What is the ideal session length

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

If we can stay on topic, I like a session that lasts around 4 hours.

 

[MulhorandSage]

After four hours at a session, I start getting cranky.

 

[Novalar]

We play a weekly game on monday nights that was suppose to run from 6pm to 10pm. With work and other real life issues we normally game from 7-7.30pm to 10-10.30pm. This is normally 3.5 D&D. If we manage a weekend game it is about 8-10 hourswith a cooked lunch break and goof off of Last Unicorn Games star trek system or a 3.5 D&D Undead game. Or Shadowrun 3rd ed of about 6-8 hours as different people are available. Not like the good old days... game every night, weekends... live and breath gaming! You really do not need sleep...

 

[Starglim]

Too many variables. 8 to 11 for a weeknight campaign session on not enough sleep can be a long stretch. 5 hours or so during the day is good to get the most out of a well-written one-off adventure.

 

[MonsterMash]

I voted depending on how things are going, there wasn't actually an option for the usual amount of time my group plays for, which is between 2-3 hours as its a weekday night after work and a few of the people have long journeys to get there.

If we get to play at a weekend then something like 6 hours is ideal.

 

[diaglo]

3-4 hrs/ session; 5 sessions/ week; 50 weeks/year; for 10+ years.

 

[DragonLancer]

Since we're discussing specific gaming groups now...

Theres 6 of us in total, ages from mid 20's to mid 30's, and we play every week on Mondays 8pm till 11-30/midnight. Thats about right.

I wouldn't want it to be fortnightly or monthly (how do you guys handle that?).

 

[just__al]

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.

That is the same for our group. The person who has been most vocal to sticking to the 10:00 ending point is probably bowing out of the game. If that happens I'm going to push for 10:30 for 4 hours total.

 

[Psion]

We're currently running about 4, but I'd like to push it to 6, personally. We usually wrap at 11:00 or so. If the players are really getting involved in the session, we've been known to keep it churning until 2.

 

[mr_accipitres]

I voted for at least 4 hours, but I think six is about what I really see as ideal for me personally. It provides enough time for chit-chat and such, without going too long.