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Hi all,
My airfare are bought and I am going to book my hotel soon. Fantastic that it is in the September Holidays! I can not wait for September to roll around.
I am just wondering around 2 things at the moment:
1. DarkWhite, are you coordinating this year? (Awesome job last year)
2. Is Paizo sending some over again and making some announcement? :)
I ran a PFS with my group over the last long weekend, so the taste is in my mouth. Some people are making noises through FB over the GenConOz page about PF at the event. I am happy to volunteer my services one way or the other again.
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Hi Masika,
Yes, I'm organising Pathfinder Society at GenConOz again this year. Event registration recently became available, and I'm giving some thought as to session times, scenarios to run, GMs available etc.
I'm thinking of running with the following session times:
Morning: 9am - 2pm
Afternoon: 2pm - 7pm
Evening: 7pm - midnight
GenConOz does have an 8am-9am session time, so I'm wondering how attendees felt last year? Many of us out-of-towners will be staying in city hotels within walking distance, but for others having to commute in/out of Brisbane, how are these times for arriving on time, or catching last transport home?
It seemed to work okay last year, though organising consumed all my meal-breaks between sessions, and Guide to Organised play now recognises this by recommending 5hr session times, so I thought I should schedule 5hr sessions, but that means you only get meal breaks if your session ends early, which is pretty much what happened last year anyway, despite 4hr sessions and scheduled meal-breaks.
I'm a little concerned with playing to midnight, as security hustle you up as they want to lock up for the night. Though I really appreciate that extra hour in the morning for getting ready, breakfast/coffee etc before throwing myself into sessions. Breakfast is a nice way of experiencing a brief glimpse of Brisbane outside of the convention hall.
Is anyone interested in leaving one evening session free for a Pathfinder social get-together? Or do you want to Play Play Play? I know this was mentioned by some last year, and it would be nice, I just don't want to disappoint players who may only have one day free to attend, and find there's no game scheduled that evening?
I've already heard from a few players interested in GMing this year. If there are others, please let me know.
It might also be good to have someone who isn't GMing, but is helping organise things, such as ensuring every GM has what they need before/after each session (scenarios, maps, event sheets, etc) or doing meal runs - last year, Deluge kindly brought back Indian take-away for me each night, because I simply didn't have time between sessions for meals. It was very much appreciated, even though I never had time to eat until I returned to my hotel after midnight - cold Rogan Josh mmmm....
I'm also interested in roughly what character levels people are likely to bring to the event? Last year, most players were new to the campaign, but this year there'll likely be a much wider spread.
Cheers,
DarkWhite
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Hi again.
I think a local Brisbane person or someone with a car should be the go-for. :)
I have given this some thought as only negative feedback from last year was that there was not alot of time allowance between sessions (my feedback). I see you propose a 3 session, serial day. If GM numbers allow maybe you should consider a staggered timetable. This will maximise use of people as well as allowing for GMs/players to take breaks. Only day which to cram games is Sunday as the there is no possible way to make effective use of time in the length that is available.
The proposal also makes time for Paizo, if the come, to hold sessions/make announcements at 1pm (Friday/Saturday). It also allows for introduction to pathfinder stream so folks can make characters and learn about the game and then play silent tide or other good tier 1-2 games.
For Thursday:
Workshop 2:30-2:30pm (Introduction to Pathfinder - making a character)
Session 1 1:00-5:30pm
Session 2 3:00-7:30pm (tier 1-3 game)
Session 3 6:00-10:30pm
I propose for Friday and Saturday:
Workshop 9:00-9:30am (Introduction to Pathfinder - making a character)
Session 1 8:30-1pm
Session 2 10:00-2:30pm (tier 1-3 game)
Session 3 2:00-6:30pm
Session 4 3:00-7:30pm
Session 5 6:30-11pm
For Sunday
Workshop 9:00-9:30am (Introduction to Pathfinder - making a character)
Session 1 8:30-12:30pm
Session 2 10:00-2:30pm (tier 1-3 game)
Session 3 12:30-5pm
You look at having two organisers: one for Session 1,3,5 and one for 2 and 4.
You could also have a social gathering for folks Saturday/Sunday 8pm onwards. And those players who want to play stay and play.
I would suggest advertising one session in each slot to start and get GMs timetable to the game and then add more games once filled.
