It honestly depends on the group. My group generally averages about 6 hours per session, but the first hour tends to be goofing around and socializing before the game actually begins.

It also depends on the game you're playing. Something like D&D where there's often a lot of combat and other dice-rolling that consume time, going 8 hours isn't suprising. (We've gotten too old to do it more than once in a blue moon now, but 10 years ago my group would sometimes start in the late afternoon and play until sunrise. Of course, this was before we all had real jobs and other "grown-up" things to deal with.) On the flipside, games that are more story-based tend to have shorter sessions because you can accomplish a lot more in a shorter period of time when you're not rolling dice, consulting charts and recording and erasing things on your character sheet. When we play more story-oriented games, the session tends to be only 4 to 5 hours.

So, no, 4 hours doesn't seem wrong to me, though anything less than that would seem too short. Especially if folks have to drive a considerable distance to attend. But I think if you're playing for at least twice as long as the total time the furthest traveller has to spend on the road, it's perfectly acceptable.

And sadly, a lot of gamers are lacking in social graces and tend towards unneccessary drama. Doesn't make it right though, and you're perfectly justified in being cranky. I'm sorry if you have to deal with it. But if you're cooking for them (most groups just do snack food and maybe pitch in for pizza) I'm boggling that even their grubby gamer brains aren't able to recognize that they should be more appreciative.

Sigh. Thanks much for the affirmation. I thought maybe I was just a cranky old lady.

Our game was rich with story and we seriously had all the time we needed for a good resolution...which also left room for picking up the story the next time.

The only consulting of sheets we did was because none of us knows our characters very well yet! I actually still need a name...

And that is an excellent formula for time. I'll remember it. One of the reasons I offered to host is that I live two blocks from a Metro station, have easy parking and am a snap to get to, compared to most of the 'burb based players. Nobody travels more than a half hour to get to me.

And yeah, since some of the players are just out of short pants, I figured a nice homecooked wouldn't go amiss, but not everyone seems to value that particular commodity. Oh well.

t /whinging

I really have to wash that kerfuffle right outta my hair. (it just happened last night and this morning) Talking about it here helped!

Thanks for the suggestions, Beej. It looks like the RPG might have to come off the wishlist and into the shopping cart sometime soon. Hey, good thing my birthday is coming up! Perhaps that will be my present to me.

Our game was rich with story and we seriously had all the time we needed for a good resolution...which also left room for picking up the story the next time.

Sounds like 4 hours was just right, then. If the GM had to find a clumsy stopping point because of the time limit, I could see the problem, but if the story concluded where and how a chapter in a book or a TV episode would, then it's fine.

Though I have had players (and even been such a player) who wanted the GM to continue the game session beyond his planned stopping point and were disappointed when he didn't. When I'm GMing I take it as a compliment, and when I'm a player I just get over my disappointment because I know there are times when the GM just can't do anymore that day, either because of social engagements or because he's spent. Running a game that's going well can be as big of a high as when you're writing and the words are just flying on to the page, and can be just as exhausting when you're done.

And that is an excellent formula for time. I'll remember it. One of the reasons I offered to host is that I live two blocks from a Metro station, have easy parking and am a snap to get to, compared to most of the 'burb based players. Nobody travels more than a half hour to get to me.

Yeah, if they're griping about having to travel half an hour to get to a "only" 4 hour game session, ask them how far they travel to watch a 2 hour movie? I'm willing to bet it's about the same.

And yeah, since some of the players are just out of short pants, I figured a nice homecooked wouldn't go amiss, but not everyone seems to value that particular commodity. Oh well.

Well, if you've got teenagers in the group, I send you all the patience~ma in the world. As a former teenage gamer, I know full-well how obnoxious they can be.

story concluded where and how a chapter in a book or a TV episode would

This was exactly it. I stampeded some sheep, a couple of other players snuck into a fortified building (lock picking skills, yo!), picked up a doctor, rescued the mining guy and we all beat feet for the ship. Plus we got paid. It was awesome!

The GM did really seem to be enjoying herself. Especially when unexpected things happened. She rolled with it (no pun) well.

Thankfully, it seems the kerfuffle has died down. I pleaded for peace in the valley this morning and, being the injured party, that seemed to carry some weight. The perp would have made herself look pretty bad had she continued the fuss. For better or worse, it means the two ships are now parted...playing on different days. I'm sad about missing two members of that ship who were terrific folk...and, forgive my bias, older.

Some of the youngsters...and this shows my age because they are actually 20/21s, not even teens...just haven't grown into their geeky selves yet. I know what that felt like for me, so I'm not blaming them, but...as one participant says "they just aren't home-trained."

No kidding around, my DOG is better behaved by a large margin.

I have no clue what our next adventure will be, but I'm psyched for it.

Having the experience that you've had, Kalshane, is there anything the players can do to be particularly supportive of/helpful to the GM?

And, Libkitty...go for it! I understand the book is pretty spendy...and frankly, I haven't read much of it other than the attributes section when I was building my character...but the whole experience has been really fun. I like dreaming up the character (still in formation) and the interaction between the characters is a hoot.

One of your guys is extra greedy, which is fun to predict behaviorwise, and one of his limitations is that he's 'portly'...which comes up more often than you'd imagine. It cracks me up that we both have tracking skills but he has to stop and lean against a tree now and then. "Hey, remember...I'm portly!" Don't know why that tickles me so.

Is it true that the average game goes 6 to 8 hours?

I must be on the extreme other end of that average, then, as we sould tell people to arrive at 10 am (so they'd get there by noon) and go until 1 or so in the morning.

Hosting a game (i.e., being the person who provides the space and the cleanup) should exempt you from getting rations of shit from anybody...they are your guests, after all.

The Serenity RPG is gathering dust on my shelf, much like the Buffy RPG, but I don't mind as I am a collector-completist. And I had to buy it to support the franchise and the artists.

I think it's a little too limiting as an RPG, kind of forcing you into the characters as they exist in the series. Honestly, I think there already was a Firefly RPG, and it was called "Traveller." (Meaning that Traveller could be easily modified to the Firefly 'verse, and that when I first watched FF I kept saying "Hey! A TV show of Traveller!")

Glad you had fun, Beej, and yay for gaming with your sweetie!

Honestly, I think there already was a Firefly RPG, and it was called "Traveller."

Yeah, pretty much. I think I mentioned the Traveller similarity when the show first aired, too. Serenity is a free trader.

I think it's a little too limiting as an RPG, kind of forcing you into the characters as they exist in the series.

Glad you had fun, Beej, and yay for gaming with your sweetie!

It is nice playing with Fella because he has vast experience and steers me in the right direction (except when I'm disobeying an order...snerk).

I'm interested in the notion of having the characters being forced into existing molds. As a group, we made a conscious decision to avoid any of the characters in the show...even minor ones. But I know so little about creating a player, I don't have a frame of reference.

How do other rpgs encourage more creative character building?

Having the experience that you've had, Kalshane, is there anything the players can do to be particularly supportive of/helpful to the GM?

I think the big thing would be to stay with the rest of the "crew" as much as possible unless the GM is setting things up for a solo venture. I'm not talking about things where the characters have to split up in order to enact a plan, but rather one character wandering off to do his own thing. It's frustrating for the GM because he has to direct his energies in a direction away from the main plot, and it's frustrating for the other players because they're stuck sitting around while the loner monopolizes the GMs time.

That makes a lot of sense. And has caused me to be a bit chastened...when I defied the captain's order, I stayed in an area to observe a building, while the rest of the search party was hanging out in the woods.

It worked out to the good, but I'll be more mindful in future.

Thanks for the tip.