Game Mastering: Consistency

Role playing is something that takes a lot of time. Moving a group of characters through an adventure worth anything is going to take dozens of hours of play. The best way to get this time in is by playing consistently. You'll get more done meeting weekly for three or four hours than in one or two massive twelve hour marathon sessions. Even if you manage to stay focused through most of the session, after twelve hours few of your players are going to able to meet again for a while. Marathon sessions aren't by any means a bad thing. They can be fun, occasionally. But it's hard to run them very often. It's a big time commitment, and most people have lives outside of hobbies, even gamers.

Establish a time and stick with it. If everyone can meet on Monday night from six to ten, meet then every week. Don't try and move the game because you want to watch Heroes. Get a DVR. There are going to be times when someone can't make the game, so be accommodating. People have to cover strange work shifts. Children have recitals. Relatives get married, die, and demand sleep space in your home. Hopefully not all at once, though. It's awkward to explain why Zombie Aunt Edna's brains are now decorating the guest room wall.

If you're having to constantly move your weekly session, it's probably time to reevaluate the groups various schedules. Find a new time where everyone can meet weekly. I know I said not to change game night once you set it, but if you're constantly having to work around other people's schedules anyway, you're not meeting consistently.

The goal of all of this is to keep your players happy and interested in the game. If you only play once or twice a month, it's going to be hard for them to get engaged in the setting. Their characters won't develop, and they'll feel like they're just sitting around rolling dice.

That's it for me. See you in 48.