How do you deal with players that flake out from games? I've

>>50365428
Remove them and then accept them back when their issues get resolved or when they don't have any more "issues."

>>50365428
/Get better people/
It takes some doing sometimes, but just keep at it.
Make sure they're engaged in the game in off time. Ensure they're committing to the time slot by asking them directly "will we see you at the game each week?". Talk to them like PEOPLE not just meatspace filling a hole.

>>50365451
They -HAVE- been engaged in the game. They've made characters. Hell, one of them's been helping the GM on the side. Can't exactly turn them away, they're our friends. It just gets irritating when this happens- is there no other way?

>>50365428
A GM has to make sure with online games that there's some conceit or act that allows them to run games when people are missing. And they have to have the balls to do so, not "ohhh I don't want to play when X isn't here".

You're away? That's sad, but we're still going to run.

You can run a game with up to 50% of characters missing. If it's the first session, you can play with just one person.

If you start giving XP out and a bit of loot, the others will come crawling in.


-Having said all that, if the campaign's started and is in full swing and there's an important scene coming up, feel free to run a one-shot ready to go if you're missing multiple plot-important PCs.

>>50365488
Yes, it is the first session, and yes, I'm the only one who turned up. There are four players in total. Three of them are away, two of them were active just yesterday. My GM is... let's say rather fickle.

To put it nicely, he basically said 'No. I'm not running this until we have four people. No less than that, kay? Sorry.'

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I just give people the two session rule (as a GM) and encourage it (As a player.) If people can't be there for two weeks in a row, they can't be there at all. Kick'm out and get new blood. Because they -are- meatspace filling a hole until they showcase they care about other people's time and fun by SHOWING UP.

>>50365483
If they aren't reliably turning up then they are not in the game, and you can either stop playing, live with fewer players or find replacements. These are your only options.

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>>50365428
>How do you deal with players that flake out from games?
I'm numb to it at this point. Just had one drop the campaign after 5 sessions because he didn't like 5e's combat. (We only did it like twice in 12+ hours of play and he played a Barbarian) I really can't get new players because of the military life, so I have to stick to people on my ship. Now I have to either port the campaign to 3.5 because he's a faggot or start a new group, and it was already head enough getting this one together. Fuck duty days

>>50365428
>I've been waiting nearly a month and a half gor a Skype game to start

There's your problem.

With online games, you really have to get everyone motivated and working on shit fast, otherwise interest just gets lost. You cannot keep people excited for a game that will happen in a few weeks in the same way that they would for a game that would start tomorrow. Pester everyone to make a character sheet, the GM to start readying the initial ideas - get everyone moving, so that you can start as quickly as possible.

If the issue is that they're dragging their heels to start, or just not showing up, then you have to be willing to cut them off and find someone more interested and eager. They may be your friends, but they're also killing the fun for everyone else, and if they can't set aside time for your game then they shouldn't be allowed in until they can make that time. And it's not like in real life, where you only have a limited physical pool of people - you could probably drum up a few recruits in this thread alone if you have to.