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What are people's experiences with getting into RPGs? Do you prefer to start with a group of your friends or make friends through joining a pre-existent group? I like to meet new people but am wary of the "gamer type." Falling into a pit of TFGs is not my idea of a fun evening. On the other hand, it's easier to join because you don't have to be the person who mobilizes your friends to learn the rules or care about the setting. A friend of mine once took a look at my RPG collection and asked whether I had played all the games. I responded, "No. But I like to be familiar with the rules just in case any of my friends become interested in one of them." One of the reasons I like starting a a group with people I am already friends with is that I want to hang out with them anyway. In the busy schedule of adulthood, a weekly or ever-other-weekly session is a powerful way to make the time for staying in touch.

What do you guys think?

ALSO: If this part of Dakka is ever going to get off the ground, we need to come up with a catchier name for it.

Well, I RPG with a group of friends mostly, not tried it much elsewhere, I mostly GM so it's all fun and games for me (Lies!) but as far as I can tell, friends are a good way to go about it, at least then if someone's ruining the game a bit, you can tell them in a way you know wont make them flip out and you'll all be more at ease with each other ^^

I started in a DH group online. The people were incredible. I would have really liked to get to know them better but my schedule was breaking down for IRL reasons and I wasn't able to continue. I met my long-time D&D group through D&D rather than already being friends first but we have since become very close. (I'm actually god father to the first child of one couple from that group.) So I have nothing particular against joining a group.

I think at this point in my life, I will probably have to join a group rather than converting existing friends. Seems like people who get to a certain age are not going to get into RPGs if they were never interested before.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
What do people think of renaming the board: Role Playing/Board Games? It's a lot less cumbersome. The goal should be getting this to something as recognizable as YMDC.

I was invited by one of my friends at university to start up an RPG group with some of his other friends. It was pretty good until half of the group fell out with the other half

We played about once a week - long enough that you can think of fun new things to do, but not so long that you forget everything that was going on.

After that we had a number of other random RPGers who would join the group. Some would stay, others would just play the odd game.

I much preferred playing with the same group of people I had started playing RPG's with to playing with people I did not know so well.

I don't know if anyone else feels like this, but I can only really get into the RPG if I am with people I feel comfortable with - otherwise I can't open up.

I don't really socialize all that much, so I doubt that I will get to RP again unless I happen to work with someone who is interested in it and we become friends

And this section should be called "Games for Grown Ups"

SilverMK2 wrote:I much preferred playing with the same group of people I had started playing RPG's with to playing with people I did not know so well.

Despite being fairly gregarious, I am the same way when it comes to RPing. But even having a stable group can be a double-edged sword unless your group members are really imaginative people who don't get into ruts or at least actively try to get out of ruts.

And this section should be called "Games for Grown Ups"

I like it--especially the contrast with the rest of the site's subject matter.

Manchu wrote:Despite being fairly gregarious, I am the same way when it comes to RPing. But even having a stable group can be a double-edged sword unless your group members are really imaginative people who don't get into ruts or at least actively try to get out of ruts.

Yeah, I can see what you mean, but we were playing every week for a couple of years and managed to keep things interesting (possibly due to my friend the DM, who had quite a few ideas, although several of the group members were good contributors

I like it--especially the contrast with the rest of the site's subject matter.

That's the awesome thing with my group... we can't fall into ruts because, fortunately/unfortunately my friends like explosions.... big ones, mind you, when circumstance demands they can be very.... tame?

We always made up our own adventures - there were only a couple of "off the peg" campaigns that we did when it was exam/deadline time and no one had any time to make anything up

I will be starting a D&D campaign in, like, probably a while like in a year or two I was actually thinking of inviting you specifically Manchu. Presuming we are both still around.

D&D has its ups and downs basically people playing it should like each other at the least. I personally like playing with competitive gamers rather than say whiny babies.

I'm prospectively up for it, Taco-San. Wonder what D&D will look like in a year or two . . .

I think that once you leave University life behind, finding a good RPG group gets to be very difficult...

And, this section of Dakka will be whatever we make it!

Right now, traffic may seem on the low side, but it is also on the rather nice, intelligent and friendly side too, so...

Alpharius wrote:Right now, traffic may seem on the low side, but it is also on the rather nice, intelligent and friendly side too, so...

One day there will be a ban on talking about 4E, lol.

Definitely true about leaving student life. I actually played very little in undergrad and only got back into it while in law school. The availability of players isn't the only obstacle to post-school gaming. When you're in school, everyone has a basically similar background. Afterwards, you join a group with people from different walks of life. It's not a bad thing in itself but it certainly does make it that much harder to develop a friendship with your fellow RPGs that goes beyond your one shared interest.

I'm in that transition myself at the moment. I'm planning on leaving Ireland this summer and moving to the UK, so I'll have to find a new group to play with, and another group to wargame with too.

Traffic is certainly picking up around here, though. I've a lot to say about RPGs, I'm just a bit low on energy at the moment. I'll try and motivate myself to start some resource threads- I think that's possibly a great use for this space.

Dude, if your moving to the UK, I know a shop in the Manchester area that's got loads of RPG's running that you can drop into, another way of getting into RPG's when you don't know anyone is LFGS events or forgotten realms =D

I know a couple of people (met them in Egypt last year when I was on honeymoon with my wife ) who LARP and RPG etc around Manchester. There is apparently quite an active scene up there.

I started with the same people I play 40K with. It's all we've been playing for months now.

Manchu wrote:...I like to be familiar with the rules just in case any of my friends become interested in one of them.

Though our interactions on Dakka thus far have been an argument in the Nut's 'n' Bolts section and a desperate battle for survival and self-interest in the genestealer-arena, you and I are alike, sir.

Arctik_Firangi wrote: you and I are alike, sir.

Explains argument AND desparate battle, I'd say.

The background for that particular conversation is: One day, a friend asked me "have you ever heard of Warhammer?" I said I sure had. Then I clunked out all my books and back issues of WD as his jaw hit the floor. While I was digging in the closet, he popped his head in and beheld the veritable FLGS stockroom that is my collection.

A new LGS (status of the "F" part still requires investigation) has just opened up down the road from me - I may be saved (in terms of being able to wargame and RPG), as they have a big poster advertising WHFB, 40K and D&D

I shall be investigating on Saturday to see if it is any good

SilverMK2 wrote:A new LGS (status of the "F" part still requires investigation) has just opened up down the road from me - I may be saved (in terms of being able to wargame and RPG), as they have a big poster advertising WHFB, 40K and D&D

I shall be investigating on Saturday to see if it is any good

Ah, you lucky bastard!

(And yes, I am jealous!)

Good luck to you...

I've had mixed results with both.

The longest games I have ever been involved in were with a group of friends that I knew before hand. They are always fun and make for great hang out time. On the flip side 85% of the time the games peter out due to conflicting schedules or the like.

While finding a new group is great in that you can get one that fits your schedule you don't know if you will get a box of frosted flakes. I've been lucky in that the people I've gotten pick up groups with have mostly been great and have become some great friends.