Just some ideas which are aimed at being constructive.
Andrew Daley
AKA, Adom Radames - Dunewalker
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I plan on offering to GM at least one session and play play play. Not planning on social event or introduction workshops (if planned).
I will have a tier 5-7 ranger and 2 tier 1-3 (cleric and roguish) characters available.
I would be happy to help coordinate GMs on a day or all days if required.
EDIT: I should be there from opening on Thursday to closing on Sunday, if the wife permits. :)
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It will not let me edit my previous post so I have edited my previous proposal. Here it is:
For Thursday:
Workshop 2:00-2:30pm (Introduction to Pathfinder - making a character) *
Session 1 1:00-6:00pm
Session 2 3:00-8:o0pm (tier 1-2 game)
Session 3 6:30-11:30pm
I propose for Friday and Saturday:
Workshop 9:00-9:30am (Introduction to Pathfinder - making a character) *
Session 1 8:30-1:30pm
Session 2 10:00-3:00pm (tier 1-2 game)
Session 3 2:00-7:00pm
Session 4 3:00-7:30pm
Session 5 7:00-12:00pm
For Sunday
Workshop 9:00-9:30am (Introduction to Pathfinder - making a character) *
Session 1 8:30-12:30pm
Session 2 10:00-3:00pm (tier 1-2 game)
Session 3 1:00-5:00pm
You look at having two coordinators: one for odd Sessions and one for even sessions on the day.
Key thing is you play for a maximum of 5 hours. Going to have to be precise with cut off times as closing times at the venue are not flexible. Make sure 3 encounters are completed and finish 15-30 odd minutes before the schedule finish time for a session.
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Games Area OPEN CLOSE
Thursday 1:00pm 12:00am
Friday 8:30am 12:00am
Saturday 8:30am 12:00am
Sunday 8:30am 5:00pm
So I propose the following Pathfinder session times:
Thursday:
Afternoon: 2pm - 7pm
Evening: 7pm - midnight
Friday/Saturday:
Morning: 9am - 2pm
Afternoon: 2pm - 7pm
Evening: 7pm - midnight
Sunday:
Morning: 9am - 2pm
I'm not really in favour of overlapping or staggered sessions. I think having consistent Morning/Afternoon/Evening sessions, so no matter which day you're attending, you know which time your session starts.
Two of Melbourne's three game conventions fall across weekends in which we switch over to (or from) daylight savings time, and that one hour difference always screws with player arrival times.
Table allocation last year was really tight, there were a few sessions we had registered that weren't allocated tables, because the floor was already full. 3x 5hr sessions is the best allocation of sessions over a 15hr day.
I don't really see the need for an Intro to Pathfinder - Making a Character session. Registered players should be prepared, and bring along their own character. Players who arrive without a character can grab a pre-gen. This method has worked well in the past.
There'll always be a player who thinks they can create a character in 10mins before a session starts - good luck to them - I think customising a pre-gen is a quicker option and less likely to hold up the start of a game.
If a Paizo staff member were in attendance, I think an Intro to the Advanced Players Guide might be better use of the Intro to Pathfinder - Make a Character slot, with particular emphasis on what has changed since the Playtest, as I imagine several players will have existing playtest characters (I know several in my home-group do), similar to how Jason ran the Intro to Pathfinder RPG seminar last year.
Thursday 1pm-2pm might be a good spot for this, before the first scheduled Pathfinder session begins, though many working folk have difficulty attending GenConOz Thursday.
We're not going to be able to fit two sessions back-to-back on Sunday due to 5pm close. One option could be to reward players/GMs with an extra hour to sleep in on the final day, 10am-3pm session, and the possibility of a Pathfinder social catch-up afterwards. There's also time available here for a Paizo seminar.
Does anyone have a link to the GenConIndy or PaizoCon schedule of scenarios being run? I know I saw it somewhere, but can't find it now. It would be useful to use as a comparison of what we might want to run at GenConOz.
PS: GenConOz registration system doesn't allow for half-hour increments. So, while the 5hr sessions I proposed above are back-to-back, the strong recommendation to players/GMs is to finish early to allow time for paperwork and a meal break between sessions. But realistically, we'll be occupying those tables for the entire day.
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Sounds good DarkWhite.
