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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Havrik Stoneskimmer" data-source="post: 5565103" data-attributes="member: 6670929">Well, I think if everyone is having fun then there's really no problem. One of the things I like best about an "old school" type of game is the emphasis on cautious exploration of unusual environments that invite thoughtful speculation, and coming up with a plan before leaping ahead. I like it a lot when players discuss their options and plans at length, and to try to speed this along would lose a lot of what I enjoy about these games.And to be honest, sometimes if I haven't prepared a lot for a given session, or the players go off in an unexpected direction where I don't have anything prepared, I'm actively trying to drag out the exploration and discussion scenes to fill time!Really, you just have to keep an eye on your players. If they are losing interest and disengaging from the game (checking their smartphone, playing with dice, doodling, etc.) then that's a sign that you should try to move things along to something more exciting. Unfortunately, different players find different aspects of the game more interesting than others, so you may end up with times when half of your players are bored and the other half are listening to you raptly and participating 100%. You can't always win!Combat is another story, and should always be kept at a nice clip lest you lose the intensity of it. But even there, I'm pretty lenient about letting players discuss their plans and actions - I view it as an abstraction that covers the fact that the characters are right there in the heat of combat and the players aren't, as well as the fact that the characters are much more competent at fighting than the players. So OOC discussions sort of abstractly represent the characters' intuition and situational awareness that the players don't themselves have.</blockquote>

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