UniversalMonster
Explorer
4-5 hour slots are the norm for my group. We play weekly. Anything longer would make me tired, and besides, I'm a parent!
How long is your sessions, and how do I extend my?
- Thread starter Decamber
- Start date
DM with a vengence
First Post
We usually play for 30 minutes or so at lunch, twice a week (The attentions of Cthulhu upon extra-curricular activities and AP classes!) with an occasional longer session of up to 3-4 hours. I would really like to play more, simply to see how long I could keep the game going, but that might become rather difficult to organize.
One advantage of short sessions is that since our group doesn't have enough books, playing for a few hours allows me to do the bookkeeping when they level up.
One advantage of short sessions is that since our group doesn't have enough books, playing for a few hours allows me to do the bookkeeping when they level up.
Henry
Autoexreginated
Our group starts at about 3:00 pm on Saturdays, games solidly from about 4 to 7:00 pm, then breaks from 7 to 8 pm for dinner, then resumes from about 8:30 until about 12:00 pm. basically, it's like two 4 hour sessions in content, but when I DM I usually try to wrap up the adventure before the end of the night. If I leave the group hanging in the middle of the wilderness, far from civilization, I can't necessarily say that all participants will be handy for the next time we play a session.
10 years ago we used to do 8 hour sessions. No more. 4 hours is about average these days - and even then half the group is crying that it's past their bed time. The oft-repeated phrase "I have to work tomorrow!" haunts my dreams....
Make the most of it now, Decamber. When you get older and have to go to work every day, you'll probably find yourself feeling tired every waking moment.
Make the most of it now, Decamber. When you get older and have to go to work every day, you'll probably find yourself feeling tired every waking moment.
EarthsShadow
First Post
from my personal experiences, i have found that, as a player or DM, anything less than 4 hours just doesn't seem like enough time to get through anything major. Sure, minor things can be done, but with all the DM's I have been in groups in, and my own, we prefer 8 good hours of gaming. Lately, we have been reduced to 4 hrs at a time, mainly because one guy is married and his wife is a (can't say the word here), and keeps interrupting the game.
I try to aim for 8 hours, which I can do just fine, and I am close to my thirties, so age really doesn't have all that much to do with it. I am sure to get yelled at for that one though.
If you can go for 7 hours, then that's pretty good...but it sounds like you guys want to go for more and so does the DM. If you wanted to, the DM can prepare his adventures around the 7 hour average and plan for it, this way the boredom itself doesn't end the game. Just a thought.
I try to aim for 8 hours, which I can do just fine, and I am close to my thirties, so age really doesn't have all that much to do with it. I am sure to get yelled at for that one though.
If you can go for 7 hours, then that's pretty good...but it sounds like you guys want to go for more and so does the DM. If you wanted to, the DM can prepare his adventures around the 7 hour average and plan for it, this way the boredom itself doesn't end the game. Just a thought.
Roland Delacroix
First Post
Heh, haven't done them 20+ hour stretches since high school. Did a few 16+ hours in college 2 years ago, with other high school students. I find my ability to describe and come up with new stuff drops off as I get more tired, not good.
For advice, the break idea is the best thing i've seen. Taking a break every 4-5 hours lets everyone rest. We'd usually go out for chicken or something. The players relax while the DM gets time off to think up more stuff. Switching DM's is not a bad idea either. One time we started at 6pm, next morning we took a break at 9am to run over to the game shop and buy another game that a friend ran. We have even taken short 4 hours naps, then get up and game. You can go for days gaming that way.
Some games, such as RIFTs, Kobolds Ate My Baby, Paranoia, actually get BETTER as your DM becomes more exhausted
Nowadays everyone has work so we play 4-5 hours sunday evening. I think we played 6 or so one day when we all had monday off. We're all more rested now, and I guess the games are better and more fulfilling since we are rested.
Still, making 3 or more levels in a single (long) night was pretty damned awesome. Meeeemorieeeessss......
For advice, the break idea is the best thing i've seen. Taking a break every 4-5 hours lets everyone rest. We'd usually go out for chicken or something. The players relax while the DM gets time off to think up more stuff. Switching DM's is not a bad idea either. One time we started at 6pm, next morning we took a break at 9am to run over to the game shop and buy another game that a friend ran. We have even taken short 4 hours naps, then get up and game. You can go for days gaming that way.
Some games, such as RIFTs, Kobolds Ate My Baby, Paranoia, actually get BETTER as your DM becomes more exhausted
Nowadays everyone has work so we play 4-5 hours sunday evening. I think we played 6 or so one day when we all had monday off. We're all more rested now, and I guess the games are better and more fulfilling since we are rested.
Still, making 3 or more levels in a single (long) night was pretty damned awesome. Meeeemorieeeessss......
I did once run a game for nearly 11 hours; it was a longtime player's final game before he had to go back to Australia and I wanted to give him a good send-off. Typically I run sessions for 5-7 hours, any more than that I get tired and my GMing suffers (I'm 29, I guess when I was 20 I could've GM'd longer...) and need frequent breaks. Sometimes I run 4 hour sessions, but I tend to find them a little short and unsatisfactory. It depends a lot on the scenario, though. Different games suit different lengths of playing time.
Kilmore
First Post
Gods!
I'm a 32 year old codger and I just ran a 12 hour game without hardly a wink! And I'm the lazy one of the bunch! I only game once a week instead of three times! You all are weak! WEAK!!!
(Kilmore slaps himself down)
Ahem... actually, I must admit that I AM surprised to see that I'm still ahead of the curve on this. Fortunately, the gaming gods have blessed me with a group that largely runs itself. At least once a session, some of the players gather in a huddle and discuss some moneymaking scheme or heinous act against some other group in the campaign.
I'm a 32 year old codger and I just ran a 12 hour game without hardly a wink! And I'm the lazy one of the bunch! I only game once a week instead of three times! You all are weak! WEAK!!!
(Kilmore slaps himself down)
Ahem... actually, I must admit that I AM surprised to see that I'm still ahead of the curve on this. Fortunately, the gaming gods have blessed me with a group that largely runs itself. At least once a session, some of the players gather in a huddle and discuss some moneymaking scheme or heinous act against some other group in the campaign.
My games run 4 to 5 hours, not counting the 1 hour at the start for the 'hello, what new' and cut up. Have not gone over the the 7 hour game in a very long time.
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