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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Short Term Fun versus Long Term Fun
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<blockquote data-quote="Reynard" data-source="post: 9186304" data-attributes="member: 467"><p>Just musing here:</p><p></p><p>In the context of TTRPGs, I think there are concessions one has to make -- rules, playstyle, and real world logistical -- to enable long term fun, sometimes at the expense of immediate or short term fun. I run a lot of "short term fun" games in the form of "convention campaigns" (three to 5 connected sessions over the course of one convention weekend). It works really well for the purpose I have, and it gives a sense of the fun of a long campaign compressed into a weekend, but in reality those games aren't very much like long term campaigns in practice.</p><p></p><p>For example, I eschew most forms of downtime in short term games. it just isn't an efficient use of time in that context. But, I think downtime is a key component to a satisfying long term campaign and contributes heavily to long term fun. The same goes for what I call "casual roleplay" -- that is, chatting up the shop owner or the bartender, taking the time to inhabit your character outside of the quest, etc... Not that short term fun doesn't include roleplaying, but that roleplaying is usually focused on the events at hand. In a long term campaign, those casual roleplay moments add depth to the experience and also can inspire play related to those otherwise "unimportant" NPCs.</p><p></p><p>Even advancement matters in relation. Sometimes in short term fun, there is no advancement. Events are happening quickly enough that "leveling up" just doesn't make sense, or might even inhibit play because learning new abilities etc... can slow play down. Or, it can happen rapidly. I did this in my recent Shadowdark con campaign where I leveled up the pregens between each of the sessions. In a long term campaign, I don't think either approach works great. I think long term fun needs steady progression of some kind (even if it is just diegetic -- DRINK) but too much too quickly undermines a long term campaign.</p><p></p><p>I could go on, but instead I will ask you: how do you handle long term fun versus short term fun? When you plan a game to be relatively short, do you do so differently than if you plan a game to last a long time? How does this interact with system, versus logistics, versus playstyle preferences? And does the choice impact your prep or what kind of pre-published materials you expect to use in play? For that matter, how do you view long term fun versus short term fun as a player, rather than a GM?</p><p></p><p>Thanks.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Reynard, post: 9186304, member: 467"] Just musing here: In the context of TTRPGs, I think there are concessions one has to make -- rules, playstyle, and real world logistical -- to enable long term fun, sometimes at the expense of immediate or short term fun. I run a lot of "short term fun" games in the form of "convention campaigns" (three to 5 connected sessions over the course of one convention weekend). It works really well for the purpose I have, and it gives a sense of the fun of a long campaign compressed into a weekend, but in reality those games aren't very much like long term campaigns in practice. For example, I eschew most forms of downtime in short term games. it just isn't an efficient use of time in that context. But, I think downtime is a key component to a satisfying long term campaign and contributes heavily to long term fun. The same goes for what I call "casual roleplay" -- that is, chatting up the shop owner or the bartender, taking the time to inhabit your character outside of the quest, etc... Not that short term fun doesn't include roleplaying, but that roleplaying is usually focused on the events at hand. In a long term campaign, those casual roleplay moments add depth to the experience and also can inspire play related to those otherwise "unimportant" NPCs. Even advancement matters in relation. Sometimes in short term fun, there is no advancement. Events are happening quickly enough that "leveling up" just doesn't make sense, or might even inhibit play because learning new abilities etc... can slow play down. Or, it can happen rapidly. I did this in my recent Shadowdark con campaign where I leveled up the pregens between each of the sessions. In a long term campaign, I don't think either approach works great. I think long term fun needs steady progression of some kind (even if it is just diegetic -- DRINK) but too much too quickly undermines a long term campaign. I could go on, but instead I will ask you: how do you handle long term fun versus short term fun? When you plan a game to be relatively short, do you do so differently than if you plan a game to last a long time? How does this interact with system, versus logistics, versus playstyle preferences? And does the choice impact your prep or what kind of pre-published materials you expect to use in play? For that matter, how do you view long term fun versus short term fun as a player, rather than a GM? Thanks. [/QUOTE]
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