GMs: What is your prep to play ratio?

[Reynard]

I use Paizo PDFs even when im playing on table top face to face and keeping track of all I need is rather easy and convenient that way. Prep is more or less just reading the material over and organizing it a way to use it as I need it during the sessions. I really dont know how they could make it any easier than that other then literally just use maps and bullet points.

You can have annotated maps and bullet points IN ADDITON to walls of text, if one really feels they must write those. It isn't an either or.
The idea that one does not have any idea how they could facilitate GMs more is just silly to me.

ETA: For clarity, I think published scenarios should be able to be run essentially without prep, within 5 minutes of opening the thing up.

 

[payn]

You can have annotated maps and bullet points IN ADDITON to walls of text, if one really feels they must write those. It isn't an either or.
The idea that one does not have any idea how they could facilitate GMs more is just silly to me.

Every map has annotation with files that strip it out for running, a bestiary, and magic item index. Am I the only one who sees these?

ETA: For clarity, I think published scenarios should be able to be run essentially without prep, within 5 minutes of opening the thing up.

That clarity helps and is exactly what I was talking about earlier about what I see as thin experiences. I suppose mine would be the opposite of overindulgent or too thick.

 

[pemerton]

I dont need to pay somebody for a map and list of bullet points. Anybody should be able to whip that up on their own.

I'll happily pay for a map and a list of bullet points, if the map is interesting and the stuff in the bullet points compelling!

I'm thinking of something like the islands in Agon 2e - these don't have maps, but each is about 3 pages, some of which is bullet-pointed lists, and each is good for a session of play.

More than once I've spent the afternoon or the morning before a Torchbearer 2e session writing up a little adventure area that is not much more than a map and bullet points. If someone was selling something like that, I'd pay (say) $10 (Australian). I recently paid for coffee for me and a colleague, at a cafe that's not too fancy, and it was $13.

 

[payn]

I'll happily pay for a map and a list of bullet points, if the map is interesting and the stuff in the bullet points compelling!

I'm thinking of something like the islands in Agon 2e - these don't have maps, but each is about 3 pages, some of which is bullet-pointed lists, and each is good for a session of play.

More than once I've spent the afternoon or the morning before a Torchbearer 2e session writing up a little adventure area that is not much more than a map and bullet points. If someone was selling something like that, I'd pay (say) $10 (Australian). I recently paid for coffee for me and a colleague, at a cafe that's not too fancy, and it was $13.

Something so simple could be whipped up via A.I. for nothing im sure.

 

[Reynard]

That clarity helps and is exactly what I was talking about earlier about what I see as thin experiences. I suppose mine would be the opposite of overindulgent or too thick.

Again, I believe you can have both. You can include all the story and history and context, but still make the thing readily playable. One of the weaknesses of RPGs as a form of entertainment is that one person has to do all this extra work, even if they spring for a prewritten scenario. At a certain point, one wonders why they are buying a module at all if it takes extra prep.