give you focus ( and hopefully some fun).

 again? its   a Tip  because it works  for me, it  may not  work  or be welcome by others.
Silverlock
member, 132 posts
Mon 6 Dec 2021
at 02:21
  • msg #15

Re: Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Yes, it is normal.  A lot of people are busy with family stuff and/or work during the holidays.  I'm working both holidays this year, just the way the schedule fell this time, for example.  At least one of my players is 'essential' too, that means an uncertain schedule where work must come first.  So I put my game on hold from the Christmas holiday to the New Year, for about two weeks each year, that way no one is worried about finding time to post.
Gaffer
member, 1716 posts
Ocoee FL
45 yrs of RPGs
Tue 7 Dec 2021
at 20:55
  • msg #16

Re: Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Normal? It's practically a holiday tradition.
evileeyore
member, 604 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined 20150819
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 04:19
  • msg #17

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

donsr:
Lady?  the point has been made  about that over the years, every time i bring that up? But if you see some  one who has  3 games  running and 3 deleted?...they you know its more or less on and off...when they have a great many deleted...,thats a red flag to me.

Exactly.  And if the majority of their games barely break 500 posts?  That a big red flag too.

But I'll be honest, if some has been here forever and has 10+ deleted games, that's more reassuring than if they only have 2 games with barely any posts and are opening a new one...
donsr
member, 2446 posts
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 04:31
  • msg #18

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

yep evileyore ..  i think i started  to put  the Dates i started the games in my ads... between that and the  posts, should let folks know, The games are pretty constant.

 one of  my old players form? I dunno..7 8 years ago, tried starting games, I joined done to ehlp him out  with set up and interaction,,,but it  doied.. then he repurposed  the game, and had some other..but the  counts are low, and game bodies stack up...That's no fun for players

 I wasn't ever  going to run games here, because i was working, when i first got here..but so many game, that i looked forward to died..some..because GMs  had RL  stuff..other?  because of a Butterfly GM... the last straw  was a   starship troopers game was running, and we had some good players...sadly, the GM  tried to have us 'run the game"... you can't  do that...sooner or later  God Mod folks show up... we lucked  out..the game died ..many ?  2 months?...

 so? i took the  bait, started  my own game , own world, own system, based on something i wanted to do in the  80's.. i invited the   good players, and they all came...that was almost 11 years ago..I still have one 'charter  member'...

 RL sucks...that's causes  most folks to leave...other times..Life is great, and that takes you away from here.

Again.. and this  has to be the most important  thing...whether you run your game like you an English Lit prof  at Oxford..or   you run the game  for play sake... You run the game your  way, and sooner or later , you'll get your type of players ...

 Slow  games  Die...keep it moving, keep it  fun/
Gaffer
member, 1717 posts
Ocoee FL
45 yrs of RPGs
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 21:51
  • msg #19

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

If I advertised a game today, it would show I have three current games (from 281 to 2,225 posts) and five deleted between 2019 and 2021 with between 877 and 1,729 posts. All of those deleted games reached the end of their story.

How would you evaluate me based on those numbers?
Carakav
member, 689 posts
Sure-footed paragon
of forthright dude.
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 22:15
  • msg #20

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

I think it depends on the person. For my part, as long as a person advertising has at least one game with more than 5k-10k posts, deleted, complete, dead, or active... then that tells me they have the focus to keep a story going beyond the initial stages, but that's because I typically play Pathfinder games, and those tend to go on for extended periods.

If your games end in shorter periods of time, then it depends on how well formatted your advertisement and game are, and whether the hook for the game you're proposing is interesting.

Whenever one of your games end, it might be helpful to rename them to include something like "(Story Completed)" in the title before you delete them. That way you quickly communicate why it was deleted. It might even make your advertisements more attractive! Or at least draw curiosity.
This message was last edited by the user at 22:35, Wed 08 Dec 2021.
DeeYin
member, 31 posts
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 22:31
  • msg #21

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Gaffer, speaking only for myself, and I did look you up, to me it reflects positively on you as a DM.

