|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
, then bring something to snack on. That kind of stuff is listed in every 'Con suggestions' post I've seen on how to survive the weekend. You know what your schedule is like, so you plan for it.
you cannot keep snacking for 3 meals a day for almost a week straight. At some point you need food. 6 hours of sleep is a fair bit for a convention , especially with the westin right there it was pretty easy to pack up flop down and do it again. even with the hour and change i sometimes barely made it back from subway or, in one case, scotties, in time for the next slot. the center food is VERY expensive and will require a half hour break during the next session either way.
|
Nobody says you have to snack for EVERY meal. But when I wasn't sure if I'd have time between sessions, I had a bag with me with bagels, apples, granola bars, nuts, a banana, along with some less healthy snacks. If I'd not had time for lunch or dinner at any point, I could have been fine with those. I also made a point of having a big, healthy breakfast at my hotel's buffet every morning before heading to the Sagamore.
On the other hand, going without enough sleep really isn't an option, which is why I avoided evening sessions (except for one) once I saw that I was assigned to GM in the mornings.
And let me be clear - I'm not a kid who can abuse my body like I used to. I have minor health issues that prevent me from getting by on minimal food, and also from getting by on minimal sleep. That's part of why I'll never GM on tier 1 or 2. But I can work around the lack of time for food much more easily than the lack of time for sleep.
|
|
Nobody says you have to snack for EVERY meal.
Which meal would not be a snack then? Breakfast takes time, and at tier 2 there you're either coming from or going to a game every slot. Taking a slot of 10 off for food when you're playing is one thing, but when that's one of your 1-2 slots you're not Dming thats a good chunk of your play experience. It takes half an hour to get to and from food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. (and to food that cost an arm OR a leg).
But when I wasn't sure if I'd have time between sessions, I had a bag with me with bagels, apples, granola bars, nuts, a banana, along with some less healthy snacks. If I'd not had time for lunch or dinner at any point, I could have been fine with those.
I can do that for a day or two. NOT four. 6 hours of sleep with a few minutes "resting my eyes" in the chair in between sessions worked a lot better.
On the other hand, going without enough sleep really isn't an option, which is why I avoided evening sessions (except for one) once I saw that I was assigned to GM in the mornings.
Coffeeeeeee. Forget water. Send DM's coffee.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
It's not an ideal situation, and while the late nights are not ideal, I prefer the ability to get a meal between slots over the extra hour of sleep. Food can substitute for sleep, but carting around food stuffs on top of the pack I carry to run games is a bit much. I keep snacks, but living off snacks alone is asking a bit too much.
|
Which meal would not be a snack then? Breakfast takes time...
I would think lunch is the best 'snack' time. Breakfast is before the first slot, and each person can judge what's more important to them (time to eat a solid meal, or keeping it shorter for more sleep). A supper time allows for socialization, dealer room, or simply sitting down somewhere to eat.
How about this: 8-12:30, 1-5:30, 7-midnight. It shortens down the first two slots of the day by half an hour - admittedly, not ideal, but it gives GMs time to prepare for the next game. People have a full 5 hours for the last slot, and there's a built in hour for supper.
It's clear you don't need that much sleep, NorseWolf, by napping between breaks, or just plain skipping out on sleep. I'm simply trying to suggest alternative schedules for a lot of people who are older, have health concerns, aren't sleeping next door to the convention center, or for whatever reason need a more reasonable amount of sleep.
|
|
Which meal would not be a snack then? Breakfast takes time...I would think lunch is the best 'snack' time.
Breakfast is before the first slot, and each person can judge what's more important to them (time to eat a solid meal, or keeping it shorter for more sleep). A supper time allows for socialization, dealer room, or simply sitting down somewhere to eat.
How about this: 8-12:30, 1-5:30, 7-midnight. It shortens down the first two slots of the day by half an hour - admittedly, not ideal, but it gives GMs time to prepare for the next game.
It does not. Dms are in place half an hour before the slot so they can start mustering ( a system that worked REALLY well) , so with your scheduel there the lunch break is non existent and the dinner break is only an hour. That isn't enough time to hunt your food, I know exactly how long it took me and that wouldn't have allowed ANY leaving the sagamore at all for 4 days strait without skipping a slot. Every meal there would have to be a snack and I'm pretty sure I'd be gnawing on the slower moving attendees by that point.
