Did you see the GenCon ad for Infrno, it is getting to the point where that is becoming reality, where I start to look and game more on-line than at the table top! 
Hobby games and the lack of time.
- Thread starter MerricB
- Start date
Insight
Adventurer
I'm trying to convert my time once spent prepping for games into time spent writing and this has severely limited how I can run games. At this point, any time spent prepping for a game means time I'm not pursuing my career goals and that's not a good equation for me. My plan right now is to run Dark Sun once it comes out and to use the published adventure to get the ball rolling. I'm going to try to convert B4: The Lost City as well as the Desert of Desolation series and see how that goes.
In terms of playing, I don't do as much of that as I once did. I think those of us 30+ are all in that boat. I'm lucky if I get to play for 4 hours once a week. That's about it.
In terms of playing, I don't do as much of that as I once did. I think those of us 30+ are all in that boat. I'm lucky if I get to play for 4 hours once a week. That's about it.
Gilladian
Adventurer
My game schedule has been very consistent over the past 16 or so years - I work one Sunday a month, roughly, so we play the rest of them.
Our sessions are only 3 hours long, but we seem to find that about right. By the end of that length of time, my brain has had enough!
I'm lucky, though - my game group's CORE is myself, my husband (we have no kids) and an unmarried friend. Right now the rest of the group is a father-son pair for whom the game is their "Guy time". And another older semi-retired friend, whose kids are grown.
This month, for the first time since I can remember, we've missed 2 weeks and will be missing a third; one to my work schedule, one to a visit from old friends, and the third to the teen's summer camp - his dad has to be there for the first day programs...and he's dming this summer.
Our sessions are only 3 hours long, but we seem to find that about right. By the end of that length of time, my brain has had enough!
I'm lucky, though - my game group's CORE is myself, my husband (we have no kids) and an unmarried friend. Right now the rest of the group is a father-son pair for whom the game is their "Guy time". And another older semi-retired friend, whose kids are grown.
This month, for the first time since I can remember, we've missed 2 weeks and will be missing a third; one to my work schedule, one to a visit from old friends, and the third to the teen's summer camp - his dad has to be there for the first day programs...and he's dming this summer.
IronWolf
blank
Did you see the GenCon ad for Infrno, it is getting to the point where that is becoming reality, where I start to look and game more on-line than at the table top!
Online gaming with a VTT and a voice chat system can work relatively well. Not a complete replacement for getting the group together around the table, but works well for time constrained people.
At the university I had a regular session once a week that lasted for maybe 6h. Now I'm down to one session a month for also 6h and a skype session once a week for 2h. I would like to play some more, which may be possible, but scheduling conflicts are my main problem when trying to do some roleplaying. Therefore I'm currently planning on a D&D Encounters-like campaign, maybe with Dark Sun. It will feature short chunks, aimed at 2 to 3h playtime. And each session will be mostly sealed off. That means you start with a certain clue or at a certain location and after the session you end up with a handout, another easily describable clue or maybe the direct link to a new location or something like that. So I can easily wrap up the result of the session and new players may join easily, missed sessions don't matter that much and I can line up several session if more playtime is available. I also spent more time on "solo tasks" like writing for the blog and preparing campaigns and stuff. Everything that I can handle mostly alone, so there are no scheduling conflicts.
So summed up I try to much more flexible and play a little less. But I have no kids yet
So summed up I try to much more flexible and play a little less. But I have no kids yet
Stormonu
NeoGrognard
I'd say my available time hasn't changed much, but the time I'm devoting to prepping for games has changed drastically. I used to spend a good 8-10 hours preparing for games, now I'm lucky if I'll do 30 minutes. Instead of doing game prep work, I spend more of that time in other activities.
Honestly, spending 8-10 hours for 4-6 hours of game play simply wasn't worth my time.
Honestly, spending 8-10 hours for 4-6 hours of game play simply wasn't worth my time.
Back in junior high, high school, college, and grad school, the folks I played with were all physically close together. While we were busy, it was mostly with one major focus (school), and we all operated on pretty much the same schedule.
As time as gone on, a few have spawned, and they have much less free time on their hands. The rest of us have spread out over a larger geographic area, and our schedules are no longer all bent around school, so they've diversified, too.
The larger issue hasn't been the amount of time available for folks to spend on leisure, so much as getting schedules to match up so that we can all spend that time together at once.
For my current game, for example, what I really wanted was to run one big 8-hour session every other week. And, each person had such time, but the blocks were all over the place - some folks wanted Sunday mornings, others Saturday evenings, and so on. And everyone noted that weekends often and unpredictably get interrupted by other major events or tasks that can't be done on weekdays.
So, I had to settle for a shorter session every other week on a predictable weeknight.
As time as gone on, a few have spawned, and they have much less free time on their hands. The rest of us have spread out over a larger geographic area, and our schedules are no longer all bent around school, so they've diversified, too.
The larger issue hasn't been the amount of time available for folks to spend on leisure, so much as getting schedules to match up so that we can all spend that time together at once.
For my current game, for example, what I really wanted was to run one big 8-hour session every other week. And, each person had such time, but the blocks were all over the place - some folks wanted Sunday mornings, others Saturday evenings, and so on. And everyone noted that weekends often and unpredictably get interrupted by other major events or tasks that can't be done on weekdays.
So, I had to settle for a shorter session every other week on a predictable weeknight.
I've been pretty lucky. As a kid, we played all the time, then I took a long break and got a group together when 4e came out. The farthest guy is 40 minutes or so away. We play every other week. One guy travels a lot, so he'll play via skype from time to time.
We're all over 30 and 2/3 of the group has kids, me included. Our wives realize this is our big outlet and are pretty understanding. The biggest problem is we meet around 7:30, someone brings dinner, and then we play, there are nights we don't start till 8:30, then we end up playing till 1AM or later. The D&D Hangover the next day can be brutal.
For prep time, my kids are 3 and 6, and usually in bed by 8, so I can usually squeeze an hour or 2 in at night unless something is going on.
I can usually squeeze a little time in at lunch as well, when I'm under pressure to get it done for that night.
We're all over 30 and 2/3 of the group has kids, me included. Our wives realize this is our big outlet and are pretty understanding. The biggest problem is we meet around 7:30, someone brings dinner, and then we play, there are nights we don't start till 8:30, then we end up playing till 1AM or later. The D&D Hangover the next day can be brutal.
For prep time, my kids are 3 and 6, and usually in bed by 8, so I can usually squeeze an hour or 2 in at night unless something is going on.
I can usually squeeze a little time in at lunch as well, when I'm under pressure to get it done for that night.
Matchstick
Adventurer
Our group is actually more focused now that we're playing using FantasyGrounds. We still get the funny comments but I think everyone is used to sitting down and concentrating on what's happening on the computer, so there's a lot less off topic chatter.
Our group is now scattered all over the country. Half have kids. Most of us are in our forties. We get together once a week, Sunday morning, for 3-4 hours and we're happy to have that much time!
In any given session we can have players in Washington, Arizona, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. We use Teamspeak and Fantasy Grounds. I can't understate the effect that VTT's have had on our group.
questing gm
First Post
Back when I was still in school, we often had gaming marathons running for more than 12 hours of almost non-stop gaming, from sun down to sun up.
Now as a working adult, I don't have the time to fit into a solid 4 hour session anymore.
Now as a working adult, I don't have the time to fit into a solid 4 hour session anymore.
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