I looking forward to this event as it is the only time I can play. I GM ALL the time up here. :)
Just let me know if you require anything of me. I plan on playing and getting 6 XP for a character (if the tiers and my character survives!)
Would be good to see the 3 parter scenarios and 4 parter scenarios run back to back on Friday and then Saturday/Sunday - My wishlist.
I am hoping Jason follows up with another trip to Oz and more good announcements.
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Hey Guys,
One of the things that we haven't added to the Event Submission is a set of "suggested" start and finish times for events. Gen Con Indy allows for a more open level of start and finish times, but they do have over 7500 different events (oh I wish we could get to that).
By having a "suggested" time slot program, means that:
a) We can maximise space usage
b) You won't have as many event scheduling conflicts
c) You can play in as many games as you can without having downtime (unless you want downtimes to look at the expo itself - and that's a must.
So what we have is the RPGA Style Schedule and the Standard Schedule.
The RPGA Style Schedule fits with 4 hour times slots.
The Standard Style in 3 hour slots.
So here is my first suggestion:
RPGA Time Slot
9.00am - 1.00pm
2.00pm - 6.00pm
7.00pm - 11.00pm
Standard Time Slot
9.00am - 12.00pm
1.00pm - 4.00pm
5.00pm - 8.00pm
8.30pm - 11.30pm
I would be interested to hear people's thoughts or suggestions. Remembering that this timetable allows for games to go over by up to a 45 minutes if needed.
Cheers.
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Hi Kalraan,
I think we'll be running with the RPGA schedule for all the reasons stated above. There is just no way a 3hr schedule would fit Pathfinder Society.
Also by running with the RPGA schedule, players of other RPGA campaigns can play a mix of scenarios from different campaigns and maximise their playtime witholut fearing overlap (although I suspect most con-goers already know which campaign setting they wish to play in, are pretty loyal to that setting, and are looking to level their favourite character up as far as they can in one weekend, but mixing campaigns is an option for anyone new to cons who just want to try out a little bit of everything).
I'll be posting an open call for GMs shortly.
Cheers,
DarkWhite
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Hi Kalraan.
Pathfinder Society Games used to have the running time of 4 hours (3.5hrs play and 0.5 hr downtime for conventions - recommended). The latest rule update has seen that PFS games can now go for 5 hrs.
I think DarkWhite proposal allows plenty of time for a solid 4 hours gaming. Start 0.5hr in set time (latest) and finish (no matter what - must be enforced) with 0.5 hrs left in the session to allow sheet updates and break for GMs.
My suggestion of staggered starting times is the only possible solution to allow for more gaming sessions. Also, 5 hour sessions will limit some people as it is a long period of time to allocate to one event. Perhaps 4 hour sessions would be the way to go. There are options in some PFS scenarios to drop scenes (and drop some gold/treasure) to make the session finish on time.
Regardless of the play length (3,4 or 5), for fairness to GMs and ultimately everyone, the game times need to be monitored and 30mins before the end of time the GM halts the game.
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Hi Kalraan,
I think we'll be running with the RPGA schedule for all the reasons stated above. There is just no way a 3hr schedule would fit Pathfinder Society.
Also by running with the RPGA schedule, players of other RPGA campaigns can play a mix of scenarios from different campaigns and maximise their playtime witholut fearing overlap (although I suspect most con-goers already know which campaign setting they wish to play in, are pretty loyal to that setting, and are looking to level their favourite character up as far as they can in one weekend, but mixing campaigns is an option for anyone new to cons who just want to try out a little bit of everything).
I'll be posting an open call for GMs shortly.
Cheers,
DarkWhite
Good idea as well. The chill of winter is hitting the air up here and that means GenConOz approaches. I am looking forward to it!
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Okay, this is the Open Call for Pathfinder Society GMs at GenConOz 2010 Brisbane, Australia.
To keep session times simple and predictable, and to align with other RPGA sessions, we'll run with Kalraan's suggested RPGA timetable - he is the GenConOz co-ordinator, after all, so when it comes to scheduling, session registration, table allocation etc, it's a good idea to run with his suggestions to make both his life and ours easier. These are the session times we ran last year, and while it will be a hectic non-stop schedule, would you expect anything less from a GenCon experience?
