GM Michael's Ironfang Invasion

Game Master Dread

Much of the crunch is complete for Tarrow Harfoot (alias of Therenger). Will finish up spit and polish tomorrow.

Tarrow is a melee Rogue and I may develop him as a Trip specialist, which will inform weapon choices. Traits are the campaign trait plus Helpful and Reactionary.

Went with Craft (Alchemy), but stopped short of committing to Investigator. Feats will be Weapon Finesse and Combat Expertise as the freebie from GM.

Personality: Harrowed by his experience as an Ironfang Survivor, Tarrow is eager to build strong personal bonds and help those he trusts whenever they are in need. He exhibits bravery to the point of foolishness, determined never to cower in the face of evil.

I was more wondering Universalist/evoker/etc...

on and question marks next to Human indicate that mild curiousity over sub ethnicity....Varisian, Kellid, Taldan, Shoanti, etc...

Ah. I believe most Humans of Nirmathas are of Cheliaxian and Varisian stock. As Hollin is Nirmathas born, I'd say a mix but if I had to pick one, let's go Varisian

Severina is a mongrel and proud of it, but "Taldan" is the closest ethnicity to correct.

...

A Q: If you already have one of the bonus feats (scribe scroll) from your class do you get a replacement?

I think you missed this...

Oh wow, this really exploded quickly. I was hoping to submit a cavalier idea I've been wanting to play in this campaign, but there's already such a large pool of characters and of martials specifically.

I have not begun to choose. Im only compiling info right now.

pad300 wrote:

...

A Q: If you already have one of the bonus feats (scribe scroll) from your class do you get a replacement?

I think you missed this...

I did...No. you dont get a free replacement.

Those feats are to help with feat tax in pathfinder and to give feats that I feel most with the requirements wouldnt need to learn.

a fighter who is strong should be able to decide how hard he wants to hit.

an archer who a decent dexterity should be able to decide where to shoot (more or less)

an intelligent opponent should be able to fight better

and all casters should be able to write a scroll.

Think I've got Barhador ready for consideration.

I hope you like him.

I notice he's the only one listed with his campaign trait . . .. Hunh? Hunh? <grin>

* How will you handle Age Categories?
* would you allow Young Characters?
* you mentioned 3rd party classes, could porting DnD 3.5 stuff be OK?

.age categories will be as normal. ie age effecting stats.

if someone wanted to run a young character they could, it wouldnt give them any other perks though.

nothing 3.5

just Pathfinder 3rd party classes only can be considered.

moving to next page.

1. Robert Henry- Brunner Hammerfall Dwarven Paladin {Stonelord of Torag} Kraggodan Castaway
2. Therenger- Tarrow Harfoot Halfling Rogue Ironfang Survivor
3. hustonj- Barhador Elf {Gyrgan-Wild} Hunter {Feral Hunter} Foxclaw Scout
4. rorek55- Xolen Zottenropple Gnome {Bleached} Sorceror {Fey} Blight Burned---???
5. Edilsmurge- Tenzo Human {??} Fighter {Gloomblade} Frontier Healer
6. Ridge-Hollin Silverteeth Human {Varisian} Bard World Weary
7. Delightful- Rue Woodkind Human {??} Ranger Blight Burned
8. avr- Pallando Brightriver Halfling Oracle {Pei Zin Practitoner} Frontier Healer
9. ythiel- Zinli Steelworker Gnome Gunslinger Ironfang Survivor
10. plasticdragon- Athrehon Human {Garundi} Wizard Unbreakable Survivor
11. CyberMephit- Andras Teoss Human {??} Magus {Staff Magus/Hexcrafter} World Weary
12. jovich- Hjorleaf Asvidrson Human {Ulfen} Fighter Ironfang Survivor
13. Linnea The Diviner- Vriska Galerider Half-Orc Cavalier {Beast Rider/Order of The Beast Chernasardo Hopeful
14. Torilgrey- Marvas The Younger Half-Orc Ranger {Nirmathi Regular} Ironfang Survivor
15. Dorian 'Grey'- Arkhan Silvinesti Half-Orc Druid {Storm} World Weary
16. RHMG Animator- Nate Goodknight Tiefling {Rakshasa Spawn} Cleric {Theologian-[Diety?]} Frontier Healer
17. Alcor Grimm- Therion Frostleaf Elf Arcanist Blight Burned
18. Patrick The Kid- Paulier Ovicus Human {??} Magus {Eldritch Scion} Ironfang Survivor
19. GeraintElberion- Seren Elberion Elf ?? Blight Burned
20. Flying Jenny- Severina Devil-Luck Human {Taldan} Skald {Boaster} World Weary
21. pad300- Mikhael Onstuckter Half Orc Skald {Urban Red Tongue} Ironfang Survivor
22.Hawthwile- Herman Human {??} Witch {Herb Witch} Blight Burned

