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I know a lot of experienced DM/GM and players are on this server so I wanted to ask this question.
Is it time to have a pay to play or Hire a GM/DM system in place?
I've run into so many flaky GM/DM that don't show up or Players that don't commit or show up that I'm a little cranky about people and their lack of commitment. Should a non-refundable fee be put in place? Should people commit time and money to secure a GM/DM?
Any and all feedback welcome on this question.

I believe pay to play is a terrible idea. I started playing in 1980. It was just friends having fun for free after the initial purchase of rules and dice. I would have zero interest in paying for something that has been free all this time.

I went to a convention years ago that had serious issues with people signing up for games and then not showing up.
The next year they put a system in place where to sign up for a game you gave a dollar, the organizer then gave the GM all the dollars for the people that signed up and when they showed up, they got their dollar back (this was early 90's so I could see a 5$ being a deposit now or something).

Tick wrote:I know a lot of experienced DM/GM and players are on this server so I wanted to ask this question.
Is it time to have a pay to play or Hire a GM/DM system in place?

Oh my, no... the LAST thing you want to have if you're there to have fun is a DM/GM who regards being there to run the session as a job or a chore. If you have to pay a DM/GM to be there when they don't want to be, they're not going to put in the effort necessary to make the game fun and interesting. Even a DM/GM who wants to be a DM/GM will find the fun has gone out of it if they're stuck with players that they just can't get on with, running the game will become a chore. 30 GOTO 10.

Tick wrote:I've run into so many flaky GM/DM that don't show up or Players that don't commit or show up that I'm a little cranky about people and their lack of commitment.

That, I think, it just the inevitability of growing older. It's easy to organize a game and keep to a regular schedule when you're still in school and everyone has a fixed schedule and a fair amount of free time. The organizational difficulty goes up if the players are adults with day jobs and romantic and/or family obligations. It's pretty much inevitable that it'll be harder to find a regular block of free time which works for everyone.

A modest deposit might not be a bad idea for games that are being run at an event like a convention, just to make sure attendees don't book seats at multiple tables they don't intend to attend... but is probably a terrible idea for casual play.

I would never ask for payment to GM nor would I ever pay to play. Now you can bribe me with food, that is completely acceptable.

I see no issue with refundable deposit for a seat at a table for a con. I have seen and experienced a few times a fully booked table where only two people showed up.

yeah, deposit system at a convention or similar setting seems fine. elsewhere, i'm not a fan. the moment i start paying you to be my DM, i become your boss and now you "owe" me something... that is not conducive to anyone's fun, imo.

How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

But does the restaurant serve nachos? That's my main question!

Jack Burton wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

But does the restaurant serve nachos? That's my main question!

Only themed Nachos.

Semi-Retired Gamer wrote:I believe pay to play is a terrible idea. I started playing in 1980. It was just friends having fun for free after the initial purchase of rules and dice. I would have zero interest in paying for something that has been free all this time.

Thanks for the feed back!

pestigor wrote:I went to a convention years ago that had serious issues with people signing up for games and then not showing up.
The next year they put a system in place where to sign up for a game you gave a dollar, the organizer then gave the GM all the dollars for the people that signed up and when they showed up, they got their dollar back (this was early 90's so I could see a 5$ being a deposit now or something).

Great feedback!

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

Fantastic concept!
Thanks for the feed back!

Wow Great feed back!

Lots to consider. I have a good game group but trying to start a group or introduce players to Palladium books is tough if the products are not on shelves. So I'm looking for options and feed back.

Thank you all.

Lots to consider. I look forward to more feed back if anyone would like to share their perspectives.

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

look up "board game cafe". i don't know how big of a city you're in, but the one i'm in apparently has 3 of them, and they're more or less what you describe (minus the rentable GM). i suppose not all would have RPG stuff, but i would suspect that most consider it to be close enough to count

Shark_Force wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

look up "board game cafe". i don't know how big of a city you're in, but the one i'm in apparently has 3 of them, and they're more or less what you describe (minus the rentable GM). i suppose not all would have RPG stuff, but i would suspect that most consider it to be close enough to count

Doesn't seem like very themed food nor are there private themed rooms, nor an arcade, nor tables large enough for wargames, nor scenery, nor a collection of computers so you and your friends can dominate at team FPS because you can give commands around the table and act like a real unit more so than just using voice... I sure wouldn't mind checking it out though. So it more like what I described minus everything except themed food, games for sale and a place to play so 2.5 out of 7 that's still an F but hey, it's better than not existing at all.

Thanks for letting me know about that.

