What Does Your Perfect Session Look Like?

[Reynard]

If you imagine your perfect session of an RPG, what does it look like to you?

What game? What campaign? How many participants? How long is the session?
What is the "breakdown" between time spent in combat, exploring, roleplaying with NPCs, PCs interacting, players fooling around, wtc..?
And finally, what's on the pizza?

 

[Umbran]

Perfect? No such thing. Much like there's no single perfect movie, or perfect flavor of ice cream - what is "perfect" depends on the moods of the day.

So, how about we talk about an awesome game session....

For me, what game/campaign doesn't really matter - I have a great time playing all sorts of things. Similar for the "breakdown" of the session - that mix can vary.

The session is probably about 6 hours long, but there's a lot of wiggle room there.

It is probably part of a long campaign, in which the characters have all had a lot of time establishing who they were, and those characters aren't just broad stroke cliché sketches, but have some depth to them. The session is focused on some major events in the narrative - it doesn't need to be the big climactic campaign conclusion, just something important.

The most important thing is that everyone is "on". They are happy to be there, and focused on the room at hand, not their kids, how they have to mow the lawn, or the worries of the world today.

And there's several pizzas, so everyone can have their favorites.

 

[payn]

If you imagine your perfect session of an RPG, what does it look like to you?

A steady and consistent great time!

What game?

Could be several. PF1 or Traveller as they are my two favorites.

What campaign?

PF1 likely an adventure path, but Traveller is likely a sandbox.

How many participants?

I like 4-5 players tops. Anything more is too much time to spread around.

How long is the session?

4 hours

What is the "breakdown" between time spent in combat, exploring, roleplaying with NPCs, PCs interacting, players fooling around, wtc..?

Limited OOC chatter, but not none either. My games tend to be more in the social and exploration pillars, using D&D parlance. Probably 70% social/exploration and 30% combat in character game time.

And finally, what's on the pizza?

Canadian bacon, Pineapple, and banana peppers.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

If you imagine your perfect session of an RPG, what does it look like to you?

Playing at a table with a group of people like this:

Perfect? No such thing. Much like there's no single perfect movie, or perfect flavor of ice cream - what is "perfect" depends on the moods of the day.

So, how about we talk about an awesome game session....

For me, what game/campaign doesn't really matter - I have a great time playing all sorts of things. Similar for the "breakdown" of the session - that mix can vary.

The session is probably about 6 hours long, but there's a lot of wiggle room there.

It is probably part of a long campaign, in which the characters have all had a lot of time establishing who they were, and those characters aren't just broad stroke cliché sketches, but have some depth to them. The session is focused on some major events in the narrative - it doesn't need to be the big climactic campaign conclusion, just something important.

The most important thing is that everyone is "on". They are happy to be there, and focused on the room at hand, not their kids, how they have to mow the lawn, or the worries of the world today.

And there's several pizzas, so everyone can have their favorites.

Sold!

 

[Reynard]

To answer for myself now that I have a spare minute:

My "perfect session" is probably an in-person (possibly convention) game of either Shadowdark, Daggerheart or Savage Worlds with 4 or 5 players(I have a list but I won't go into it). The actual adventure is off the cuff but built on a solid "situation foundation" where I managed good prep (from my perspective; mostly meaning plenty of easily integrated or discareded NPCs, locations and other ideas). One of the most important features is enthusiastic players who have all bought in to the premise and give back as much as I present them. There is probably one big set piece combat encounter, with lots of player-driven exploration and interaction leading up to it. Then a little denoument.

We are having beers and eating pizza with spicey pepperonis and hot honey.

 

[John Dallman]

The session is probably about 6 hours long, but there's a lot of wiggle room there.

Four is more to my taste, simply because players in their fifties or older tire faster.

It is probably part of a long campaign, in which the characters have all had a lot of time establishing who they were, and those characters aren't just broad stroke cliché sketches, but have some depth to them. The session is focused on some major events in the narrative - it doesn't need to be the big climactic campaign conclusion, just something important.

