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How are your games organised?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Cailte
Dec 21, 2009 8:18:51 In the DALE 1-7 (Spoilers) thread there have been a couple of posts about stat blocks one of which was this one:

56961808 wrote:
#2
Thanlis
Dec 21, 2009 8:40:57 Huh. Yeah, at my event I work out modules and DMs a couple of weeks in advance -- I run every other week, and I try to prep each month ahead of time, so there's plenty of warning.
#3
Joshua_Randall
Dec 21, 2009 10:10:15 Wow. You guys may think this method is overly obsessive, but...

* We schedule at least 6 weeks in advance, and usually 12 weeks of the schedule are available at any given time.
* DMs are assigned specific adventures and provided those adventures to prepare.
* Players sign up for specific adventures. (So, no mustering.)

So at this moment, I know who is DMing at the end of January, and who's playing, and which adventure it will be.

The schedule for Feb/March is also posted, although we haven't started taking signups yet. But the DMs know what they'll be DMing.
#4
Thanlis
Dec 21, 2009 10:43:16
Wow. You guys may think this method is overly obsessive, but...
* We schedule at least 6 weeks in advance, and usually 12 weeks of the schedule are available at any given time.

* DMs are assigned specific adventures and provided those adventures to prepare.

* Players sign up for specific adventures. (So, no mustering.)

So at this moment, I know who is DMing at the end of January, and who's playing, and which adventure it will be.

The schedule for Feb/March is also posted, although we haven't started taking signups yet. But the DMs know what they'll be DMing.

Nah, that's not weird. I should have noted: we pre-muster as well, using Warhorn.
#5
tirianmal
Dec 21, 2009 12:56:32 We have an all volunteer group of GMs so we tend to schedule about a week in advance, folks choose games, we put them on Warhorn and folks sign up. GMs therefore have up to 6 days to prepare, sometimes more, sometimes less, but rarely less than the weekend before the games (we play Monday nights).
#6
Greyson
Dec 21, 2009 15:32:59 We run a monthly game day at Epic Puzzles & Games in West Valley City, Utah. I pick the adventures and post them to our venue's recurring event Warhorn page. I do that once a month out. After each game day is over, I go home and open the next month's game day for registration. Rinse (the Warhorn page) and repeat.

I print the story awards in color, cut them out, and trade them to DMs for filled-out session tracking sheets shortly after the tables begin. But, DMs bring their own copies of the adventure. I do not provide those.

If our game day requires three DMs or more, I'll buy a box of D&D miniatures for each. And, I'll buy the latest D&D release and give it away as part of a drawing. The store gives me a discount, of course. I skip all of this give-away action if we only have one or two tables, though.
#7
Cailte
Dec 21, 2009 22:46:56 We routinely (ie weekly) have 3-5 tables, and a rotating pool of players that makes it very difficult to organise in advance - though technically that is what the organisers would like to have happening.

Sure we could say "Did you sign up?" and turn away the people that say "no" but that isn't exactly in the spirit of Public Play and we routinely have half to a full table's worth of people that are not signed up to play.

So we go with organised chaos.
#8
Joshua_Randall
Dec 22, 2009 12:49:03 My interpretation of Public Play is that it must take place in a public place and there must be an opportunity for anyone who wants to play to do so.

This doesn't necessarily mean that they can walk in at five minutes 'til gametime and play RIGHT THEN. I have no problem telling a walk-in, "I'm sorry, tonight's table* is full. Please sign up for the next table." (And then I'll explain how to do that.)

* Due to space limitations and a small player base, we only run one table per week.

If four players walked in at the same time, I'd try to find a DM for them, but that never has happened.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Cailte Dec 21, 2009 8:18:51	In the DALE 1-7 (Spoilers) thread there have been a couple of posts about stat blocks one of which was this one: 56961808 wrote:
#2 Thanlis Dec 21, 2009 8:40:57	Huh. Yeah, at my event I work out modules and DMs a couple of weeks in advance -- I run every other week, and I try to prep each month ahead of time, so there's plenty of warning.
#3 Joshua_Randall Dec 21, 2009 10:10:15	Wow. You guys may think this method is overly obsessive, but... * We schedule at least 6 weeks in advance, and usually 12 weeks of the schedule are available at any given time. * DMs are assigned specific adventures and provided those adventures to prepare. * Players sign up for specific adventures. (So, no mustering.) So at this moment, I know who is DMing at the end of January, and who's playing, and which adventure it will be. The schedule for Feb/March is also posted, although we haven't started taking signups yet. But the DMs know what they'll be DMing.
#4 Thanlis Dec 21, 2009 10:43:16	Wow. You guys may think this method is overly obsessive, but... * We schedule at least 6 weeks in advance, and usually 12 weeks of the schedule are available at any given time. * DMs are assigned specific adventures and provided those adventures to prepare. * Players sign up for specific adventures. (So, no mustering.) So at this moment, I know who is DMing at the end of January, and who's playing, and which adventure it will be. The schedule for Feb/March is also posted, although we haven't started taking signups yet. But the DMs know what they'll be DMing. Nah, that's not weird. I should have noted: we pre-muster as well, using Warhorn.
#5 tirianmal Dec 21, 2009 12:56:32	We have an all volunteer group of GMs so we tend to schedule about a week in advance, folks choose games, we put them on Warhorn and folks sign up. GMs therefore have up to 6 days to prepare, sometimes more, sometimes less, but rarely less than the weekend before the games (we play Monday nights).
#6 Greyson Dec 21, 2009 15:32:59	We run a monthly game day at Epic Puzzles & Games in West Valley City, Utah. I pick the adventures and post them to our venue's recurring event Warhorn page. I do that once a month out. After each game day is over, I go home and open the next month's game day for registration. Rinse (the Warhorn page) and repeat. I print the story awards in color, cut them out, and trade them to DMs for filled-out session tracking sheets shortly after the tables begin. But, DMs bring their own copies of the adventure. I do not provide those. If our game day requires three DMs or more, I'll buy a box of D&D miniatures for each. And, I'll buy the latest D&D release and give it away as part of a drawing. The store gives me a discount, of course. I skip all of this give-away action if we only have one or two tables, though.
#7 Cailte Dec 21, 2009 22:46:56	We routinely (ie weekly) have 3-5 tables, and a rotating pool of players that makes it very difficult to organise in advance - though technically that is what the organisers would like to have happening. Sure we could say "Did you sign up?" and turn away the people that say "no" but that isn't exactly in the spirit of Public Play and we routinely have half to a full table's worth of people that are not signed up to play. So we go with organised chaos.
#8 Joshua_Randall Dec 22, 2009 12:49:03	My interpretation of Public Play is that it must take place in a public place and there must be an opportunity for anyone who wants to play to do so. This doesn't necessarily mean that they can walk in at five minutes 'til gametime and play RIGHT THEN. I have no problem telling a walk-in, "I'm sorry, tonight's table* is full. Please sign up for the next table." (And then I'll explain how to do that.) * Due to space limitations and a small player base, we only run one table per week. If four players walked in at the same time, I'd try to find a DM for them, but that never has happened.