Games do come and go, even very good games with very good DMs, and often for reasons outside of the DM's control- player attrition, reaching the end of a story, etc.- so having deleted games are not to be unexpected or a black mark on the record.

In general, a deleted game with at least 1000 posts shows the DM was responsive enough in play, and the game likely survived for some time.
(I also am not overly concerned about games with less than 10 posts, unless there are a ~lot~ of them. I just assume the DM changed their mind and did not start the game. It is basically ones with 10-999 posts that cause concern for me.)

Of yours, 4 of the 5 deleted ones have over 1000, as does one of your current games. So, that bodes well.

There is one deleted game in the hundreds, however, there are two things that assuage any of my concerns.
1- It is a call of cthulhu game. CoC often works better for one shot games rather than extended campaigns due to PCs going mad or being eaten by ghouls or sacrificed by cultists. So, a lesser number of posts are not as troubling as it would be in a more action-oriented game, like superheroes or D&D.
2- The (ooc) thread is visible, and skimming the last few posts, one can easily see that the current game simply came to an end because it reached the end of the story, not that it was abandoned. So, again, this is a positive- the DM saw it all the way through.

You have three active games, two of them with posts today or yesterday, the other two weeks ago. Two weeks is on the cusp of concern for me, but fine, since some games are slower-running and it is holiday season. And as the other two are active as of today or yesterday, benefit of the doubt absolutely would go to you.

So, looking in from outside, to me it seems that you would be the sort of DM I would look for.
evileeyore
member, 606 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined 20150819
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 23:05
  • msg #22

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Gaffer:
How would you evaluate me based on those numbers?

Based on not knowing they were 'completed' games?  I'd avoid your game unless it was an amazingly good hook and a system I really, really, really, really liked.

After knowing they were complete?  I'd avoid it even if it was an amazing hook and a system I really, really, really, really liked.

Why?  Because I'm having a hard time imagining how 877 posts is a "finished game" unless it was a "one-shot" single player (or maybe two) player game.  Or for some reason you ran a single mission from another game as a side game.  Like 877 posts is what?  100ish posts per Player (that game actually averaged 139.25 posts per Player)?  That's long a Character Creation PM thread to me.

For me, if you aren't having to open new threads to continue a "mission" because it's nearing 1K posts, you haven't even really started the game, and you aren't anywhere near "completing" it (however, see below).  But then I'm in the game for the long haul...

---

That said, having looked into your games*, you run very brief one shots, so I'd avoid your games... especially if you pitched "this is a one-shot"† (which is always a nice thing to see).  I'm not a fan of one shots, unless I know the GM already and thus know I'll enjoy myself.  It's just not worth the effort to make a Character for a game that won't be around in a few months, unless I know I'll really be enjoying myself (I'm old, my time is limited, I dole it out preciously), which requires I know the GM well enough to know how they run games, or I know the GM and I can just dust off an already made Character from other games they've run (at which point is it really a "new" game or just a continuation from a previous game?).




* Which is something I do frequently, sometimes someone who has a lot of games will have some very obvious reasons why their games keep falling apart, or in your case completing, before they hit 1K posts.  While "has a lot of very short deleted games" is a 'red flag', it's not the 'third strike'.  It's not even a strike, it is however a reason to investigate a bit before I commit any time to their game.

† If you pitched it as a one-shot, I'd not even look beyond the pitch, so I'd probably never notice the deleted games, never even bother to look into them, etc.  You run games that are not for me, which is fine, we're just in very different gaming lanes.
evileeyore
member, 607 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined 20150819
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 23:17
  • msg #23

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

DeeYin:
You have three active games...

This is also for me a red flag.  Yes, some people have oodles of time to devote to a game, but most do not.  It would be a reason to look into the game, see what the actual rate of response from the GM is.  So many times I see a pitch that's decent, and an RTJ that says "I expect posts every 2-3 days minimum and will be moving the game along with/out you after three days regardless" and then check their other games and see the GM only rolls in once a week or so.