That set up WOULD be doable, but would require a feeding trough, delivered pizza, a standing order at someway or something along those lines. Keep in mind there's no kitchens in the rooms, so you pretty much need to make lunch for saterday the tuesday you leave.
It's clear you don't need that much sleep, NorseWolf, by napping between breaks, or just plain skipping out on sleep.
6ish hours (slightly less because you need to arrange showers in the morning) was doable with coffee. I would have been gnawing on players with less time to get food.
I'm simply trying to suggest alternative schedules for a lot of people who are older, have health concerns, aren't sleeping next door to the convention center, or for whatever reason need a more reasonable amount of sleep.
Get off my lawn! :)
|
|
It does not. Dms are in place half an hour before the slot so they can start mustering ( a system that worked REALLY well) , so with your scheduel there the lunch break is non existent and the dinner break is only an hour. That isn't enough time to hunt your food, I know exactly how long it took me and that wouldn't have allowed ANY leaving the sagamore at all for 4 days strait without skipping a slot...
Wait, I'm confused. You say that the supper break is only an hour - not enough time to find food. However.
1. Gen Con this year, they had 1 hour.
2. My suggested scheduled gives 1 1/2 hours for supper (which only works out to 1 hour of eating - but still more than this year).
Are you saying the schedule this year did not allow enough time for food between slots? Because my suggested schedule removed one break, and lengthened another. And shortened 2 of the three slots by 1/2 an hour. And gives GMs time to get to their table.
Or are you adamantly standing by having two breaks that (from what it sounds like your saying) barely gives you enough time to get food?
|
|
Remember that GMs were required to be at table 30 minutes prior to slot start. Hence that dinner hour was actually thirty minutes.
Right, and your proposed lunch half hour is zero minutes.
How about this: 8-12:30, 1-5:30, 7-midnight. It shortens down the first two slots of the day by half an hour - admittedly, not ideal, but it gives GMs time to prepare for the next game.
7:30 be in place
8-12:30 run game12:30 Be in place
1 Run game
5:30 End game
6:30 be in place
7: Start game.
|
|
As far as the 1/2 an hour lead-in times DMs need to find their seats (if you can't keep GMs at their same spot), then go with 1/2 an hour breaks between slots.
If the GM has to have lunch, and they can't get a friend to pick something up for them (I offer to get food for GMs at each game I play at), then bring something to snack on. That kind of stuff is listed in every 'Con suggestions' post I've seen on how to survive the weekend. You know what your schedule is like, so you plan for it.
I simply think that's it is a better alternative than 6 hours of sleep (less for many GMs, since as you pointed out, they need to get to their slot early).
Sleep is also required to prevent player deaths.
Snacks are NOT a viable substitute for dining for most GMs.
Offering to get a GM food is a very nice thought, but at the same time that can run into issues with dietary concerns, time delays... and what if after an hour and a half you finally return to the table to feed the GM... and find out that they've been 'let go' for the next slot?
No, the 'extra time' is pretty crucial, imo. It may mean folks can't go out drinking on some nights, but compared to the previous alternative it's a marked improvement, from my perspective as a player and as someone who DID use to run *four* four-hour slots in a day.
Alternatively, could scheduling be 'staggered' so GMs that have night sessions DON'T have to be up for the first slot? Or if they have a morning slot they don't get an evening slot? Is that viable?
|
|
Remember that GMs were required to be at table 30 minutes prior to slot start. Hence that dinner hour was actually thirty minutes.Right, and your proposed lunch half hour is zero minutes.
How about this: 8-12:30, 1-5:30, 7-midnight. It shortens down the first two slots of the day by half an hour - admittedly, not ideal, but it gives GMs time to prepare for the next game.7:30 be in place
8-12:30 run game
12:30 Be in place
1 Run game
5:30 End game
6:30 be in place
7: Start game.
Correct. 0 minutes of lunch time. I am suggesting eliminating the lunch 'break', shorten 2 slots by half an hour, give a longer supper (time for everyone to have a real meal, which you didn't have before), and still give GMs time to make it to their next slot. And get an hour more sleep.
If someone must have a full lunch and supper that 'carry-around' food cannot meet the needs of, perhaps they should coordinate with the organizers of the GMs so that they have one of the first two slots off, due to health concerns.
