Downtime?

[RandomUsernamehmimo71]

Our game seems to have an inordinate amount of downtime lately, and I define that as the time between adventures, where PCs talk with one another, chat up old NPCs, do shopping, etc.
The thing is, we've just finished somewhere between 12 and 14 game sessions of this, depending on how you count.

Our heros have been at their stronghold, talking to NPCs, spending time with their families, and working and talking with one another. That's great, but the problem is, we're actually doing so much of it out.. I mean, I sent some of the NPCs off on an adventure, and the PCs wanted to play out waiting for them to get back, and discuss in detail what they did during the week while the NPCs were gone.

I like the game to be immersive, and RP heavy, but this is starting to feel more like playing house, than D&D!

Finally, we've made it to the City.... To buy supplies. Now we've just finished our second game session talking with vendors, talking to old friends in the city, and getting custom weapons made and described.. It takes a long time to get everything done. While I did get a bank robbery in (yeah!) it's the only remotely combatish, or even die-rolling-ish, thing that's happened in 14 game sessions.

And each game session is between 6-8 hours!
That means that in the last 4 months of Real Time, I've played out over 60 hours of talking between the last adventure, and the next one.

Can anyone give any suggestions to help encourage the PCs to go out? They complained when the last two campaigns made them feel constantly rushed.. So I gave them a set of 12 self-paced adventures for this campaign.. Things need to be done, and lives are in the balance, but there isn't a hard and fast "Need to be done before the army gets to the capitol" sort of deadline.
Am I doing a horrible job motivating as a GM, or are my players just getting what they want, for which I should be happy?

Should I just give up trying, and invent the a new BBEG which teleports people into adventures?


And I used to pride myself on being RP-heavy.. But this is getting a bit much!"

 

[Joshua Randall]

Explain to the players (not the PCs -- the players) how you feel. It sounds like there may be a disconnect between your preference (more dice-rolling action) and the players' preferences (more "playing house"). Perhaps you can reach a compromise?

In my campaign, much of the downtime you describe (shopping, long chats with NPCs, custom item acquisition) is handled through e-mail. That way when we meet face-to-face, we can focus on the parts of the game that require F2F interaction.

If you want an in-game incentive for the PCs (the PCs this time -- not the players), then make some of those deadlines harder and faster. Ex: while the PCs are sitting around waiting for the NPC adventurers to get back, a villain strikes nearby town. Do the PCs continue to sit around, or do they get off their butts and adventure?

Another in-game incentive (or disincentive) -- because the NPCs are the ones adventuring while the PCs sit around, it's the NPCs who become famous and get invited to the king's banquet. Meanwhile the PCs get a reputation as lazy cowards.

But I really think a heart-to-heart discussion between you and the players would help.

 

[devilbat]

Roleplaying mundane downtime sucks the creative juices from my mind. My groups last session was 90% shopping, and I vow it will never happen again.

In general, all downtime stuff takes place between session via email, or our Yahoo group. If someone wants to do something without the others knowing, fine, it's done through private email. If there is anything that a group of the PC's want to do together, we roleplay in in the Yahoo group. I tell the characters to email me a list of purchases they require, I email them back prices and availability.

I coulsn't imagine playing out the amount of downtime you described. God, you might as well just get them playing The Sims.

 

[Wombat]

This sounds like a group I would get along famously with, but it sounds like it is not working for you.

In my campaigns, adventures are rare things, happening less often than once a month, often far less, with "everyday life" filling in the rest of the time. It sounds like your players are both drifting in that direction AND wanting to roleplay out all of this intervening period.

My suggestion? If all the shopping expeditions and home decorating shows are getting to you, handwave it. Ask them to submit lists of what they want to buy, tell them how much it costs, and that's that. If they want to do more, have them set up a site at LiveJournal (or something equivalent) to write up the tales of what they do in the downtime -- this is very popular with my group!

But once this has happened, have your sessions head back solidly to the adventures. Adventures, obviously, do not cut down on roleplaying time, but at least it might cut down on the shopping time.

Good luck anyway around!

 

[sniffles]

Joshua Randall's suggestion seems like the best plan, but here's another thought in case that's not working out for you.

If they still insist on roleplaying all the mundane stuff, don't give them anything in return. When they go shopping, they can't find what they want. When they want to chat with NPCs, no one wants to talk to them, or everyone is too busy. Create a misunderstanding that puts them at odds with some of the NPCs. Once the mundane stuff stops being rewarding, maybe they won't want to do it anymore.

 

[TerraDave]

Downtime is good in game time, not so good in real time.

I have also been using play by email/post for downtime stuff--it has worked pretty well.

Now, in terms of player preference, I know from past games that we would get sucked into a lot of this, and it was not really popular, but people just sort of went along. You might find that an alternative format is prefered...as long as the game doesn't become all hack and slash.

 

[Emiricol]

Roleplaying mundane downtime sucks the creative juices from my mind. My groups last session was 90% shopping, and I vow it will never happen again.

In general, all downtime stuff takes place between session via email, or our Yahoo group. If someone wants to do something without the others knowing, fine, it's done through private email. If there is anything that a group of the PC's want to do together, we roleplay in in the Yahoo group. I tell the characters to email me a list of purchases they require, I email them back prices and availability.

I coulsn't imagine playing out the amount of downtime you described. God, you might as well just get them playing The Sims.

I agree. In my games, unless I get ambushed by the players, all downtime is done between sessions. I encourage the players to come up with descriptions as detailed as they like of what happened during that time, including new NPCs, rumors etc. But the shopping is done off-camera.

 

[jmucchiello]

Have you considered having the players playout the adventure they sent the NPCs out on? Either prepare full character sheets for the NPCs or have the players do so as you deem appropriate. This gives their characters downtime and you die-rollin' action.

"Okay, you're in town, shopping, reacquinting yourself with the townfolk, yada yada. Meanwhile, out on the road..."

 

[Tonguez]

Our heros have been at their stronghold, talking to NPCs, spending time with their families, and working and talking with one another

You know right here you have the perfect opportunity to play House and Adventure too ie have the Bad guys start doing things to their stronghold and their families and friends:
eg
*Have Kobolds start raiding the local pigs causing the peasants to come begging the PCs for help
*Allow a plague to hit the area forcing the PCs to do something to find a cure
*Have one of the PCs teenage daughter run off with some new beau only who just happens to be dragon in disguise!
*Have their NPC friends replaced by Dopplegangers who are smuggling strange artifacts through the city sewers
*Have an assasin stalk one of the PCs