MuaveAvengr- ??

I will go with chelaxian for nationality

A. Blothiq

B. Ratfolk

C. Psychic (discipline may vary depending on party composition)

D. Animal Whisperer

E. Blothiq is a traveling salesman, originally from Druma. Being from Druma, he grew up around the Prophecies of Kalistrade in his every day life. He got married, had a few kids, but felt itch of adventure. Though not a Kalistocrat himself, he took the mercantile practices to heart. Blothiq said goodbye to his wife, and left to go on an adventure. He recently was in Molthune and Tamran, working his way west to Korvosa, using his recently discovered psychic magic (perhaps from his Vudran ancestry) to guide him along. He's taking a week long break in Phaendar to sell some good, resupply, and enjoy the town.

I'll throw my hat into the ring:

A. Leland Hopkins

B. Human (Taldan)

C. Warpriest (Arsenal Chaplain)

D. Frontier Healer

E. Leland is in town selling his herbal poultices. After many years serving in the military keeping the wilds safe and patching up his allies, he's recently retired to enjoy a more quiet existence. Using the skills he picked up during his service, he now grows medicinal herbs and makes various ointments to sell the the townsfolk of Phaendar. Though retired, he continues to worship Our Lord in Iron and keeps his trusty bow near at hand in case Gorum requires his presence on the battlefield once more.

Thank you for the clarifications GM - that sounds reasonable with the Cauldron hex. As far as ethnicities go, Herman looks Chelaxian.

Here's Rue!

A Ranger focused on archery combat and killing fey. I've finished most of her mechanical stuff (though I'm still determining whether I should give her an archetype) and her fluff/backstory is not done yet.

Will post here again and when its done.

If Seren needs to be put in a role, it would be archer with 6th level arcane casting, regardless of whether we go with eldritch archer or arrowsong minstrel. That's probably filed under 'support'?

Got most of the character finished, and I think encumbrance could be an issue in the beginning, unless that is being hand waved.
Working on equipment and Background.

Barhador is a skilled outdoorsman, but not a primary combatant. Once he gets Wild Shape at Level 4, his primary combat contribution style should change pretty significantly. Thus the lack of archery feats . . ..

I'll throw Eilyne into the running. I'll have to make sure she is de-leveled as she was built for an Ironfang game that died off a while back. I really enjoyed the character so figured it would be worth trying again.

Eilyne is a human (I'm a dryad!) who thinks she is a dryad phytokineticist with unbreakable survivor.

Nate GoodKnight
Got most of it done, working a bit more on the fluff.

