Who Actually Has Time for Bloated Adventures?

[Thomas Shey]

I mean, there's definitely faster systems out there, but in comparison to games like D&D 5e, I'm pretty sure that's only said by people who have already internalized the latter's ruleset.

Sure. I mean, among other things some games are pretty much resolving most of a fight with one roll, and some games are light to the point of schematic. But honest to the gods, I don't remember OD&D fights being much faster that PF2e ones, and there's a lot more nuance to the latter.

 

[Retreater]

But honest to the gods, I don't remember OD&D fights being much faster that PF2e ones, and there's a lot more nuance to the latter.

Spells could shut down an encounter with one roll. That element is largely gone these days. (For better or worse.)
But I think another factor is that I simply don't have the time I used to. When I was playing AD&D in the 80s and 90s, I didn't have a job, mortgage, wife, kid, etc. My sessions weren't also limited to less than 3 hours whenever we could all dodge responsibilities and get together. You want to get efficient because you're competing with video games that are more immersive than Pac-Man. A few dud sessions aren't a big deal, but a campaign that grows boring is.
Time seems to get more precious as you get older. You bury friends who never got to finish that campaign with you.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I get the latter; I'm 65 and I've lost four good gaming friends over the years, two just in the last couple years.

But that said--I mean you have the time you have but I just can't imagine getting any kind of game experience I'd care about about in 3 hours. If that was the best I could manage I'd just give it up and find something else to do with the time. But I'm not going to say my expectations are typical here, especially for the D&D-sphere.

 

[MichaelSomething]

That is fine for experienced DMs, and in fairness that is whom the game was designed for. But how do you build up that judgement without some guidance?

The best long-term answer to all of those is very simple:

Trial and error.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

That seem unnecessarily harsh way to do business.

 

[Jd Smith1]

That seem unnecessarily harsh way to do business.

Not at all.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Not at all.

It is if you are trying to sell books.

 

[Jd Smith1]

It is if you are trying to sell books.

Nah.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Don't worry. The Matt Mercer effect will pick up the slack!

That seem unnecessarily harsh way to do business.

 

[aramis erak]

I get the latter; I'm 65 and I've lost four good gaming friends over the years, two just in the last couple years.

But that said--I mean you have the time you have but I just can't imagine getting any kind of game experience I'd care about about in 3 hours. If that was the best I could manage I'd just give it up and find something else to do with the time. But I'm not going to say my expectations are typical here, especially for the D&D-sphere.

in high school, we got by with 30 min of a 40 min lunch period... 4 or 5 days a week.
For many years, 5-6 hours was my norm. Now, I'm happy to see 3.5; I don't have access for longer.