Other When do I drop an RP as a GM?

[still watching fma]

So here's the thing, the rp I started up last month was my baby. I spent hours a day coming up with new ways to run the game. Spent hours crafting dungeons, different bad guys, each would be worthy of being the big bad without being the set in stone last monster. At first I was excited to create a dungeon which I felt was hard combat wise for dnd(due to hp, spell slots, and other resources being strained), while being something that could be sufficiently avoided if my players were cautious. Hell suffice to say, you just need a bunch of torches, detect magic, and a bunch of fire cantrips to beat the dungeon. However, as time passes it feels like it's going nowhere. Days turned to weeks and ooc silence just sort of leaves me in the dark. No one responds to questions and they all swear they want to play, but don't post. I figured it could be a failing on my part.

Perhaps I wasn't detailed enough. Maybe maps reduce theater of the mind to the point that it evaporates and ruins the immersion. Perhaps I wasn't firm enough or in most people's minds a week without even the slightest utterance is no big deal. But at this point it's going nowhere and while I hold no ill will to my players, I'm not sure when it's time to call it quits. With each passing day the ideas I was so fond of, sour and take on a dull and listless fatigue that makes me sick to my stomach. I keep hoping that, " Oh tomorrow it will click and things will get better. Afterall no one actually left the discord or told me they weren't interested", but that expectation is betrayed by days of utter silence and lack of activity.

So like, do I just pretend it's not there and begin a new interest check? In hopes that my players post every few weeks? Do I just cancel it? What would you do in my position? I'm just sort of lost because I don't want to betray anyone's expectations and make them mad, but at the same time, I'm just growing more resentful with each passing day.

 

[Crayons]

If your players aren't posting, I would just let them know you're shutting the RP down. It's not your duty to drive yourself crazy waiting for them. Try again later, in a month or two, with a new group, and in the meantime get some feedback from other people who won't be players as to whether there's any improvements you can make.

 

[Onmyoji]

Oh no, is it the one that we discussed?

Sometimes there is nothing you can do as a DM. If players are not posting then they're not posting. Often it's not the rp or the DM that are the problem, but the players real life, time management issues, exams, visiting grandmothers, getting a dog, and so on.

If it drives you crazy you can shut it down and retry later with a different set of players (or even same ones but their circumstances may change and they would post more).
Unfortunately, that's the way most group rps are.

 

[Grey]

At that point, I'd politely point out that if no one is going to post, you're just going to have to close it down because your energy could be better spent elsewhere.

Personally I just post a few periodic reminders, and then abandon the RP - either it'll be archived, or someone will actually post potentially starting a cascade of activity. I don't see a reason to announce closure; odds are they're not even looking at the damn thing anyway.
Meanwhile I make a note of those players to be aware they might be unreliable in future, post new interest checks, and move on. Usually after a couple of months I might pitch the dead one again, to re-use the material, or I write it up for a convention.

It means I have a slew of campaigns ready to go when I've found a reliable group of players.

 

[still watching fma]

If your players aren't posting, I would just let them know you're shutting the RP down. It's not your duty to drive yourself crazy waiting for them. Try again later, in a month or two, with a new group, and in the meantime get some feedback from other people who won't be players as to whether there's any improvements you can make.

I'll do just that. Going to take a break and make a new thread detailing my techniques and ideas another time. If anyone would critique em, before trying to dm again.

Oh no, is it the one that we discussed?

Sometimes there is nothing you can do as a DM. If players are not posting then they're not posting. Often it's not the rp or the DM that are the problem, but the players real life, time management issues, exams, visiting grandmothers, getting a dog, and so on.

If it drives you crazy you can shut it down and retry later with a different set of players (or even same ones but their circumstances may change and they would post more).
Unfortunately, that's the way most group rps are.

;-; yea it's the same one senpai.

Maybe that might be the case, but I try not to blame them. Because if i blame their time management, I'll just quit because theres no point in dealing with groups. When in reality i know some do succeed. Mine just wasnt one of them

 

[still watching fma]

At that point, I'd politely point out that if no one is going to post, you're just going to have to close it down because your energy could be better spent elsewhere.

Personally I just post a few periodic reminders, and then abandon the RP - either it'll be archived, or someone will actually post potentially starting a cascade of activity. I don't see a reason to announce closure; odds are they're not even looking at the damn thing anyway.
Meanwhile I make a note of those players to be aware they might be unreliable in future, post new interest checks, and move on. Usually after a couple of months I might pitch the dead one again, to re-use the material, or I write it up for a convention.

It means I have a slew of campaigns ready to go when I've found a reliable group of players.

I as also worried about looking like a flake. If I give up on the idea, why would others try for my other ideas. Its true i got enough ideas for a few camapign starts(not the whole thing), so i will refine them before trying again.

