Author Topic: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session  (Read 3794 times)

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Offline Spectre771

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Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« on: April 03, 2017, 03:06:53 PM »
Hello all,

If things work out well enough, I'll be hosting a weekend long gaming session.  This will be the first time I've done a marathon session like this one.  What are some suggestions and experiences I should consider when hosting?  It will be later in the year so the pool will probably be too cold for swim breaks, but still warm enough to cook out on the grill.  There are plenty of sleeping locations as well.  It's looking like 4-5 people at this point.

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cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline Hurin

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2017, 04:06:48 PM »
Never done it myself, though some of my players used to do entire weekend-long sessions. Let us know how it goes!
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Offline Merkir

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2017, 05:28:31 PM »
Hello all,

If things work out well enough, I'll be hosting a weekend long gaming session.  This will be the first time I've done a marathon session like this one.  What are some suggestions and experiences I should consider when hosting?  It will be later in the year so the pool will probably be too cold for swim breaks, but still warm enough to cook out on the grill.  There are plenty of sleeping locations as well.  It's looking like 4-5 people at this point.

Firstly, I'm envious ;). I'd love to be able to get my friends together for such a session. Our current sessions are lucky to be 4 hours.

When I was a teenager though, we did this all the time. To break up the sessions, especially during meal breaks, we had a number of light games to play, generally taking 10-50 mins each:
Cosmic Encounter, Planet Busters, Illuminati, Car Wars, etc.

Offline jdale

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2017, 05:35:49 PM »
We usually only break for meals. There's a game to focus on! It is nice actually break at mealtimes though, especially if someone has to be out of the room preparing the meal. We also try to spread that work out so it's not all on one person.

Also, experience in other games tells me that 2 AM is not the time to deal with dragons. That should probably wait until morning.
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Offline Malim

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2017, 04:20:38 AM »
Take coordinated breaks and get some fresh air in them!
Make a huge bowl of chili and eat that all weekend!
Get started early and go to bed in propper time or second and third day session will be with tired people!
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Offline Spectre771

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2017, 06:30:32 AM »
Thank you all.  I have some larger,single dish meals planned.  Lasagna, chili sounds like a great idea as I can put that in a crock pot, burgers/dogs on the grill.  Maybe steaks for the final day as a thank you.

I'm hoping we can get the schedule to work out earlier in the year so we can do some swimming for a break.  If it's around Sept/Oct, the King Richard's Faire (local Ren Faire) will be running, but that's a day long event and would kill off a day of gaming.




Also, experience in other games tells me that 2 AM is not the time to deal with dragons. That should probably wait until morning.

But isn't that when the dragons are sleeping????
If discretion is the better valor and
cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline Jengada

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2017, 01:17:49 PM »
I've never done a multiday weekend like this, but I've got experience in a couple of other areas that I think may bear on it.
First, for the food, consider lighter meals with decent snacks available. You don't want characters ending up in a coma because players were in food comas. If you can figure out a way to split meals up so players are helping, that'll free you (as the presumed GM) to focus on the game. After all, you have a world to run, they each have one character.

Second, I facilitate a few science workshops and meetings. They're similar to this in the sense that they're cases with sustained mental focus. It really helps to have those breaks, and get people moving. Swimming is an awesome option, but hacky-sack, frisbee, juggling, lawn bowling, jarts, (oh wait, those kill people), etc. or just a walk around the block can give players' minds a break, or a chance to re-think what's happening in the game.

Anything that gives you, as the GM, as much break time as the players get, is good, too.
We ask the hard questions here, because they keep us too busy to worry about the hard questions in the real world, and we can go with the answers we like the best.

Offline jdale

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2017, 04:34:06 PM »
But isn't that when the dragons are sleeping????

It wasn't...  two PCs and the dragon died in the first round, and a third PC was crippled...  to this day it's still our cautionary tale about playing late.
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Offline Puin

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2017, 07:31:04 AM »
Hi,
my group does one of those each year since 2000, at least.
We have had ones of the best play sessions but also of the worst, so carrefully planning of the adventure pace is advised!!!

We always gather friday for dinner (always home pre-made so we have only to warm it, it's always kinda medieval thematic so it's part of the enjoyment) and have a light/intro session up to 2 AM max.
If it's a new party/session it's perfect for introductory roleplaying, and background/rules discussing.
If it's part of an ongoing session then it's perfect for an approach session for the next saturday, that is the intense session day.

Saturday, heavy and ample breakfast around 10:00 (better sooner) (we always have GoT coocking book "breakfast at the wall") and ready for RPG!!!
We skip lunch and we go for dinner around 18:00...don't waste to much time or the party pace can broke. If possible to coincide real dinner with RPG dinner it's very fun, and makes for amazing RPG inplay <IC> conversation and planning.
We tend to almost finish the session, even if we have to go 4AM or more.
Sunday is just "filing up the corners" and final RPG and maybe hints for linking it to next sessions and to bear the hangover!!

