Yes, the killer is prep time. That's something I plan to get into in the session report for the first playtest -- high level 3.5 stuff takes hours to prep for. I don't mind NPC creation so much -- I use helper programs to speed things up there -- but as I mentioned in the 3e vs 4e prep-time column, it's looking up all the individual powers and abilities that really kills me.
I've been looking over the Pathfinder alpha rules, and I think they're moving in the right direction. The simplified skill system makes it easier to create NPCs by hand, and I like how they've given suggestions for feats based on NPC role. I also like the guidelines for magical armor, weapons and such; you don't necessarily need it, but it's nice that it's there.
While I did find that my 15th level 3E adventure took a while to put together, I also want to try it again when I'm focused. I had Eureka on in a continuous loop while prepping for that game, and I think the lack of focus stretched things out. Two or three hours in my office working exclusively on an adventure would probably be much more productive (and faster).
That said, running a weekly high level campaign would be damn hard for me (at least right now, with two young kids, the day job and the freelance stuff). Doing the same in 4E would be considerably easier.
Honestly though, I'm willing to put in the prep time to make this work if we can get the game running smoothly at the table, and everyone has fun. If I put in 6-10 hours of prep time, and everyone walks away frustrated, well, that's just not fun.
Thu, 08/14/2008 - 9:31am
Yes, the killer is prep time. That's something I plan to get into in the session report for the first playtest -- high level 3.5 stuff takes hours to prep for. I don't mind NPC creation so much -- I use helper programs to speed things up there -- but as I mentioned in the 3e vs 4e prep-time column, it's looking up all the individual powers and abilities that really kills me.
I've been looking over the Pathfinder alpha rules, and I think they're moving in the right direction. The simplified skill system makes it easier to create NPCs by hand, and I like how they've given suggestions for feats based on NPC role. I also like the guidelines for magical armor, weapons and such; you don't necessarily need it, but it's nice that it's there.
While I did find that my 15th level 3E adventure took a while to put together, I also want to try it again when I'm focused. I had Eureka on in a continuous loop while prepping for that game, and I think the lack of focus stretched things out. Two or three hours in my office working exclusively on an adventure would probably be much more productive (and faster).
That said, running a weekly high level campaign would be damn hard for me (at least right now, with two young kids, the day job and the freelance stuff). Doing the same in 4E would be considerably easier.
Honestly though, I'm willing to put in the prep time to make this work if we can get the game running smoothly at the table, and everyone has fun. If I put in 6-10 hours of prep time, and everyone walks away frustrated, well, that's just not fun.
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