Gonna try swarx's wiki idea and see if a established world with lore will be enough to attract players

 

[Onmyoji]

Groups are really hit or miss, more so than 1x1 because more people are involved. Sometimes the same idea can fail with one group but thrive with another. Or with some minor changes.
So you don't have to give up entirely but maybe a break will give you more ideas on how to make it better, and time to find more players.

 

[Grey]

Gonna try swarx's wiki idea and see if a established world with lore will be enough to attract players

I can tell you from experience it does not.
Unless it's an existing commercial setting of some kind; that can pull in existing fans.

Likewise, in my experience, people don't notice the fate of your older RPs and those that do either know that the players stopped posting, or they're those players who are quietly unwilling to draw attention to the fact they stopped posting.
You can only ask them to post so many times.

Once or twice, I've even kicked people shortly before or after starting and replaced them with a more active player who showed interest.

 

[still watching fma]

Groups are really hit or miss, more so than 1x1 because more people are involved. Sometimes the same idea can fail with one group but thrive with another. Or with some minor changes.
So you don't have to give up entirely but maybe a break will give you more ideas on how to make it better, and time to find more players.

yea, but 1 x 1 dont appeal to me as much. Even though I know there's ways of homebrewing dice rules around them. I will take a break though. Just responding here and playing some games. However I do wanna ask, does discord do more harm than good? I thought having instant response would encourage people to interact more and ask more questions. But do a lot of players only play on their phone? Which means it drags them from the site?

I can tell you from experience it does not.
Unless it's an existing commercial setting of some kind; that can pull in existing fans.

Likewise, in my experience, people don't notice the fate of your older RPs and those that do either know that the players stopped posting, or they're those players who are quietly unwilling to draw attention to the fact they stopped posting.
You can only ask them to post so many times.

Once or twice, I've even kicked people shortly before or after starting and replaced them with a more active player who showed interest.

I like the idea of doing a world based on dnd, but I prefer to do a mix of lore and dm fiat. See my initial big bad guys were actually minions of a draco-lich. They were shambling corpses with spirits that could not enter homes, forts, and personal spaces of their victims unless they were let in. They employed tactics like copying voices(wisdom check) and actual dnd spells like area of truth. This way players could react based on the player handbook, while having a curve ball thrown at them ic and ooc. ic wise because they have to roll, but ooc too since they dont know what it is. Or at least, that's how I intended on building my world at first. Using a combo of homebrew and lore.

I'll keep that in mind. Right now I'm just not in a good headspace and need time to recharge that enthusiasm and people person mindset lol.

Also I wanted to ask you too grey, do you think discord does more harm than good?

 

[Winona]

Everyone here gave great advice. Groups are super hit or miss. It's so hard to get a good group going, and even harder to keep it going. My advice is to just keep a steady flow of new people coming in, if you can. It helps when others lose interest and leave, or ghost, if you have others stepping in to take their place.

Don't give up on the idea! Good luck!

 

[Grey]

I like the idea of doing a world based on dnd, but I prefer to do a mix of lore and dm fiat. See my initial big bad guys were actually minions of a draco-lich. They were shambling corpses with spirits that could not enter homes, forts, and personal spaces of their victims unless they were let in. They employed tactics like copying voices(wisdom check) and actual dnd spells like area of truth. This way players could react based on the player handbook, while having a curve ball thrown at them ic and ooc. ic wise because they have to roll, but ooc too since they dont know what it is. Or at least, that's how I intended on building my world at first. Using a combo of homebrew and lore.

I'll keep that in mind. Right now I'm just not in a good headspace and need time to recharge that enthusiasm and people person mindset lol.

Also I wanted to ask you too grey, do you think discord does more harm than good?

Original content like that is great, and generally if your lore-wiki is clearly D&D based that should be enough to pull people into D&D.
You've seen how I link whole books of setting material, though - I'd say 15% of players love it and are hooked, 50% are actually intimidated away (especially people who normally do freeform), and the rest aren't really moved.
Maybe I should run a poll for that...

As for Discord - seems to be a positive thing, to me, but I've not used it extensively to communicate with PbP players so I may not have the sample size to recognize any potential drawbacks. Have you noticed any specific harms?

 

[Lorsh]

Though 1x1 might not be your thing, one way to do it is have a few 1x1s in the same universe, with the possibility of having them meet up later. Those that flake can be easily written out since they weren't interacting with anyone/screwing up the flow beforehand.

 

[Lurker]

When it stops being fun. Tracking down people and asking them to please post isn't fun. Unless you're into that sorta thing I guess.

 

[still watching fma]

Original content like that is great, and generally if your lore-wiki is clearly D&D based that should be enough to pull people into D&D.
You've seen how I link whole books of setting material, though - I'd say 15% of players love it and are hooked, 50% are actually intimidated away (especially people who normally do freeform), and the rest aren't really moved.
Maybe I should run a poll for that...

As for Discord - seems to be a positive thing, to me, but I've not used it extensively to communicate with PbP players so I may not have the sample size to recognize any potential drawbacks. Have you noticed any specific harms?

