I wonder why there appears to have been so few new PBP PFS games on these Forums lately?
I used to run several, but I've become too busy. But I keep hoping to see some Season 5&6 PBP PFS games here.
I wonder why there appears to have been so few new PBP PFS games on these Forums lately?
I used to run several, but I've become too busy. But I keep hoping to see some Season 5&6 PBP PFS games here.
Because not everyone likes PFS and the mentality that comes with many of the players.
I'm sure some people do feel that way (some always do). But I don't. For the most part, my PFS experiences have been very positive, both online and in person.
There used to be 10-12 a day here. Now there are 1-2 a week,it seems. I doubt PFS has dried up, so I'm wondering if people are mustering elsewhere?
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You're right, there are less PFS games proposed these days.
However, people have become more organized. Many have their ongoing recruitment thread, or recruit on someone else's thread (with their permission, of course). I believe those threads have become the main way of recruiting for PFS games nowadays, like EndlessForms's thread and DM Kludde's thread. This is especially true for the higher-level games, which are more difficult to organize and recruit for than tier 1-5 scenarios.
To me it seems like the PFS games are just too short to have the depth I seek, so I lost interest in them. There's not much liberty for you to do what your character want, but instead you have to keep up moving as the adventure proposes, so yeah, I was on several of them some months ago, but when they ended I was like "humm, ok, now what?"
Also there's the 5th edition D&D and the adventurer's league, which certainly dragged some of the players to try it out.
There was also just a big rush of them for the online event, followed by the con-season lull. I'd blame that more than any particular other changes, at least for the moment.
That makes sense, Bobson.
I'm glad someone else has picked up on the mentality of some of the PFS players. I can guarantee that if I run a recruitment on these boards, someone will pop by, abruptly say 'PFS?' and then, when I say probably not, they just disappear...I get the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they're not interested in the game...just the credits? Seems odd to me...
Plus the whole 'one shot' length of the PFS scenarios, doesn't excite me...at all.
I think Bobson has it correct and also, like Lithrac mentioned, most of the prolific PFS PbP GMs has moved to sign-up sheets, rather than recruitment threads.
As an alternate view of the mentality of PFS players, I submit that many (most?) of my non-PFS games have fizzled and died after only a couple of months, or have had so much turnover as to be disruptive. Case in point, how many of us have started, say, a Kingmaker PbP, but never finished?
When people are playing for PFS credit, whether it's a scenario, module, or an entire AP, there is that additional pull keeping them checking back day after day after d...well, you get the idea.
Do you know what? That's a really good point...I wonder whether that is borne out by statistics...because, if so, that is a very strong way for a GM to ensure his game doesn't fizzle and die after a few months of excitement...
Thanks GM Pedwiddle, I'm going to think on that....
Also consider that you can report nearly all of the AP´s as PFS game and still run them in scenario mode, which means houserules and allowing more than PFS normaly does are all ok.
The only thing I see about PFS has been
1. closed (private, or invite only) recruitment
2. first come first served. sometimes the appearance on the recruitment board and closing due to being full are only hours apart. while that usually is OK, but for some, they never get the chance. I for one wouldn't mind giving it a try at playing via PbP but I can't get into one cause I don't live on these boards 24/7 to search and jump on the game instantly.
@Edward Sobel - While 1) is an issue you'll have with PFS and non-PFS play both, 2) is one reason that the threads that GM Lithrac mentioned, above, exist. In case you missed it:
However, people have become more organized. Many have their ongoing recruitment thread, or recruit on someone else's thread (with their permission, of course). I believe those threads have become the main way of recruiting for PFS games nowadays, like EndlessForms's thread and DM Kludde's thread.
Not saying your point isn't valid, but there are a couple of people, at least, that are attempting to overcome it.
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Do you know what? That's a really good point...I wonder whether that is borne out by statistics...because, if so, that is a very strong way for a GM to ensure his game doesn't fizzle and die after a few months of excitement...
Thanks GM Pedwiddle, I'm going to think on that....
PFS does have some really good aspects online. I've probably played near 80 PFS scenarios here on the boards. All of them have finished, except one. Twice, other GM's finished scenarios for GM's that had vanished, but all of the rest of them flew by very smoothly.
None of my nonPFS games have ever 'finished.' I am in a CotCT game that has been wonderful, and we are currently in Scarwall, but that's as far as I have ever made it in an AP online.
PFS does have some really good aspects online. I've probably played near 80 PFS scenarios here on the boards. All of them have finished, except one. Twice, other GM's finished scenarios for GM's that had vanished, but all of the rest of them flew by very smoothly.
This has been my experience too. I've never had a PFS scenario play by post that was not completed. Though there was one that crawled like it was half dead toward the end, and we only received 1 PP point that I felt was sort of unfair, but I digress.