Thursday Session 1: Afternoon 2am-6pm
Thursday Session 2: Evening 7pm-11pm
Friday Session 3: Morning 9am-1pm
Friday Session 4: Afternoon 2am-6pm
Friday Session 5: Evening 7pm-11pm
Saturday Session 6: Morning 9am-1pm
Saturday Session 7: Afternoon 2pm-6pm
Saturday Session 8: Evening 7pm-11pm
Sunday Session 9: Morning 9am-1pm
While every attempt should be made to run a scenario within the scheduled 4hrs, I fully expect sessions to run overtime, as they did last year, due to organising tables, assisting players with their characters, paperwork, high-tier encounters taking longer to resolve, etc.
Kalraan has stated that the above timetable "allows for games to go over by up to a 45 minutes if needed". However, I believe it's in everyone's interest to work together to avoid running overtime wherever possible, not the least because things start getting stressful and GMs miss their meal-breaks. We're all volunteering our time for the enjoyment of the game, so let's try make the weekend as fun and stress-free as possible. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- be aware that some scenarios have optional encounters designed to be dropped if running short on time - don't be afraid to follow this advice;
- keep an eye on the time, and prompt the players along if they seem to be obsessing on distractions not important to the scenario, for example roleplaying situations that clearly aren't progressing them through an encounter;
And here's an important one: based on GenConOz experience last year, ensuring all the other GMs had everything they needed to start their sessions, attending to players questions, table allocations, etc takes time away from the sessions I was GMing for. I think there's an important need for an assistant or helper role, someone who isn't GMing, but can do the running around, collecting session tickets, finding an event organiser when a table has been double-booked, helping a new player select a pre-gen, maybe even meal runs if needed. This would go a long way to ensure everything keeps running smoothly, and take some worry and burden away from GMs (and myself). I know it's not a glamourous job, but it would be a very much appreciated one if someone is good at that sort of role.
Okay, now for the process:
Have a look over the GenConOz-2010 Event Page. I've listed all currently active scenarios (eg, five are known to be retired). Consider which session times you'd like to volunteer for, and which scenario you'd like to run. I want GMs to run scenarios they are well-prepared for, eg preferably you've already GMed the scenario; or you've played the scenario, really enjoyed it, and have since read it and feel comfortable to run it. What I don't want is for anyone to be put on the spot, to have to run a scenario cold without being prepared.
We had a good run of Season 0 scenarios at GenConOz last year, and I suspect that anyone coming back for another run will have already played many of them. Sure there will be new players, and some scenarios you might have missed, but for a number of reasons, not the least being we don't know which scenarios are being retired prior to GenConOz, I think it's a good idea to focus on Season 1 scenarios, and new releases.
However, I do notice that GenConIndy has one Pathfinder Classic table each session. We could do something similar, leave one table open for favourite Season 0 scenarios, but not announce the specific title. This gets around not knowing which scenarios haven't yet been announced for retirement, and allows for some flexibity.
So email me with your suggested session times and scenario choices (my email address can be found on the GenConOz-2010 Event Page). I'll keep a schedule, and email back confirmation or any changes, and when the dust settles, I'll register each session on the GenConOz website. I'm hoping we can turn this around as quickly as possible so Kalraan knows how many tables to reserve for us, and everything is ready for players to start registering.
A few people have already asked me about GMing at GenConOz, and I'll email them pointing them to this thread tomorrow. If you know anyone you think would be interested, please refer them here.
Thanks everyone!
Let the games begin :-)
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One more thing, it was relatively easy to schedule scenarios last year, because there the campaign was fresh, most players were in the low tier range.
However, this year, I expect there will be a wide range of character levels, and I was wondering how we should plan around this?
One method would be to state which tier the scenario will be played at when the session is registered. Eg, the same scenario could be run twice, once at low-tier, and again at mid-tier. Players would have to register for the session appropriate to their character level.
Another method would be to run the same scenario in the same session time across two tables, and players are allocated to table A or table B depending on their character level.
The only drawback to the second method is that the scenario would have to be printed out twice, instead of say running the scenario once on Friday, and again on Saturday using the same print-out. The reason this becomes a problem is printing cost, and excess baggage flying printed scenarios in and out of Brisbane.
It would be a disappointment for a player looking to catch a specific scenario, only to discover it's listed to play above or below his character's tier for that session.