Updated List (with Links to Alias)

1. Robert Henry- Brunner Hammerfall Dwarven Paladin {Stonelord of Torag} Kraggodan Castaway
2. Therenger- Tarrow Harfoot Halfling Rogue Ironfang Survivor
3. hustonj- Barhador Elf {Gyrgan-Wild} Hunter {Feral Hunter} Foxclaw Scout
4. rorek55- Xolen Zottenropple Gnome {Bleached} Sorceror {Fey} Blight Burned---???
5. Edilsmurge - Tenzo Human {??} Fighter {Gloomblade} Frontier Healer
6. Ridge - Hollin Silverteeth Human {Varisian} Bard World Weary
7. Delightful- Rue Woodkind Human {??} Ranger Blight Burned
8. avr- Pallando Brightriver Halfling Oracle {Pei Zin Practitoner} Frontier Healer
9. ythiel- Zinli Steelworker Gnome Gunslinger Ironfang Survivor
10. plasticdragon - Athrehon Human {Garundi} Wizard Unbreakable Survivor
11. CyberMephit- Andras Teoss Human {??} Magus {Staff Magus/Hexcrafter} World Weary
12. jovich- Hjorleaf Asvidrson Human {Ulfen} Fighter Ironfang Survivor
13. Linnea The Diviner- Vriska Galerider Half-Orc Cavalier {Beast Rider/Order of The Beast Chernasardo Hopeful
14. Torilgrey- Marvas The Younger Half-Orc Ranger {Nirmathi Regular} Ironfang Survivor
15. Dorian 'Grey'- Arkhan Silvinesti Half-Orc Druid {Storm} World Weary
16. RHMG Animator- Nate Goodknight Tiefling {Rakshasa Spawn} Cleric {Theologian-[Kurgress]} Frontier Healer
17. Alcor Grimm- Therion Frostleaf Elf Arcanist Blight Burned
18. Patrick The Kid- Paulier Ovicus Human {??} Magus {Eldritch Scion} Ironfang Survivor
19. GeraintElberion- Seren Elberion Elf ?? Blight Burned
20. Flying Jenny- Severina Devil-Luck Human {Taldan} Skald {Boaster} World Weary
21. pad300- Mikhael Onstuckter Half Orc Skald {Urban Red Tongue} Ironfang Survivor
22.Hawthwile- Herman Human {??} Witch {Herb Witch} Blight Burned
23. Alcor Grimm - Therion Frostleaf Elf Arcanist Blight-Burned
24. MuaveAvengr- Blothiq Ratfolk Psychic (???) Animal Whisperer
25. Fanguar - Leland Hopkins Human Warpriest (Arsenal Chaplain) Frontier Healer
26. Drogeney - Eilyne human phytokineticist unbreakable survivor.

Souls At War - ??

Simple Submission Breakdown

The background I'm thinking on is that Marvas is a survivor of the Ramsgate massacre, and escaped from captivity by the Ironfangs as a teenager, slipping back into Nirmathas and working alternatively as a trapper and soldier with the militias in the forest. I'll felsh that out more if selected, but like I said, work's crazy this week.

Ok here's my submission.

A. Linia Morgen
B. Tiefling (pitborn, Pass for Human trait)
C. Cavalier (Constable) 1
D. Ironfang Survivor
E. Linia is a local in Phaendar, a well-known and well-liked tavern wench. She may soon discover she has a talent for leadership and for staying cool in a crisis.

Actually, while it would be a minor downgrade, I may go for psychic instead. If I did, I'd probably take the Abomination discipline, and the wildepath archetype.

Note, its the same character, I'm just wondering about the best way to portray the flavor. And, I've not played a psychic before, so that is perhaps tempting me a bit.

Ok. I a huge amount of great characters to go through and choose from I will close this in 24 hours. Last entries by Saturday morning.

I'll have the team chosen sometime this weekend as time permits

Ok, I am throwing my hat in the ring for this one. Hope I am on time!

A. Tessai
B. Tiefling
C. Paladin
D. Probably World Weary
E. In spite of sticking out as a sore thumb with her gray skin, and whipping tail, Tessai never felt unwelcome in Phaendar. Why a demon spawn ever came to live among humans was a matter surprisingly never really much brought to light, at least to her face - to her adopted parents she was a daughter, to other inhabitants she was a hard working girl helping out at the smithy, and to the kids who decided they wanted to measure their strength against the lean, beautiful tiefling, she usually was a nasty surprise. Adolescence brought some troublesome questions, but the answer was even more surprising when Tessai joined the church, leaving her homeland and following the path to become a Paladin, regardless of her heritage. Like many youngsters, she learned you can go far from home to look for something, but sometimes it has been sitting right next to you all along. Tessai has come to understand what it is she truly treasures - family, friends and her hometown, and that is why she has returned to Phaendar.