Zer0 Kay wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

look up "board game cafe". i don't know how big of a city you're in, but the one i'm in apparently has 3 of them, and they're more or less what you describe (minus the rentable GM). i suppose not all would have RPG stuff, but i would suspect that most consider it to be close enough to count

Doesn't seem like very themed food nor are there private themed rooms, nor an arcade, nor tables large enough for wargames, nor scenery, nor a collection of computers so you and your friends can dominate at team FPS because you can give commands around the table and act like a real unit more so than just using voice... I sure wouldn't mind checking it out though. So it more like what I described minus everything except themed food, games for sale and a place to play so 2.5 out of 7 that's still an F but hey, it's better than not existing at all.

Thanks for letting me know about that.

the ones around here may or may not have any or all of those things actuallly. i don't think we have a themed food one, per se (if there is a theme to the food, it is probably more along the lines of "stuff people like to eat when they're gaming"), but we definitely have ones with private rooms, large tables, games for sale, places to play, and possibly scenery. not sure on the computers either... they might have wifi that you can use for looking stuff up, but they are board game cafes, not so much generalized gaming cafes, at least here. but they could have them... i haven't looked into every one in my home town in depth. but again, i do know for certain that at least some of the boardgame cafes around here have at least some of those things you mentioned.

Shark_Force wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:

Zer0 Kay wrote:How about a business that has a themed restaurant upstairs and downstairs; a LAN, Arcade, tabletop area (with rentable scenery) a small game shop and say six themed rooms for rent, two each fantasy, modern, sci-fi, and rentable GMs on call if you need one?

look up "board game cafe". i don't know how big of a city you're in, but the one i'm in apparently has 3 of them, and they're more or less what you describe (minus the rentable GM). i suppose not all would have RPG stuff, but i would suspect that most consider it to be close enough to count

Doesn't seem like very themed food nor are there private themed rooms, nor an arcade, nor tables large enough for wargames, nor scenery, nor a collection of computers so you and your friends can dominate at team FPS because you can give commands around the table and act like a real unit more so than just using voice... I sure wouldn't mind checking it out though. So it more like what I described minus everything except themed food, games for sale and a place to play so 2.5 out of 7 that's still an F but hey, it's better than not existing at all.

Thanks for letting me know about that.

the ones around here may or may not have any or all of those things actuallly. i don't think we have a themed food one, per se (if there is a theme to the food, it is probably more along the lines of "stuff people like to eat when they're gaming"), but we definitely have ones with private rooms, large tables, games for sale, places to play, and possibly scenery. not sure on the computers either... they might have wifi that you can use for looking stuff up, but they are board game cafes, not so much generalized gaming cafes, at least here. but they could have them... i haven't looked into every one in my home town in depth. but again, i do know for certain that at least some of the boardgame cafes around here have at least some of those things you mentioned.

Ah I see it is a type of place I didn't even bother checking the name. I assumed it was a franchise type thing named Boardgame Cafe. Thanks again.

I could see a service of sorts....

GM listing by game type and how much it would cost for them to run a game maybe....a group could basically hire a gm then they, the group, don't need to worry abput one of them having to prep a game etc. Call it gm-on-call or something

jaymz wrote:I could see a service of sorts....

GM listing by game type and how much it would cost for them to run a game maybe....a group could basically hire a gm then they, the group, don't need to worry abput one of them having to prep a game etc. Call it gm-on-call or something

I know of a lady dungeon master that makes several hundred dollars an hour putting clients through various scenarios...

cyber-yukongil v2.5 wrote:I know of a lady dungeon master that makes several hundred dollars an hour putting clients through various scenarios...

ONG that took me a few...

So I hear it's closer to LARPing and she claims her weapon specialization is in whips and and her armor specialization is light, specifically leather, with skills in enhanced interrogation, palming and concealment. Something about hiding sausages and putting things in places where the sun doesnt shine. I hear her safetyword... whatever that is, is hitmeharder

cyber-yukongil v2.5 wrote:I know of a lady dungeon master that makes several hundred dollars an hour putting clients through various scenarios...

not nice

We have a system in my gaming group where the players pay for the GM's food if we do takeout, but the GM always makes a mudcake/brownies and offer insane ammounts of tea in return.

Dunia wrote:We have a system in my gaming group where the players pay for the GM's food if we do takeout, but the GM always makes a mudcake/brownies and offer insane ammounts of tea in return.

What? That isn't a system. I thought that was universal RPG tradition called bribing the GM with food.

Would depend is the answer.

I mean I would, but your talking the same as an online game. Maybe $20 a month, and there has to be effort put into the game world, props...ect... There would also be the idea the GM has to push the game forward. When you're with friends, it can sometimes move away from the game with small talk, and so If I'm hiring a GM, I want a GM not a friend. That said, while I would be willing, I dont know many who would, but if I could be promised like 5-6 hours of play a week, with good effort into the game, yeah.

Brandon