I think dice rp'ers or at least the ones that get into dice, will be more willing to read through pages and pages of stuff because that what they already do xD. But I see, then I will try to do a good wiki or at the very least, a good lore dump on rpn that looks really sweet.

Well discord is great for a lot of things, but one thing I was worried about is attention to the site. We're holding a convo here fine without instant messaging. But what happens when you have a less technology minded individual who has to switch tabs or god forbid, devices and programs. I wonder if that breaks their immersion and pulls them away from actually rping if they're going to discord. It's just a hunch more than anything.

Though 1x1 might not be your thing, one way to do it is have a few 1x1s in the same universe, with the possibility of having them meet up later. Those that flake can be easily written out since they weren't interacting with anyone/screwing up the flow beforehand.

The second reason I don't like 1 x 1 is because it seems like holding secrets back is harder. See with a group you can withold info since the players have eachother to mainly rp with. But with just me, I'm probably gonna have to divulge way more info and ruin surprises. But I may try it. I did love my old world lol.

 

[Syvvaris]

I wouldn't get too discouraged about activity dropping, it's part of Dice games and the forum-based medium.

It's definitely not you.

In my experience of DMing/being a player; getting people together for a few hours at a given time is the best way, IMO. Whether it's in person, on a site like Roll20 or Discord. I think the reason why is because the people are in the gaming mindset when they come and their interest and attention is focus towards the game.

When you do Text-based Discord or a forum based RP you can have the game going throughout the week. While great for busy people who can't find that few hours to join. The problem with Life comes up and it's priorities outside of RPN. Like work, school, other activities people participate in and it puts something like these Dice games on the back burner. For example, I play Adventure League at my local game store on Wednesdays. I go straight after work and when I get home it's close to bed time for me. So, me posting something on that day won't happen. Then I have days where errands and chores need to be done and I don't have the inspiration to trudge through a post.

I've seen how much work you put into a few of your posts in the thread you have. I think trying to get people together for a few hours would be the best option for you.

 

[still watching fma]

I wouldn't get too discouraged about activity dropping, it's part of Dice games and the forum-based medium.

It's definitely not you.

In my experience of DMing/being a player; getting people together for a few hours at a given time is the best way, IMO. Whether it's in person, on a site like Roll20 or Discord. I think the reason why is because the people are in the gaming mindset when they come and their interest and attention is focus towards the game.

When you do Text-based Discord or a forum based RP you can have the game going throughout the week. While great for busy people who can't find that few hours to join. The problem with Life comes up and it's priorities outside of RPN. Like work, school, other activities people participate in and it puts something like these Dice games on the back burner. For example, I play Adventure League at my local game store on Wednesdays. I go straight after work and when I get home it's close to bed time for me. So, me posting something on that day won't happen. Then I have days where errands and chores need to be done and I don't have the inspiration to trudge through a post.

I've seen how much work you put into a few of your posts in the thread you have. I think trying to get people together for a few hours would be the best option for you.

Thanks, but it also could be a difference in priorities and desire at a base level. When people say they want a collaborative story they can go back read later, I really mean it. I don't find writing a trudge worthy task if I'm into it lol. For instance, the work I put was just me enjoying the hobby of writing. I get a kick out of rping and exposition, leaving hints to future plot points and making maps. But I think it might be a difference in what people want.

I want a rp where you follow the adventure I set or write your own plot which I then moderate in the form of tactical rp opposition(patrolling goblins, dragon keep, archers with poison etc). While it seems like people who join forum rp's are more there for casual(not in a bad way) and quick posts that only require a dice roll and sentence. But to address your point about not wanting to post after a long day's work. I find that if I don't post or have a game obssession, the stress eats me alive. The act of being immersed in a post gives me relief lol.

but we'll see,gonna try a more casual treasure hunting dnd game later next wee. I'll catch up with tyranny after this encounter with the bandits if anything happened.

 

[rae2nerdy]

I think dice rp'ers or at least the ones that get into dice, will be more willing to read through pages and pages of stuff because that what they already do xD. But I see, then I will try to do a good wiki or at the very least, a good lore dump on rpn that looks really sweet.

Well discord is great for a lot of things, but one thing I was worried about is attention to the site. We're holding a convo here fine without instant messaging. But what happens when you have a less technology minded individual who has to switch tabs or god forbid, devices and programs. I wonder if that breaks their immersion and pulls them away from actually rping if they're going to discord. It's just a hunch more than anything.


The second reason I don't like 1 x 1 is because it seems like holding secrets back is harder. See with a group you can withold info since the players have eachother to mainly rp with. But with just me, I'm probably gonna have to divulge way more info and ruin surprises. But I may try it. I did love my old world lol.

The benefit of 1x1 is you tailor your roleplay to your specific requirements. So if you want to withhold information you can.

You can pretty much write however you want as long as you are clear expectations