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A 5 hour slot will give you enough breathing room so you don't have to rush. But even if the scenario looks like it might run long and you only have a 4 hour slot, you can do a lot of prep work to cut down on any wasted time.
Our typical conventions only have 4 hour slots and the game days are 4 hours as well. To make sure I can stay within 4 hours, I prep as much as I can ahead of time, pre-draw all the maps (outside of flip mats or map packs), check the players characters as they arrive before the session starts, and keep the combats moving quickly. It requires a little more prep by the GM, but you can still make a 4 hour slot work fine.
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Like I said, the rules say to expect 4- or 5-hour slots at conventions. I'm simply codifying that 5-hour slots are now allowed. I am *not* telling conventions how to run their convention. If four is what they can do, then great. If they can do five, then also great.
As for scenarios necessarily being written for 4 hours of play suddenly being written for 5--it's just not the case. I won't make any changes to adventure length or development style based solely on length of play. All of the tiers between 1 and 7 rarely have an issue with 4 hours. It's the Tier 7-11 and Tier 12 scenarios I'm worried about. The Tier 7-11 scenarios have a common, recurring complaint about not having enough time when they're written to the same style and word count as the lower level scenarios. As you know, it's likely this is because higher level combats often take longer. I want to accommodate groups/game days/conventions who want to avoid cutting people off by running longer slots. And I've done that.
As for this being "unilateral" ... come on, man. :-) I have a rule in the guide that let's home play basically take however long it wants (not too mention online play, or play-by-post). If this was "unilateral," I wouldn't have that rule.
If the rules allow for 5 hour slots, but the writing target stays at 4 hours to complete, then there isn't a problem. I used the word unilateral to remind you that you aren't the only game at the cons and you do need to fit in to existing frameworks if you want to maximize new play.
Director of Brand Strategy
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Heh, totally forgot online and play-by-post play was an option. Might be the best shot for me if I can't find enough local people.
Even if you can find local people, nothing's stopping you from playing in both meatspace and online. *cough*ahem*cough*
I used the word unilateral to remind you that you aren't the only game at the cons and you do need to fit in to existing frameworks if you want to maximize new play.
It's funny you say that since the big dog on the block runs 5-hour slots at Gen Con and we actually competed against their time last year running 4-hour slots--competition that cost both groups players. By shifting to 5-hour slots at Gen Con, we match the big dog and give the largest pool of players an opportunity to play both (if they so desire).
How other conventions choose to run their slots and our games in their slots it totally up to them, but I'm going to run alongside the big dog at Gen Con. :-)
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I used the word unilateral to remind you that you aren't the only game at the cons and you do need to fit in to existing frameworks if you want to maximize new play.It's funny you say that since the big dog on the block runs 5-hour slots at Gen Con and we actually competed against their time last year running 4-hour slots--competition that cost both groups players. By shifting to 5-hour slots at Gen Con, we match the big dog and give the largest pool of players an opportunity to play both (if they so desire).
How other conventions choose to run their slots and our games in their slots it totally up to them, but I'm going to run alongside the big dog at Gen Con. :-)
Touche :)
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All of the tiers between 1 and 7 rarely have an issue with 4 hours. It's the Tier 7-11 and Tier 12 scenarios I'm worried about. The Tier 7-11 scenarios have a common, recurring complaint about not having enough time when they're written to the same style and word count as the lower level scenarios. As you know, it's likely this is because higher level combats often take longer.
Well, if combat taking too long is the problem... then reducing the sheer number of combats per module is an answer.
I haven't made it up to Tier 7 yet, but if the higher-level scenarios have the same 4+ combats per module that the lower level ones do, that's just too many.
-Matt
Touche :)
/bow
:-)
I just confirmed with the scheduling guy for the RPGA that they run the following slots at Gen Con:
8am to 1pm
1pm to 6pm
1 hour break from 6pm to 7pm
7 pm to midnight
We'll match that.
Well, if combat taking too long is the problem... then reducing the sheer number of combats per module is an answer.
I haven't made it up to Tier 7 yet, but if the higher-level scenarios have the same 4+ combats per module that the lower level ones do, that's just too many.
-Matt
Workin' on it. I've heavily encouraged my authors since August or so to reduce combat encounters and think more creatively on building solid, multi-themed adventures. That's not to say we won't come out with future scenarios that are meant to be combat monsters, but that the majority of future adventures will follow my first rule of adventure design: an encounter is a combat ... or a puzzle, or an RPG encounter, or a trap, or some combination of the above.
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I've heavily encouraged my authors since August or so to reduce combat encounters and think more creatively on building solid, multi-themed adventures. That's not to say we won't come out with future scenarios that are meant to be combat monsters, but that the majority of future adventures will follow my first rule of adventure design: an encounter is a combat ... or a puzzle, or an RPG encounter, or a trap, or some combination of the above.
I'm happy to hear you are encouraging this aspect of adventure building. I like scenarios that bring a mix of encounters, not just focused purely on combat.
We'll match that.When can I sign up?
The first wave of submissions for Gen Con are due Friday. I hope to have our base Pathfinder Society events in that wave.
I've heavily encouraged my authors since August or so to reduce combat encounters and think more creatively on building solid, multi-themed adventures. That's not to say we won't come out with future scenarios that are meant to be combat monsters, but that the majority of future adventures will follow my first rule of adventure design: an encounter is a combat ... or a puzzle, or an RPG encounter, or a trap, or some combination of the above.
I'm attempting to really apply this on my current PFS scenario assignment. Speaking of which, I know you've got to be extremely busy, but I still need some feedback from you on my initial questions and outline, Josh. ;-)
The thing about receiving a novel is that it takes time to digest. ;-)
Explosive runes
The thing about receiving a novel is that it takes time to digest. ;-)
Yeah, yeah. Next time, I'm totally going to work explosive runes into my novel-length outline. You know, just to be extra thorough and all. ;-P
LOL!
No way. It just totally makes me look way too OCD. ;-)