I actually did and interest check and 3 of them that expressed interest (out of 5) joined, plus 4 more from here and a friend I know from Playbyweb.
Interest does not always mean they will actually join. It depends on if they have the time and if the actual game, once set up, can hold their attention.

I don't check the interest threads.  I wait for the actual game.  There might be a host of interested people, but if the eventual game presentation isn't good, does it matter how many people liked the idea?

I think it also has a lot to do with the system that you are running - offer to run a Pathfinder Adventure Path and you will have an easy 20 folks stating interest and an even easier 25 rtj'ing.

As I haven't tried to run any other system, I can't speak on that, but I'm pretty sure that the more popular the game system, the more applicants you'll receive.

Interest doesn't equate to RTJ.
So don't take it too hard...

The RTJ may have other requirements that may cull those that cannot commit to your game.

There are other aspects too. I stated interest in a 5th ed DnD game, but there were two problems that prevented my rtj.

First, the GM didn't link his when he set it, nor did he state what the name was or anything else. I had to use the search function on his name to find the game (thank goodness he had only the one game).

Second, I got held up with work and real life, so when I did eventually find the game, it was no longer accepting players.

By all appearances, it was first come, first serve, on that front too, making any rtj from pointless.


Also, generally speaking the interest check will have just a basic idea, but the rtj and info thread usually has more, and players may like the basic idea but be unhappy with where you went with it.

Please do not forget those of us who might be interested, but cannot find the time for an addition game to add to our cart.

In reply to liblarva (msg # 1):


Probably not.

I've just opened a game. No play has happened yet. Everyone's still in character creation mode.

IC yield: 3
RTJs: 10
Rejects: 2
Characters: 6 (1 from the IC)
Lurkers: 2 (1 from the IC)

It's up to me to make the game good, but I think the group I've got is pretty boss. I've played with them almost all before in different games. Never all at once, though. Looking forward to this.


Sorry, but I don't have any stats on my previous games. I've started 2 on my own and CO-GM'd some others. Out of the games I've owned: one was invite only and the other was built out of a game that died and already had players. For the CO-GM games, they were pretty much already rolling when I got there.
This message was last edited by the user at 04:40, Sun 15 June 2014.

I'm a very casual gamer. I don't take umbrage when someone has to drop out or can't post for awhile or has too much going on. So I'm not grumpy about anything. Just curious. For me, being interested means I also have the time for the game. But that's just me, I guess.

Thanks for the feedback.
This message was last edited by the user at 02:50, Sat 14 June 2014.

Your experience is about par for the course, liblarva, but I'm with you, if I 'express interest' it means I'm willing to RTJ unless something prevents me or the subsequent discussion of the game takes it down a route I don't want to follow.

If I'm intending 'neat idea, but I don't have time to join' I'll either lurk the interest thread and say nothing, or I'll actually say "neat idea but I don't have time to join" just to give the enquirer moral support for his/her idea, but at the same time not setting up any expectation of my RTJ.

But yeah, that's just me, too. :)

For me interest means I curious enough to check out your game and see if the final product is a game I'd like to play in. More than once I've found RTJ's off putting,  the jelled games not what it sounded in the interest thread or the game system they picked is one I don't like.

So interest means to me 'maybe, I'll take a look at it' and not 'I'm 100% going to RTJ that game'.

I'll just say here that there've been several ideas I've expressed interest in, only to balk at the RTJ requirements. In one particular idea a guy wanted to run a Diablo game, but he wanted a bunch of stuff other than the character sheet. It's an action oriented RPG, so no, I don't have time for that.

When it comes to games like pathfinder. You pretty much get to play god.
I have played on here for 3 years and getting into a pf game is like winning the lotto :(

In reply to Andrew Wilson (msg # 15):

And on the flip side, as someone who prefers to a much less known system, i threw out a IC and got a grand total of about 3 people, one who didn't join, another who dropped out later. So yeah it's a little disappointing, but most people will either jump all over free-form or a version of DnD or another.

About a year ago I posted two ICs 1 got 5 intrested and 4 made it through char creation. The other got 5 of 5 from the IC. And all of them stuck around for some time too.

I just want to say that I find it extremely bothersome when I post what system I am going to use and people pop off with stupid d20 crap. Seriously you might as well be talking about genocide.

In reply to liblarva (msg # 1):

considering I am one of the people that expressed interest in a game your IC for(and have yet ot put my RTJ in), I guess I will apologize for not having it submitted in yet. But not really. I am still working on the concept for said game, and I am not really comfortable enough with it that I have not put in my RTJ yet. Considering how these kind of apps work, half-appled applications don't do anyone any favors. Especially when actual character creation starts with others and concepts bend and change.

In reply to liblarva (msg # 1):

I'd be curious to know the following.  When you look for interest in your game do you tell people then what the expected posting rate will be?  What detail you'll be looking for in posts and character applications?  What house rules you'll be implementing?