Otherwise, this looks to me like a better schedule than GMs getting less than 6 hours sleep a night.
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Buying HQ an extra box of paperclips if i ever get to do this again...
LOL! Don't worry about it! I brought a package of 1000 paperclips with me this year that I left with HQ and they didn't need to dip into them. I'll still probably bring more next year. I will never again run out of paperclips putting together the chronicle packages for GenCon.
And a big thank you to everyone who helped put Slot 1 chronicles together after I was delayed 7.5 hours by a blown tire while driving in on Wednesday!
Angus
|
|
7:30 be in place
8-12:30 run game
12:30 Be in place
1 Run game
5:30 End game
6:30 be in place
7: Start game.
I'm for any schedule that doesn't start before 8:00 am and ends by midnight. The evening specials need the five hours they have been allotted. This year's scenarios standard seemed to run not more than 4 1/2 hours. That hasn't always been true in the past.
Each of these:
8:00-12:30, 1:00-5:30, 7:00-midnight
8:00-1:00, 1:00-6:00, 7:00-midnight
8:00-1:00, 1:30-6:30, 7:00-midnight
give you different options for breaks and all end by midnight.
|
|
7:30 be in place
8-12:30 run game
12:30 Be in place
1 Run game
5:30 End game
6:30 be in place
7: Start game.
I'm for any schedule that doesn't start before 8:00 am and ends by midnight. The evening specials need the five hours they have been allotted. This year's scenarios standard seemed to run not more than 4 1/2 hours. That hasn't always been true in the past.
Each of these:
8:00-12:30, 1:00-5:30, 7:00-midnight
8:00-1:00, 1:00-6:00, 7:00-midnight
8:00-1:00, 1:30-6:30, 7:00-midnight
give you different options for breaks and all end by midnight.
EXCEPT...
GMs *need* to be in place 30 minutes BEFORE a given slot. So for a GM running the following breakdowns would occur:
0730-1230, 1230-1730, 1830-0000
0730-1300, 1230-1800, 1830-0000
0730-1300, 1300-1830, 1830-0000
As you can see, THIS doesn't work. In fact, it causes a *negative* half hour in the middle suggestion and a null spot for lunch AND dinner in the last suggestion.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
did that many GMs have more than one time in which had to go till 1am and back in morning?
Just for clarity, for RPG we had
151 GMs scheduled on Thursday night of which 91 were scheduled for Friday morning160 GMs scheduled on Friday night of which 92 were scheduled for Saturday morning
152 GMs scheduled on Saturday night of which 102 were scheduled for Sunday morning
Additionally we had 56 GMs who were scheduled Thursday night, Friday morning, Friday night and Saturday morning.
We had 30 GMs who were scheduled Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, and Sunday morning.
We had a total of 25 GMs who were scheduled all four AM slots and all three PM slots.
[note: many GMs appeared in multiple lists above]
There is a lengthy list of points to consider when assigning GM schedules and all are of different importance to different people. There is no "right" way to allocate the GM resources, but I continue to consider options. With over 1800 tables to assign I'm just not going to be able to give everyone the "perfect" schedule. In many cases, its up to the GM to review their schedule and determine how to address it. That being said, we are looking at the online application and what can be added to provide more useful information. With the number of events offered vs. the limited resources available, running the morning after an evening slot is going to continue to happen at a relatively high rate of frequency.
|
|
Buying HQ an extra box of paperclips if i ever get to do this again...LOL! Don't worry about it! I brought a package of 1000 paperclips with me this year that I left with HQ and they didn't need to dip into them. I'll still probably bring more next year. I will never again run out of paperclips putting together the chronicle packages for GenCon.
And a big thank you to everyone who helped put Slot 1 chronicles together after I was delayed 7.5 hours by a blown tire while driving in on Wednesday!
Angus
I have a better idea...just don't lose your paperclips in the course of 45 minutes :P.
|
|
EXCEPT...
GMs *need* to be in place 30 minutes BEFORE a given slot. So for a GM running the following breakdowns would occur:
0730-1230, 1230-1730, 1830-0000
0730-1300, 1230-1800, 1830-0000
0730-1300, 1300-1830, 1830-0000As you can see, THIS doesn't work. In fact, it causes a *negative* half hour in the middle suggestion and a null spot for lunch AND dinner in the last suggestion.