On the other hand...
quote:
...two of them with posts today or yesterday, the other two weeks ago. Two weeks is on the cusp of concern for me, but fine, since some games are slower-running and it is holiday season [emphasis mine]. And as the other two are active as of today or yesterday, benefit of the doubt absolutely would go to you.

... seeing they have several games the GM is actively staying on top of, seeing their "AWOL/Vacation" thread lists people current out and a downtime notice... all that points to being optimistic about a GM's capacity to stay the course.


Again, you and me?  We're in completely opposite gaming spaces.  But if you ever advertised a campaign?  You might see an RTJ from me... or not, you favor CoC, I haven't played CoC in forever (30+ years now) and as I recall that system/genre really does benefit more from one-shots than campaigns.
This message was last edited by the user at 23:55, Wed 08 Dec 2021.
deadtotheworld22
member, 177 posts
Wed 8 Dec 2021
at 23:23
  • msg #24

Re: Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Gaffer:
If I advertised a game today, it would show I have three current games (from 281 to 2,225 posts) and five deleted between 2019 and 2021 with between 877 and 1,729 posts. All of those deleted games reached the end of their story.

How would you evaluate me based on those numbers?


I think it's hard to put definite figures on it, because it absolutely depends on what games you've been playing.

If you look at mine, I've got three deleted games with between 26 and 171 posts, and three lives of about 2400, 440 and 170, although the first one hasn't been updated in two years. Based on my numbers alone, I suspect I'd fail everyone's tests!

To provide context, the three deleted ones are one concept for a solo which didn't pan out, one solo which went under due to the player dropping out, and a group one where we just lost everyone over Thanksgiving about a month after it started.

My live ones are all solo games, although only one (the 440) has been updated in the last week or so. The 2400 one is technically on long term hiatus from which the 170 developed as a palate cleanser, but I know the player hasn't got a lot of time and I'm happy to accept we might only get a post or two every few months.

As such, I'd like to think my profile looks pretty healthy, given I mainly run solo games and I tend not to GM the most popular systems (i.e. 5e or Pathfinder), but it would be a bit hypocritical of me to judge GMs solely by post numbers or ratio of deleted to live!

As such, my attitude when browsing is very much 'I'll know what it is when I see it' when it comes to potential red flags.

Certainly, large quantities of abandoned or deleted games with post counts between 30-150 would probably raise an eyebrow, especially if they are all for similar systems, because that might indicate a GM who has a tendency to do quick startups without thinking through their craft, so I'd certainly look for at least something in the mid 100s somewhere in their background.

I'm also somewhat suspicious of GMs who run 6+ games concurrently, because it might indicate that they're a bit more hands-off than I'd prefer, but that's a personal taste.

That being said, I don't tend to judge on reputation that much - the quality of the concept and the advertisement comes first, so I'd only really look at numbers if I was maybe looking at a game which was a bit outside my comfort zone and wanted to have some degree of assurance that if I take the risk to try something new, there's a good chance the GM will be around long enough I can have a fair crack at it!
NowhereMan
member, 461 posts
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 00:14
  • msg #25

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

In reply to Gaffer (msg # 19):

That's a great point, Gaffer, and one I "suffer" from as well. Currently I show as running 10 games, a majority of which have less than two hundred posts. Which, for people who evaluate such things, would be enormous red flags. Thing is, of those ten games, two of them are still in development, five are solo games geared towards slower players (two of which are on indefinite hiatus), and one is a unified announcement "game" for if I need to communicate with specific people quickly without resorting to posting across numerous games. That leaves a semi-active slow-oriented game with nearly 1,500 posts, and a game that's still in character-creation.

Frankly, though, I'm not sure I mind. I've yet to run into a player that vets based on numbers that I particularly wanted to have in one of my games. My "red flags" weed out players I don't want.
donsr
member, 2450 posts
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 00:30
  • msg #26

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

 agreed Nowhere... GMs have thier red Flags as well, and like players, each  one is good for that person.

  folks come here to play, some folks have more time then others, some are  eager  to contribute. Others  are here to kill time, and  exercise that part of their mindset..

