'Experimental' campaigns - how many sessions, really?

[Driddle]

I've seen a lot of messages here about people "experimenting" with this and that variant (rules, classes, settings, whatever) in a new game campaign. It's always the reference to a "campaign" that gets me -- exactly how many game sessions do you expect to sit through in order to call the series a "campaign?" Because if it's just one or two games where the players craft fully progressed characters (say, 10th level, for example) and only last until the next concept catches your attention ... well, that's not really a campaign.

 

[Dreaddisease]

Exactly 10.3 sessions make up a campaign.
(Stats provided by pure speculation and unadulturated insanity)

 

[Eolin]

and 67% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

 

[Aeolius]

Is a PbP campaign set beneath the surface of the sea considered "experimental"? Mine started with 1e AD&D back in 1998, and contines today with 3e D&D.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Well, there's experimenting and playtesting...

My group and I have been "experimenting" with one-nighters and single-encounter scenarios for about 2 years and campaign-based play for about 1 year. Currently, we are dumping the one-nighters and single-encounter scenarios, and shifting into "Campaign Playtesting" full time (1 group weekly, 2 groups bi-weekly), but we're pretty sure most everything is on target already.

 

[Morpheus]

A series of events and adventures that are linked together by a common thread (i.e. the same group of PCs) constitutes a campaign in my book. How any sessions? I'd say, at least, 10, maybe more...

 

[Altalazar]

Lately, a campaign has meant starting everyone off with characters (new) at 1st level (sometimes higher) and then playing them until they all retire or there is a TPK. This has varied greatly - some campaigns have lasted through only three or so levelings. Others have gone from 1st to 9th level (since 3E). It is the continuing adventures of a particular party that make it a campaign. Though a long adventure or series of adventures sometimes is also called a "campaign."

 

[Varianor Abroad]

It's all about intent. As long as you intend for the game to last 3+ sessions, it's a campaign!

 

[Salad Shooter]

if you are feeling really really brave, have no lives, lots and lots of money, don't mind getting fat, and have a nice area where no one will kick you out of, you can run an entire campaign in one session. Just a really...really...really...long session (Worlds Largest Dungeon anyone?)

 

[Kaodi]

Campaigns...

If you intend for your game to last beyond the end of the first " adventure " then it is a campaign, hehehe...