The middle version is the times we have had up until this year. In fact In many cases, it doesn't cause a *negative* half hour for the second slot. Either the GM is running the first slot, in which case (thanks to table great table scheduling) they are already at their table and most likely running the same adventure again. Or, they have a free first slot.
OK, I see a flaw in my logic if they are playing the first slot and running the second. But PFS did run under the middle schedule for years and I don't remember a lot of scrambling between the first and second slot after GMs were scheduled to the same table both slots.
Again, there are several options.
|
|
| 7 people marked this as a favorite. |
Bob, let me thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou for arranging it so that i got to keep my table for the entire weekend while i was running (and the busmans holiday when i got sent back to it by quirky coincidence) Being able to just spread the stuff out on the table at 7 am and just go from there saved a very valuable 15-20 minutes between every slot, and setting the seat so i could put my foot on something underneath the table (at least i hope that was part of the table) saved me from a lot of pain.
|
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Again, there are several options.
You're trying to make it more convenient for players and i get that there are more players, but players have the freedom to set their own scheduel and decide if they want to be all gung ho about it and hit back to back slots. Dm's not only don't pick their own scheduels, but also need to be on an even keel to run the game (especially the really complicated specials) Zero time in between games without so much as a bathroom break is a good way to stress out the DMs, not keep them upbeat and focused.
Also keep in mind that you're making people try to shop for food during convention time, because you would have to haul four days worth of food with you on day 1, because there is no time to shop for it during.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
|
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Regarding the 1-hour break between slots...
There was the non-mandatory post con GM meeting on Sunday, of which I'd say there were about 50 GMs in attendance. We had a show of hands vote for people the preferred the 1 hour break versus no break, and the 1 hour break was overwhelmingly more popular.
Personally, from my own experience being a T1 GM at Gencon, the break is definitely needed. We had a lot of games bleeding over into the next slot my first year (2013) because there either wasn't a break or it wasn't long enough (I forget which).
Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Indianapolis
|
I was a Tier one HQ volunteer. The HQ shifts are longer than GM shifts, but we got breaks through it. Those night shifts were scheduled to end at 130 am, and the morning shift started at 730 am. It wasn't too difficult, but the Friday night special, which required me to stand for nearly 5 hours was difficult. That isn't related to the schedule, though.
I agree with Walter's assessment of the feedback on this subject at the Sunday meeting.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I want to say a huge thanks to all the organizers, HQ staff and especially the GMs.
The specials were a blast, and marshaling went very smoothly. I would have liked some sort of sign explaining the boon table.
As someone who has traded their convention to run organized RPGs for the entire weekend, I can fully appreciate the current schedule from the GM perspective. As a player, I'm willing to play a later game to make sure the people who spend days preparing and even more hours GMing to make sure the rest of us have an enjoyable experience can get some time to walk around and get proper nourishment. Almost every game run in the morning slot was also run in an afternoon slot, so players have lots of flexibility if they want to sleep in.
I had a great time and I can't say enough good things about the awesome people who helped make it happen.
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The Good
First, as usual, great job by Paizo on organizing the event. Getting everything set up and integrating thousands of players with hundreds of events is one mighty task.
Mustering….wow. We never had to wait in line, not once, ever. Tables had plenty of room, events started with good timing, everything was clear and concise.
BigNorseWolf made me laugh so hard I nearly wet myself in Abducted in Aether.
It’s always good to see faces and put them to names we hear. Nice to see Paizo staff folks interacting. Shouldn’t just be for Paizo Con!
The products Paizo keeps putting out are great. I hope Starfinder doesn’t take away from Pathfinder.
I also did not have to strain to hear my GM or the HQ announcers, and I usually do, AND I’m legit 50% deaf!
Please take the rest of these opinions as just that; trivial things I thought I’d share, my opinions that only matter as much as the next one.
The Meh
The Specials: I was just not excited with the specials this year. I’m a fan of pregens and using them at GenCon, but not more than once. Pregens take time to look over and get a feel for. Often, one or two players at the table are unhappy or not satisfied with the pregen they end up with (if they come out on the losing end of some sort of tiebreaker). Players don’t get a good grasp on their pregens because, frankly, the game needs to be started, and it’s a lot to take on at once, especially if you’re a newish player. Unless I can choose which pregen I’m playing, I’ll likely not be playing pregens again.