I'm also wondering how to anticipate how many low versus how many high level characters players will be bringing to the event, so we can offer sessions to suit?
I don't think we'll have enough (any?) characters of 12th level to offer the special Pathfinder Society Scenario #46: Eyes of the Ten—Part I: Requiem for the Red Raven ... but I could be wrong? Certainly I don't know of any in Melbourne, some of us are getting close (9th level) but probably won't hit 12th level before GenConOz due to having run secondary low-level characters to bring in new players.
But please let me know if you think there's a demand to offer this one? I very much doubt I'll have an opportunity to run or play it prior to GenConOz, though maybe someone else might like to run it? Note: this one requires two sessions to run (8-10hrs).
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As there are a few scenarios now with sequels or run in a series, if the same GM would like to run these back-to-back, that might be a good thing for consistency and continuity if the same group of players actually pre-register for both/all related sessions.
It's not mandatory, of course. Eg, I've played Devil You Know parts I, II and III now, and haven't noticed the thread running between them yet? So they could be run in any order by different GMs, and I doubt it would have any impact on the experience. Though I'm hoping part IV will tie things together?
I have found players enjoy running the two Blakros Museum scenarios back-to-back though, they work well as a double adventure.
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I don't think we'll have enough (any?) characters of 12th level to offer the special Pathfinder Society Scenario #46: Eyes of the Ten—Part I: Requiem for the Red Raven ... but I could be wrong? Certainly I don't know of any in Melbourne, some of us are getting close (9th level) but probably won't hit 12th level before GenConOz due to having run secondary low-level characters to bring in new players.
But please let me know if you think there's a demand to offer this one? I very much doubt I'll have an opportunity to run or play it prior to GenConOz, though maybe someone else might like to run it? Note: this one requires...
If Team Full Power attack attends, then we will have 3 12th level characters (Fighter, Rogue and Cleric). We would just need to find one more.
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As someone pointed out, the games arena will close at 6.00pm on Sunday which means if you REALLY wanted to, you can fit an additional Pathfinder Scenario in in the last session Sunday.
Just a thought ;)
Although on paper it looks as though two sessions would fit on Sunday (eg, Morning 9am-1pm, Afternoon 2pm-6pm) this is ignoring the likelihood of the Afternoon session running overtime.
I really like the idea of running multi part scenarios back to back.
I'm thinking if we do run two sessions on Sunday, that they should be two-part sequels run back-to-back, hopefully with the same GM and players taking a brief break between games and returning to the same tables. Being familiar with the backstory might help bridge the gap between the two sessions and help keep the second session finish on time.
I think we should also expect more scenarios from season 0 to be drop before GENCONOZ. Joshua has stated that more scenarios will be cut month to month. A classic table could be could as would the 12th level scenario.
Despite a few caveats regarding running Season 0 scenarios under Pathfinder RPG, I suspect the fact that they are evaporating at a rapid pace, some players may be anxious to have what may be their last chance to experience some of these Season 0 scenarios, which is why I'm thinking of offering one Pathfinder Classics table per session.
PS: thanks for everyone who has already responded by email. I'll get back to you all as soon as I'm able.
Cheers,
DarkWhite :-)
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How are things looking thus far DarkWhite?
Hi Masika,
A good number of GMs have responded with offers, however I need confirmed session times from each. Some have provided me with actual session times (thanks guys!), others are waiting on work/study/other commitments before they're able to confirm.
The problem I have, is although GenConOz is still a few months away, I need to submit sessions online now, to secure table numbers, and so that players may start signing up.
I'm also trying to arrange scenarios into "paths" so that dedicated players may sign up for every (ten) session regardless of their character level. Ideally, scenarios with sequels should be run back-to-back, but it's difficult to allocate these just yet as there are holes in the schedule to be filled.
I have printed the covers of all (non-retired) scenarios to playing-card size, sorted them by tier and sequels, and shuffled them into a preliminary schedule on my coffee table waiting for GMs to commit to sessions.
I don't have the GM schedule in front of me right now (at work), I'll try post it here when I get home, so anyone interested in GMing can see where we need more support.
