Time and Pacing Guide
Since this is an experiment, time will be an interesting thing to manage. I’d like to go over a few of the ideas I’d like to implement. I think as we play, we will find a natural flow and these guidelines might change. I am very open to being fluid until we find what works best for our group.
In Game Time: I will be presenting stories in what I like to call “Chapters”. These segments will represent 1 day in the game. There will be a set of experiences and goals that must be accomplished in order for a day to be completed. Most of the goals will be presented at the beginning of the chapter, however, some may come up later on and will change the course of the story. This system allows us to let a chapter/day last as long as we need it to. If people are only able to participate a few times a day, this flexible style should be easy to work with.
One thing to consider is that people should be very aware of their usage of things like magic or other skills or items. Since time is moving at a slower rate those actions will have to be carefully rationed so you don’t use all your good stuff before the end when you might need it the most! I estimate a chapter will take about 1 – 2 weeks to complete on average, but that depends on the pacing set by the characters. If you move quickly, so will the story!
Decision making and progression in real time: In this experiment I am going to try a few different methods. They will include the following:
Timed Decisions: There will be times where an individual or the group must make a decision within a set time frame. In order to accommodate work and home lives (which are very important!) I will attempt to make these time frames reasonable but within an amount of time that facilitates the action of the scene.
For example, if you are responsible for deciding which step a group takes next I would offer a time frame of about 3 hours. If you cannot make the decision at that time, you can choose several options including passing your decision to another character who is with you to make that choice or letting the time run out and having the decision made randomly with a dice role. If you are called upon as the person to choose and you know you won’t be able to participate, I would request being notified as soon as possible so that I can adjust things and present the issue to the group or another player.
When a group decision is being made there will be chat and questions to the story teller. These will be timed and will only include people who are active while the time is running.During this time players can ask for more details, explore surroundings, get information from the non player characters etc. If a character is unable to speak or contribute, their vote in the decision will be decided by a random dice roll. If the group cannot come to a decision by the end of the time frame given all decisions will default to dice rolls.
Real Time Decisions: At certain points in the game (especially early evenings or times when most people may be available or where we agree to do an event together) there will be real time decisions made. This means that a reasonable amount of people respond to a request and can make a decision immediately. If there is no response, a decision will be made with a random dice roll.
Combat or quick time events: At points in a chapter there may be combat or situations that are fast paced and waiting long periods like 3 hours or more will hamper the adventure. When this happens you will have a small amount of time to decide or a forced dice roll will occur. If you are absent for the entirety of a scene where you are called on to act you will effectively be put in an “observation” state where things will happen with the die controlling every quick time decision. You will have to deal with whatever consequences or rewards arise from these situations as best as you can if you are unable to participate. I will try to keep these to a minimum, but sometimes things happen and it can’t be helped!
Death or Injury: If your character is critically injured or gasp killed, then you will have a few options. You can roll for the chance of a revival, create a new character that will be introduced into the story at the next opportunity or simply observe the rest of the story. If for some reason you are unable to continue playing, there are ways to continue your role without removing your part entirely. If you decide to return, the door is always open!