Question: PbP GMs running PFS games: How long does your average scenario take from start to finish?

[IronHelixx]

Howdy!

Hope everyone's weeks have kicked off well.

For planning purposes, how long does the average PFS scenario take for you to run as a PbP GM, from start to finish?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

- Jesse [IronHelixx]
PFS VC, Online Play

[DoubleGold]

If I'm actually on the ball posting 4 times per week or more, 5 weeks for any module up to 32 pages. And for the short scenarios, 3.5 weeks. If I slack slightly, 8 weeks and 6 weeks.

[Chris Marsh]

Obviously it varies. A Season 0 Tier 1-5 is far different than a Season 6 Tier 7-11. I've done some number crunching:

Taking 10 randomly selected PbP games (PFS scenarios only)

Longest: 54 Days
Shortest: 15 Days
Mean: 37.5 Days

These numbers are likely too high by about 2-3 days as it includes the start up time before the opening blurb.

[Beckett]

Ill need to wait to get home to really look more in depth, but generally, Id say 35 days, if we do not count the ooc discussion, player application, and setup prior to kick off. My shorter games around 15 days, my longer ones a bit more uncommon, 60 days.

But Ill look more accurately when I can.

[DM Carbide]

I managed to run Godsmouth Heresy in 3 months, without seeming to be too rushed. OTOH, From Shore to Sea took me close to 7 months to run, but from what I've heard that's an outlier.

ETA: These are modules, not scenarios, but they were PFS games.

[GM Fuzzfoot]

I haven't been running as long, but looking at what I have run, I would say 5-7 weeks. A lot depends on the speed of the group - if they are really cranking, it can go quicker.

[Shifty]

My normal runs are around 4 weeks, of course my current tables are defying me by running long this time round...

[MichaelCullen]

Going at a decent pace, a turn in combat takes a day. A fight with darkness, invisibility, confusion, ect. can take a very long time.

[GM Harker]

Typically it takes me 1 to 2 months, depending on the complexity/length of the scenario and player motivation to post.

[GM Derek W]

For me, it's around 6 weeks for lower tiers, 7-8 weeks for a high tier game. Used to be faster (right about a month each), but I can't do multiple posts a day very often.

[Nebten]

Around 6 weeks average.

But I haven't ran much of the newer, more complex scenarios. This is typically with a good amount of fluff added and role-playing opportunities incorporated to the scenario.

[Pirate Rob]

I tend to run quite quickly although I mostly GM weird things rather than PFS scenarios.

I took a look at my PFS scenarios though and found the following

Waking Rune
Total posts: 500
Duration: 37 days
Heaviest posting day of week: Thursday
Maximum posts in one day: 41
Average posts per day: 13.08

The Confirmation
Total posts: 394
Duration: 10.21 days
Average PPD: 35.82

Dawn of the Scarlet Sun
27 Days

Tide of Morning
17 Days

[IronHelixx]

So far, I think it is safe to say the average is, roughly, about 45 days - that seem fair?

[DM Kludde]

Stats nerd as I am, I've updated my game statistics:

Game stats

I've been getting somewhat worse numbers over the summer, but completion times are relatively stable between 3 and 6 weeks.

[IronHelixx]

Impressive. :)

DM Kludde wrote:

Stats nerd as I am, I've updated my game statistics:

Game stats

I've been getting somewhat worse numbers over the summer, but completion times are relatively stable between 3 and 6 weeks.