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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shayuri" data-source="post: 6018545" data-attributes="member: 4936">Others have summed things up very well, but since I've been in just about all your high level game attempts, I feel a need to respond too. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />First: what do you think contributes most to high lvl games dying?- PBPs are, as a breed, always vulnerable to implosion. I think a lot of people join them thinking 'this will be like a normal game but less time consuming and easier to schedule.' And when it turns out to still be pretty time consuming, and scheduling issues still exist (albeit not as tricky as realtime games can be), they lose a lot of that underlying incentive to play. The cost/benefit analysis slides away from 'benefit,' and people find other things they'd rather be doing.A high level game just means that the game is more time consuming without necessarily being any more rewarding. In general, how rewarding a game is depends a lot more on the other players, characters (PC or NPC), and GM than it does on the specific level of your character. Gaming is a social function first. The literary experience of writing is a reward too, for some...and of course the opportunity to indulge in some largely-harmless power-fantasy. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> What I've found in myself though is that a game where either my character, or other characters, don't hold my interest is a game I won't be playing long. High level games, in short, are harder to play, and therefore require better reward to win that cost/benefit analysis we all do. Therefore they have a higher fail rate.Second: why does nobody ever seem to want to DM these games?- Because it's a PITA. DM's have the same cost/benefit analysis as anyone, but the costs of DM'ing FAR exceed the costs of playing. Therefore a DM must have a -great deal- of personal reward to gain. Since epic level games are costlier STILL, the incentive to DM one must be balanced by personal rewards that are improbably high.Third: wouldn't you rather be playing someone like Batman, Goku, or Drizzt than Bob the lvl 4 fighter?- It depends! Batman et al have well established histories defined by lore in the past. Bob is just starting out, and his history will be defined not by lore, but by the game and what happens in it. Both have appeal. Some prefer one over the other. There's no right or wrong there.Fourth: who's up for a high level game?- Always up for giving it a try. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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