Playing in Person Is Just Better (for me)

[Reynard]

It works out on a practical level similar total play-time as playing 2-3 hours per week, but only gaming every 3-4 weeks is easier to arrange for us when everyone has family and work commitments.

In my experience, those longer sessions are measurably more "productive" because you only do the pre-game kibbitzing once instead of every 3 hour session.

 

[thullgrim]

In a perfect world I’d be able to run a game for a solid four hours, in person, and very Sunday. Solid gaming. No BS so you’d have to start at like 3:30.

 

[dbm]

There were times it was more tricky than others. Being willing to play one or two down makes a big difference. Kids are now mostly grown up or at least in the age bracket where they don’t need their parents every day.

 

[thullgrim]

In a perfect world I’d be able to run a game for a solid four hours, in person, and very Sunday. Solid gaming. No BS so you’d have to start at like 3:30.

I actually think I’d do that virtually too if I could not get a regular live group.

My preferred time slot is Tuesday at 7pm to about 10pm. Once we get settled and started it is 7:30 some nights. Not a lot of gaming time. It gets frustrating.

 

[Reynard]

I actually think I’d do that virtually too if I could not get a regular live group.

My succulent time slot is Tuesday at 7pm to about 10pm. Once we get settled and started it is 7:30 some nights. Not a lot of gaming time. It gets frustrating.

That's my group. Weeknights are better for scheduling since most folk know where they will be, but it is harder in regards to how much time is available.

 

[thullgrim]

I can get a live pick up game going at the FLGS. Owner would love to be able to play and have a group in there on Friday nights. I don’t have the time to prep two games though.

 

[Xamnam]

One thing that seems to be an outlier for me is my games improved a lot by going to VTT. Dont get me wrong, seeing folks and chatting a bit and breaking bread is great, however VTT has us more on focus and able to accomplish much much more than we ever did in person. Though, I could only dream (even pre-covid) of 10 hour sessions. When we met in person it was 3-4 hours tops.

That's so interesting to me, because I've personally found online play slows things down to a crawl. Maybe if my online groups were composed of more tech savvy folks, it would be different, but between technical problems, people talking over each other and needing to repeat, and needing to flip between various windows/screens/apps (let alone how much more prep time things require) and making sure everyone is seeing the same thing at the right time, I've always gotten through more material as both player and DM in person.

 

[EthanSental]

Agreed, in person is much more fun and engaging to me for the reasons most everyone has mentioned.

 

[aramis erak]

I bet. Im just surprised folks can commit what is basically an entire day to gaming despite their other commitments.

I only do over 6 hours for boardgames. I've several great ones that have expected playtimes of 6-18 hours. (Advanced Civilization, Pax Britannica, Federation Space.) Tho' for a couple decades, a 6 hour sunday session was standard: 2pm to 8 pm.
I used to have Supremacy, and that is another 6-18 hour. My last play was with all the options added, 18 hours, 4 star victory.
And the 3-8 hour choices of Samurai Swords (aka Shogun), Axis and Allies, SFB (for a BATS or SB assault scenario)...
3-6 hours for 1856.
Fortune and Glory is 2.5-8 hours, depending upon mode and whether teaching it or everyone knows it, and the long tail is to the right.

A full game of Mah Jongg with 4 players can be 3-8 hours (that's 16 hands), depending upon playstyles and luck.

 

[billd91]

That's so interesting to me, because I've personally found online play slows things down to a crawl. Maybe if my online groups were composed of more tech savvy folks, it would be different, but between technical problems, people talking over each other and needing to repeat, and needing to flip between various windows/screens/apps (let alone how much more prep time things require) and making sure everyone is seeing the same thing at the right time, I've always gotten through more material as both player and DM in person.

While I do prefer playing face to face and find the communication generally more efficient, I think there are a few ways I’ve found that playing online with a VTT can speed things up at the margins.
1) Having a decent die roller with good options can speed up lots of die rolls. It’s a lot faster for the high level rogue who crits on their sneak attack to roll on Roll20 than with physical dice.
2) I have my maps all prepped on the VTT. Revealing them rather than sketching them on the vinyl megamat on the fly is a LOT faster. That is because of increased prep time, but it’s pretty quick at playtime.