[quewye]

So, apparently this isn't uncommon. GMs just cancelling events.

Now, while we all understand people have lives and sometimes reasons for cancelling, this gets frustrating. In my case, a GM tagged my event, did minimal effort in setting time, threw a time spontaneously which two players could not join, and then cancelled for reasons that were easily solvable. This isn't okay. Those players have lives too and to just throw them curveballs like that is also not good.

Worse even is how select characters seem to get a LOT more event action than the general playerbase. Yes, cemented characters with more clout are obviously going to get more roleplay, that's normal, but to essentially concentrate all the development on them is silly.

So how do we solve this? Let people write short stories in their biographies and journal apply once every 2 in-game years for a dev item. On top of which, if a GM cancels an event, give the assigned players an item roll.

It's silly to keep letting people time-and-time again just decide they don't feel like it after they've already comitted themselves.

[CrystikRage]

I'm going to respond to a couple of these bits with my thoughts.

'Worse even is how select characters seem to get a LOT more event action than the general playerbase.' So make event requests. Literally nothing stops you. It's not like DMs create events and hand them out to select metagroups of players, these active players with clout as you put it? Are actively requesting events to progress their stories. Literally nothing stops other people. If people are asking for events and not getting them run, they should consider for a moment why that is. There's plenty of active DMs, and if you can't find one to run your event, it's likely that something about it doesn't appeal.

I think getting to app for 'dev items' is not how you solve a non-existent problem. If a DM cancels on you without good reason? Post about it, let other people know, and find a new DM. Free loot shouldn't be handed out.

My two cents.

[quewye]

I'm going to respond to a couple of these bits with my thoughts.

'Worse even is how select characters seem to get a LOT more event action than the general playerbase.' So make event requests. Literally nothing stops you. It's not like DMs create events and hand them out to select metagroups of players, these active players with clout as you put it? Are actively requesting events to progress their stories. Literally nothing stops other people. If people are asking for events and not getting them run, they should consider for a moment why that is. There's plenty of active DMs, and if you can't find one to run your event, it's likely that something about it doesn't appeal.

I think getting to app for 'dev items' is not how you solve a non-existent problem. If a DM cancels on you without good reason? Post about it, let other people know, and find a new DM. Free loot shouldn't be handed out.

My two cents.

I've actively requested development. I know people who have actively requested development. If a GM is friends with someone, they're a lot more likely to do it.

Example, my event was run by Chance. The time was set suddenly, then next week when I press for a clearer time it was cancelled for low attendance. A day after accepting ANOTHER event from Bruce with the SAME amount of people. The fact is, me saying this changes what? GMs will always leans towards people they know and have befriended. It makes your event development hang heavily on if you happen to know a GM or not.

[Jumpy]

That sounds like a personal problem and a topic brought up in a manner that screams "I need X to do Y!"

If people have good journals / bio and a great development for an item they wish to craft, the dev items in it come as secondary. Obviously you won't be able to do everything without the proper items, but in general anyone, and I mean literally anyone, can get themselves a unique by simply having a few scenes that delve into why this particular weapon/armor/pendant is special and unlike the rest, and with an application they can get something special.

I've seen people apply for a unique pendant using Amber as the 'dev item'.

You could also get another DM to run your event. People shouldn't be rewarded for doing absolutely nothing, and while most events end up never being run you have to remember that most event ideas also suck and are posted as power grabs rather than IC drive to do something different. It's much cooler when an Elder tells you to find a harmonic quartz to complete your instrument and it leads you to asking for an event in the aim of getting just that than going on random events and asking for that. It's also far easier to run an event where you know and understand the character's motivation to seek out something rather than "let's go to arcanium mines and get ourselves arcanium!"

Hell, even that really bad idea becomes cooler if you do it with a group of people with the aim of gearing up a group of young troublemakers.

tl;dr your idea sucks, people shouldn't be rewarded for doing nothing, and some events are never run.

[ry0un0suke]

Hmm.

Find a new DM then. It's like that sometimes. DMing is entirely optional also. I agree with Crystik that some events are simply more appealing than others. Getting a free dev item is lame and lazy anyway. You can start making things without them and simply upgrade it as time goes on.

This seems like an issue you should discuss with the DM themself more in-depth personally in DMs. There's a lot of factors in dropping an event. Be it lost interest, IRL, otherwise. Some DMs accept multiple events at a time.

[Milly]

It's almost like people aren't allowed to get sick, or have things come up.

Sometimes with me it'll take a few weeks to get an event ran because i take my time in typing up the plan and don't agree on any day until AFTER the plan is approved (certain DMs will work out a day without even getting things approved. STOP DOING THIS because then people expect me to do the same).

Did you consider talking to him directly?
He's been sick.
Or maybe his motivation to run it got sapped between all of the other events he's been running.

Burn out is real.

[quewye]

It's almost like people aren't allowed to get sick, or have things come up.

Sometimes with me it'll take a few weeks to get an event ran because i take my time in typing up the plan and don't agree on any day until AFTER the plan is approved (certain DMs will work out a day without even getting things approved. STOP DOING THIS because then people expect me to do the same).