The Saturday night special was disappointing. Our GM was not prepared at all. I don’t know whether he didn’t get his information in time or if he simply didn’t prep, but I think the first part of the adventure, which I will not spoil, could have been a blast if done correctly.
The Friday night special was not as exciting as usual, either. Didn’t seem like much excitement among the crowd, but I could certainly be misinterpreting. I think the format of gameplay is getting old.
The poor GMs have so much to prep and cover for that I feel sorry for them. Luckily, our group knew what they were doing and we all survived. Perhaps one of my favorite times playing a game in and of itself. It’s funny how the best games become the ones with the highest pucker factor and near certainty of death. Too, the pre-recording of the speech is a plus, and the words on the screen a plus, too. It would have been cool to have some more graphics, though.
Mustering was great, but I had a couple of new people ask me how to get in the game. They didn’t realize the banners above their head were the iconics they were supposed to stand under- they couldn’t see them without stepping further into the room.
Yes, the room is very cold, always has been always will be. I hate it. But I bring clothing. And I remember in 2015 when the AC wasn’t working, and I’ll take being cold.
The Bad
3 of the games I played in were ‘un-fun’ because of poor GMs- I actually wished for the time to go by. Some people are just not meant to GM, while others appeared not to have prepped at all. Too bad there isn’t some sort of simple rating system for GMs that took out player death bias and basic complainers. I realize we can just email the PFS Guild folks but I hesitate to complain by name dropping because the GM may have legitimately one bad game, and I’d hate to have to complain this way based on one game. Any other ideas? One, and I know it may be difficult, but that shouldn’t stop Paizo, is to get the GMs their adventures earlier than they have been. I would also bet the GMs running the specials would get worse ratings.
Time change: I was ok with the time changes when I first saw the schedule. But then I was experiencing the time changes. I don’t like them. There is virtually no chance I’ll play a morning game now. With evening games pushed to 8pm and ending around 1230a/1a, this neutralizes any chance of staying rested and healthy for the entirety of the Con.
The first seeker arc was only offered in the morning. Boooo.
The Hope
I hope Paizo can supplant Wizards for top RPG soon. I’d also like to see Paizo take over GenCon and the role Wizards once held, putting up statues and such.
Format change for specials. Expensive slot, boon not that great, not as exciting, repetitive encounters, and late completion = seriously considering not repeating.
Being a min/maxer, I had a surprisingly fun and pleasant time playing more roleplaying/non-combat encounters than I did combat ones! Whodathunkit? Good GMs make all the difference. In fact, a player at our table died, but he had so much fun he said it was worth it.
Odds and ends
@Gary Bush comments are certainly valid to this thread because they involve the Con… I’ll say this: Following rules is one thing, but taking up people’s time, when they’ve paid, is nonsense. If the rules are being skirted a bit which result in player’s being happy and having fun, this is what matters, not strict adherence to the “law.” Now of course, if there is obvious cheating which hurts others’ experience, that’s another matter entirely.
@JamesRisner: I’d like to know the player’s tally of the time changes. They count, too.
To finish, the new time slots- at least for me and my group of 4- will have us ceasing all the morning games. Of course, if the specials aren’t up to par with the price and reward if successful, we skip those and do the morning and afternoon games! However, since the dealer hall closes at 6pm (ridiculously) that means our dealer hall time has to be in the morning before our afternoon game, and since we commute (live nearby) the late completion of night game makes this routine very difficult.
How to fix this? I dunno. GMs are asked a lot of, and I personally don’t want to sit at a table with a hangry GM! Maybe more could be done for them like ordering in food, or staggering games, whatever.
Bob, the only “right” solution is one that maximizes both player and GM happiness in the experience, otherwise we have nothing and everything ends. If players aren’t buying tickets because of times, that’s a problem. If GMs are able to get at least one decent meal (carbs, protein, veges), that’s a problem.
@bignorsewolf: regarding food and snacks, I hear girl scout cookies make good snacks.
|
|
Bob, the only “right” solution is one that maximizes both player and GM happiness in the experience, otherwise we have nothing and everything ends. If players aren’t buying tickets because of times, that’s a problem. If GMs aren't able to get at least one decent meal (carbs, protein, veges), that’s a problem.
@bignorsewolf: regarding food and snacks, I hear girl scout cookies make good snacks.
Fixed that for you.