To help me in my choice I'm going to ask acouple of unorthodox questions.

1. If you're relatively new to pbp, what drew you in? And what makes you think you can stay the course for 2-3 years or longer that it takes for an AP?

2. If you've been on the site playing for a year or so and ate in a handful of games but haven't been playing pbp for multiple years, why do you think games fail? And why do people leave?

3 if you're a long time player and you know what it takes fora successful game why do you quit an AP? What keeps you 'into it'?

4. Finally look over your inactive games if you've applied for a lot and end up quiting or it fails ...why? In other words if there's a huge amount of inactive games whether started by you or applied for by you and there's very little played or finished...why?

Also, you are more than welcome to peruse my games/characters/nonsensical shenanigans!

Happy Hunting!

I play PbP exclusively, and have been on the boards for a few years now. In my experience, nothing kills an AP faster than player or GM apathy. We've all been there. Sometimes RL knocks a key player out or sometimes players or the GM simply lose interest. Posts get shorter and less creative, and it can be either a long slog to campaign death or a quick disbanding.

I have been selective in the games I've applied to, because I know players who spread themselves too thin and I prefer to spend my time developing a few characters, as opposed to just rolling dice more often. I got into a Dead Suns campaign that spanned several years and at one point I was the only active player, but the GM and I both wanted to see it through.

I post frequently. I have the luxury of a work at home job that offers many periods throughout the day where I'm waiting for a database query to execute or a reply on a project request, where I post to the Paizo boards. I can promise I will be one of the more consistent posters to any game I'm involved with.

I have discussed this many times with others in the boards over the years GMMichael, mainly over PM - I am very happy to see you placing those questions.

I am answering from the 3. and 4. perspective, and I think there is a mix of reasons making PbP games fail. I count myself lucky for being in TWO games which actually reached their conclusion - one shorter module/mini campaign and an actual full AP - Carrion Crown (it is amazing by the way).

- The main reason I think is RL. Fact is, PbP is in the vast majority of cases much slower than your average tabletop, Friday night game. Also, you play it with strangers (apologies if the word is too harsh) instead of friends. In my case, my RPG tabletop group is the same I play card games with, boardgames, go out for drinks, celebrate our kid's birthdays, etc. So we are naturally close, as opposed to the players you meet only in the PbP medium. So for that reason, this amplified time it takes to complete a game in PbP grinds many games to a halt - it is just that: RL + this or that player's diminished availability to post (even worse if that is one of the players that drive the game 'forward' - there are always at least one or two if you are lucky);

- The effect above creates a sort of 'snowball effect'. This is a cooperative game. Players and GM sit together to tell, and play out/act a story all together. Once the driving forces begin dwindling, games start falling apart like decks of cards.

- I have also quit games, mainly because I felt the story was not being told by all. This is hard to put into words, and it has much to do with how my own ideas about being a GM and a player have evolved over many years as a GM/DM. But to summarize, I honestly feel there are many players out there (hope I do not get hate for this) who are simply going through the motions, going through the steps to complete a task. And the task is a game. To give you an idea where I am coming from - I was the GM for my group for many years, starting with D&D Basic Red Box, all the way to Pathfinder. And whenever we sat at the table to play, it was almost always sandbox - it did not matter if I was DMing modules from Forgotten Realms, brilliant adventures from Planescape, or delves like Night Below - we went where the game took us. We never OOC abandoned a task/quest that made sense to the characters because 'it was not part of the main plot' or because 'that is not the plan for the game'. Nope. We always followed wherever the game took us. And that makes for memorable games. Don't get me wrong, I love APs and self contained modules. But I also love flexibility. The game is the game - is it really relevant if you started o what you thought would be a pirate adventure, and yet finished embarking on a memorable adventure embroiled in the Blood War? For me, no. I joined the forums to play RPG, and that is my goal. I am already overextending on this one so I will just shut up - it is just close to home this one.