So:
1) have anything prep in advance, and I mean everything (rules, handouts, meals, minis, cool beers, ...). Try to ambient as much as possible (cinematics, music, PC imatges, locations,..)
2) have especial moments for each of the players, and don't focus to much on one of them or the others may get bored.
3) Try to pace the adventure to have it's peak after saturday dinner, around 23:00, or it may get to late! (as someone said 'bout a late dragon ;D)

4) and, by our experience, IC heavy conversational intro for friday, and saturday heavy action oriented sessions have succeded really much better than scheming/palace/machiavelic sessions that slugs through saturday.

Hope it helps and have a nice experience.


Offline Peter R

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #9 on: April 05, 2017, 11:08:55 AM »
This is how we normally play.

I think the most important thing is to not go too late on the first nights. Our average age is around 50 now and by 1am we are flagging and as GM you can see players start to struggle and their engagement drop off.

For the last year we have started running 2 games so it is not on one GM to run the game every time for the whole weekend. Now we have two games and play a day and a half of each so everyone gets to play.

Be prepared... Remember in RM your epic battle planned for the final evening could be finished in a single round with a lucky shot.

I try and have the roleplay/investigative/character play scenes during the mornings and the action heavy scenes as the darkness seems to suit that.

We tend to have food delivered, Pizzas are always popular.

Not everyone is a morning person so we tend to drink tea and just socialise during the first couple of hours of second and third days until everyone is up and feeling human/demihuman. We are talking 7am to 9am. Most people are up and alive by then.
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Offline Spectre771

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2017, 08:01:51 AM »
Puin, thank you.  There is some great info in your post.  I'll have to work on something decent for timing and scheduling.  I found the GoT Cookbook.  I'm pretty sure I must own it before the end of the week!  :D    I'm looking at food types now.  Maybe the lasagna will be better for the first night as it will be people arriving at different times, I may have to pick up two players from the airport, creating 1st level PCs, which will be easier if players are spread out upon their arrival.  They won't be fighting over the same book at the same time.  With the heavier meal, we'll get a short intro going to bring the players together, and get a nice rest.  Breakfast the next day with a series of smaller events to get them XP quickly to level up.  I'd like to have them at level 5 by the dinner time rally.  I'll have two crock pot meals going through the day so we can take lunch breaks and food breaks as needed.  I'd like to go into Sunday gaming, but reality will probably dictate that people return home to wives/husbands and families. lol.

PeterR, great point with age and timing.  I tend to slow down around 10pm and ready for bed by 10:05. lol.  A good rest from travel and prepping and a hearty breakfast will be good.  I had considered 2 types of games going to break things up a bit.  One player may have to disappear during a session day as he probably can't get the day out of work, so that may be a good point to bring in a different game if I can convince someone to run one.  However, the best person to do that is the one who has to go to work.  :(

Sadly, I've had the epic battle end in the first round with a very high crit.  Such is RM life.  I'm going to work on having a back-up "bad guy" should that be the case.

Jengada, I'm definitely going to change up the menu I had originally planned.  Food coma could be a good possibility.  If the weather is decent, I'll look to cook out on the grill and maybe get the folks outside playing cornhole to pump some fresh air into those lungs.  I've already downloaded the instructions for crafting the cornhole boards. 
If discretion is the better valor and
cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline Roll 3d6

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2017, 04:02:54 PM »
We have one or two of these "game retreats" every year.  Here's how we do it:

Friday night:  Dinner out together or maybe order pizza to bring back.  Play card games or quick board games.  If characters need to be created for the main event, do this now.  If there is a genre-similar movie available, maybe pop that in to get the players in the proper frame of mind.

Saturday:  Play the "Main game" of the weekend.  Graze over leftovers or make your own lunch from food you brought.  Take a break for dinner (usually cooked on the grill, so we stay put).  If the "Main game" is still going, keep playing otherwise a second game can be broken out. 

Sunday:  Polish off any last minute details of the "Main game" if needed or finish the second game.  Graze your own goodies for lunch.  Pack up & clean up before dinner.  Go out to see a movie together.

Offline Druss_the_Legend

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2017, 01:59:40 AM »
in my younger days we played back to back days. it was a small group of 4 of us and we played in my room which was separate from the house so talking and loud noise wasnt going to disturb anyone, so i guess top tip#1 is consider if playing late is going to be an issue with those ppl who are sleeping. maybe let ur neigbours know not to worry if they see lights on in the we hours of the morning?
also id recommend #2 tip which is agreeing on a finish time before you start. going too late is only going to impact on ur next session and result in tired and grumpy players and even worse a tired and grumpy GM!
what might be cool is planning an encounter that splits the players up for a time and then you can send a few of them out. use this sparingly as it will slow down play but it can be really effective way of creating some added mystery/suspicion/intrigue if there is info privy to some but not all players. this really depends on knowing ur players tho.