Out of context it looked almost like you were advocating starving GMs...
Valid points above.
Different tack: If the current schedule is maintained, then I'm confident I can pull down more GM time next year.
If it gets swapped to one of the other solutions put forth in this thread, I'll probably need to stick to only GMing one slot. That's not a threat, it's an assessment of my own personal health needs.
|
|
3 of the games I played in were ‘un-fun’ because of poor GMs- I actually wished for the time to go by. Some people are just not meant to GM, while others appeared not to have prepped at all. Too bad there isn’t some sort of simple rating system for GMs that took out player death bias and basic complainers. I realize we can just email the PFS Guild folks but I hesitate to complain by name dropping because the GM may have legitimately one bad game, and I’d hate to have to complain this way based on one game. Any other ideas? One, and I know it may be difficult, but that shouldn’t stop Paizo, is to get the GMs their adventures earlier than they have been. I would also bet the GMs running the specials would get worse ratings.
Some not so good notesConstructive GM criticism can be useful to improve future player experiences, but we do not want to hash out the specifics in the public forums. The Gen Con lead organizing team (myself, Jon Cary and Todd Morgan) would like to hear feedback (good/bad) on any GM (or any other volunteer) anyone experienced at the event. Please drop us an email. It is especially useful if you know the GM's name, but if you at least know the table number and/or the GMs society ID number it is helpful.
Bob Jonquet
pfs.illinois@gmail.com
I'm sure they don't take "a single complaint" as a means to strike a GM forever. But if you feel that way, and I feel that way, and others feel that way, but we never make time to make our own single complaints, then the powers-that-be simply have no way of knowing if the person is unsound because no one speaks up.
|
|
If there were issues with my apparent GMing style, I did offer apologies to my players in advance because my organization disintegrated less than a hundred feet away from the Sagamore and there was no window of opportunity to regroup.
I also encourage feedback, so I can keep learning new methods and ways of handling situations.
I was so frazzled at the table (prepping the special was a complex process, and then trying to do it 'on the fly' without all the notes in their proper place was a nightmare I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy) that I may have forgotten to mention that.
If you were at my table, PFS #145296 is my number, please send me a PM letting me know of any concerns or thoughts you had about my GMing style.
Thank you.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I realize we can just email the PFS Guild folks but I hesitate to complain by name dropping because the GM may have legitimately one bad game, and I’d hate to have to complain this way based on one game. Any other ideas?
As an occasional organizer of PFS events myself and more importantly as a GM I firmly believe that honest feedback is always important. It is difficult to implement a one-size-fits-all rating system due to player bias issues, but any kind of feedback is appreciated and can be used both to evaluate organizationally and for individually looking at our weak areas.
So do give feedback, but just make sure it is detailed and specific. Getting feedback of "the GM unfairly killed my character" isn't actually helpful since there's no way to find your bias. Writing that "the GM said he hates Zen Archers and always had every NPC attack mine, even if I hadn't done anything yet in that encounter" is much more useful. Similarly there's a big difference between "the GM didn't know what she was doing" and "the GM didn't understand grapple rules." You can guess from those examples that I would take radically different approaches to communicating with those two GMs. So the more detail the better.
But make sure you also give feedback on the good GMs. "She was amazing! Everything rolled along smoothly and I nearly busted a gut laughing at the voices she did for the NPCs." "I loved being at his table. He made us really work in the combats but wasn't unfair. I could have used a bit more role-playing in some parts, though."
|
|
I'm sure they don't take "a single complaint" as a means to strike a GM forever. But if you feel that way, and I feel that way, and others feel that way, but we never make time to make our own single complaints, then the powers-that-be simply have no way of knowing if the person is unsound because no one speaks up.
This. All to often, players don't want to comment because it could be a one-off occurrence or a GM they don't know. Until we have a more robust feedback system, all we have are reports from the players. I can assure you no GM is gonna get "whacked" for a singular event. I am more interested in looking for trending. The more reports we have for a GM (good or bad) the better decisions we can make approving who will be volunteering for Paizo at future events.
|
|
It would also be nice if the prize table had some more ACG specific boons - my wife and I ended up with 4 tokens; my wife scored a crit and got a prize from the side table. I got a normal roll and got an RPG boon - and while I do have RPG characters, it would be nice to have some ACG boons for those of us that primarily play the card game.
