What is the ideal session length

[just__al]

Well, our group switched from a weekend day game to a weeknight game and I am not sure we game for long enough each session (about 3 hours sometimes 3.5)

So here's a poll..

 

[der_kluge]

We game Saturdays, or Sundays (whichever works out). The new group is "from noon to whenever", but my wife won't tolerate that once she moves up here. Of course, we've only gamed once because of conflicts, so it's only a theoretical potentiality.

Old group was Saturdays from 7:00 to midnight; every other week.

 

[el-remmen]

As I have gotten older the sessions have gotten shorter and shorter.

From all day long every Saturday in the summer (from about noon to 10 pm) when I was in my teens, to eight hour sessions every two weeks in my twenties, to now about 6 hours now in my thirties.

Less then four hours does not seem worth it to me, and more than 6 or 7 and my brain gets frazzled. . .

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I've done the 4-hour session thing, and I think that's just too short, unless you can really get people there on time and focused throughout the session. I prefer a 6-8 hour session length.

 

[The_Gneech]

In college, I had a session of gaming that lasted more or less 48 hours, with occasional stops for food and sleep, with two different GM's switching off running duties (and games). It was a lot of fun -- but it wasn't something I was eager to repeat!

-The Gneech

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, I selected "it depends on how the session is going."

But usually, my preference is anywhere from 3 to 6 hours. Less than 3, you can't get much done; much more than 6, and people (IME) start to lose focus.

I prefer shorter, more frequent sessions to longer, less frequent ones. I'm happy to do the 10-hour thing on occasion, but I'd rather not do so regularly.

Interestingly enough, I'm willing to play for more hours at a stretch than I'm willing to DM for.

 

[random user]

We play 4 hours. Sometimes it's a little short but we are all in our 30s, most married, some with kids. Weekends are out; we play 7 to 11 monday nights. We always start by 7:15; sometimes sessions run a little late to 11:15 or occassionally 11:30, though I try to end it at 11:00.

In an ideal world, I think a 5 hr session would be best, for my style at least.

 

[fafhrd]

Interestingly enough, I'm willing to play for more hours at a stretch than I'm willing to DM for.

I don't know that it's that unusual. For the first 10 years of my gaming experience, I was always a player. We frequently tormented our DM into running sessions longer than he would have preferred. Well, he passed away last year today. I took up the reigns both in tribute and desperation. Now, I'm always getting pestered to run sessions well after my exhaustion point(around 7 hours). As a player we ran 14 hour sessions every so often. I think it just speaks volumes about the amount of work a DM has to do. I'm convinced my old DM is laughing at me every Saturday.

 

[nerfherder]

We play 4 hours. Sometimes it's a little short but we are all in our 30s, most married, some with kids. Weekends are out; we play 7 to 11 monday nights. We always start by 7:15; sometimes sessions run a little late to 11:15 or occassionally 11:30, though I try to end it at 11:00.

That describes my group almost exactly. In our 30's/early 40's with responsibilities. We play 7-11 on Monday nights, as that's the only night we all have free.

Cheers,
Liam

 

[Mr. Kaze]

Personally, I like to play for as long as we're making good progress. Realistically, we schedule for 6:30-10pm and run over when we get into brutal long-running combats.