The Gaming Ideal

[Shayd3000]

Fast Burn

The Gaming Ideal
In the past couple of days I've asked some questions about the past and current situation for your games. Now I would like to take the time to listen to your goals and desires. The following questions should help any publisher who reads the responses direct some of their production closer toward "The Gaming Ideal"

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

For 1 DM, using the d20 system, I find 4-6 to be the ideal number of players.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

100% of the time. However, I strive for 200%, and find that I awlays miss the mark, but it keeps me close to 100%. Seriously though, this is my hobby, and its just as legitimate as the NASCAR fans, golf players, or anyone elses hobby. I put in the effort to make the game experience as best as I can for my players, and this does extend to the environment I provide such as furniture, the accessories I buy (such as Dwarven Forge), etc. If Gold players can fork over $50 or more just to play ONE GAME, then there is nothing wrokng with me forking over a little extra money to improve my games, and unlike the gold player, I have something I can use more than once, since my game sessions are free.

After lkooking at other reponses - opps - here's what I think you were looking for:

I currently run my campaign once every 2 weeks. Ideally, I would run my game weekly, taking a break every fourth week. In addition, I would also play in a regular weekly campaign that wasn't the same thing I was running (ie, if I'm running D&D, then I want to play in Stargate SG-1). The every fourth week break thing is for other familiy activites, though I am lucky, both my wife and daughter play. Works out really good.

3.) How long should those sessions be?

I find that 4-6 hours is a good session length. Longer than 8 hours and burn out can start to set in.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

Unless I'm buying a setting specific book, my purchase is for new options that I can use in my existing setting. My experience is that flavor injected into "generic" titles tends to force the GM to have to adjust the material. Less flavor usually means less adjusting.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

There was a really good book put out years ago by CHAOSIUM called CITIES. In this book there was a "time catch-up" section, a way to fast burn character time for when they were spending a week or more in town and you didn't want to role-play it all. The one in that book is useful, but the events mostly happen to the players. I would like a "fast burn" book that lets time go by, but still lets the player make choices and respond to events better, and thus it possibly modifies the latter "fast burn" events. I would like that book to be very THICK and very detailed, and would like it to be harback, comb bound so it can lay flat at the table. Since I am currently mostly running modules, this would be the "time between" modules and would thus get used a lot. For that, if it was real quality, I would pay $35 - $50.

The other book (again, hardback and comb binding) would be a "on the fly" story generator. A book that a GM could use to generate a plor or whatever, then generate the proper elements to run the plot on the fly, but have it prompt him along the way to put in the needed elements. I mean, For every kind of story, the elements are all known that are needed, so just like all of those "how to" literary books, this would be a "how to" gernreate an adventure book, with the intention of the generation being done IN PLAY, and rmeinding the GM at appropriate times in the story arc what he needs to inject next, and giving him random gerneation tools to help him do it. I'd pay 35 - 50 bucks for that too.

George

 

[Etan Moonstar]

1. DM (usually me) plus 4-6 players

2. Weekly is my favorite (twice weekly also works well for me)

3. 8-10 hours weekly, with breaks (or 4-5 hours twice weekly)

4-5. Not enough time to think through and explain fully before work, other than to state that most of what is on the current market satisfies me regarding the crunch/flavor balance (with the exception of worthless or overpowered prestige class/feat glut), product format, and price factors.

 

[Ratenef]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

Minimum of 4 players and 1 DM -- so the core four requirement (1 Fighter, 1 - Cleric, 1 - Mage and 1 - Thief) is met.
Better is you can have 5 or 6 players so you can have a couple of tweener classes (Bard, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger).

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Minimum of once of 2 weeks, but weekly would be preferable.

3.) How long should those sessions be?

6 hours minimum.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

Having played for 22 years, my emphasis of 'hack n slash' has lessened as my desire for macheiavelian plots and solid characters has increased. (40 crunch/ 60 flavour)

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

1) a complete listing of all known characters, items, events, timelines, etc. for the Ravenloft domain. This would need to include relationships as well.

2) the same thing as above but for Forgotten Realms.

Either one of these books would be worth $40 - $50 bucks for me.

Format would have to be a hardback.

Hope this has been helpful.

 

[maggot]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

I've foudn that the best for roleplaying is three players and a DM, while the best for combat intensive stuff is three players and a DM. Less players is better for roleplaying up to a point, but in combat situations having only three players can be too much of a swing when one of them is incapacitated.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Twice a week: one as DM, one as player

3.) How long should those sessions be?

Depends on the number of sessions per week. Right now 6-8 hours seems okay because we only play once every other week. If we played every week, 4-6 might be better. Less than 4 hours is pointless. More than 8 hours can be quite taxing.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

I like cruch, but cruch that encourages flavor, or is explained with flavor. So 70-30 is the closest to 2/3-1/3 I could find.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

A PHB2 that contained new classes, feats, spells, and I guess some rules that were balanced when added to a standard game. The classes, spells and feats would be designed to fill the gaps in D&D that exist in from standard fantasy: like a swashbuckler and a divine spontaneous caster, or spells the flesh out the [Cold] descriptor and rules to make a cold mage or cold sorcerer, etc. Above all it would have to be balanced, or it would not be added to any campaign I'm playing in.

If done correctly, I would pay $30 or more for the book. For PDF, I would wait for reviews and if they were positive, I would pay maybe $15. For PDF's, I would prefer buying one portion for $5, and then decide whether it was good enough and balanced enough to buy the other sections.

 

[psychopomp]

1. I find the best number of players to be four with the max being five. Anymore and I feel like people aren't getting enough attention and it makes keeping track of things difficult especially when they are seperated and not together as a group.

