Am I being too optimistic?

[GMMichael]

Each unused setting element is one that you don't have to write in the future.

Each adventure created is one that can be reskinned/revised for your current group, or reused for your next group.

 

[James Gasik]

I agree with what has been said above. The only thing I'd add is... are you delaying the start of your game in order to do all this prep work?

Oh no, we're on for Sunday (even though apparently everyone forget it was Mother's Day, lol). Like I said, I'm 5...ish adventures in (the sixth is meant to be a city adventure and I absolutely suck at those, so it's going to be a challenge).

It's not that I can't tweak things as I go along, but more that I wonder if I'm building for a finish line I'll never get to.

 

[Meech17]

It's not that I can't tweak things as I go along, but more that I wonder if I'm building for a finish line I'll never get to.

That's a very real possibility, and it sounds like you know this. Just as long as it's not going to ruin the fun for you if your race track turns halfway through towards a different finish line instead.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Oh no, we're on for Sunday (even though apparently everyone forget it was Mother's Day, lol). Like I said, I'm 5...ish adventures in (the sixth is meant to be a city adventure and I absolutely suck at those, so it's going to be a challenge).

It's not that I can't tweak things as I go along, but more that I wonder if I'm building for a finish line I'll never get to.

As long as you do not feel obliged to force things to include everything you prepared then there is no problem. Over preparation only really becomes a problem if it is an obstacle to play. That is, you are delaying play to do more preparation. The other problematic pattern, forcing the player to visit all the prepared stuff. Sound like you are doing none of those things so there is no real problem.

 

[James Gasik]

As long as you do not feel obliged to force things to include everything you prepared then there is no problem. Over preparation only really becomes a problem if it is an obstacle to play. That is, you are delaying play to do more preparation. The other problematic pattern, forcing the player to visit all the prepared stuff. Sound like you are doing none of those things so there is no real problem.

Ah no, I have had the problem before of putting too many side objectives in the player's path, and them wanting to do all of the things. So I've gone light on side objectives for now. If they pass on them, it won't be a big deal (I hope).

As for having fun, well, right now I'm deep in the weeds of making downtime tasks, modding Xanathar's for my own purposes. I'm having a lot of fun dreaming up complications, like WWE style weirdness for Pit Fighters or, well, if you've ever worked fast food, from my Running a Business section:

1- the local Siegeball game ended early and fans are swarming your business! The employees are freaking out and the customers are angry! A DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check is needed to get things under control.

2- Susie called off again! Not only does someone need to cover her shift (a DC 15 Intelligence check to sort out) but she needs to be disciplined! This discipline is a DC 15 Charisma check. No skill is applied because Persuasion or Intimidation could work or backfire, it's hard to say. If you fail, you have to fire Susie, and hiring and training a new employee will set you back 100 gp (she didn't give the uniform back!).

3- Health Inspectors drop by and you weren't ready! A DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check is required or you'll have to pay a hefty fine to continue operating- 250 gp!

4- an important thing breaks down and needs to be fixed! DC 15 Intelligence (Engineering) to solve, or you have to hire an expert- 250 gp!

5- a spellcaster freaks out at your prices and demands a “I can level this place with a fireball if I want to!” discount, ie, free food. A DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check can get him to back down, otherwise you have to default and lose 50 gp!

6- the week goes well, with no crises. Whew!

 

[MNblockhead]

When I ran a campaign my homebrew world, so much of that "preparation" was never used in play. But the creating of my own world was a hobby in and of itself that I enjoyed.

As for prepping campaigns based off of published material, I find that I over prep. My problem is less about prepping things that will never get used because I start in broad strokes and and prep for the next session or two based on what the characters did in the last session and I also ask them what they are planning to do next. I tend to be more on the sandboxy side and I've gotten better at improvising. but I just don't enjoy running all-improve, no-prep games.

What I do find is that I still under-estimate how long prepped material will take to play through. It is one thing to have enjoy planned to ensure you don't run out during your session, but I find that what I prep is generally enough for three sessions. That is often a good thing in that if I have a busy week and don't have time to do any prep work, it was already done weeks ago.

 

[aramis erak]

Are you being too optimistic? Probably.
Is it really a problem? Only if you hang your emotional well being upon it being useful to have that prep or expect the group to actually see most of it.

 

[Theory of Games]

When it comes to prep normally it's better to have too much than too little. And GMs tend to be very creative people so they will always be working on something (adventure design, campaign design, character design, rule design, yadayadayada). Writers are the same way: they keep a pad or an app on them so they can record ideas no matter where they are. All that information tends to stack but it's better to have your own personal library to draw info from than to have your players staring at you during a tense scene and you got nothing for them.

More is better.

And I've gotten great writing advice that spills over to being a GM. One thing: kill your inner critic. All that voice in your head does is question everything you do creating doubt. Doubt kills creativity.
Instead have this crazy fan in your head that tells you "This is gonna be bigger than the Bible! Keep going!" YOU have to be the #1 fan of your work because no one else has the credentials.

 

[Longspeak]

I guess the question I'm wrestling with is, is there such a thing as too much preparation? I haven't GM'd a game in some time, I used to do it all the time, but back then, I'd rarely prep more than one session ahead. Now I'm wondering if I'm setting myself up for a fall.

Listen... I've been doing this for a while now, and I've been through what you're going through. Hell, I'm going through it now.

The only time there's too much prep is when you let that prep become a railroad instead of a map. I prep session by session, but only after I've made my outline. I know what I think will happen during a story, and even know my players enough to guess what is likely vs. unlikely, but nearly every session the players do something I won't expect and so each new session I prepare based how things have change. What still works, what might work with some tweaking, what won't work anymore, and what new idea did last session inspire. Then I write out a new opening.

But all of that begins by prepping at least the current and next stories. When you prep, you give yourself more ability to think on your feet, a skill every GM needs.

So prep. Prepare, so you're prepared to react when your players do something for which you aren't prepared.

 

[James Gasik]

That is a problem, isn't it? What if the players don't pick up the adventure hooks I'm putting down? I don't foresee it, but some of the adventures I have planned simply assume that "of course the players will help, why wouldn't they? What are they, jerks?" lol.

So far they already threw me for a loop in one respect, when I realized I had an all-caster party! I'd been so careful to make sure there was a good spread weapons and armor available for melee types, and none of these guys want to be anywhere near melee combat!