They had 5 ACG boons (I think), but you needed to tell the Prize table staff that you wanted a ACG boon or they would think you were rolling for a RPG boon. You couldn't get an ACG Boon rolling on the RPG table and vis versa. It's just that the majority of tables were RPG and the Prize table people just went with that unless told otherwise.
|
Venture-Lieutenant, Ohio—Dayton
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
My only negative specifically tied into the 3D terrain between the front info booth and the HQ tables. The volunteers at the front of the hall had no idea what the 3D terrain was for when I asked. Later, I ran into folks running through the encounters there, got to play, and greatly enjoyed it.
Both tables I had tickets for, mustering was done before I met my group there and got a text with a table number, so I didn't experience any actual mustering. My final table was the Saturday special on generics and we got seated quickly once I lucked myself into the 6th player for another group, most of which were new players. I would have liked to have traded my simpler pregen for one of the more complicated ones the newer players had, but nothing to be done for that.
I stayed out near the airport, parked on the other side of the stadium, and did tables Friday AM and the Friday special. I slept in a LOT on Saturday to recover from that.
Much thanks to all the leadership, volunteers, and GMs who do so much to make the PFS experience at GenCon as amazing as it is.
Regional Venture-Coordinator, Appalachia
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
On the other hand, going without enough sleep really isn't an option, which is why I avoided evening sessions (except for one) once I saw that I was assigned to GM in the mornings.Coffeeeeeee. Forget water. Send DM's coffee.
If we could get coffee into the Sag that would be a GAME CHANGER.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
|
It would also be nice if the prize table had some more ACG specific boons - my wife and I ended up with 4 tokens; my wife scored a crit and got a prize from the side table. I got a normal roll and got an RPG boon - and while I do have RPG characters, it would be nice to have some ACG boons for those of us that primarily play the card game.They had 5 ACG boons (I think), but you needed to tell the Prize table staff that you wanted a ACG boon or they would think you were rolling for a RPG boon. You couldn't get an ACG Boon rolling on the RPG table and vis versa. It's just that the majority of tables were RPG and the Prize table people just went with that unless told otherwise.
That is correct. The available ACG boons were displayed on the left end of the rolling table, you just needed to inform the orange shirts what kind of boons you were looking for and they'd have been be happy to oblige.
|
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
|
That is correct. The available ACG boons were displayed on the left end of the rolling table, you just needed to inform the orange shirts what kind of boons you were looking for and they'd have been be happy to oblige.It would also be nice if the prize table had some more ACG specific boons - my wife and I ended up with 4 tokens; my wife scored a crit and got a prize from the side table. I got a normal roll and got an RPG boon - and while I do have RPG characters, it would be nice to have some ACG boons for those of us that primarily play the card game.They had 5 ACG boons (I think), but you needed to tell the Prize table staff that you wanted a ACG boon or they would think you were rolling for a RPG boon. You couldn't get an ACG Boon rolling on the RPG table and vis versa. It's just that the majority of tables were RPG and the Prize table people just went with that unless told otherwise.
I did not know that. I'll keep it in mind for next year. Thanks!
|
|
I think at the beginning, they were asking "RPG or card game?" when people came up for boons. But I think they may have gotten bored asking the question after a while, since I don't remember being asked that on Saturday or Sunday. Given how few people would answer "card game", I'm not surprised they eventually just stopped asking and assumed the ACG players would speak up for themselves.
|
|
So everyone has said mustering has been better. One thing I will mention is that to me there was no indication that we didn't need to have a full table of 6 before being sat--that was only something I vaguely realized after my final game of the special Friday night. Every other year we needed all 6, so I went and found random people to make a full party before talking to a "musterer". I found it odd that there weren't tons of people doing this like previously, but just assumed that they were able to find their six quickly.
|
|
I've been playing PFS @ GenCon since season 1 and I'd have to say that this year's mustering was the best yet. I feel the #1 reason for this is the mustering of the special. Every year the level of chaos made me feel as though it was the work of fey creatures. I think the level ticketing for the event, mustering in the Sag vs. hall, and excellent marshals were the top reasons.
I thought the flight attendant('er master of scrolls) prerecorded announcements worked very well. Our table was in a fine spot to hear & read announcements without issue. I have been at tables in the past where we could not see/hear what was being said, so I can sympathize with those few that could not hear/see the announcements.