I had a good laugh when  one player asked  'if  the game will be around in a year"... i asked if he saw the post  count, and noted the  starting day of the game in the ad?

 His answer was " that doesn't mean it will keep going"

 I replied, "and there is no saying you will be around in the next year?"

 he filled out the   RTJ, we had my interview, and he lasted  less then a month, because'the pace was too hard, and too much to learn'

apparently , not reading the line  that said ,' Players and the characters  learn together"

 I think he might have  had 10 posts in, and half of those were OOC., I do  the  'interview ' thing to get a feel for the player, and they of me? some folks change thier minds, some i say  'the game may not be right for you'..and other  step in and hit the ground running.
Shaman
member, 188 posts
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 00:50
  • msg #27

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

As a GM here, two of my three listed games that are deleted were from the players not working out and after deleting all posts and considering whether I wanted to relaunch the game with a new group. I realized I no longer had interest in the idea because of the experience so I deleted the game as per the guideline requests not to leave a game hanging around.

It used to be that I was the fellow who would take over a game after the GM bailed and left us usually high and dry. I eventually stopped doing that as I ran into health reasons.

The third game, recently deleted was one of those games, it ran eleven years overall before we completed it. The original GM couldn't continue, two of us took it over from him. Though we tried to continue a sequel, that didn't work out. Recently, I decided to delete it as I came to realize I wouldn't be returning to try the sequel. It had over 8000 posts.

I took over another game after the GM decided they couldn't continue but then I ended up having health issues and I realized my conditions and ability to carry on had changed. I have not deleted that one as I wanted to give another player a chance to take over. None have expressed interest. Given those health issues were and remain quite serious that was the reason for the reevaluation of what I can truly commit and provide to the games I have and those players. One of the decisions was to stay with systems I was already deeply familiar with.

Of the three games I have currently listed as live: one is on hold while and still in development, another was on hold and recently resumed now that I am feeling more capable and the last one came to a close after ten years of play and nearly 25000 posts. I am considering a sequel for it but not for a few months as I want a break and I need to focus on my health.

If one of my games gets deleted it is usually due to one of two reasons: player flakiness and eventual becoming tired of always having to recruit or the game finished and I no longer plan a sequel or to continue with the system.

When I commit to doing a game though as a GM I tend to be stubborn to complete them. In point of fact the above mentioned game was the first game in Shadowrun, one of my players had ever completed here and only the second one he'd seen a GM finish in well over the decade he's been here.

Player attrition can be hard on a GM and I find that often it is a large part on whether it wears down a GM's willingness to continue trying to keep the game going after they've had to rework things a number of times after a player disappears and their character was tied to the plot. I had to do that three times after the original attempt at the Shadowrun game happened. But I wanted to see this idea through and so I kept at it and eventually I got the right players.
Hunter
member, 1699 posts
Captain Oblivious!
Lurker
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 01:05
  • msg #28

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

In reply to Carakav (msg # 20):

I tend to have a lot of unusual ideas that really don't work out very well.   So, I have more than a couple of deleted games; and most of those, I deleted posts/characters/etc for.    I've reached the point where I really shouldn't be GMing anyways, given the rather questionable track record of success.
ladysharlyne
subscriber, 3244 posts
Member before Oct 2005
A Pox on Vanishing Player
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 01:25
  • msg #29

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

Hunter if we all felt like that there would be no GMS or games,  It is trial and error for anyone.  I don’t agree with the game ads shing deleted games,  sometimes you feel like something you like might make a new game, you try it but there was not enough player interest, you delete it.  Any time during holidays or Summer where folk can get outside slows things down almost or to a stop.  It happens and chalk it up to human nature.  Heck we all have real lives or we would not be here.  I have slow to moderate paced game’s because real life is hectic with all kinds of things happening to players and myself.  Just because things slow down is no reason to get down on yourself or your game.  As I said you can only give it your best shot and if games don’t take off you delete and try again.  We always need new games and new GMs.  You are doing just fine.
donsr
member, 2451 posts
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 01:38
  • msg #30

