D&D is my favorite game but all of my friends hate it. I then started using D&D Beyond to look for players that I can DM for. In my first game only two players out of the four constantly showed up. Then there was one who just left without word after one session and one who I think was a troll and joined my game twice and just left both times before a single session. I got one player to come In to replace the characters but than the two who came constantly left because we weren’t able to get a consistent group. With the one player left I got a new group to play with and this time the only issue has been scheduling until just now when we where planning on playing one of my players came on and just left the server as well as blocking me without a word. I’ve got no idea what to now.
Understandably, anonymous players might feel less loyalty to an ongoing campaign.
Also, players playing a one-off are probably just curious. I wouldnt count any players, unless they have showed up numerous times (10?), and are becoming friends with each other.
you play D&D with IRL friends for 2 reasons imo...to bond with those friends and to do something you want to do.
so take away the IRL friends, you only have 1 reason to play D&D....so if it isn't what you want to do, there's no reason to do it. now imagine a total stranger trying to satisfy what you're looking for in a D&D game. its probably not going to happen.
i''d say finding a stranger to keep coming back would be the exception, not what you should actually expect.
I've been there too, so I know what you are going through right now. I've now managed to get a stable group together (through D&D beyond!), but there were a few false starts along the way. You might be doing everything right, and just had bad luck with players. All I can say is to stick with it, and that I think most people trying to organise D&D games with internet randoms probably have similar stories!
For what it's worth, here are some of the lessons I've learned that might be helpful to anyone trying to organise a group online:
Make sure your post on the LFG forum has got plenty of details. As well as the usual stuff like timezone/scheduling, you can include things like the style or tone of game that you want to run, media that you might be borrowing from or referencing, or a single paragraph of primer for the campaign to get people interested. The more info you have, the more likely that you'll catch the attention of someone who will be excited about your game.
Have a voice call on Discord (or whatever else you use) with people before you actually invite them to the game. A DM posting "Looking for Players" on the LFG forums tends to attract a lot of people - and not all of them are going to be suitable for your game. If you have a quick chat about the campaign, characters, or table rules with them first, it should let you filter out any timewasters (as they will be unlikely to agree to it, or flake on it, or will just give you bad vibes on the call). Even if they are genuinely interested in playing, it's also worth confirming what type of game they are comfortable with. If you want to run a story/character heavy game there is no point inviting someone who wants to be a murderhobo, or vice versa.
Be flexible about the number of players you are looking for. If you had planned a campaign for 4 players, but only get 3 willing to turn up consistently - roll with it! I'd suggest setting a lower limit and an upper limit that you would be comfortable with, and then just seeing how many people you get. You can always look for additional players later on and have them join a campaign in progress if you want.
I have a friend who has been trying to D&D online with strangers (vs. doing it online with me and his other friends). Our group (with friends) has been going strong 23 sessions over 10 months (every other week, consistently). His online/strangers groups have mostly fizzled after 1-2 sessions if at all. He has tried 4 groups. He quit one because the players were all being jerks. Two fell apart before they started. One has been actually working, though about half the players have changed (2 starters dropped, one new one was added, 3 have stuck, I think). This demonstrates that the success rate is not good (and he has tried to vet these campaigns for likely quality of DM, other players, etc, as best he could).
I think it's very hard, because you have no way of knowing up front if someone will be consistent. One suggestion I have, if you are DMing, is that you try smaller chunks rather than big ones. Don't go for the big level 1-15, 30-session bomb right off the bat. Make up smaller adventures (or use some existing smaller ones). If you have a 4-session adventure, and 2 people came for all 4, then ask those 2, if they would like to do another. Do another small one with those 2 + a few others and maybe one more sticks. Now you have 3 people who have done two 4-session adventures and proven reliable. Now ask those 3 if they want to do a longer campaign.
Other than that... I think doing stuff online with people you don't otherwise know is always going to be a crap shoot and is going to trend toward mediocre results, because let's face it, on average, most of humanity is mediocre.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Thank you for all of this advice, I think I’m going to put the current game on pause with the two players I have who play consistently, and run some shorter adventures with new players who I will make sure are a good fit before resuming the longer campaign I was running.
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D&D is my favorite game but all of my friends hate it. I then started using D&D Beyond to look for players that I can DM for. In my first game only two players out of the four constantly showed up. Then there was one who just left without word after one session and one who I think was a troll and joined my game twice and just left both times before a single session. I got one player to come In to replace the characters but than the two who came constantly left because we weren’t able to get a consistent group. With the one player left I got a new group to play with and this time the only issue has been scheduling until just now when we where planning on playing one of my players came on and just left the server as well as blocking me without a word. I’ve got no idea what to now.
Understandably, anonymous players might feel less loyalty to an ongoing campaign.
Also, players playing a one-off are probably just curious. I wouldnt count any players, unless they have showed up numerous times (10?), and are becoming friends with each other.
he / him
you play D&D with IRL friends for 2 reasons imo...to bond with those friends and to do something you want to do.
so take away the IRL friends, you only have 1 reason to play D&D....so if it isn't what you want to do, there's no reason to do it. now imagine a total stranger trying to satisfy what you're looking for in a D&D game. its probably not going to happen.
i''d say finding a stranger to keep coming back would be the exception, not what you should actually expect.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
I've been there too, so I know what you are going through right now. I've now managed to get a stable group together (through D&D beyond!), but there were a few false starts along the way. You might be doing everything right, and just had bad luck with players. All I can say is to stick with it, and that I think most people trying to organise D&D games with internet randoms probably have similar stories!
For what it's worth, here are some of the lessons I've learned that might be helpful to anyone trying to organise a group online:
I have a friend who has been trying to D&D online with strangers (vs. doing it online with me and his other friends). Our group (with friends) has been going strong 23 sessions over 10 months (every other week, consistently). His online/strangers groups have mostly fizzled after 1-2 sessions if at all. He has tried 4 groups. He quit one because the players were all being jerks. Two fell apart before they started. One has been actually working, though about half the players have changed (2 starters dropped, one new one was added, 3 have stuck, I think). This demonstrates that the success rate is not good (and he has tried to vet these campaigns for likely quality of DM, other players, etc, as best he could).
I think it's very hard, because you have no way of knowing up front if someone will be consistent. One suggestion I have, if you are DMing, is that you try smaller chunks rather than big ones. Don't go for the big level 1-15, 30-session bomb right off the bat. Make up smaller adventures (or use some existing smaller ones). If you have a 4-session adventure, and 2 people came for all 4, then ask those 2, if they would like to do another. Do another small one with those 2 + a few others and maybe one more sticks. Now you have 3 people who have done two 4-session adventures and proven reliable. Now ask those 3 if they want to do a longer campaign.
Other than that... I think doing stuff online with people you don't otherwise know is always going to be a crap shoot and is going to trend toward mediocre results, because let's face it, on average, most of humanity is mediocre.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Thank you for all of this advice, I think I’m going to put the current game on pause with the two players I have who play consistently, and run some shorter adventures with new players who I will make sure are a good fit before resuming the longer campaign I was running.