airwalkrr
Adventurer
Before you read this, please note I found this so important that I spent a lot of time writing and rewriting in an attempt to word this properly, so please read carefully and try to understand I have only the best intentions of keeping the game interesting and exciting for everyone. 
Okay, so the way I see it there are two things which ought to be addressed. Before I get to them, allow me to clear the air regarding what I consider to be an unfortunate misunderstanding. [MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION] had a valid point, so let me revise the behind-the-scenes narrative (since it was not really elaborated in-character). We need not interpret the recent events as cowardice on Nuko's part. In the revised narrative, Nuko charged bravely ahead!
He dealt with several minor encounters which were not challenging enough to award XP but slowed his progress to the gate enough that other characters caught up (anyone who went straight towards the North Gate did the same). I apologize if it appeared I was trying to impart any such implications of cowardice (it was not my intent), and I admit my first OOC description of events prior to the present encounter did not fit the personality or intent of some PCs. 
My sole intention in even producing a narrative explanation was to allow Thrindar to be part of the action because Tailspinner said that he assumed his character had to wait behind. That concerned me. Leaving Thrindar two minutes behind the encounter would effectively mean Tailspinner would not have the opportunity to even participate as it will likely be over in a small number of rounds (a long time in PbP play).
1. The Party vs. The Individual
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."
-Abraham Lincoln
I think everyone understands this for the most part, but I believe it is worth a mention. This is a team game. You are expected to take on encounters as a team, not as lone wolves. While I am willing to make minor adjustments (see Modifying the Adventure, below), ultimately, sticking together when battle or danger is nearby is expected if you want the challenges to be fair. I am willing to be flexible to a fault right now because it is the beginning of the campaign.
If you feel the "party leader" is a concept with which you cannot work while also maintaining character identity, please discuss a method of keeping the party together most of the time that you all find acceptable. I proffered it as something which I felt was natural and rational given that within most groups a hierarchy is often quickly established else the groups dissolve. But it was certainly not intended as an absolute restriction on PC actions. It is more a guiding principle for teamwork, resolving unclear PC inclinations (i.e. do we take the left door or the right?), and an IC explanation for keeping the party from splitting up unnecessarily.
Next are the necessities of PbP. As above, this is something we probably all know, but it is a good reminder. Sitting around a table, a distraction or sidebar can preoccupy 15 minutes of the GM's time, and it is easy to snap the rest of the table back to attention. In PbP however it can preoccupy days (sometimes weeks). In my experience that makes it a real challenge to keep player attention focused.
Players get invested in keeping track of a thread when their characters are involved, not when they are lagging behind.
Finally, there is the matter my personal limits as a GM. I mentioned already that I have difficulty keeping things straight in my head when running multiple encounters at once. So please try to understand my reluctance to do so. It is as much for your benefit as it is for mine. I have tried otherwise before. I get details mixed up, confuse the players, and then people lose interest or simply lose track of who is where. So whenever possible, I politely request you to find ways to keep the party together. I apologize if this cramps your style, but please understand it simply is not within my skill set to keep multiple encounters going at once effectively. I would prefer we all work together to focus the narrative in a way that keeps the PCs together (e.g. Nuko handling minor encounters) rather than find ways to split them up (e.g. Nuko waiting at the gate).
2. Modifying the Adventure (aka Story Timeline)
Now I am not a devotee of the "run it as written" philosophy of GMing APs. I will quickly discard what I consider ridiculous NPC motives and unreasonable NPC behaviors (unless insanity is an intended factor). I can devise my own motives and behaviors that fit the spirit of the adventure. On the other hand, if a timeline for an adventure is written in a way I find rational, I generally prefer to keep that timeline moving at a moderate pace. This is not a video game where monsters and dungeons remain locked in space and time until you arrive within their perception zone or an MMO where the encounter does not spawn until all the PCs have gathered at a particular point. Such devices are artificial ways to to compensate for the failings of technology. My campaign has a living world where things happen regardless of whether the PCs (or a requisite number thereof) are around to witness them.
All of that having been said, we all need to make compromises for the sake of keeping the game interesting, and this is where my main responsibility comes in. I am capable of and willing to massage the exact timing of certain events for the sake of the narrative (as I have done with the present encounter). I am particularly willing to do this for encounters that are key to the story. Also, in the vast majority of situations, I will allow you a reasonable amount of time to prepare effectively for any challenges ahead, and provide a reasonable amount of warning (if warranted) should you be advancing into a situation you are not prepared for. By and large, I expect and trust you will exercise good judgment. By the same token, I would like to believe my players expect and trust the same of me. Therefore, if I use a narrative explanation to keep the party together, I usually have a very good reason for that. If you feel the narrative is inappropriate for your character, I am happy to discuss a way to modify that narrative to your liking.