I was concerned about the impact on stamina the extra hour between sessions would have on me, especially since I was insane and signed up to play all 10 sessions. However, I think the breaks in the day helped me rejuvenate rather than run from one table to the next with only a hotdog from the food stand. I feel they were a positive factor.
I always enjoy Erik's announcements, but I do agree that it does end up being a disruption. That being said, It's happened every year so I'm pretty use to it and expect it.
I appreciate all volunteers that helped make this year's GenCon a success and I hope the improvements continue.
|
|
I did not know that. I'll keep it in mind for next year. Thanks!That is correct. The available ACG boons were displayed on the left end of the rolling table, you just needed to inform the orange shirts what kind of boons you were looking for and they'd have been be happy to oblige.It would also be nice if the prize table had some more ACG specific boons - my wife and I ended up with 4 tokens; my wife scored a crit and got a prize from the side table. I got a normal roll and got an RPG boon - and while I do have RPG characters, it would be nice to have some ACG boons for those of us that primarily play the card game.They had 5 ACG boons (I think), but you needed to tell the Prize table staff that you wanted a ACG boon or they would think you were rolling for a RPG boon. You couldn't get an ACG Boon rolling on the RPG table and vis versa. It's just that the majority of tables were RPG and the Prize table people just went with that unless told otherwise.
Appropriate signage would have made that more apparent to the players. In general, better signage is a theme in our after-action notes and will be looked at closely for next year.
|
Contributor
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Specials: I was just not excited with the specials this year. I’m a fan of pregens and using them at GenCon, but not more than once. Pregens take time to look over and get a feel for. Often, one or two players at the table are unhappy or not satisfied with the pregen they end up with (if they come out on the losing end of some sort of tiebreaker). Players don’t get a good grasp on their pregens because, frankly, the game needs to be started, and it’s a lot to take on at once, especially if you’re a newish player. Unless I can choose which pregen I’m playing, I’ll likely not be playing pregens again.
While this isn't really something Bob can work with, I think the idea of taking the pregens from the socials and making them their own, free download is a pretty good idea. Gives people the chance to review the characters in advance before coming to the table. (The complexity of the Serpent's Ire pregens is one of things that kept my group over time allotments when I ran it at Paizo Con.)
|
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I was hoping that we would be seeing a change toward 4 hour blocks. I would be fine with 8pm to midnight for the specials.
The five-hour blocks is largely a function of the length of scenarios. Feedback is consistent that scenario run-times average closer to five hours than to four. We are merely accommodating the standard game time. While it might be more convenient to schedule four hour blocks, it would have a negative impact on actual gameplay. Many GMs would be rushed to push through the material and many tables would run out of time. One of the "downsides" to having excellent authors, developers, and product is that they need to time to present an awesome story with interesting encounters. I hope most would agree that a little inconvenience on slot times and a slightly longer day is preferable to a poor experience at the game table.
|
|
For the Friday special we sat directly under the screen so I had a crick in my neck Saturday morning. If there was a way to have a screen on the other side as well that be awesome
Unfortunately, the convention center does not have an option to the screens as they currently exist. Thus we do not have a workable solution for the few tables closest to the back wall that cannot see the presentations. We continue to explore options, but so far, nothing is workable.
Appropriate signage would have made that more apparent to the players. In general, better signage is a theme in our after-action notes and will be looked at closely for next year.I did not know that. I'll keep it in mind for next year. Thanks!That is correct. The available ACG boons were displayed on the left end of the rolling table, you just needed to inform the orange shirts what kind of boons you were looking for and they'd have been be happy to oblige.It would also be nice if the prize table had some more ACG specific boons - my wife and I ended up with 4 tokens; my wife scored a crit and got a prize from the side table. I got a normal roll and got an RPG boon - and while I do have RPG characters, it would be nice to have some ACG boons for those of us that primarily play the card game.They had 5 ACG boons (I think), but you needed to tell the Prize table staff that you wanted a ACG boon or they would think you were rolling for a RPG boon. You couldn't get an ACG Boon rolling on the RPG table and vis versa. It's just that the majority of tables were RPG and the Prize table people just went with that unless told otherwise.
I volunteered in the demo area and ended up with the RPG GM Boon and RPG Boons. When I found out there were ACG Boons, I was allowed to trade for the ACG Organizer Boons and ACG Boons.