The Gaming Ideal

[the GreyOrm]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?
3 to 4 players is optimal. I used to run with more than this, but (like many) found that anymore and people get in one another's way, there's too little screen-time for each player, and the game tends to lose tight focus without the GM enforcing control.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
Every damn day. Seriously, three times a week would be great.

3.) How long should those sessions be?
I like long sessions, but they're rare once you leave college. Ideally, a session should last six-to-eight hours. Realistically, I would expect three-to-four.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?
Depends on the game.
And my mood.
If I want some non-linear fiction to read, most gamebooks are great, with lots of Flavor in them.
If I want something to spice up my existing game, lots of Crunch, but I probably won't ever use all of it and might not even actually buy it (for lack of ability to use the material).

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?
I'd like a printed book that appears magically in my hands upon ordering it from the Internet, so I want a hard/softback-PDF hybrid. Anything else is suboptimal. Sorry, but I can't choose between having printed material (hard/softback) and having that printed material RIGHT NOW (PDF).

Price, however, is a little easier for the publisher to deal with in my case: Ten bucks. Fifteen at most. Anything else and I'm seriously considering buying a paperback novel instead. Why? Because I'm not rich (yet), and I get as much enjoyment out of the novel (if not more) as I would out of the gamebook for less money.

 

[Severion]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

4-6, i don't like large groups of players but i like large PC groups, and the old 2/player gets out of hand rather quickly.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

once per week

3.) How long should those sessions be?

seven hours

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

60/40 we like killing things and taking thier stuff

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

a collection of d20 minigames from poly all updated and fully compatible with D&D 3.0. i would pay almost anything. (i said "almost". as wife gives evil glare)

 

[Harlock]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?
6

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
6 days a week. Even God rested one day...

3.) How long should those sessions be?
6 hours.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?
I voted 20% Crunchy. This really depends on the product to me, however. Most times that's a good ratio for me. I like to mine ideas and adapt them. Crunch is okay, but PrCs are done to death. New rules just means more I have to implement, test, retcon when I remove it, etc. Flavor I can always modify and make some logical and or fantastic explanation for later if it doesn't work. A DM can never have too many hooks. Of course I also dig random stuff for spur of the moment. NPC stat blocks, names, traps to drop into nearly any situation. Fantasy Flight's Legends and Lairs is pretty cool in that regard, as is AEG's Toolbox, and a lot of the Scarred Lands material (Wise and the Wicked, the Location books, Wilderness and Wastelands etc.) and Ambient's (now EN Publishing) Everyone Else was fantastic for portable NPCs.

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?
The DM's Great Big Book of Stuff. It would have what I described above for utility. Softcover is fine, but I am certain Hardback would sell better. 320 pages of traps, NPCs both mundane and marvellous, an entire chapter of plot hooks (non setting specific of course or at least assumed standard orcs, goblins, kobolds, royalty/politics etc), Cool first AND last names for race and sex, random encounter blocks (a miniature plot for that encounter alone along with statblocks, and some treasure that can be adjusted based on percentages of standard DMG alotment say 25%, 50% 75% and 100% of standard) all blown out by EL, Character traits (accents, identifying marks, hair colors appropriate by race, overriding personality trait i.e. greedy, caring, helpful, kicks puppies), very utilitarian knock your socks off, flying by the seat of your pants or stuck in a rut and need some motivation kind of stuff! Lately our games have been more and more letting the characters explore and feel the world around them rather than forcing them into a hook, so being able to randomly generate a merchant wagon train on the fly would be cool (as I had to do in tonight's session as my players, as usual, caught me by surprise.) I'd pay 35-40 bucks for such a book even if it were black and white.

Mark... if you make this book, I will name my firstborn seamonkey after you. Of course, I have to retcon that...

 

[Teflon Billy]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

I like 1 Dm + 4 players. That's perfect to me no matter which side of the screen I'm on.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Weekly

3.) How long should those sessions be?

4-6 hours

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

40% Crunch, 60% Flavour

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

The long-promised Fields of Blood. I'd like it in Softcover and I'd like it to cost 25 dollars Canadian.

 

[Big_Daddy]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

3-6 though I personal think 5 is the perfect number

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

Weekly

3.) How long should those sessions be?

4-6 hours

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

30% Crunch, 70% Flavour

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Forgotten Realms: Players Guide to Faerun - hardback - $20(US)

 

[I'm A Banana]

Fluff is more important than crunch. Marshmallows are ALWAYS better than the cereal. But similarly, you can't have a cereal that's JUST marshmallows, or even 70% marshmallows...you have to have the oats to back it up.

Still, fluff will always veto crunch, and crunch is made to support fluff (not vice-versa), so a 40-60 split seems reasonable.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

2 (with multiple PCs to each player) - 6 but less if I DM and more if I'm a player.

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

once a week at min

3.) How long should those sessions be?


5-6 hours, though I've done a few 24 + hours.

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

Depends on the flavor... but I'm slightly hack and slash anymore. (51% to 69% crunch so make it 60%)

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost

As long as know one laughs...
Birthright: The next generation.

Hardbound books will always be the preference and price is based 29.00 to 39.00 but that’s based upon page count. As for a PDF file, I’ve never paid for a PDF file… It always seems lacking of physical substance.

 

[Shadowdancer]

In the past couple of days I've asked some questions about the past and current situation for your games. Now I would like to take the time to listen to your goals and desires. The following questions should help any publisher who reads the responses direct some of their production closer toward "The Gaming Ideal"

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?

3.) How long should those sessions be?

4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

Thanks very much for your time and indulgence...

1. 7

2. Daily

3. 5 hours

5. A hardback book that completely details how to design and create a city from scratch, and then run adventures in it. With rules for running the day-to-day details of the city, and even how to run a business in that city. $40.

 

[Silver Moon]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?
2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
3.) How long should those sessions be?
4.) The poll handled percentage of Crunch to Flavor, but what are some of the specifics behind your vote?
5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?

1. I like having 5 to 7 players.
2. We game weekly, which seems about right.
3. We play for 3 hour sessions, although I would prefer 4 hours.
4. I voted 80% flavor, as our group is heavy into the role playing aspect. There does need to be some crunch as well.
5. Softback (due to price and transportability) - I enjoyed the Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns PDF, so would favor more products along those lines.

 

[Gulla]

1.) What is the best number of players at the table, whether as a DM or player yourself?

5 players + 1 DM

2.) How often should you be able to game in an ideal world?
Dayly, but not in the same game. In the same game weekly or bi-weekly work best.

3.) How long should those sessions be?
4-6 hours

5.) If you could choose the single best next book to become available to you, what would it be, what form would it be in (hardback, softback, PDF), and how much would that book cost (please be reasonable)?
A collection og mid to high level NPCs with motivations, backgrounds, goals and methods to achieve their goals. Done by someone with enough of a min/max attitude to not be a total wimp compared to PCs at the same level.
It would be hardcover and hopefully not more than US$ 30.