Did you consider talking to him directly?
He's been sick.
Or maybe his motivation to run it got sapped between all of the other events he's been running.

Burn out is real.

Reasoning was low attendance. Despite it having the same attendance as a newly taken on event. The main issue isn't even that. Is that events are so crucial to everything. It requires time, dedication, planning, just to get development and it can be cancelled on a whim with zero resolution.

And I'm fine with burn out, but I was also taught you shouldn't tell people you'll do something and then just jump ship. 

The fact is that at the end of the day this is a roleplaying game. There are other people I've spoken to that share the same issues. One that was in my event just up and quit because they already had the same situation happen thrice before. It gets exhausting when you see a character having run off to an event three times and yours seemingly gets suddenly dropped in favor of another which someone is OOC buddies with.

It's stressful to want to just get a plot done and being incapable of it. There's no system in place that assures anything to players. Fact is, once a GM has accepted an event, barring extreme circumstances, they should run it--it shouldn't be an 'oh ye, everyone ready' and then suddenly 'nah'.

Yes, the GMs are volunteering but the players aren't? Point being, there should be a system in place as an alternative that at least gives the players some pittance for cancellation and a way to reward players for exemplary writing. It's a roleplay game. Levels are already tied to you Roleplaying. Why can't I get a dev mat for potentially working on a 40,000 word short story with three other people?

[ludster]

as someone who's been on both specturms of being a player that has had to go through mutliple DMs for an event AND be a DM who has had a lot on my plate for a week or two and had to push events back, i've learned a thing or two about why this happens.

sometimes, dming takes a lot of work. sometimes it takes me a week alone just to prepare an event plan because i take too many steps to make it great, but thats besides the point. 

my main point being dms are VOLUNTEERS. they take time out of their schedule to run an event, and it takes a hot minute to prepare. juggling that w irl stuff too makes it somewhat harder of a process to accomplish. IRL > anything this game has to offer

on one hand, i understand your viewership on why a dm shud run ur event, but sometimes talking to ur dm as to why theyve been taking a while is big. dms will almost always tell u if something is up and need to resched. again, dms are just volunteers. 

waiting for an event can range from a few days to a month oasis when. so take that into account next time. and if a dm takes too long? take the initiative, let the dm know ur gripes and find another one. dont expect dms to go to u and offer their services on a silver platter. im p sure most dms go by an on demand basis

u as a player shud be just as proactive as the dm

but thats just me, as someone whos been on both ends. understanding and communication is important.

one last thing, sad for me to hear someone say the dms have certain favorites for running, this isnt true from the dms i know. 

u know what is true? dm inspiration. dms, much like tabletop ones, need a lot of brainjuice to write a compelling story. if the players dont meet them half way by providing enough hooks, telling them what they want out of the event, etc. dont expect the dm to be super into writing the event plan. i dont know if thats the case with u but i just figured id mention it

but yea, just my thoughts. /:

EDIT: also from ur statement above, the players are not volunteering, no. they WANTED this. thats why ur requesting for it as a player  \:

[Avee]

I’m going to preface this by saying you are making a completely valid point when it comes to DMs being more likely to run an event for their friends. I’m going to counter that point by mentioning that DMing is again, completely voluntary. It’s natural for a person to want to run an event for their friend.

It’s not an issue that can be readily solved either. The administration cannot be forced to tell someone to run an event, it would lead to lethargy, and result in the player run event system collapsing entirely.

It’s simple to say something like “Find another DM.” as my peers have mentioned, and honestly, that’s the most simple conclusion. Ask around. It can be nerve-wracking to approach someone to ask them to host an event, but give it a shot. Someone is willing to help.

Regarding your suggestion to fix the system as is, it’s not that it’s lazy, at least not on its face, and I understand why you suggested it, and on it’s surface it seems fair, but what it will result in, is again, lethargy. People don’t like hearing it, but they are inherently lazy. It’s reasonable to do the least effort to gain a result. What this will ultimately result in, is people gaming the system to roll for the item, which would again destroy the volunteer based event system.

I don’t really have a suggestion to fix the system as is, as it’s honestly a very good and reasonable system. Sometimes it fails, it sounds like this is a case of that happening, and I am sorry.

That’s all I got.

[Milly]

Then perhaps leave a review on his DM thread, so others understand the issue you encountered.
If someone quits because an event doesn't get run (or they happen to be on events where a DM says they can't run it three times), I don't know what to say. I doubt it was the same DM every time. That'd be insane.

I certainly wish I could get events ran. :)

But anyway...
Why should there be a system in place to give you guys rewards when you... Didn't... Do anything?
If you didn't go on the event what exemplary writing are you being rewarded for? Your event topic?
This is a silly solution.

Just post on their review thread that they cancelled and move on. Find another DM.
Just because they picked up another event PROBABLY means they found more interest running that event and not your own.
There have been plenty of events where I ask players what they want and they give me a vague non-answer and it literally sucks all the motivation I had.