Offline thrud

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2017, 03:20:46 AM »
Your group dynamics and style of play might be a good thing to keep in mind. Are you going to be hardcore gaming or is it mostly a chance to get away and have good time with friends?
If the focus is on gaming, avoid food that induces food coma and no beer. Several meals throughout the day will help with focus. Only serve European style coffee, Americans often compare this to paint-strippers. Lol.
Keep plenty of carb-heavy snacks on hand. Avoid stuff that gives you sticky fingers. Have good ventilation set up. Remember to bring mosquito-nets if summertime. Don't forget plenty of toilet paper. ;)

Offline Spectre771

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2017, 08:08:07 AM »
Your group dynamics and style of play might be a good thing to keep in mind. Are you going to be hardcore gaming or is it mostly a chance to get away and have good time with friends?
If the focus is on gaming, avoid food that induces food coma and no beer.

OK!! We finally have a date set and the boss (wife) said it was ok to have friends over for a sleepover! LOL

The weekend gaming session has a date now  Oct 27, 28, 29.  Friday will be PC creation and very short one-offs to level up all the players to level 5 for Saturday.  One guy is pretty much set with his PC, but I may have everyone make a 2nd PC as a back up.

Saturday will be breakfast, game till late lunch.  Break for a bit with someone else running a different game system to let me recharge. Nice dinner, then into the meat of the RM campaign prepping for Sunday.

Sunday, breakfast, then getting to the conclusion of this campaign, which I am hoping will be stage 1 of a grander campaign.

It was suggested  "no beer".... eeeeeee, Idk if I can pull that one off.  I was going to go with a keg, but it may only be 3 people drinking, so perhaps stocking up on the cases of beer instead.

Menu so far:
Breakfasts, eggs/pancakes.  Quick and easy to make.  I'll throw in some fresh fruit and corned beef hash, sausages.

Lunches, crock pot food.  Chili, stew, pulled pork.  Need to see the prices of meats at that time.

Friday dinner, probably pizza, something light as people will be arriving all different times.

Saturday dinner: Lasagna.  Easy to prep, then just heat it up.

===========

Does anyone have any other suggestions to help this succeed?  It's my first time hosting a multi day event.  I've games overnight into the wee hours plenty of times but this is a bigger scale.
If discretion is the better valor and
cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline Peter R

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #15 on: September 07, 2017, 08:22:12 AM »
When it is getting late people tend to drift off when there is mainly trudging around town and social interactions, these tend to be lead by one or two characters in my experience. They wake up though for combats. It is worth timing your big combat scenes to later in day so you can end of a high with the characters winning. The end of the fight is a natural place to call an end to the nights game.
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Offline Spectre771

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2017, 10:29:00 AM »
It is worth timing your big combat scenes to later in day so you can end of a high with the characters winning.

Winning????
  :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

I mean... .<ahem>  It's RM2.  There could be a good crit roll ;-)

If discretion is the better valor and
cowardice the better part of judgment,
let's all be heroes and run away!

Offline intothatdarkness

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2017, 08:39:03 PM »
You can find a narrative high point without having a big battle. Say the party has struggled out of the wilderness and made it back to town more or less intact. That can be a solid and reasonable stopping point. Sometimes (most times) survival is winning enough in RM2. Or maybe call a halt right before a major puzzle or some other event that might tax their brains as well as their brawn. Then they can ponder things overnight and return with fresh minds and possibly new ideas.
Darn that salt pork!

Offline Peter R

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #18 on: September 10, 2017, 03:32:28 PM »
You can find a narrative high point without having a big battle. Say the party has struggled out of the wilderness and made it back to town more or less intact. That can be a solid and reasonable stopping point. Sometimes (most times) survival is winning enough in RM2. Or maybe call a halt right before a major puzzle or some other event that might tax their brains as well as their brawn. Then they can ponder things overnight and return with fresh minds and possibly new ideas.

I have found that if I revealed the big complex challenge last thing at night, with the intention that they have had time to think about it before we resume, that a sort of chinese whispers happens and how the puzzle is remembered in the morning is frequently nothing like it was described the night before.

My F2F game is only played in long weekends two or three times a year and campaigns can take decades so over the years I have tried a range of different formats and for our group ending at the end of a combat works the best. In many ways the aftermath of a fight is a challenge that needs solving as there may be potentially fatal wounds still to be played (or bled) out and who gets what healing, what can be healed, what can't be and all that sort of thing. Just because  the party have a herb that does the job does not mean they can set up a camp fire and brew the thing in the middle of an alerted orc hold, sort of thing.
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Offline intothatdarkness

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Re: Hints/Tips/Tricks for hosting an weekend long gaming session
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2017, 05:21:32 PM »
My point is simply there are other ways to do things, and what works for your group might not work for all. And Spectre does make a solid point...what if they don't win? You can't really end with the party in disarray, and an escape from a major fight can take time to play out. Not always the best thing to do when minds are fading. And a major fight in RM always has the chance of going badly for the party unless it's a total walkover, and then in my estimation it's not really a major fight.

I never sprung a challenge on a party and then ended the session. If I knew one was coming, I'd end it before springing the event. That way their minds were clear, but they had a hint that something was coming.
Darn that salt pork!