When you follow up and make the game, are you clear about deadlines for submitting applications?  (If not, how long do you wait before deciding not enough people are applying?)


I know that I sometimes think a game looks interesting, but then the GM does something totally whacky I didn't expect -- like make the game with a rules thread saying that they want 3 posts a day come apples or high water.  Or they make the game and it introduces the GM's own house rules which I don't think I could play under.  Or any number of things they didn't put in the interest-seeking thread so that the game I was interested in is no longer the game they're offering.

Very rarely I will express interest in an idea that I can't play in, but will be very clear about not being able to participate myself. When someone seems to be developing an idea for a game and not simply a "who's in?" message, input can be helpful.

The interest expressed can only be an indication of interest until the "final product" is made available.

If I say, "Who likes cake?"

I'll get a lot of "I like cake!"

But the people who will line up will be different if my cake is:

A. Strawberry Shortcake
B. Pound Cake
C. A bunch of different Cup Cakes
D. Twinkies
E. Cheesecake
F. 18-layer Wedding Cake
G. Plastic Molded Into Cake Shapes
H. Pie


I tend to think the more that is hashed out in the GPIA thread as to tone, entry requirements, posting frequency, experience with the system, writing amounts/quality, the more likely any 'final' interested parties will submit an RTJ.
This message was last edited by the user at 15:45, Sun 15 June 2014.

Epic Pie Time!

After all we have enough Applejack Daniels for it.

Don't forget the cupcake money!

(What's with all the red apples anyways?)
=============

Joking aside, I definitely agree with the previous post.

In reply to Wyrm (msg # 19):

I'm the one who needs to apologize if you felt singled out by this thread, and that goes for anyone else who expressed interest but has yet to RTJ. It wasn't my intent to single anyone out or put them on the spot. As I said above, this isn't a new phenomena, I'm just curious what others' experience is in this regard.

---

In reply to cruinne (msg # 20):

Actually, no. None of that. The expected posting rates, application details, and house rules (if any) are clearly listed in the RTJ threads I put up in the games themselves, though not in the Interest Check threads.

Posting rates are fairly lax across my games, one IC post every 48 hours; typically I'll ask applicants for 2-3 concepts at 100 words each, and pick based on group composition; and I try to keep house rules to a minimum unless the game is explicitly labeled as a hack or the regular rules will cause things to slow way down in a PbP game.

As for deadlines and deciding that not enough people are applying. No, I haven't set deadlines, and I'm not complaining about not enough people applying in general, rather specifically curious about other GMs experience with those who express interest in a proposed game compared to how many of those same posters actually submit RTJs.

I've had the misfortune of being one of those that express interest in the interest check only to be rejected later because of too many applications(and that being the only reason I was rejected, while there were more accepted then expressed interest). While I understand, it's frustrating to be in that position. I try to make it clear if I have any problems before hand in the ic check, like going to be out of town for a few days.

Unless I am looking for something specific, I am always open to the Gm offering ideas or suggestions on making a character that will work for the game. Only once have I refused to change a character at the request of the Gm and that was because they were asking me to play something outside my comfort zone.

Sadly, I have seen a few games stagnate because people who do apply drop off the face of the earth. As someone who takes pride in my word, though sometimes there are events that cause me to be unable to post for a few days, I think joining and then vanishing is a bigger pain and disappointment for everyone else.

In reply to chaosninja (msg # 24):

I like to keep a list of who applies, even if I don't let them in the game. Then if a player drops out, I can rMail someone else and see if they still have time/want in. Sometimes it works.

In reply to Eggy (msg # 25):

Oh wow, mind if I steal that?

In reply to Merevel (msg # 26):

Sure. Lotta free ideas around here, mate.

Here are some things I've seen or suspect might happen.

Sometimes the initial post is something along  "Do you think something like this could work?"  and not "How many people would play if I started a game like this?"

Recently, I responded to one mentioning something I thought might be an issue but overall I thought it was interesting.  Poster thought I wanted to play - I was just trying to give some feedback.

I find that often the Interest Check post is fairly brief.

I might be "that sounds cool" but then as the thread goes on...

You learn more details about the game.  Post rate, adult or Mature, what type of characters will be allowed, what level the characters start at, what game supplements might be used and so on.  Sometimes you don't think the game is as good a fit as you once did.  How often do people drop out during the first few weeks of a game? (rhetorical question)  I'd rather have people figure it out sooner than later and not even RTJ.

I've seen GMs discuss and alter the actual game system they will use with their setting.  You please some, you lose some.

People start to learn more about the GM and how they interact with others and respond to their questions.  One might feel they are not too compatible with the GMing style.

The GM starts the game but never marks the game as requesting players.

I'm not sure if the forum rules allow one to "advertise" in the discussion thread?  Other GMs might also be unsure and not give the name or worse not even say they started the game!  Seen it several times.  People don't even know the game is started or have trouble finding it.

The discussion runs on a few days, sometimes weeks.  Meanwhile you've found another game that has started and you get accepted.