Being a millennial, I’m used to the concept of people “ghosting”, or expressing interest in joining something and then disappearing when it’s time to schedule an event or the event starts.
Being an introverted and socially awkward person, I’m also accepting of the concept. I understand that there are times when someone’s social battery is depleted and they just don’t want to deal with people. I deal with that regularly, myself.
The frustration comes in when I do my utmost to be welcoming to new people, especially with my ‘gaming table’, and the ghosting occurs. The reasons for it can be quite legitimate, but it also worries me about how I’m perceived by these new people.
I’m an excitable GameMaster, I know. When someone says they’re interested in joining, I go all out to make them feel welcome. I send invites, give primers for the setting, and provide extraneous details that have otherwise not been noted in the rulebooks. In terms of introverted nerd, I can get overbearing in my attempts to be welcoming.
There are two ways to react to this sort of behavior: accept the sheer nerdiness or run away from the overeager weirdo.
(This is not talking about the upcoming New Player session happening this week, but a different person altogether. The New Player has shown enthusiasm for the campaign and seems excited to try his story. I’m looking forward to his session!)
I’ll have to work at reining myself in when talking to potential players, but I know myself well enough to understand that some folks will be driven off by this behavior.
To those players: I apologize. I know I’m weird, but I’m really just excited to tell a story.
Stay safe out there, readers! I’m off to sling letters.
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 