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

I'll say this  Hunter?

 create a game that  YOU WANT to DM...don't  try to hook on to  the 'latest craze'  youlike Undead games?..make an Undead game they way you would like  to play in it Sci-fi? same thing..Vamp game , same thing 'hook up game' same thing.

 sooner or later you'll get  players  who want the same thing you want... then you keep it alive

all the games i have been in that died, was  GMs  trying  tom'let the players run the game"...or they  try  do the 5e , or  2e  or whatever pathfinder?.. and find out they have to deal with  rules lawyers , and 'experts'.

  Just  run a game you want...let it be known you are  the GM/DM... my games folks can come up with stuff that may or may not  fit the game world, and  i will add it or not... semifreeform still needs  rules  and Guidelines...regular  systems have them in thier books.

  sit back and think about  it Hunter.. find  what you want to play...then run it!
facemaker329
member, 7369 posts
Gaming for over 40
years, and counting!
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 05:22
  • msg #31

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

I don't know if I'm in the minority, or if it's the mostly-silent majority...but I rarely (pretty much never) look at a GM's track record when I'm deciding whether or not I want to try and join a game.  I have my own criteria, which are extremely subjective:

--Is this a system with which I'm familiar?  If I've got to pick up a whole new set of rules, even if they're available as free PDFs, I'm far less inclined to join a game.  As I get older, I find myself less flexible about devoting the time and effort to decipher yet another set of gaming rules, especially if it's a situation where I'm not likely to be using those rules for anything more than just the one game.  It's not a deal-breaker...but it does weigh heavily on my choices.

--Does the setting and premise of the game intrigue me?  Dungeon crawl?  That'd be a no-go for me.  Futuristic interstellar war?  Maybe...depends on some of the other variables.  Star Wars?  Depends on which rules the game is using.  I got into a couple of Scion games PURELY because the premise sounded really cool, and I had never even heard of Scion previous to being invited to join the game by someone I'd had conversations with here in CC.  Again, not a deal-breaker...but it carries even more weight, quite likely, than the system.

--Presentation.  Does the GM use clear grammar, spell correctly (most of the time), use effective formatting, etc?  Again, not a make-or-break prospect.  I've been in a game for years with a GM who routinely butchers spelling and sometimes types like he's got drumsticks for fingers (the chicken leg, not actual drumsticks...they'd be more precise)...but the setting of the game and the way he runs it make it worth deciphering his typo-laden posts, because he's telling a story that I'm enjoying.  But if, say, I was in a slightly-above-average Star Wars game that was being presented the same way, there's a strong likelihood that I'd walk after a while.

--How many hoops do I have to jump through?  Some people believe in a 'less is more' approach on RTJs, others want very comprehensive write-ups of the character's appearance, history, family, business, etc.  If I'm feeling the game strongly, I'll jump through the hoops...if my imagination hasn't been fired up by that point, I'll probably walk away (in the proverbial sense, since there's no real 'walking' in an online situation).

--Chemistry.  If I have a make-or-break criterion, it's this.  If I feel like I jive well with the GM and the other players, I will soldier on through an immense amount of trouble to get the game to work as best I can.  If I feel like I'm just another name on the roster and there's no real connection, I'll likely actually celebrate a little when the game inevitably folds up.  To me, gaming--whether PbP or FtF--is all about the chemistry of the people involved.  If it's there, I'm going to have fun, even if it's a mediocre setting and a bad system.  If it's not, the game is going to be a chore, no matter what setting or system.

But at no point do I say, "Hmmmm...I wonder if this GM's track record should inspire confidence..." and go look at how many games they're running or have run in the past and where they are in terms of post counts.  I may go look at some of their other games, yes...but only to get a sense of how they run their games, so I get a feel for whether or not I'm going to enjoy playing the game that they intend to run.

