Would anyone be interested in a group designed for short sessions (2 hours and under)?

Hi there, So I am a recent inductee to the world of tabletop gaming (playing a monthly game for just over a year) and a consistent problem of mine is finding and justifying the time it takes to go out and play 4-5 hour gaming sessions when my work schedule already takes me away from my family a fair portion of the week. That said, I'm looking to form an online group that would allow me to play shorter sessions on a more regular basis from the comfort of my home. That said, I'm wondering if anyone else would be interested in this? I know 2 hours isn't often enough to get through even a short adventure, but the way I figure it there may be more people looking for an easier way to squeeze their love of tabletop games into their busy lives. I'd love to connect with them and form a new group!

What schedule were you considering. I am a father and full time engineer so gaming is a part time hobby.

I got no problem playing short times, the only time i can't play is on sundays though because that's when i got another d&d session. other than that i would love to join in to this adventure. and my schedule is open all time otherwise and i'm a bit new to the game but i learn fast :) all in all, i'm up for it, just don't me the dm ^^

Hi guys, This is right up my alley. I have the same issue with time, especially during weeknights. I play a lot of 4E and would be willing to run some games for something like this, but also, I would really love to be a player too. I would say, that expectations would really need to be set for this. With only 2 hours, people would need to get in and get at it very quickly. People would have to be very concise with their actions, and decisions. Not just in their "turns" but also there really can't be that element of overly exploring the city or deciding to try to make trouble in a bar etc. Basically, imo, this would have to be highly on rails to sufficiently take a plot line from start to finish. What timezone are folks interested in this living? I am Eastern "I am a father and full time engineer so gaming is a part time hobby." HA! join the club!

I'm EST and my current schedule would probably only allow for weekday games beginning around 8:30. I could also potentially do some weekend sessions from 1-4pm and, again, in the evening. That said, depending on what everyone else can do I might be able to adjust. I very much agree that we'll have to keep games relatively tight. That said, I'd hate to just railroad the players from start to finish and cut out all possibility of actual role-playing. I think we'll definitely need to put in some restrictions and maybe limit some of the things PCs can do, but I also think if we carefully prepare each game in advance and make efforts to allot time for contained role-playing (as you said, no sauntering off to the bar to cause trouble) we could still have some varied and interesting games. If nothing else, it could be useful to formalize some ground rules.

I assume that was an 8:30pm, right? Yeah, don't get me wrong, I don't want to remove the RP or anything, but I run plenty of one-offs to know that they take typically longer than 2 hours, so I am just trying to get maximum bang for the buck. I am just saying more that PC's can't expect to go sandbox to say the least.

Most of my games tend to run for 2-3 hours. I have back-neck issues and sitting down longer then that causes me to ache. I'm a gm so i may be able to try and fit some of you into one of my games or pick you guys up. Im also pst

Yeah PM. Sorry. And sounds pretty much what I'm looking for Alex. Also thanks for the offer Belenus! We may take you up on it! :) My next question is how does one formally create a group? I've been looking around the site but can't figure it out! :/

I'm definitely interested in shorter, weekly sessions! Like you guys, family and full-time work keeps me busy. Some of the discussions (character creation, planning..) can also be held between sessions. 7.30pm Eastern is great for me. But I'm also flexible.

Typically. When forming a group it depends. Sometimes I pick up individual players. Sometimes players look for a gm. It's kind of a hodge podge really. This threads probably the best youll getunless you try and get people for that specifc timeslot

Stew if you like I can set something up. I'll PM you and we can talk a bit.

I am also in pretty much the same boat and would love to find a game that works with my schedule. I am available pretty much every evening at 9pm+ CST (GMT -6) [10pm EST]. If that is not too late for you let me know.

I'm bumping this. So, Alex, would you be confident to give Pathfinder a shot?

If he has pregen characters and depending on the day / time I would be interested. I have no experience with PF or 4E but I am an old school gamer.

