I wonder if any of you are having this problem:

We have at least three major gaming shops in my area that sell Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader and WHFRP3rd Ed. And there is gaming at these shops weekly. But EVERYBODY seems to play D&D LFR, and just about nothing else. I know these shops are selling these GW/BL/FFG RPG products, but I can't find anybody to play them with. None of the in-store gaming is with these products. What is going on?

This is frusterating to me because I'm more interested in running/playing these sorts of games rather than D&D hack and slash (though I will take what I can get).

Are all you guys finding local gaming groups to run these sessions, or are you doing this stuff over skype?

Plimpington2

Hi Plimpington,

nope, my problem usually is to reduce the number of players

But perhaps you should give the "Player finder" in the main forum a try?

I have the same issue as Gregorius. Whenever people find out I am running a DH game the next question is "Do you have room for another player?" I know of at least 4 different groups actively playing this game in my city (and probably more that I don't know of) and in every case there seems to be more interest than open seats. Have you already tried posting a notice at the game store that you like to play at? Definately start there and also the handy listing here on the forums. I ended up running the game by default at first: I was the only one that had the books and knew the system, so I became the GM. Now that we have been playing for a while a few of my players have been agitating to take a spin "behind the screen", so I get to be a player sometimes as well. The game really generates it's own interest, so it is really just a matter of letting folks know that it exists and interest floods after... "There is a 40K roleplaying game? Really? And you GM it? Can I play?!" About once a month on average I have a new potential player asking if they can join in.

I hate you guys, ya, you guys with posts above me. Ya, I hate you ;-p

I'm in an even worse boat then the OP. There used to be two LGS' in my area (the closest about a 35 minuet drive) but they both recently went out of business, starved from the dieing geek culture here and the fact that the stores were reputedly run by asses who believed if you weren't there to buy cards, then why were you waisting their time. There's still a healthy scattering of comic shops in the area but the closest they get to gaming is a healthy stock of Magic cards. Any gaming books purchased locally would have to come from Borders and their role play section is shameful at best.

There's a message board for local gamers but it is almost completely given over to D&D as well with the occasional spats of CoC and GURPS talk when there is talk. Sadly, I think geek culture here went down the wrong ally and got way-laid by a drunk tourist screaming "show me your ****".

I have a very small group (2 + a floater) but was lucky enough (or not) to be the only one willing or good enough in their own eyes to GM (anouther is willing, but the other steady player doesn't like playing under him... he's too much of a numbers guy and not so much into things like stories or narratives) and they were willing to pretty much play anything I put down in front of them. However, if I had to get others, say from the board i mentioned, I'd start with them and D&D perhaps seeing if I could play D&D and to give the groups DM a break now and again, offer to run an odd experiment every other weekend or some such... and then make them like it. Or, if you're even luckier to get the DM position, run some D&D for them for a while (at least a good solid story-arch) then take a night off while your getting the next arch together to "try something different" just for a night or two and, again, make them like it and want more.

I have a hard time comprehending why so many people play 4e D&D. That system seems to have been designed for a hyrdocephalic with ADD as far as I can tell.

Thanks guys,

I'm going to off some cards at the my FLGS with my email on it and see if I get any bites. Certainly worth a try. I've also signed up for the local D&D LFR group at one of the shops. So, at the very least I'll get some RPG time in and plant some Warhammer seeds while I'm at it.

Plimpington2

Graver said:

so you will not accept my request for fs? [ ]

Atheosis said:

At least 4e DnD works. In 3.5 the systems math stopped working at about 12th level. And thats if your not using any optional rules.

Graver said:

Right there with you.... right there. I've got three players, only because I'm married to one of them and import the other two, one of them from the opposite side of the state. If I'm very lucky, we meet once every 2 weeks. It's killing me.

SmeedandSmoot said:

Arguing one garbage system's merits by pointing out the flaws of another garbage system only further illustrates how lame they both are.

Haven't played D&D in a long time. I don't enjoy rollplaying.

LuciusT said:

Well, I was in the exact same situation. Now we have a month-old kid and I can't find a few hours to finish reading the MRB (actually playing seems to be out of the question)

@Graver & LuciusT

Well..perhaps I can add a little more fuel to the fire of your grudge

After visiting a close friend of mine in Berlin (Germany), he requested me to run a fantasy RPG-Group via TeamSpeak. Since I do not want to completely turn down a close and old friend of mine,...

I am going to have my third group (3 players, WFRPG 2nd; 4players DH & another group of 3 DH who will be largely running the same adventures as the other one). Well, as soon as we worked things out. The other two players stil have to be "won over" by him... but I am kinda sure this should work.

Kyorou said:

Been there, done that. I can vouch that your gaming life is not necessarily over, provided you have understanding players. When my son was about 3 months old, we started playing again. It work out. In addition to the usual digressions to talk about anime/work/the latest TV show, we also had digressions for diaper changes and breast feeding. The players didn't mind.

Gregorius21778 said:

Remind me to hurt you later.

Atheosis said:

The key here is "As far as I can tell." So you've never tried it or read the rules and you're rushing to judge? Do gamers do that? Seems weird.

That being said, I do agree that 4th Edition and 3.5 for that matter favor a roll-heavy play style, but with any system you can still roleplay. The system doesn't stop you from roleplaying, only a lack of ability does. D&D has a huge following and there are many great players that I know of who still play. The system wasn't right for me, but don't knock it just because you don't care for the style of groups playing the game. It's a decent system. I just prefer the GW universes and since they have their own systems, that's what I play.

For what it's worth, I've been very impressed with the Warhammer "canon", and not so much so with Living Realms. For one, I think both the Warhammer fantasy universe and the 40k universe are more interesting (and fleshed out) that Living Realms. And the Black Library seems to have a more diverse stable of novels (ie., supporting canon) to their world than Wizards does. I KNOW that Living Realms has more STUFF available - but it seems less fleshed out to me. Maybe I need to try something other than RA Salvatore . . .I don't know.

In any event, there is NO CONTEST as far as I am concerned regarding the quality of the core product stuff - the art and general look and feel of the WHFRP and Dark Heresy stuff is TONS better than anything WOTC is doing right now. I just had to buy the player's handbooks for my upcoming games on 4e, and boy was I underwhelmed when comparing that book to the Dark Heresy rule book. I mean, in 250 pages, Dark Heresy has to cover BOTH players stuff AND GM stuff, and WOTC only has to cover player stuff in THREE F-ing volumes. AND STILL, the DH stuff seemed better developed and fleshed out. Maybe I'm crazy.

P2

LeBlanc13 said:

I've played older DD versions and I've read the 4ed rules. You barely need a GM at all these days. It's a good easy system for starters.

I've just started playing in first continuous DH campaign (I GM'd one for over a year before that) and I am loving it. We don't even classes yet but there's nothing as fun as accusing random people (and things) of being a witch and trying to technomat things by blowing into it's ports and cleaning gunk out of it's keys.

God knows if I'l ever get time to play Rogue Trader.