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Message: <blockquote data-quote="amerigoV" data-source="post: 5258420">Damn, I go on vacation and a topic near and dear to my heart pops up. Anyway, pacing to me is one of the key aspects of GMing. Its key to the mood (for example, horror needs a build up then a release - two completely different paces), its key to general story telling (I would slap another player if they talked to EVERY NPC for hours on end), and it keeps the players engaged.One thing I have not seen in the thread is how frequent you game makes a huge impact on pace. Gaming every week allows the GM to let the story unfold at its own pace. If the PCs get side tracked for a session, its no big deal as the story can pick up next week with the players having a chance at remembering what is going on. If you game every other week, pacing becomes important. A side trek or unproductive sessions means that it is a month of real time between "meaningful" sessions. The GM needs to think more like a movie director and think about what scenes are important, do you let the PCs wander around to much, etc.If you game less frequently than every other week, then Pacing is overly critical. Players are not going to remember much between sessions. You have to make sure that story moves along briskly and may consider shorter story arcs.Pacing is what got me back into full-time GMing. My group was GMed by guy that loved details in his stories. That was fine for every week gaming. There was enough fights to sate my bloodlust as a player, and he got to run his "great American story" at the table. Then, he got married. Gaming became at best every other week then slipped to once every 3 weeks. His pace never changed. When you only game once every 3 weeks, you tend to want your style of game (he his story, me the action). Friction abound. I started a second group because of it (stayed in the first, just started a second group that run every other week). Recently, we switch that first group to every other week and more short story arcs. For me, I loved it (and I think the group enjoyed it). I heard from another player that the main GM hates it - he cannot get big epic story in.So, I think it is important to understand your gaming style and make sure that your gaming frequency supports the pace you enjoy.</blockquote>

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