A final and fatal decision...

[Magpie]

:( I write this forum in a time of utter despair, of turmoil and hate.

I have DMed for a small (3-4) player group made mostly of those not knowing a single rule and ones who cant take a game of D&D seriously. Recently I created an adventure invloving a mysterious Wizards guild run by a Mind flayer. I had made an intrigite plot and foundations over about 2 mounths of painstaking work.
And then I hosted it... Every thing went very well in the begging, we had chips and pop in authentic picters and bottles. My fog machine put an eerie mist in the candle light room. The players started off in a detailed bar. From there on they fought a member off the guild and several scum. everthing was going great and I gave myself a pat on the back. Soon however it began to slip.
"Wtf lets just go kill the goblins."
"No! lets shop!"
The platers argued a little as the newb blew a huge amount of fog and paid no atention. I tried to stabalize the group and had several brakes. Finally it all slipped. I slurred my details in the forest and the PC's didnt know how to fight. One shot weak magic missles, another kept misses, and the last I had to make all his rolls.

It all fell apart.

So in great pain I wonder if this is a game worth playing... To creat a world of emmense deatails and to have it trampled by someone who doesnt know how to make a fricking attack roll.

Should I quit, find new players (probbaly none availble), try training the newbs (immpossible to 5 hours) or just be bored and have no fun?

Please I beg you to help me in this delemia... This may be the last post and last time i mention the wonderful game of Dungeons and Dragons.

[Xandax]

Well - depending on if these "newbs" are your real life friends as well - you could try and educate them. Although they need to have the desire to learn (which is hard to judge from your post).

But mostly - I'd just say find a new group.

[Dragon21189]

I have the same problem and an answer to it would help me too. Untill i can really resolve the problem i play the D&D miniatures with em instead in a kinda scenario based game but.. it's not the same

[Rob-hin]

Talking often helps.
Let the players know how much time you invested in preparing. Tell them what it is you don't like about their actions.

Always use a constructive way to tell them. Give advice on what they did and how they can make the game more fun.

[Mr.Waesel]

To make an adventure interesting, you need to know what the players want as well. It's really cool to have an intrigue-laden game, but if the players just want to whack monsters they'll have a bad time, and then you'll have a bad time.

P.S: You have a fog machine?!