2. Me and my group used to play just about every day during the nights. One of our group members has moved so we've resorted to online play. School and work has also been an influence so our gaming has been left to two nights a week. One where I DM and one where my friend DM's. It's worked out great so far. I think the most ideal would be about 3 nights.

3. Sessions should be about four-five hours long on unless a major event is going to happen in the game at which point it could be extended so you don't have to play "catch up" the next time. All nighters are also cool cause you just take the occasional refreshment break and then continue on.

4. I would say about 50/50 give or take 10%. I like to keep a balance though my games have tended more toward the fluff. I like huge plots and in depth character developments. Though I've been trying harder to put more crunch in.

5. I like hardcover books because they are more durable for gaming groups. I don't ultra colorful and flashy pages. I like the Scarred Lands books for their hardcovers which are black & white not to mention pretty cheap in price. I just got Relics and Rituals for about $25 canadian off of Amazon. I believe that you can convey feeling and imagery without full blown color. I'm a student with a limited budget so I like my books cheap. The highest book I paid for was for Mechanical Dream but the size plus glossy color section made it worth while. I also typically like softcover splatbooks filled with setting fluff. Just something thats cheap and only I would be using.

 

[UrathDM]

In the past couple of days I've asked some questions about the past and current situation for your games. Now I would like to take the time to listen to your goals and desires. The following questions should help any publisher who reads the responses direct some of their production closer toward "The Gaming Ideal" [/QUOTE/

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

6

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Weekly

3.) How long should those sessions be?

Average 6 hours; less than 4 is too short, more than 8 is getting too long.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

I run a homebrew works. Flavor text from another world just gets in my way. Good Example: Green Ronin (Master Class); one sidebar for how to use material in Freeport, otherwise it is handled generically. Bad Example: Paradigm Concepts (Races of Legend); lots of sidebars about using the material in Arcanis.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Tough call. How about... "Homebrew worldbuilding: 101 d20 rules variants and advice on how to choose and use them", hardcover, 320 pp, 34.95

 

[brightgoat]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

I like 1 DM and 5 players.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Weekly

3.) How long should those sessions be?

3-4 hours of actual game time.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

I like a bunch of crunch, with enough flavor to make things seem cohesive. I do like it when a setting book, or a module, or whatever allows you to actually use the stuff right out of the box. If I have to a bunch of work in order to bring the ideas into my game, I'll think of the ideas myself.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Any more Arcana Unearthed/Diamond Throne Books!

 

[jerichothebard]

In the past couple of days I've asked some questions about the past and current situation for your games. Now I would like to take the time to listen to your goals and desires. The following questions should help any publisher who reads the responses direct some of their production closer toward "The Gaming Ideal"

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?
2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
3.) How long should those sessions be?
4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?
5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Thanks very much for your time and indulgence...

1) 6 - five players and a DM.
2) *sigh* once a week.
3) 4-6 hours
4) I voted 60:40. I like rules so that I don't have to write them, but rules devoid of any flavor aren't really very useful. An even balance is pretty good, maybe weighted a little towards crunch.
5) Honestly, and I know that you don't, as a publisher, want to hear this, but I have most everything need for my campaign at the moment. I am a pretty base-line kinda guy. I would probably be interested in a campaign setting set sometime between DND's usual setting and D20 Modern - Like a victorian or just pre-victorian setting. I know polyhedran has run a couple pulp mini-campaigns, but I would like to see a professional, full-scale treatment of it.

If it looked promising, I would probably buy it hardback at up to $30 US. $35 for a hardback is a little much unless it is pretty darn thick. I think, for example, that both ultramodern firearms d20 and M&M are a little overpriced. Although in both cases, it might be justified because of the 'quality density' -a whole lotta goodness in every page.

More generally speaking, I have started to really like the PDF phenomonon, although I usually wait until I have a specific reason before buying one.



jtb

 

[Toscadero]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

3.) How long should those sessions be?

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

1. I like 5 (4 players and me)

2. I like campaigns that last about 9 month to a year. Meeting once a week.

3. I prefer 4 hours but sometimes have to settle for 3. I've got players who have to be at work early or have to be home to watch the kids. Maybe I need to get a new group?

4. My players love to get a lot of Crunch. About a third of the players enjoy lots of Flavor as well. But I have to mix in in with the Crunch for the others.

5. I like books with new settings and backgrounds. I've got more than I can ever play. Having picked up Arcana Unearthed, I can't wait to get a new campaign going.

 

[fuzzyhobbit]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?
As a DM I like 2 or 3 players. As a player, I am fine with up to 5 besides me.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
Twice a month.

3.) How long should those sessions be?
It depends on the game. I would say 3 to 5 hours, but I am in a monthly Cthuhlu game that lasts 9 hours and is utterly amazing. It really depends.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?
This is a treacherous question. The best experiences I ever had were when DMs used a lot of flavor to put us in a detailed world and the Player's used a lot of detail and thought in their own characters. I prefer Flavor. But, you do need Crunch. The trick is to have the Crunchy bits unique and include many flavorful touches. In D&D 2nd ed. the kits had a lot of details in terms of social aspects, which has been sorely lacking 3rd ed. Prestige classes. Classes have a role in the world and should have many social things listed about them.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Do you mean a book that has never been made or one that is coming out soon? I am looking for really detailed and interesting worlds. Unique settings. These should be hardbacks, like $30 to $40 based on page count. I have no problem paying $40 for a world book that is interesting enough. Looking back at the FRCS, it is overpriced. The artwork and design is great, but their aren't enough details to the world. It needs more flavor. Short stories are good for such things. The FRCS was details and rules with little flavor. If you want a book coming out, I am curious about Diamond Throne. Hope that helps.