Tips on finding players?

Didn't find a thread for it so I figured I would make one. Anyone have any tips for finding players? I want to start a Changeling campaign in Seattle. Any help is appreciated thanks!

1) Invite your friends to play with you.

Friends often make good gaming buddies as well. :)

2) Go online and generate a list of every gaming store in your area.

Visit those stores and check out the crowds you find there. Chances are you will find the players you are looking for before you reach the end of the list. If nothing else, most gaming stores have boards where you can leave contact information so other players can find you too.

3) Check out the club listings for your local universities and colleges (or those nearby).

I don't think I've ever heard of a university that didn't have some kind of gaming club or organization.

There are more ways than that but those are the ideas that came to me first.

Storyteller, for the win...

I agree, he touched on everything I was thinking of mentioning.

Mr Gone:

I agree, he touched on everything I was thinking of mentioning.

I am promoting a site on my Blog right now that helps with this too.  Here.  I don't like the site layout but the concept is good.  You might be able to find some players or at least games going on in your area.  Otherwise just as Gone said.

1. I would check cragislist for your area though that one seems a long shot.

2. Make friends with coworkers, see what they like doing maybe they want to play.  Keep your eyes out for hints they might like Table Top.  I have two examples in my life of this working well.  I went to a helpdesk and spotted a normal looking gentlemen with a black 1d10 on his desk WIN!  Also I ran a very short game at Radioshack on a few boring nights while we were on duty (manager included) in which we made ourselves into characters and fended the store off from waves of zombies with nothing more than the items in the actual store. EPIC WIN!

3.  White Wolf Online has a player locator, its full of WIN as well.  I sent an email out to the top 50 people in my area and got replies within hours of people wanted to run or be in a game.  Now I'm going to two awesome Halloween Parties, maybe playing in a 'Ling game and I'm joining the Camarilla and checking out their venues in my area.  Life is good....

Bottom line.  Finding players is easy, filtering out the good ones requires the actual legwork.

-D

Dante_Zelas:

Bottom line.  Finding players is easy, filtering out the good ones requires the actual legwork.

Your right about this.  If people live in a decently populated area, there should be at least a few local groups running.  You just have to find one that:

A: Fits your schedule (sporadic games/players don't last too long)
B: They have room (some groups are full on players like mine)
C: They are fun to hang out with (bottom line: if its not fun, don't do it)

If anything you can start putting out the red flags where you work or go to school.  Leave a few dice around the area you are in, Magic the Gathering cards on the table when you take a break for lunch or studying, and so on.

I would promote recruiting friends over any other options.  I have played in games with people I'm not friends with, and most of them sucked.

Amusingly, probably the best game of my life came from answering an ad at the gaming shop, but I have to believe that was the exception that proves the rule.

Awesome responses guys.I think I will go with dropping a contact doodad at the game shops nearby. Couldn't hurt. I think some of the best games I ever played were ones where I simply answered an emailed invitation.

Storyteller:

1) Invite your friends to play with you.

Friends often make good gaming buddies as well. :)

2) Go online and generate a list of every gaming store in your area.

Visit those stores and check out the crowds you find there. Chances are you will find the players you are looking for before you reach the end of the list. If nothing else, most gaming stores have boards where you can leave contact information so other players can find you too.

3) Check out the club listings for your local universities and colleges (or those nearby).

I wish I had those. Alas I live in Middle of Nowhere, California.

These are great ideas!  I'm looking for games in my area to join, but I'm in Dayton, and White Wolf only lists groups in Columbus or Cincinnati, which is a bit of a drive...  The bright side - I have a game shop right around the corner from my house!  But... they're only listing D&D and no White Wolf...

Ganny:

I wish I had those. Alas I live in Middle of Nowhere, California.

Try living in the Middle of Nowhere, Alaska.  Luckily I have enough people to find one or two brave enough to game...

arimus13:

Ganny:

I wish I had those. Alas I live in Middle of Nowhere, California.

Try living in the Middle of Nowhere, Alaska.  Luckily I have enough people to find one or two brave enough to game...

My other problem is that when I do find someone locally to game with they end up being shipped off to Iraq.

Ikiyouyou:

The bright side - I have a game shop right around the corner from my house!  But... they're only listing D&D and no White Wolf...

Then post that you want to start a WW group!  You might get a couple bites from that too.  Though you would get more if you were going to Run it instead of asking people want to play it.

JimB:

I would promote recruiting friends over any other options.  I have played in games with people I'm not friends with, and most of them sucked.

This. Of all the people I've ever played with, only one of them had played RPG's to any extent before we started to play together. Recruiting your friends is probably the best solution.