Re: 1:1 time between campaign and real world

On Sun, 16 Jun 2024 12:59:10 -0000 (UTC),
<smaug@ereborbbs.duckdns.org> wrote:

What do you think about using a straight up 1:1 time between real world
and campaign in a game?
We have been using some of this in the games I recently have been playing
in, and it manages to make for some interesting interactions.
But on the other hand it also didn't quite interfere with the game as
much as I though it could, mostly because there was a lull in games
I think.
>
I was thinking lately that esp. Traveller might have been intended to be
used with something like that, as every jump between different worlds is
exactly one week long. (allowing for players to jump into a system and
jump out at the end of the game, safely back on their ship)

We tried that a few times in our various campaigns. It ended up
feeling more like a gimmick than anything that made the game feel more
fun and playable.

In-session, it just added unnecessary pressure both on players and the
DM. And it didn't really make much sense, anyway, since PLAYING an
action (announcing actions, rolling dice, etc.) take more time than
actually doing them in game. And because a three-minute-in-game battle
took fifteen-minutes-in-session, the players had to rush everything
else to try to make up time.

Out-session was slightly more interesting but, again, hard to keep
synchronized. We'd take a break for a week from playing and the PCs
had a week off too; cool! But then Paul would cancel and Mary had to
go the doctor, and before you know it that next session was a month
later... what have our characters been doing all that time?

So -whether in game or out - we over and over again break the 'real
time equals game time' rule because it just didn't work.

There are times when, as GM, I put pressure on the players -"You have
five minutes to solve this puzzle!"- but those are exceptions.
Normally there's a distinct separation between game time and real time
because it's just more fun that way.

YMMV, of course.