I'm in a 3.5e campaign at the moment. It's my first time playing pen and paper DnD. We've been going for about 6 months. The model my DM picked is very interesting. it's definitely taking some cues from video games, and MMO's: This has been pretty damn successful. You of course have people that play more than others. You have people that roll up a character and then can't come back for any other sessions. However the flexible nature, where you have that pool of players, makes it much easier to manage. Anyway, if you are thinking of starting any kind of tabletop game, think about this strategy. It really does work. If you are in the Philly area he's always looking for players, too. I can put you in touch. It's my board name at gmail.com. There is a dedicated wiki that really enhances the game. Email communication makes it much easier to organize games, as well.