I've been to Iceland last year, it's an epic place. Hope you enjoy it.
Ok, well.
This is sad, and I'm really sorry to say this, but I think I'm just fooling myself in keeping this up.
It is mostly my fault, as I already hate having to DMPC one character permanently, now Tempest should've been back for 8 days now and hasn't replied. Milo, Xander and Mavro post more or less reliably but this is still going at a snail's pace, mostly because for me it's no fun running a combat where I'm playing half the characters.
This should be big second-to-last climactic battle, you are very much in danger of dying or messing up the opportunity of "winning" the adventure - and it feels as if I utterly failed to convey the sense of urgency and importance. Even if pace were to finally pick up (it won't) any feeling of horror or tragedy is now long gone, and half the players would've missed the important fight.
I apologize for not being able to engage you more, for being reluctant to DMPC when was probably needed, for my inexperience as a PbP GM, and finlly for keeping this up even when it was clearly doomed. I hope I learned how to be a better GM.
Thank you so much for the great characters and funny moments (it ended up being funnier rather than scarier, I think, but I think it was good while it lasted).
That's alright Airon; I think we all knew it was getting to this point. We had a pretty fun cast here, and it's a shame to have to wrap things up so close to the end, but it's probably for the best.
For what it's worth, I think you were a great GM. I also hope you've learned something from this experience, because you can only get better from here. As you've pointed out, my primary criticism is with the stagnated pace of the game, but I think we can all share some of the blame in that regard.
And I still haven't forgotten how after having put the game on hiatus, you came back and picked things right back up, just as you promised you would. To be completely honest, that meant an awful lot to me. I have to thank you for that.
If you ever feel up for running another game, I'd certainly be willing to throw my hat in.
Yeah, not surprised, but it's better than having a limbo state forever, etc.
PBP requires a lot of adjustments (some of which I'm still picking up myself!), and the need to GMPC sometimes is unavoidable, because once that momentum is lost, it's really hard to keep it going. Conversely, as Airon says, having to GM half the party is enormously un-fun for the GM, usually.
Anyway, thanks for giving it a go. Like Mahorfeus says, if you GM anything else down the line, I'd be down for it.
Sorry for my part; I have definitely not been as available as I would like. I am back, but got simultaneously swamped with the back to work rush, and then with the roll-out of a new electronic information system taking effect at my hospital, which I was not included in until the very last minute. Now there is a massive push to get my training completed in 1/4 the normal allotted time, and it has left me with little time or energy. Sorry for the excuses, as well as the absence, as I was enjoying the campaign very much, and I thought that for your part, you were conveying the tone of the game very well.
Best wishes all.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Its all a learning experience. You did an admirable job.
If you decide to run anything else, let me know. I like your style and I would definitely play in one of your games again.