I've never played Society, but I remember at our game store the guys who did were never very welcoming about it and they didn't seem like they wanted the "campaign" players in their games. I never got the mentality behind it, but I am kind of into the idea of non-organized play anyway.
I have both played and GMed PFS PbP. I never encountered anything like that. It was always fun, open and welcoming, in my experience.
You're right, there are less PFS games proposed these days.
However, people have become more organized. Many have their ongoing recruitment thread, or recruit on someone else's thread (with their permission, of course). I believe those threads have become the main way of recruiting for PFS games nowadays, like EndlessForms's thread and DM Kludde's thread. This is especially true for the higher-level games, which are more difficult to organize and recruit for than tier 1-5 scenarios.
Not only do I have a hard time figuring out what's on offer at those sign up sheets, I just don't see the point. If you're a PFS GM and want to run a game, why wouldn't you just post it in the Recruitment thread? It's for, you know, recruitment. The sign up sheets feel to me like one more barrier to entry and more layer of obfuscation.
Not only do I have a hard time figuring out what's on offer at those sign up sheets, I just don't see the point. If you're a PFS GM and want to run a game, why wouldn't you just post it in the Recruitment thread? It's for, you know, recruitment. The sign up sheets feel to me like one more barrier to entry and more layer of obfuscation.You're right, there are less PFS games proposed these days.
However, people have become more organized. Many have their ongoing recruitment thread, or recruit on someone else's thread (with their permission, of course). I believe those threads have become the main way of recruiting for PFS games nowadays, like EndlessForms's thread and DM Kludde's thread. This is especially true for the higher-level games, which are more difficult to organize and recruit for than tier 1-5 scenarios.
Sign up here, sign up there. No difference, IMHO. Both are easy peasy.
I also feel that it's easier to ease someone into PFS by PBP. It's actually the prefect environment to learn the rules as you have time to look over things, take your time. And it's easier to correct someone without being accused of being a dirty rules lawyer haha.
Not only do I have a hard time figuring out what's on offer at those sign up sheets, I just don't see the point. If you're a PFS GM and want to run a game, why wouldn't you just post it in the Recruitment thread? It's for, you know, recruitment. The sign up sheets feel to me like one more barrier to entry and more layer of obfuscation.You're right, there are less PFS games proposed these days.
However, people have become more organized. Many have their ongoing recruitment thread, or recruit on someone else's thread (with their permission, of course). I believe those threads have become the main way of recruiting for PFS games nowadays, like EndlessForms's thread and DM Kludde's thread. This is especially true for the higher-level games, which are more difficult to organize and recruit for than tier 1-5 scenarios.
The sign up sheets solve the "first come first served" problem that another poster mentioned earlier.
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The sign up sheets solve the "first come first served" problem that another poster mentioned earlier.Not only do I have a hard time figuring out what's on offer at those sign up sheets, I just don't see the point. If you're a PFS GM and want to run a game, why wouldn't you just post it in the Recruitment thread? It's for, you know, recruitment. The sign up sheets feel to me like one more barrier to entry and more layer of obfuscation.You're right, there are less PFS games proposed these days.
However, people have become more organized. Many have their ongoing recruitment thread, or recruit on someone else's thread (with their permission, of course). I believe those threads have become the main way of recruiting for PFS games nowadays, like EndlessForms's thread and DM Kludde's thread. This is especially true for the higher-level games, which are more difficult to organize and recruit for than tier 1-5 scenarios.
And (for most of them) they are an attempt at making recruitment for higher level scenarios easier. Recruiting for Tier 1-5 has never been a problem and can be done on the Recruitment board (albeit there's still the "first come, first served" aspect), but the higher you go, the harder it is to find other people to play with.
Most of all - and I speak mostly about EF's online lodge - it's also about creating a community of players who we regularly play with.
I fully support the Flaxseed Lodge (as others will know) for what it does for recruitment as both a player and a GM.
As a player:
Browsing recruitment threads is quite annoying, but being able to put your name on an Excel spreadsheet for a game that may take a few weeks to organize... It's quite simple. I know some GMs also offer sections to post specific games for them to run. This is quite helpful if you are looking for that.
As a GM:
The community at the Flaxseed Lodge is great. I have never had trouble getting a team of four to six on a scenario.
In relation to the original post:
I don't think that PFS is dying. GM Kludde has several GMs running scenarios through his sign-up and the Flaxseed Lodge works with EndlessForms, Lithrac, Tektite, Rah, Trex, myself and a few contributors. Each of these GMs has anywhere from 2-6 scenarios running simultaneously. I know that I am currently running four PFS scenarios, a PFS-credit module and two PFS-credit APs. On the flip side, I am in four PFS scenarios/modules at the moment and rarely have less than two or three characters in play at once. I think there is a lot of PFS available. I have to limit myself from signing up for too much.
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I'd add that it seems less and less pathfinder adventures seem to be starting too, I've been holding out hope for a reign of winter for a few weeks now and not finding anything I'd like to join.