When Players disappear

One downside of PBP I struggle with is when players 100% completely disappear, after no sign of dissatisfaction with the game. I feel bad not only because the loss of a player, but wonder if they are ok.

I agree 100%. I don't run any games but am speaking as a player who's had fellow players or GM's disappear.

I can absolutely understand Dex; at another forum I used to frequent, a guy came back after 3 months, telling how how he got hit by a drunk driver on the side of the road and spent 3 months in a coma at the hospital... Shit happens...

Its a downside to the internet in general... people disappear and you're never quite sure why. The inactivity marker at least tells you when they're not around, but its not quite enough. I am banking on people coming back in a few weeks as the school year gets going.

Internet Struggles. I haven't started a game on here yet to run on my own, but I plan to plan it with the idea that people will disappear from the game, and ways to deal with that for the other players and myself/DM.

Crazy things do happen though. I remember a day when I left work, woke up that night in a hospital bed after a nice car wreck I still don't remember to this day.

I dropped several players recently. No response by message. One of them was even GMing a game I was playing. Weird. It's easy enough to fill spaces by pbp

It was admittedly years ago that it happened to me last, but yeah, it seems to be a common problem with PbPs. People come and go even in the best of circumstances, and the internet exacerbates matters as you might not be in touch with a player outside of a specific site/community.

Still! I shouldn't complain, even when games end up fizzling out they're fun while they last

GM's can drop absentee players but players can't drop absentee GM's LOL! Now that I've spent a little more time here I have a better idea who's active and who's not so I know better what to expect I guess ;-)

Now there's an interesting feature request... if a GM has been absent for a month, a player can initiate a vote to take over the game?

Hmmm... I wasn't actually suggesting that but now that you mention it...

I think it would be in better taste for the players to start a new game. I'm about to leave chocokiko's game as he has been a no show for a few months.

Yes, you're right. :-)

Yeah, I was really excited about playing a particular game system, but no sign of the GM for over a month. What do people recommend for how to arrange to start a replacement game after the GM has vanished? PM to each of the players separately? Thread on a forum? Both?

If you were a player in a game where the GM had vanished, how would you like to be contacted?

Unless the game has been retired, you can still post in the game forums. Everything out in the open is best. Just be honest and ask for a discussion. The GM may even reappear and want to help it get back on track under new management.

And I'm going to establish a policy so after a certain amount of time without a GM, players can ask to have one player become the new GM.