Game Calendar revision

[ddavison]

I added some checkboxes to the GM screen for Scheduled Days. This is separate from "Sheduled play times". Currently, Schedule play times will show cause your game to show up on the recruiting forums as usual, but players can now search on the campaign list page by days and system.

[Blackfoot]

I'm not sure if my experience is relevant here, but it is quite possibly similar to a fair number of other folks.
When I first found FG it was through a game that someone was running using a game system that I was a big fan of. He was offering to run with an Ultimate license so it was pretty easy for me and a friend of mine to join his game (using the calendar at that time I believe.. it was 2010 so my memory is a little fuzzy on a few details).. anyway we quickly realized how cool FG was and began playing with that GM on a regular basis.We'd made our first FG friend. We eventually decided that it was a no-brainer to buy a pair of full licenses for ourselves and some light licenses for our kids. I started branching out and looking for other games to join. The calendar was less complex then than it is now and had fewer games and was largely neglected by the folks who had posted games there since they set up their games... gathered players and then kinda forgot about the calendar. It didn't have a 'calendar' at the time it was just a list of games really.
I became frustrated with the calendar and poking around for games and eventually my friend started a campaign which in one form or another we still play today. We recruited players using the forums and the calendar.. we had a huge turn over in the beginning but we sorted it out eventually.. and that game is still on there but 'hidden' and 'not accepting new players'.

I became involved with Talen and the Pathfinder Society group and we started organizing games though Yahoo Groups. After Yahoo Groups folded up we moved back to the FG Forums to organize games and well.. the PFS Group is still at it today... (we had a fairly decent showing at the last FG Con and more games running this weekend) From there I've made many many friends in the community and now play in 5 different campaigns every week. (Yeah.. nuts right?)

OK.. so a long story to make a somewhat specific point.
The calendar is really only important at the beginning of a person's FG experience. Once you start making contacts there are tons of opportunities for proven players. The Organized Play groups are great for doing just that. You get into a 1 shot game or 10 and meet lots of players. Eventually someone will invite you to join their campaign. This process takes time.
I'm not certain that there are a LOT of other sorts of 1 shot games being run out there. Maybe I'm mistaken. Most campaigns don't add new players regularly if at all... but when they are starting up there is usually a post about them on the Forum appropriate to the ruleset or the LFG Forum.. or both. The Calendar is used more as a reference for timetables early on in the process since it resolves the whole global time thing (assuming you have your Timezone set right for your FG Account).
For PFS.. we use it to help with timing.. sometimes we'll post 3 or 4 different possible times for a game and ask the players (in the Forum thread) to sign up for the ones that work for them.
Generally speaking, if you aren't talking on the forum thread but sign up for the game you are out of the loop and are likely to miss out on the game. I'm not sure how it works for the 5e folks..

As Trenloe pointed out.. there are tons of ways to organize games. The calendar is probably the least effective... but at the outset.. it seems like the most obvious.
Many many new groups start up all the time and fizzle before they really get going. Every one of my friends has had that great game that folded on them because of this or that.

OK.. so this post got long.. and it doesn't really offer any answers.. just a little insight into the process.

[Gruber]

It seems there are different opinions and experiences around here. As I was reading through the last couple of pages I agreed with most of what LordEntrails, ddavision or Blackfoot were saying, but I somehow ended up on the far side here with AlohaJerry, again.

There may not be many of us that search for games scheduled outside of US prime times, or have unusual request or preferences, but we're here and are eager to participate. If I would be able to find a couple of games to participate in the upcoming months, and expect to have the same experience in the future, I'd definitely buy the license, learn the tool and its interface, and in due time - maybe a year or so - start DMing online games (as I was regularly doing offline).

