Long-term campaigning for the win, Wink.

I see merits in both types of games. Said that, my own games usually last for at least 6 month - 1 year, unless we're playing a published campaign or such, in which case the game may be shorter.

Doing both the mid-term (6+ months, played weekly, 4hrs/session) and the short-run (3-5 sessions) ... and some pretty intense 3-day non-stop play ... I think they all have different strengths.

The long-game has low-key plot threads that start slowly and then develop over time. This has the effect of making for a very rich experience where the PCs actions (and other events) can have surprising long-term consequences because there is a long term.

The short-game is very cool because it's condensed. There is a great satisfaction for me (as either GM or player) at the wrap-up. It's a whole, complete experience that I can reflect on, analyze, etc. It's a story that ends (with the long games, people come an go, enthausiam waxes and waines, etc.)

The non-stop (3-day) short game is an intense experience. We've done horror games that way and there's something about the continual experience that seems to compound the intensity. Some of my most intense, immersive experiences have been had this way.

-Marco

Quote from: jrientsTwo things really hold me back from making my own longterm campaign work for me.  My wandering eye tends to draw me towards new systems.  I haven't been so bad about this lately, but for a while I seemed to be on a constant quest to find the perfect system.  And I've still got games from that search that I would like to play.  And then there's the organization part.  I've made several attempts and my notes just don't cohere.  Some days I think I should just get the Wilderlands boxed set or maybe the new setting for the Dungeon Crawl Classics line.

Yeah, that's pretty much my problem too.  I did run a fairly good 5 month Nobilis game, I was really enjoying that one.  Then half the players quit because "schoolwork was getting too much for them."  Actually, one player quit for that, one moved, and then another dropped out because since everyone else was leaving, it seemed a good time to bail out of the weekly commitment.

Fucking college kids got no spine.  Maybe the Wild Talents mecha game will last for a while. I'm pretty enamored with the ORE system, and everyone loves robots.

So rather than calling me a noob for not doing long-term, how about some advice for keeping a game steady and keeping the world details straight for that long?