Roughly, I'm volunteering to run every session, Deluge has offered to run morning and afternoon sessions; a trio of GMs have offered to run afternoon sessions; and there's at least one other GM who's name is on my schedule. These are a great start, but leaves some opportunity for morning and particularly evening sessions to be filled.
I know some of the GMs I've been in contact with want to attend and GM, but it's difficult to organise without knowing.
Any GMs wanting to contact me can do so at the GenConOz-2010 event page
Will keep you informed.
Cheers,
DarkWhite
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Cool. :)
I am happy to be one of those dedicated hardcore players who play ever session. :)
Depending on the way in which the scenarios fall, if I can not play I would be happy to GM.
Thanks for getting things together DW.
I can let you know which scenarios have been selected before registering them, but the "wait and see" approach is part of the problem, as it doesn't help me allocating GMs, and therefore scenarios, to sessions now.
Though I certainly don't want to discourage hardcore players, a couple more harcore GMs would be good :-)
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Okay, I said I'd post the schedule here, but didn't get around to it last weekend (sorry). Here are the sessions I have GMs confirmed to run:
Thursday
6 GMs - Afternoon 2pm-6pm
3 GMs - Evening 7pm-11pm
Friday
2 GMs - Morning 9am-1pm
6 GMs - Afternoon 2pm-6pm
1 GM - Evening 7pm-11pm
Saturday
2 GMs - Morning 9am-1pm
5 GMs - Afternoon 2pm-6pm
1 GM - Evening 7pm-11pm
Sunday
2 GMs - Morning 9am-1pm
3 GMs - Afternoon 2pm-6pm
31 GM spots in total
Some initial thoughts:
Last year, we ran 28 sessions, so actually it already looks as though we're on par with last year's schedule. Though, as you can see, there are clusters (6 GM afternoons) and gaps (1 GM evenings) in the schedule as it currently stands.
Though I shouldn't be too concerned, as I do expect a few GMs to confirm their availability a little later, and hopefully we can fill some of those gaps closer to 6 GMs per session.
Kalraan: if you're still following this thread, are we able to confirm these table numbers?
Last year we ran 2 to 5 tables per session, and most tables were 6 or 7 players per table, which can be rather crowded and I think contributes to longer playing time.
This year, I'm hoping to see more Pathfinder players attend GenConOz, as I'm hearing anecdotal evidence on the boards and among friends that more players are starting Pathfinder groups since the release of the Core Rulebook last year. Therefore, I'm hoping to offer more tables per session to accommodate more players, and hopefully allowing for more 5-player tables and fewer maxed-out 6 or 7-player tables.
My procrastination in allocating scenarios to sessions has been trying to schedule multi-part sequels with the same GM in consecutive sessions for consistency. Currently, Deluge and I are the only two GMs scheduled with any two back-to-back sessions. Therefore, he's likely to run Devil You Know 1-4, and I'm likely to pick up any other series.
I wouldn't mind running the Blakros Museum double, because I've run them as a back-to-back double before, they're fun to run and a player favourite. But I haven't yet played any Everwar, and City of Strangers and Among the Dead haven't been released yet. I'll probably slot zero Everwar in the coming weeks, as my group's characters are appropriate level, though I also have a couple of new players I'd like to run through some low tier slot-zeros.
One GM suggested running a character workshop. With the Advanced Players Guide being released shortly before GenConOz, I think this might be a good opportunity for a seminar similar to the one Jason ran last year, with particular emphasis on the six new base classes, and highlighting anything else of interest in the APG. Scheduled as a four-hour session, it could be equal parts seminar + workshop, and could be immediately followed next session with Silent Tide Classic for those who haven't played it before, or a low tier Season One intro scenario, giving players an opportunity to play the character they have just built.
Thursday could be a slow afternoon as many working folk can't attend the Con during business hours (though as GenConOz Thurs/Fri fall during school holidays this year, I could be wrong), though we have 6 GMs scheduled. So having a panel of two or three GMs who have already playtested APG base classes and able to share their experiences could be useful, as well as assisting players one-on-one with character building.
Actually typing this message has helped clarify a few things in my mind, so I might try allocating scenarios to sessions to get thing moving along.
Cheers,
DarkWhite
Hey guys if you need mini or another GM please do tell I have quite the collection and plan to get a hotel there and I am only 100k away so taking them in car is no probs.
So you guys need anything do tell please.