[damned]

Hey Gruber (and AlohaJerry),

My experience in many ways has similarities to Blackfoot namely that in the beginning I used the calendar (and you guys are at the beginning) and almost never since.
My first experience was GURPS with ronnke (he who is building the newest and latest and greatest GURPS ruleset) and then I wanted more.
Im in AUS and I could only play one night a fortnight and quite late at night for AUS - and even worse a time for the US (eg. stupid early in the morning).
I couldnt find a game that matched my needs/availability so I bit the bullet and started a game. Wasnt my first choice and I hadnt RP'd in about 25years and I was pretty bad. Anyway.. I used the calendar - and got some players. And I used other websites, forums, groups to keep recruiting until I had a core of good reliable players.
Over time I have met many wonderful players and GMs. Ive run lots of stuff at FGDaze and FGCon and met many more good players and GMs. My campaigns now have players I know or players invited directly by me or by may players. These are social experiences and we like to game with people we know and like.
I only throw a game open to all when its a one shot at an event. But I do absolutely welcome new players to those sessions and welcoming new players is why we run FGCon and FGDaze.
I dont know if there is anything useful in that for you.
I guess my best advice is - participate in Con events when they run, and consider joining other games that are not what you would otherwise choose to join, that run when you are available )maybe its Savage Worlds, or GURPs, or Castles and Crusades) and you will still have a good time and you will build connections that will likely lead to the game you really want to play. Or run something

[Blackfoot]

It seems there are different opinions and experiences around here. As I was reading through the last couple of pages I agreed with most of what LordEntrails, ddavision or Blackfoot were saying, but I somehow ended up on the far side here with AlohaJerry, again.

There may not be many of us that search for games scheduled outside of US prime times, or have unusual request or preferences, but we're here and are eager to participate. If I would be able to find a couple of games to participate in the upcoming months, and expect to have the same experience in the future, I'd definitely buy the license, learn the tool and its interface, and in due time - maybe a year or so - start DMing online games (as I was regularly doing offline).

Oh.. I wasn't disagreeing with you at all. Using the calendar is a very logical choice in the beginning when you aren't familiar with the community. Unfortunately, that's really just not how most GMs search for players (from my experience)... so that's where your problem really lies. As I was trying to say.. you are better off with the LFG Forum or PFS or the Adventurer's League forums. All of those post games regularly (We have 2 PFS games posted for Saturday for example). Our games ARE listed on the calendar.. but you'll want to contact us through the forums anyway to talk about character info.

Since the calendar is a gateway to new players should it have better functionality? You betcha. Couldn't agree more.

Oh.. Doug.. here's a thought. What if you added a link field to the calendar entry.. for linking to forum game discussion threads (or whatever the game used for discussion whether it was Obsidian Portal, EpicWords or whatever...) If the interface between the Forums and the Calendar were a little simpler somehow.. might that help?

[Blackfoot]

One more thought.. what about a 'One-Shot' Checkbox? That might make those sorts of 'easy to join' games filterable.

[Gruber]

One more thought.. what about a 'One-Shot' Checkbox? That might make those sorts of 'easy to join' games filterable.

IMO That and the previous one are good thoughts.

Also, I'm not that new to FG and its forums, I've been playing my fist games maybe two years ago. Alas, I have only been able to find two games to participate in so far. Unfortunately, both of them ended prematurely. So far, I've played a couple of games using R20 in maybe a year, and am currently playing a loosely scheduled one.

I've applied to more than two dozen games using the calendar here, most of them were not addressed at all..

So yeah, maybe it's time to get the game rolling (which I am currently preparing), but I'd still like to play a bit until the preps are done.

[Andraax]

I've applied to more than two dozen games using the calendar here, most of them were not addressed at all..

You need to follow up an "apply" on the calendar with a PM to the GM - the calendar does not automatically notify the GM.

[Blackfoot]

You need to follow up an "apply" on the calendar with a PM to the GM - the calendar does not automatically notify the GM.

Perhaps THAT piece of the interface could be improved somehow? I know that we generally use the discussion threads because there are no notifications for calendar discussion posts. There are a lot of options for GM communication that could be added to the calendar... I'm not sure how easy that is within the structure of how the calendar is set up.
Notifications for :

• When a PC Applies to the Game. (to GM)
• When someone posts to the Calendar Discussion. (to ALL)
• When a PC leaves the Game. - (to GM)
• When a new Game Date is added - (to ALL)
• When a Game Date is REMOVED - (to Players)
• Upcoming Game Dates. (24 hours prior) (to ALL)

There are probably a few others but these would go a long way.

[Cailore]

Very good idea, Blackfoot. Give us some oneshot love.