The Best Game for A Long Campaign
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Last campaign I ran over 5 years (7 years total) was D&D 3.5. It wasn't suited for it.
Most of the rest of the campaigns I ran went 3-4.5 years.
Campaigns I've played that went over 5 years were AD&D 2nd and Champions (now Hero System), both with the same GM.
In my personal experience, it seems more GM dependent than system dependent. Though a slower advancing one like a supers game might work out better than a Zero to Hero game that expects continual significant character improvement.
Most of the rest of the campaigns I ran went 3-4.5 years.
Campaigns I've played that went over 5 years were AD&D 2nd and Champions (now Hero System), both with the same GM.
In my personal experience, it seems more GM dependent than system dependent. Though a slower advancing one like a supers game might work out better than a Zero to Hero game that expects continual significant character improvement.
AnotherGuy
Hero
D&D/Pathfinder/C&C (any, just slow down the level advancement), Ars Magica, Vampire the Masquerade , Eclipse Phase
pointofyou
Hero
I agree that it's likely to depend on the GM as much as the system. Seems to me it's probably also going to depend at least some on the other people at the table. While it's possible to run a 1-20 D&D 5e campaign for 120+ sessions it's easier if you don't have anyone expecting the rocket-sled advancement the rules at least seem to promise.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Sure. I didn't say it was impossible, just "might work out better".
The AD&D 2nd campaign was really like 8 interlocked campaigns so most of the players had a stable of characters, and I still had multiple characters go from 1st to Epic (beyond 20th). And this was back with a system where XP needed to level up doubled every level from about 9th onward. (AD&D 2nd each class had it's own XP track.)
HaroldTheHobbit
Adventurer
I'm an old guy who mostly play traditional systems with built in advancement, like D&D, PF, BRP and my favorite Savage Worlds. And then it's easy, just pace the progression to what fits the campaign.
For games with no or diffuse advancement, like Traveller, I find it a bit more tricky with longer campaigns. Then it's a matter of both me as GM and the players creating a sense of progression and reaching satisfying goals outside of mechanical character progression. Which ain't always easy when many of us are Pavloved to play around d20 style level-ups.
For games with no or diffuse advancement, like Traveller, I find it a bit more tricky with longer campaigns. Then it's a matter of both me as GM and the players creating a sense of progression and reaching satisfying goals outside of mechanical character progression. Which ain't always easy when many of us are Pavloved to play around d20 style level-ups.
the Jester
Legend
For me, it has been D&D. My campaign started, depending on how you count, either in 1981 or around 1993ish- I'd have to check my notes (the original setting was destroyed in an apocalypse that the pcs didn't prevent, but the new one was spawned from its wreckage, sort of). It has transitioned from each edition to the next, and some old pcs from as far back as 1e are still around (having ascended to godhood, among other things).
It's going well. We just had another apocalyptic event, but the pcs stopped this one.
It's going well. We just had another apocalyptic event, but the pcs stopped this one.
pointofyou
Hero
I apologize if I wasn't clear. I wasn't arguing about whether it's possible to run a long-ish campaign in 5e. I've done so. I was expanding on your point about it being GM-dependent to include it being table-dependent.
Oddly enough the D&D 5e campaigns I've been involved with have run longer than any of the 1e or 3e campaigns I can remember being part of.
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
It is an interesting journey folks take. In my experience, folks either take to it like a bird finally being freed, or they just reject it wholesale. I've had a good number of folks here at EN world argue that the game design needs to give clear and precise ideas to the players on what they need to do to make the game work. Typically, award systems for engaging the game. If they are not clear, the players just shut down. Part of that, I believe, is traditional training through D20 level ups, but also some folks just want/need that guiding hand, and some dont.
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Thanks for clarifying, and I agree with you. The table really needs to want to do that as well.
As a side note I wasn't putting down 5e compared to other editions of D&D, just saying that AD&D 2nd (as player) and D&D 3.5ed (as DM) were the only ones I myself were part of 5+ year campaigns.
Though with 5e I'd want to run Milestone leveling (which I do anyway) as the XP chart combined with the XP per encounter (so basically encounters per level) speeds up a lot once you hit the teens and propels the party towards 20 at a lot faster rate than encounters be level in Tier 2 of play. My understanding is this was intentional, disclosed in a designer discussion years ago where the common spot to end seems in the 10-12 range, so they wanted a good long period in the sweet spot of 5th to campaign end, but the campaigns that went longer than 12 were often trying for 20 and the same leisurely pace would take them forever so they sped it up.
