Asisreo
Patron Badass
I would like to start a thread discussion about the dangers of "too much fun."
But how can someone have "too much fun?" Especially when "fun" is the primary goal of the game? I think people make a point of macimizing/optimizing fun for both themselves and other players/DMs in the game. While a noble cause, I believe instantaneously thinking about maximizing fun could lead to disappointment later down the road.
Even if you absolutely adore what you do and your players are having a blast session-by-session, if that kind of fun is unsustainable, you'll end up crashing and burning in more than one way.
I think it's best to not come into the game with the mindset that you must "maximize" or "optimize" fun, but rather moderate the fun and boring moments in your game to a tolerable degree.
Sometimes, your shopping session needs to take 4 hours even if the player that loves combat has to wait. Sometimes, you need to have a combat slog on for a round or two longer. Sometimes, your players need their agency removed. Sometimes, your DM has to sit through your character searching every corner in the room.
Not to intentionally make your players/DM feel bad or to reign superiority over them. But because these duller moments serve purposes under the surface to make the fun more sustainable.
That 4 hour shopping session might give the DM enough time to get that plothook entwined with your characters. That long boring combat might let a player who isn't quite familiar with their character start to understand their battle strategy without being overwhelmed. The time your character is mind-controlled or involved in a sudden unfortunate event might be needed to keep a cool narrative pacing. Your player searching every corner might have them actually find that secret door you worked on that was hidden.
Yes, there are ways to avoid these situations and it is usually favorable to do so. But hobbyists needn't obsess over it, get burnt out, or find themselves unable to keep up. Just relax and enjoy your fun responsibly.
But how can someone have "too much fun?" Especially when "fun" is the primary goal of the game? I think people make a point of macimizing/optimizing fun for both themselves and other players/DMs in the game. While a noble cause, I believe instantaneously thinking about maximizing fun could lead to disappointment later down the road.
Even if you absolutely adore what you do and your players are having a blast session-by-session, if that kind of fun is unsustainable, you'll end up crashing and burning in more than one way.
I think it's best to not come into the game with the mindset that you must "maximize" or "optimize" fun, but rather moderate the fun and boring moments in your game to a tolerable degree.
Sometimes, your shopping session needs to take 4 hours even if the player that loves combat has to wait. Sometimes, you need to have a combat slog on for a round or two longer. Sometimes, your players need their agency removed. Sometimes, your DM has to sit through your character searching every corner in the room.
Not to intentionally make your players/DM feel bad or to reign superiority over them. But because these duller moments serve purposes under the surface to make the fun more sustainable.
That 4 hour shopping session might give the DM enough time to get that plothook entwined with your characters. That long boring combat might let a player who isn't quite familiar with their character start to understand their battle strategy without being overwhelmed. The time your character is mind-controlled or involved in a sudden unfortunate event might be needed to keep a cool narrative pacing. Your player searching every corner might have them actually find that secret door you worked on that was hidden.
Yes, there are ways to avoid these situations and it is usually favorable to do so. But hobbyists needn't obsess over it, get burnt out, or find themselves unable to keep up. Just relax and enjoy your fun responsibly.