Okay, so if anyone would be interested, I'm proposing we do a test run short session for the evening of April 24th. If that day is convenient, I could be there and get started by 8:30PM. If we can keep it around 2 hours we should finish around 10:30. A few ground rules I think we should have: -Be punctual. If you can't be there at the start time don't agree to play. -Be prepared. Have everything ready ahead of time. This goes for GMs and PCs. -Be decisive. Don't zone out like I usually do whenever I play a 4 hour plus game. Be minding the game and planning you move in advance. -Be agreeable. We won't have time for rules lawyering. Even if the GM might be wrong, if it's a tiny thing that won't break the game, let them make the call and let it go. If that works for people, we just have to figure out we're going to play. I'll put in the effort to learn anything people agree to, but I personally have experience with Pathfinder. In fact, if no one else has a game they'd rather run I could actually run The Infernal Vaults module which I already have prepared from another session that I had to cancel. It's technically made for 4 hours, but I'm thinking I could make some tweaks to speed things along. If things take too long we could also discuss the possibility of completing 4 hour modules over two nights (maybe a bi-weekly?). I could also write up a reminder sheet to make it easier to remember what happened in the session prior. Let me know your thoughts and suggestions!

I love what I'm reading! I don't have enough experience to run a game, but I do prepare a lot, and will provide any help you need. Pathfinder is my top choice as well. Do you want to create a campaign so we can carry the discussion over there?

I'll wait to see if I get a few more replies and then I'll do that.

I'll just create a campaign. Don't know what I wanted to wait now that I put more thought into it.

<a href="https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/367284/rpg-short-sessions" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/367284/rpg-short-sessions</a>

This link yields a "Not Authorized" error.

Updated the settings so the campaign is now public <a href="https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/367284/rp" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/campaigns/details/367284/rp</a>...

Based on my own experience, you may want to pick Skype or Google Hangouts for the voice chat. You'll be able to get the game up and running quicker. Whenever I've used the Roll20 voice chat, we seem to struggle with it for a few hours and then eventually give up and switch to something else.

Thanks for the tip Keith! :)

And I gave the wrong link again! This is the proper one finally! <a href="https://app.roll20.net/join/367284/01itFg" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/join/367284/01itFg</a> On a secondary note, I'm off on vacation until Saturday but after that I'd love to further solidify some plans.

I'm back from vacation and the conversation is now moving to a new thread. <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/772496/questions/#post-772496" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/772496/questions/#post-772496</a>

Hey I know this post is a bit data agreed but if anyone's interested I frequently run Savage Worlds.It's a system designed for speed with a heavier lean on character over mechanics.It's support easy to learn and can run any kind of game from a d&d type fantasy to sci-fi horror to pull adventure. I tend to set up games for Tuesdays from about 7pm-9pm eastern standard time.

@Bobby E. I might be interested in that! Let me investigate Savage Worlds a bit more and I'll PM you.

Yeah, same here =)

ok the core book is only $10 so its a super cheap investment

DMbobby. said: ok the core book is only $10 so its a super cheap investment Ordered it from Amazon on Friday and should be arriving by tomorrow at latest.

very cool

I love the idea of shorter sessions. This hobby can get pretty carried away with its perfect storm requirements, and shorter sessions boil the game down to what's working without it becoming a day long endeavour. Unfortunately, my work schedule puts my availability either in the morning or in the late evening. One piece of advance I'd suggest is to run the game very down to earth. Have very normal, attainable goals that the party can complete without a huge time investment. Simply having defined goals should speed things up (I fond far too many GMs miss that point completely), but taking it a step further and keeping the game from being larger than life could provide it with some direction. Another thought is to stick with more straight forward adventures or break up longer ones rather than always try and run an epic. Some of the beat adventures I've run were simple "stop the bandit" type games rather than complex stories full of twists and turns. Small dungeons, segmented encounters, and and the like can all help provide a sense of accomplishment while making it easier to plan smaller, self encompassed scenarios. Best of luck.