Hey, Paizo players. I’ve run a few games here on the boards, and they’ve all died due to a lack of energy in the group. I think what gets me is when their is a section of erupts role Playing between the players and rather than squash their effort, I end up waiting to long to move the action. I’m trying to keep my current games flowing, but am finding myself getting stuck at points where I don’t want to cut interaction short, but still need to move the story along.
I always post something to move the story a long...be it updating the surrounding area/scene/noise/smells, having the NPC's say or think something to push the story or give some piece to keep it moving. Momentum is really important and it is alright to have lulls especially if the group is RPing/developing the group/character/s. As the GM I want to keep the momentum as high as possible.
It is a fine balance but keeping the story going is important so people don't lose interest.
Knowing your players as well helps. Take the time to learn what motivates them to respond and act.
Don't be afraid to saying something in discussion as well about tempo... In any event you are in charge of the pace of the story. My two cents for what its worth.
SD
I struggle sometimes with knowing the right balance too, but I think it's always better to err on the side of pushing. It's easy enough to go back and write posts at two different timeframes.
I also, if it's clear there's some player-focused role play going on, will post in the discussion thread that I'm watching but giving them time to play out the scene, and to let me know when they want to go on.
Without knowing the pacing of your game, I would say it's best to try to post daily. As AllenDM says, momentum is key, and if you let it slip on your end, it disappears quickly.
Thank you both for the input.