- Bottom line, and regarding successful games - I think what it takes is a group of like minded people, who understand the nature not only of PbP, but also of real life. If players A and B are usually the driving force of the game, yet they are going through a rough patch at work and cannot play that role, then player C steps up, then the GM, then player A is back to drive the game forward, then player Y, etc. I think a game where everyone understands this (and by 'this' I mean the commitment is from all parts), and also that a game NEEDS to move or it will die - will be a successful one. Couple that with players who (even if they do not have a lot of time to post) will acknowledge what other players and GM have posted, and react accordingly, and not only will you have a successful game, but you will have a GREAT one! Of course, RL can (and will) still happen, and some games will just fall apart because of an 'unfortunate series of events', but then everyone gave it a fair shot and you can just accept that such is life.

Eeeesh, damned wall of text. Sorry for just going on and on guys :P

EDIT: Tarrow nailed regarding apathy. I blame it on my difficulty in being succinct in some matters ;)

Yeah, Tarrow Harfoot and Albion, The Eye, nailed it as I was writing mine up.

It was also a reason I was hoping for a chance to vote on the Serpent's Skull AP, as you can wrap up the first book as it's own story, before interest wanes too much if signs of losing interest appear with the players or GM.

4) When being a player, the game mostly failed when the GM disappeared/canned the game, that and once you get past level 10 things get broken fast and the problem increase exponentially with each new level.

This is a great point. Some systems just do not scale well once characters get a few levels of experience. I'm thinking 5E Adventures in Middle Earth, but also Starfinder, for the opposite reason.

I think 1st level adventures are usually the most fun. It's like when you're on your own for the first time in real life; everything is a struggle, but you enjoy the little things more.

1. If you're relatively new to pbp, what drew you in? And what makes you think you can stay the course for 2-3 years or longer that it takes for an AP?

I have never played an AP all the way through (though I am in a Ruins or Azlant one that has just started the last book). I rarely pull out of games unless I am just not enjoying it enough and am doggedly persistent in sticking around.

2. If you've been on the site playing for a year or so and ate in a handful of games but haven't been playing pbp for multiple years, why do you think games fail? And why do people leave?

N/A

3 if you're a long time player and you know what it takes fora successful game why do you quit an AP? What keeps you 'into it'?

A successful game requires keeping a decent posting rate. This can very group to group and has been a lot slower the last year or so due to COVID in my experience. Generally one post per/day or every two days seems to be a pretty decent rate for most group and an every other is usually a more reasonable expectation in my experience (combat is the number one killer of momentum so cutting them down somewhat is a very good idea, especially at higher levels where they take even longer). It is also important to not go too fast for everyone. Ideally, unless a couple of players are involved in something on the side, it is best to try and give everyone a reasonable timeframe to post before posting again. Finally use the written story as guidelines and don't be too strict on the rules. RAW/WAI are important but Rule 0 is more important as long as it doesn't ruin the fun for the others.

As an example of the can be seen with Eilyne. Basic Phytokinesis is very weak and not really good for anything much mechanics wise. As part of it in the past Eilyne uses it to make leaves and other plants stick to her to form clothing with. It does very little mechanics wise, isn't that broken since it isn't making cold weather clothes, fits thematically, and gives the chance for entertainment if the effect is somehow disrupted.

Generally when I quit a game, which is very rare, it is because of poor writing. I might be slow to post at times but I try to make quality posts and I expect the same. When I end up in a game where the writers are very bad, i.e. poor grammar, their posts constant one liners, etc, I can get frustrated enough to pull out. Sometimes a game or a character just doesn't work for me, it doesn't have to be the players/GM, the story can just not be engaging enough to me, If it is the character I will often ask to change characters to something I will enjoy more, if it is the story/players/gm I will just pull out.

