[OOC] Wrapped up in books

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May 31, 2022 12:08 pm
What is a play-by-post "game session?"

Tabletop, most adventures are meant to be wrapped up in a solid session of play. GMs do various pacing tricks to try and pull that off. Sometimes it doesn't work and an adventure spans multiple sessions. When that happens, "per session" abilities renew the next time the group meets.

Here, on-line, we're in a superposition of "meeting" and "not meeting" so that we need a different definition.

Thoughts?

Edit to add: This may be helpful: https://gamersplane.com/forums/thread/25583
May 31, 2022 12:18 pm
I think the session end should be a natural point in the game in the same way a chapter in a book ends. The time between chapters doesn't need to be consistent, it should simply make sense in the narrative and there can be multiple sessions in a PBP game.

So a session is a chapter in the story. That's my thinking anyway.
Last edited May 31, 2022 12:20 pm
May 31, 2022 1:23 pm
I think number of encounters is the way to go. Three encounters of a type and difficulty that players might use per session resources is probably a good starting point.
May 31, 2022 3:28 pm
Qralloq says:
I think number of encounters is the way to go. Three encounters of a type and difficulty that players might use per session resources is probably a good starting point.
Windyridge says:
I think the session end should be a natural point in the game in the same way a chapter in a book ends. The time between chapters doesn't need to be consistent, it should simply make sense in the narrative and there can be multiple sessions in a PBP game.

So a session is a chapter in the story. That's my thinking anyway.
I think I agree with both these ideas - they seem compatible.

@Harrigan?
Jun 1, 2022 6:19 am
I've actually always played fast and loose with this kind of thing as the GM. I think it's pretty difficult to base it on scenes, encounters, in-game time... and instead I usually go with what feels right. Kind of like the chapters Windy is talking about. For a caper like this one, it probably makes the most sense to just use the thing once, perhaps twice if there's a second act where we're escaping, etc.

In short, just tell me when it refreshes. :)
Jun 1, 2022 6:20 am
Oh, and do I roll first, or not?
Last edited June 1, 2022 6:20 am
Jun 1, 2022 12:40 pm
Harrigan says:
Oh, and do I roll first, or not?
We all seem to be in same place on going "per episode" with this, and I like that!

I am really, really on the fence about your current question. To misquote a master, "There is only roll or roll not, there is no takesybacks."
Jun 2, 2022 3:50 pm
Harrigan says:
Oh, and do I roll first, or not?
Please choose whether Opportunity Knocks, and if not, please roll.
Jun 2, 2022 5:28 pm
Roger that.
Jun 29, 2022 12:11 am
One of my favorite pieces of GM guidance ever:
Jason Tocci, 2400 Emergency Rules says:
Present problems without solutions. Don’t worry about "balance" or even whether a problem can be solved. Let the players surprise you.
Jun 29, 2022 1:55 am
Excellent advice for sure.
Jun 29, 2022 2:17 am
"If I'm the smartest person in the room, I'm in the wrong room."
Jun 29, 2022 8:54 pm
That is also something I repeat often.

What's the game plan with this game? I'm not really sure what's going on, or what we're trying to do, or who I am. It's kind of random and difficult to really picture what we want to do going forward.
Jun 29, 2022 9:14 pm
Qralloq says:
That is also something I repeat often.

What's the game plan with this game? I'm not really sure what's going on, or what we're trying to do, or who I am. It's kind of random and difficult to really picture what we want to do going forward.
This is a problem with starting in the action. Hopefully my latest post begins to fill this in. Please feel free to ask questions here and I will supply more stuff your characters would know. This is a very low-prep game, I am making a lot up as we go and trying to be consistent. But I do have the bones of scenario in my head.

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