I expect the conversation will be ongoing as we refine elements of style. But I hope this has addressed all the issues and concerns expressed in the above player posts to our mutual enjoyment for now.
Okay, so the way I see it there are two things which ought to be addressed. Before I get to them, allow me to clear the air regarding what I consider to be an unfortunate misunderstanding. [MENTION=24234]kinem[/MENTION] had a valid point, so let me revise the behind-the-scenes narrative (since it was not really elaborated in-character). We need not interpret the recent events as cowardice on Nuko's part. In the revised narrative, Nuko charged bravely ahead!
He dealt with several minor encounters which were not challenging enough to award XP but slowed his progress to the gate enough that other characters caught up (anyone who went straight towards the North Gate did the same). I apologize if it appeared I was trying to impart any such implications of cowardice (it was not my intent), and I admit my first OOC description of events prior to the present encounter did not fit the personality or intent of some PCs. My sole intention in even producing a narrative explanation was to allow Thrindar to be part of the action because Tailspinner said that he assumed his character had to wait behind. That concerned me. Leaving Thrindar two minutes behind the encounter would effectively mean Tailspinner would not have the opportunity to even participate as it will likely be over in a small number of rounds (a long time in PbP play).1. The Party vs. The Individual
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."
-Abraham Lincoln
I think everyone understands this for the most part, but I believe it is worth a mention. This is a team game. You are expected to take on encounters as a team, not as lone wolves. While I am willing to make minor adjustments (see Modifying the Adventure, below), ultimately, sticking together when battle or danger is nearby is expected if you want the challenges to be fair. I am willing to be flexible to a fault right now because it is the beginning of the campaign.
If you feel the "party leader" is a concept with which you cannot work while also maintaining character identity, please discuss a method of keeping the party together most of the time that you all find acceptable. I proffered it as something which I felt was natural and rational given that within most groups a hierarchy is often quickly established else the groups dissolve. But it was certainly not intended as an absolute restriction on PC actions. It is more a guiding principle for teamwork, resolving unclear PC inclinations (i.e. do we take the left door or the right?), and an IC explanation for keeping the party from splitting up unnecessarily.
Next are the necessities of PbP. As above, this is something we probably all know, but it is a good reminder. Sitting around a table, a distraction or sidebar can preoccupy 15 minutes of the GM's time, and it is easy to snap the rest of the table back to attention. In PbP however it can preoccupy days (sometimes weeks). In my experience that makes it a real challenge to keep player attention focused.
Players get invested in keeping track of a thread when their characters are involved, not when they are lagging behind.Finally, there is the matter my personal limits as a GM. I mentioned already that I have difficulty keeping things straight in my head when running multiple encounters at once. So please try to understand my reluctance to do so. It is as much for your benefit as it is for mine. I have tried otherwise before. I get details mixed up, confuse the players, and then people lose interest or simply lose track of who is where. So whenever possible, I politely request you to find ways to keep the party together. I apologize if this cramps your style, but please understand it simply is not within my skill set to keep multiple encounters going at once effectively. I would prefer we all work together to focus the narrative in a way that keeps the PCs together (e.g. Nuko handling minor encounters) rather than find ways to split them up (e.g. Nuko waiting at the gate).
2. Modifying the Adventure (aka Story Timeline)
Now I am not a devotee of the "run it as written" philosophy of GMing APs. I will quickly discard what I consider ridiculous NPC motives and unreasonable NPC behaviors (unless insanity is an intended factor). I can devise my own motives and behaviors that fit the spirit of the adventure. On the other hand, if a timeline for an adventure is written in a way I find rational, I generally prefer to keep that timeline moving at a moderate pace. This is not a video game where monsters and dungeons remain locked in space and time until you arrive within their perception zone or an MMO where the encounter does not spawn until all the PCs have gathered at a particular point. Such devices are artificial ways to to compensate for the failings of technology. My campaign has a living world where things happen regardless of whether the PCs (or a requisite number thereof) are around to witness them.
All of that having been said, we all need to make compromises for the sake of keeping the game interesting, and this is where my main responsibility comes in. I am capable of and willing to massage the exact timing of certain events for the sake of the narrative (as I have done with the present encounter). I am particularly willing to do this for encounters that are key to the story. Also, in the vast majority of situations, I will allow you a reasonable amount of time to prepare effectively for any challenges ahead, and provide a reasonable amount of warning (if warranted) should you be advancing into a situation you are not prepared for. By and large, I expect and trust you will exercise good judgment. By the same token, I would like to believe my players expect and trust the same of me. Therefore, if I use a narrative explanation to keep the party together, I usually have a very good reason for that. If you feel the narrative is inappropriate for your character, I am happy to discuss a way to modify that narrative to your liking.
I expect the conversation will be ongoing as we refine elements of style. But I hope this has addressed all the issues and concerns expressed in the above player posts to our mutual enjoyment for now.