4. Finally look over your inactive games if you've applied for a lot and end up quitting or it fails ...why? In other words if there's a huge amount of inactive games whether started by you or applied for by you and there's very little played or finished...why?

While a few of my games have completed (and one is entering the home stretch) those that failed have largely been either from player drop out or a GM pulling a disappearing act. Sometimes the majority just have to call it because of IRL changes and, in one case we all agreed to stop and start a new campaign since none of us were enjoying the current one. Overall though it is GM poofing that is the biggest killer IMO, players can be replaced but replacing the GM is much, much harder.

RHMG Animator wrote:

4) When being a player, the game mostly failed when the GM disappeared/canned the game, that and once you get past level 10 things get broken fast and the problem increase exponentially with each new level.

This is a great point. Some systems just do not scale well once characters get a few levels of experience. I'm thinking 5E Adventures in Middle Earth, but also Starfinder, for the opposite reason.

I think 1st level adventures are usually the most fun. It's like when you're on your own for the first time in real life - everything is a struggle, but you enjoy the little things more.

Yeah, part of the problem with characters above level 10, is also the run-away HP problem which slows encounters to a crawl and makes them last much longer then they should.

I'll add my name to the growing list.

A. Jarzik
B. Ratfolk
C. Alchemist
D. Frontier Healer (if it will apply to my extracts but it's not technically a spell so it may not) otherwise Ironfang Survivor
E. Peddling my alchemical wares

3 if you're a long time player and you know what it takes fora successful game why do you quit an AP? What keeps you 'into it'?

4. Finally look over your inactive games if you've applied for a lot and end up quiting or it fails ...why? In other words if there's a huge amount of inactive games whether started by you or applied for by you and there's very little played or finished...why?

3. Over the years, I have only ever bowed out of 2 games. 1 was due to not being able to keep up with the pace of the game (the DM and one player were posting 5-10 times a day and it wasn't fun to feel like a supporting character in someone else's story) and another was due to the DM's posting style (poor formatting, spelling and grammar) that made it difficult to follow. All I'm looking for is a reasonable pace to keep me engaged (DM post every 1-2 days). DM guidance and direction also helps, as I find that PbPs tend to get bogged down when there is a lot of discussion on what to do next.

4. As a player, all but two (mentioned above) of the inactive games are due to the DM disappearing or quitting. As a DM, the games that I shuttered were due to players disappearing or losing interest, after a certain point it's easier to start something new than to just keep re-recruiting. My current longest running campaign is a Shattered Star campaign that started in 2013 and we're just about to start the final book. Same 4 PCs that started and they are about to hit level 16.

Well said Ridge, I recall switching GM's twice (with both saying they were withdrawing at least instead of disappearing) within the opening of Kingmaker before we got a one that really clicked and got through Book 1 and into Book 2 before that game ended with the GM giving a withdrawal notice due to RL.

Oddly I re-read that Campaign just this past month.

1. If you're relatively new to pbp, what drew you in? And what makes you think you can stay the course for 2-3 years or longer that it takes for an AP?

N/A

2. If you've been on the site playing for a year or so and ate in a handful of games but haven't been playing pbp for multiple years, why do you think games fail? And why do people leave?

N/A

3 if you're a long time player and you know what it takes fora successful game why do you quit an AP? What keeps you 'into it'?

Along with several other systems, I've been playing PF for about... 10 years? Somewhere around there. Most of it has been PbP, with a smattering of face to face. I haven't used the Paizo forums much, but I'm active on a couple other PbP sites, and I've been in quite a few games. It's rare for me to quit an AP. I've had a couple where real-world medical issues just made posting regularly an issue, and a couple where the GM turned out to be an unpleasant person. No gaming is better than bad gaming, in those cases.

What keeps me into a game is the people I'm playing with. Most of the APs tell good stories, and that's a definite plus, but if all I wanted was a story I could read a novel. Even just quiet RP moments, or the ways personalities mesh (or don't!) is fun and motivating for me. PC-to-PC roleplay is the real meat and potatoes of a game, and if that side of things is compelling I'll happily play for ages.

