#RPGChat Archive, 15 March 2012: Pacing
#RPGChat Archive, 15 March 2012: Pacing
Mar 15
The topic for the 15 March 2012 chat was pacing. Wondering what RPGchat is? Allow us to explain. Interested in participating? Join us next week on twitter. Just look for the #rpgchat hashtag, and share your thoughts when you’re ready!
Tweets of Note
@d20Blonde
Hi, #RPGchat! tonight we are talking about pacing!
The chat started off with pacing in combat:
@suntzu69
Ugh. Keeping up the tempo in a long combat
@GamingTonic
@suntzu69 Combat is easy, just shut it down, villain goes down. Sandbox and confusion. Players not progressing anything is hard.
@DarthKevin
@KingofVrock: and shopping kills momentum completely
How do you handle the shopping for gear, equipment, and upgrades in your game?
@d20Blonde
Never shop during the game. Do that over email between sessions. That shit takes FOREVER.
Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue popped in with some relevant tips:
@fredhicks
Pacing is about putting people on the clock, spreading the spotlight fairly, and constructively applied impatience.
@rdonoghue
Pacing also hinges on clarity of vision – you cannot be excited for your next action if you’re still figuring out what it will be
@rdonoghue
Also, if you want to put combat on the clock, I demand the same for dialog. And math. And navigation.
Lots of people chimed in with the idea of using a real time clock to for player actions, though this was not a universally popular tactic:
@Nakedhobo
Combat starts, so does real time. Players have 10 seconds to chose an action
@EricMPaq
@Nakedhobo Do you apply the 10 sec rule to all forms of combat (physical, social, mental, mass, etc…)
@Nakedhobo
@EricMPaq if it is a real time situation, the rule applies. I also squash inter player chat in these situations too
@EricMPaq
@Nakedhobo That can work if you have the right group who accept it. I know my group and myself & we wouldn’t.
Two of the better suggestions of the night came from the idea of rewarding making decisions fast to keep players and the pace at high speed:
@roninkakuhito
if you want a time limit, don’t set a limit on decision time, give a bonus for quick instead of optimal choices
@TheUniverseGM
@BlackStarGames For sure! There’s a lot you can do outside the session to ‘set the scene’ so you keep the past fast at the table#rpgchat
The full archive of the chat is in spreadsheet form here.
