For three years, my husband ran an Amber game. For most of that time, we had a Core Group of four players (myself included). Toward the end of that game, we aquired another player, B----.
My husband brought the Amber game to an end. He was tired of running it, and he had an idea for another Amber campaign. It would require a lot of planning, so he decided to take a break from running Amber for a few months to a year to develop the new campaign. So for a year, we played several different games. Another player, T—, joined because he wanted some D&D action, but he has continued to play other games with us as well.
B— and T— have never shown the same commitment to the game(s) as the Core Group. We CGers sometimes, when circumstances are dire and there’s no way to get out of the other obligation, miss a session. B— and T— are absent much more frequently, and often show up late and leave early, sometimes with and sometimes without prior warning. This is after we moved the game to a time that’s slightly less convenient for everyone else in order to accomodate B—'s schedule. They’re also students, and past experience is that they will not be reliable at all once the fall semester begins. I’m not saying they’re bad people because of this, just illustrating that their level of commitment is not on par with the CG’s.
Now, a year after the end of the first campaign, my husband has begun running Amber again. B— and T— are agitating that we continue playing other games on and off. They say they don’t like the Amber game too much primarily because it’s not a party game. One member of the core group says he’d be happy to continue playing other games. Two are ambivalent/apathetic. I am violently opposed.
The CG began as an Amber group, and we all enjoy that style of gaming enough that we played a campaign for three years. I don’t see why we should feel the obligation to provide a different type of game to the Johnny-come-latelies who have never shown the same level of commitment as the CG.
I think my husband should say, “I’m running my Amber game every Sunday afternoon. Anyone who wants to play is welcome. Anyone who wants to run something else is welcome to, but find your own time and your own space. If it doesn’t conflict with Amber, and our schedules, we might come play.” You know, kinda free-market. Vote with your feet.
If B— and T— choose not to play, then we still have a decent-sized group. If the CG guy who also like the idea of switching games decides he doesn’t like the situation, and he goes too, we can probably find another person who’s interested in joining the group. We’ll still see these guys in other contexts (hopefully when their run their own games!) so I don’t feel like this should necessarily destroy any friendships.
My husband is ambivalent. He says he likes goofing around with other game systems, and worries about offending B— and T—, but he also misses the good old days of intensive Amber gaming with a small group of committed players. Plus, as is only natural, he wants to give me what I want. ; )
Is my suggestion too draconian? Am I just spoiled brat? I wouldn’t be so insistent except that I’m sooooo sick of the short-term party-oriented games we’ve been playing for the last year, and I soooo want a good Amber game. It has come to the point where, if it weren’t for my husband, I’d leave the group and seek satisfaction elsewhere.