4. Finally look over your inactive games if you've applied for a lot and end up quiting or it fails ...why? In other words if there's a huge amount of inactive games whether started by you or applied for by you and there's very little played or finished...why?

In my experience, PbP games die like flies, and die quickly.

For example, I've been in five PbP Curse of the Crimson Throne campaigns. The most successful made it all the way to fighting Gaedren Lamm, the boss of part one of book one. I would love to have an AP actually be the years-long commitment people say they are, because 90% of the ones I've played died in a month or two, if that. It's a special thing to actually get a long-term game, but they're often lightning in a bottle and the result of a lot of behind-the-screen work. I'm running one long-term game myself, a homebrew world 5e game, and you really get a sense for how fragile PbP is when you're the one running things.

Almost all my unfinished games ended because the GM vanished, or had some real-world issue come up. The latter is just life, but the former are disheartening. Player attrition is a pain, but there's always someone willing to step in. I've never had a game die because we lost too many players, just paused to re-recruit (and re-re-recruit, and...).

If there are any specific weak points for me, really big dungeon crawls, the room-by-room, clear out the fifth bunch of random orcs, "hurray, onto the fifth floor!" "What's up there?" "More orcs!" type, absolutely kill morale and motivation. I've never quit a game because of one, but boy have I wanted to. I think they're a poor fit with PbP pacing, where being in combat for months at a time is a distinct possibility, depending on posting speed. I love a neat build and cleverness in combat as much as anyone, but making the XP number get bigger isn't a reason to play on its own. The characters and their story are.

Answers 3 and 4.

Unorthodox questions.

1. If you're relatively new to pbp, what drew you in? And what makes you think you can stay the course for 2-3 years or longer that it takes for an AP?

I am not new to pbp.

2. If you've been on the site playing for a year or so and are in a handful of games but haven't been playing pbp for multiple years, why do you think games fail? And why do people leave?

I'm in category three but I still think I know the answer to this: real life gets in the way.

3 if you're a long time player and you know what it takes for a successful game why do you quit an AP? What keeps you 'into it'?

I think the key things is both players (including the GM) and characters that work together.

The last AP I left was a Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign. The players were great but the other characters were evil/selfish types. I don't like playing that kind of game and had invested a lot into creating my PC. She achieved her aim (rescuing her adopted son) and then left the adventure. I turned her and her son into PFS characters because I wanted to keep on playing them.

In my longest running game (that reached book 5 of Kingmaker) we all enjoyed discussing and goofing in the comments together (by the end, we were making throwback comments to events from years earlier) and had found a way to gel our various characters. It probably helped that we had common goals and a common vision for what we wanted our kingdom to become. We also had a neat mix of very straight characters (our paladin and cleric) and characters who could goof at times (our ranger, mostly).

4. Finally look over your inactive games if you've applied for a lot and end up quiting or it fails ...why? In other words if there's a huge amount of inactive games whether started by you or applied for by you and there's very little played or finished...why?

I'm not in this category either but I have thoughts.

I have a long list of inactive games because I have played a lot of PFS scenarios to their conclusion.

Looking at homebrew, I have played some great little campaigns that reached a conclusion but sometimes that conclusion was inspired by the GM's need to reduce/end their time GMing PbP.

With APs, I have played in a few where the GM has just run out of time/energy/whatever and decided to call it quits.
I tried to take over one where the GM and a key player both left but that fizzled out.
I GMed the first book of Council of Thieves but then I got a new job and was really, really busy and had to stop. I couldn't justify the time.
I actually took a break from the boards for a couple of years at that point.

My overwhelming experience is that the GM does the most work, has the most pressure and is the hardest to replace. I have GMed modules on the boards and that is much harder work than being a player.

When PbP games fail, it tends to be because the GM has IRL reaons why they cannot commit the necessary time to the game. Players can leave and be replaced, usually for the same IRL reasons, but the GM is the key.