To refine this a bit, it's definitely part of a campaign that has well-established characters*. There's development of the campaign narrative, opening up new possibilities. At least one of the characters gets some significant personal development or insight.

The most important thing is that everyone is "on". They are happy to be there, and focused on the room at hand, not their kids, how they have to mow the lawn, or the worries of the world today.

Yup, that's the key. That may be a reason why so many gamers search for the game which will recapture the fun of their youth: they didn't have today's worries and preoccupations in the past.

*A tactical test: do the characters know each other well enough to act as a team without the players having to consult each other?

 

[Golden Bee]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that first sessions in a campaign can be perfect. As long as everyone knows who their character is, every dynamic is new and exciting, every plot thread becomes magnificent in the imagination.

One shots can also be perfect. The guy who runs Gnomes Stew ran lady Blackbird at a convention for us once; it started with a bunch of disparate space pirates and ended with a wedding. Never going to play that system again because the experience can't be topped.

When running, a perfect session surprises you and the players. Rolls are better / worse than expected, the villain's twist is shocking (but understandable if the player had thought a different way), and a creative solution has everyone escaping the collapsing lair by the seat of their pants.

Sometimes a perfect session is like a 10 out of 10 slam poem. For the first part, you're walking in a circle around a topic. But once you get halfway there, you realized that all the amazing parts were just set up and you're going to have to face them again faster and faster until you're right back where you started but completely different.

And obviously, a perfect session needs a great adventure title that you announce at the end, like " I hope you enjoyed What's yours is MAYAN" or "...and that concludes Château of the Colossus."

 

[payn]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that first sessions in a campaign can be perfect. As long as everyone knows who their character is, every dynamic is new and exciting, every plot thread becomes magnificent in the imagination.

I dont often have the best idea of who my character is. I usually find out during play.

One shots can also be perfect. The guy who runs Gnomes Stew ran lady Blackbird at a convention for us once; it started with a bunch of disparate space pirates and ended with a wedding. Never going to play that system again because the experience can't be topped.

One shots are some of the best sessions ive had.

When running, a perfect session surprises you and the players. Rolls are better / worse than expected, the villain's twist is shocking (but understandable if the player had thought a different way), and a creative solution has everyone escaping the collapsing lair by the seat of their pants.

I find that a well prepared scenario has not just built in expectations of the unexpected, but can roll with the punches and still deliver on its goal.

Sometimes a perfect session is like a 10 out of 10 slam poem. For the first part, you're walking in a circle around a topic. But once you get halfway there, you realized that all the amazing parts were just set up and you're going to have to face them again faster and faster until you're right back where you started but completely different.

And obviously, a perfect session needs a great adventure title that you announce at the end, like " I hope you enjoyed What's yours is MAYAN" or "...and that concludes Château of the Colossus."

 

[GMMichael]

If you imagine your perfect session of an RPG, what does it look like to you?

What game? What campaign? How many participants? How long is the session?
What is the "breakdown" between time spent in combat, exploring, roleplaying with NPCs, PCs interacting, players fooling around, wtc..?
And finally, what's on the pizza?

First off, Joe Mangianello (sp), Deborah Ann Wohl, Matt Mercer*, and Vin Diesel are the players. Everyone shows up with their Modos 2 characters already finished, which is not asking a lot, and I trust these players to put a decent amount of imagination into them - which is a slightly bigger ask. Vin is exempt from this last item. We spend about a third of the session (3-4 hours) on socializing, problem-solving, and fighting each. The players wow me and each other with their cool ideas, and I actually remember to award hero points for some of them. We decide to play for an extra hour, which begins with quick level-ups and starts with the lead-in to the next quest. Then we realize we forgot to eat so we get Pizzeria Picazzo's for dinner.

* Matt might hurt himself with all of the flexibility that Modos 2 affords the GM. I'm just looking out for his safety.