|
Post by foster1941 on Mar 9, 2018 10:25:45 GMT -6
For a long time I've had a lot of questions about the mode and dynamics of play in the early days of Greyhawk Castle that you're the best (only?) person to ask, so I figured I might as well ask them: 1. How long did sessions usually last? I understand that Gary ran games both during the week and on weekends - were the weeknight sessions only a couple hours long or would play sometimes run deep into the night? Were weekend sessions all-day (and/or all-night) affairs? If so, would players drop in and out during the session? What is the longest session you remember playing in? 2. How many players were involved in a typical session? Is my understanding correct that the weeknight sessions tended to be smaller (sometimes only 1-2 players) while the weekend ones were larger? Was there a substantial group of players who only played on weekends + a harder-core group who also (only?) played during the week? We've all heard stories of Gary & Rob co-DMing groups of 20+ players - were expeditions that size common or unusual? Did you ever play in groups that large, and if so was it still fun? 3. How were games planned? Did players coordinate in advance and decide who they wanted to play with and when and then work it out with Gary to see when he was available and no one else was invited to play at that time, or did you just show up at his place and play with whoever else was there at the same time? In the latter case, if different players wanted to do different things (or had incompatible characters) how did that get resolved? Were there any players who didn't like playing with and tried to avoid each other? 4. How did sessions begin and end? Did they always start and end in town (or, later, in character strongholds)? If you were stuck or lost in the dungeons or wilderness when quitting time came, how was that resolved? Did you keep playing until you got home (or died) or did you ever "freeze" the action - and, if the latter, how did that affect the other players and the ongoing timeline of the campaign? I've got a lot more questions like this, if you're interested in answering them. If so, thanks in advance for your time and for allowing me to plumb your nearly-50-year-old memories
|
|
|
Post by rossik on Mar 9, 2018 18:12:14 GMT -6
would love to know that too
|
|
|
Post by murquhart72 on Mar 16, 2018 16:49:22 GMT -6
I think a lot of people would benefit with the insight answers could give. But the folks that were there "back in the day" never seem to want to talk about stuff like that. At least, not without insulting the questioners intelligence or reading comprehension. I even got barked at by Gary once for asking about stuff that "doesn't even matter anyway".
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2018 17:53:26 GMT -6
Well, with an attitude like that, no wonder.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2018 17:57:39 GMT -6
For a long time I've had a lot of questions about the mode and dynamics of play in the early days of Greyhawk Castle that you're the best (only?) person to ask, so I figured I might as well ask them: 1. How long did sessions usually last? I understand that Gary ran games both during the week and on weekends - were the weeknight sessions only a couple hours long or would play sometimes run deep into the night? Were weekend sessions all-day (and/or all-night) affairs? If so, would players drop in and out during the session? What is the longest session you remember playing in? 2. How many players were involved in a typical session? Is my understanding correct that the weeknight sessions tended to be smaller (sometimes only 1-2 players) while the weekend ones were larger? Was there a substantial group of players who only played on weekends + a harder-core group who also (only?) played during the week? We've all heard stories of Gary & Rob co-DMing groups of 20+ players - were expeditions that size common or unusual? Did you ever play in groups that large, and if so was it still fun? 3. How were games planned? Did players coordinate in advance and decide who they wanted to play with and when and then work it out with Gary to see when he was available and no one else was invited to play at that time, or did you just show up at his place and play with whoever else was there at the same time? In the latter case, if different players wanted to do different things (or had incompatible characters) how did that get resolved? Were there any players who didn't like playing with and tried to avoid each other? 4. How did sessions begin and end? Did they always start and end in town (or, later, in character strongholds)? If you were stuck or lost in the dungeons or wilderness when quitting time came, how was that resolved? Did you keep playing until you got home (or died) or did you ever "freeze" the action - and, if the latter, how did that affect the other players and the ongoing timeline of the campaign? I've got a lot more questions like this, if you're interested in answering them. If so, thanks in advance for your time and for allowing me to plumb your nearly-50-year-old memories 1) I seem to remember going to about 10:30 at night on weeknights. It's been over 40 years, I really can't be 100% sure. 2) In the typical sessions I was involved in, 3-6 players was typical. I don't know how many people were at sessions I didn't attend. Gary's study was pretty tiny, though. I've never heard of Rob and Gary co-reffing groups of 20+, though they may have at conventions. I have no knowledge. 3) Gary would call and ask if I was available for such and such evening, and I'd say either yes or no. Never knew who else would be there. 4) Gary kept an eye on the clock. We knew when it was time to start leaving the dungeon, although if we had trouble navagating back things might run overtime. Every session ended up with us in a "rest" spot, either home, or an inn, or at least a campsite.
|
|
|
Post by mrmanowar on Mar 16, 2018 21:50:06 GMT -6
All that sounds good Gronan, that's how I try to end my games (with an eye towards your answer to #4.)
|
|
|
Post by foster1941 on Mar 16, 2018 23:49:35 GMT -6
Thanks for the answers. They line up with about what I expected so it’s nice to hear that the dynamics of play weren’t completely different than what I’d assumed.
Your answer to #3 is a little surprising. In addition to group play you also had some famous solo adventures in the Castle. Were those initiated by Gary in the same way as the group games? Did you know in advance which of your characters you’d be playing before showing up for the game or would you bring multiple characters and decide when you got there which one to play (based on who else was there, etc.)?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2018 11:19:21 GMT -6
I'd ask Gary or Rob if they had time to play solo and set it up.
We brought all our characters and decided at the time.
|
|
|
Post by foster1941 on Mar 17, 2018 14:04:19 GMT -6
Thanks again. I know when I made the original post I had more questions but I’ve forgotten what they were now. If I remember, and they still seem worth asking, I may have a few more of these
|
|
|
Post by murquhart72 on Mar 18, 2018 8:45:37 GMT -6
That all sounds pretty much like what I've seen and/or done myself over the years. The time of day being an exception; Holy poops that seems like a late time to be gaming! I hate having to get up so early for work sometimes. I remember one weird session that ran nearly 24 hours once. It got a little silly towards the end o.O
|
|
|
Post by foster1941 on Mar 19, 2018 11:53:01 GMT -6
OK, I remembered another one:
How were non-adventuring in-town activites like buying equipment, selling non-cash treasure, gathering info, hiring men-at-arms, etc. handled? Was that stuff typically played out at the table (i.e. you tell Gary or Rob that you're going to the armorer's shop and then roleplay out a scene where you talk and haggle with the shopkeeper) or abstracted (i.e. you subtract 50 g.p. and write down that you now have a suit of plate armor)? Were significant amounts of table-time spent on "pre-adventuring" activity of this sort or was it more likely that this sort of bookkeeping would occur off-stage between sessions and when everybody was actually gathered together at the table you got right into the action? Or was it something like the first time your character entered town, sought lodgings, went shopping, etc. it was played out at the table but once you were "established" all of that stuff tended to get glossed over?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2018 12:04:32 GMT -6
The first. Highly abstract, unless you were doing something unusual.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2018 12:05:09 GMT -6
Buying a sword = abstract. Buying a magic sword = not abstract.
|
|
|
Post by foster1941 on Mar 19, 2018 12:21:31 GMT -6
Thanks, again. It's validating to realize how close the way we instinctively played "back in the day" was to how you all played, and that all the second-guessing and overthinking that came later was pretty much just that...
|
|