Now, granted...it's been a LONG time since I've looked for a new game.  Part of that is because I'm in games that have some pretty strong longevity going for them, part of that is that I've played with enough different people and made enough different connections via Community Chat conversations that five of the last six games I've joined were via direct invitation from either the GM or another player already in the game.  But those are lessons that I've learned from experience--some good and some bad.  As has been explained, the numbers may not lie, but they definitely create an incomplete image...so I don't rely on them.  I'm more impressed by how your current game is being pitched, and how you're running it, than I am in what you did maybe five years ago.
evileeyore
member, 611 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined 20150819
Thu 9 Dec 2021
at 16:46
  • msg #32

Is it Normal for things to slow down around the holidays?

facemaker329:
I don't know if I'm in the minority, or if it's the mostly-silent majority...but I rarely (pretty much never) look at a GM's track record when I'm deciding whether or not I want to try and join a game.

I didn't used to.  But after I had the fifth GM bail on a game within two months of them starting it (and I mean putting out a Player's Wanted ad, the game sometimes hadn't even gotten out of chargen) and I noticed these GMs all had a long string of deleted or "dormant" games with under 500 posts... I started paying attention.

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--Is this a system with which I'm familiar?

I'm a bit of the opposite, but...  While I have gotten into more new systems on this site than I've gotten into in real life in the last 20 twenty years, it's because the premise sounded good.  But agreed, I'm sooner to get into a tepid sounding GURPS game than a good sounding 'any other game' (but a very good sounding premise to a gaem I've yet to play where the systems has interesting sounding things going on?  I'll look deeper past the pitch).

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--Does the setting and premise of the game intrigue me?

I think everyone has their preferred settings and follows the same general guideline.

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--Presentation.

I'm stricter on that than you are.  If I find "too many" spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes in the RTJ, the Game Rules, Chargen, etc threads I bail before even submitting the RTJ.

How many is too many?  Eh, it's a "density of errors" kinda thing, I know when it trips my 'strike one', 'two', or 'three' markers, btu there isn't a set amount.  I'm far, far, far more forgiving of formatting mistakes than punctuation or grammar, and far more forgiving of grammar or punctuation than spelling.

And while spelling is a deal breaker, I'll also 'put up with' a fair amount as long as the GM's intentions and communication is fairly clear.

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--How many hoops do I have to jump through?

I often disagree with "less is more" so if the GM is barely requiring anything, I'm likely to move along.  I feel there needs to be a few hoops, though the more the GM demands the stricter I'm going to be on things like spelling/grammar/formatting, and the more extensive their chargen thread, setting, rules, and etc need to be.

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--Chemistry.

Agreed.  But for me this also involves fun.  There is so very little interplay in a PbP (compared to Real Life­™).  I still need to be enjoying the game.  If I can identify why the game has ceased to be enjoyable, I'll discuss things with the GM, see if something can be done to revive my interest.  But if I can't identify the problems, then the problems are probably so widespread (even if they're so minor as to not individually rise to the level of "check mark/red flag") it's 'a little bit of everything' and it's time to walk.

I'll admit, I've only been in one game where I felt like a name on the roster, and agreed, I walked (over other issues, but that was part of the parcel).

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Now, granted...it's been a LONG time since I've looked for a new game.

I rarely "go looking" but if an interesting title for a game flashes by in the Players Wanted forum, I'll check it out.  I'm not very likely to jump in on a long running game unless it checks off a lot of good boxes, and 99% of the games here are in genres or systems I actively dislike, so those get passed by right there.  But if it's a system I'm interested in (which for me includes ones I've never tried but I've heard interesting things about), and the genre is good, and the premise is intriguing, and the GM doesn't trip any 'red flags'... I'll RTJ.

I'm in several good games, but they've all suffered from the "RPoL Syndrome" over the years and have slowed to a crawl, so I almost always have time for a few more games in my day.
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