NOTICE: Furnace Game Slots

[ElaineM]

Wow, lots of varied responses there. Here's how I see it working, which should answer the questions above:

Slots 1 and 4 end at 1pm (no change there), and I'll put up the sign-up sheets for the next slot at approx 1.45pm (no change there either), but Slots 2 and 5 won't start until 3pm.

Slot 2 ends at 6pm and I'll put up the sign-up sheet for Slot 3 at 6.45pm. The game starts at 8pm and runs until 11pm but can go on until midnight before the Garrison chucks us out.

The two hour breaks give some more flexibility in as much as people can choose to finish later if they want to. I guess that given I'll be putting up the sign-up sheets 1hr and 15 mins before the start of the next slot, GMs could start their games half an hour or an hour earlier if their players agree. Depending on your location you might have a problem - a game in the jailhouse cells or the upper jailhouse would be disrupted by people meandering/lunching/buying games from Jim - but it's theoretically doable.

If you've run games in 4 hour slots before that have run to 4hrs 15m, 4.5 hrs, or 4hr 45m, then you already have an over-running problem!

In terms of the feedback, it's pretty much down to the shortage of in-between-slots time, which has always been an issue for Furnace. I think the half-hour earlier option might have been raised a couple of years back but I don't recall why it was tossed out. Possibly the Garrison rules, or that it's early(ier) for people travelling? Graham could confirm/clarify.

Hope this clears things up for people.

[w00hoo]

If you've run games in 4 hour slots before that have run to 4hrs 15m, 4.5 hrs, or 4hr 45m, then you already have an over-running problem!

I used to have a dealing mechanism

Hope this clears things up for people.

It does, thanks.

[queenortart]

All seems reasonable but can I put in a punt for the sheets going out at say 1430 or 1930 cos otherwise you are pretty much stuck with the luck of the draw in the Garrison for food to nip back and get your name on a sheet, the xx45 means you really can't go anywhere and hope to get there, eat, and get back in just over an hour

[ElaineM]

The only problem with that is if someone wants to start earlier, a sheet going up at 7.30pm means the earliest they could start is 25-30 mins early.

[First Age]

Thanks for your comments, they are all really appreciated!

We've had a continuing issue with the lack of time to do anything other than play games and eat junk food by psychic osmosis. Arguably that's what we've built our reputation on: intense gaming and elusive food. My last introduction at Furnace 6 made particular play on the lack of socialising. We've decided to have a backstab at some this year.

Our solution is to set the default slots all to three hours but allow for those that believe they need to run to four to be able to do so and be explicit about it in the sign up process. Nobody should lose out, many will gain. Maybe.

A default session length of three and a half hours isn't a bad notion. We'll consider it, as we have time and want to be transparent about things. If we don't take it up this time then we can wheel it out for Furnace 8.

Let's see how it goes.

Nobody panic. Leave that to us.

[queenortart]

The only problem with that is if someone wants to start earlier, a sheet going up at 7.30pm means the earliest they could start is 25-30 mins early.

Yeah that occurred to me later, how about they go up at 1815 etc

[SJE]

While I stand by my record of statements that say Conpulsion is a very civilised con for having 2 hour breaks so you can pop out into Edinburgh for a bite to eat with pals, it might be less appropriate for Furnace since the only options for going out nearby are Morrisons or McDonalds or the hotel bar. I'd rather be gaming, honestly and I kinda like that Furnace is the intense, diehard gaming con. For the social cons I'll go to Edinburgh or Cambridge.

3.5 hours could work, or it might confuse people.

Steve

[w00hoo]

Another thing to consider, one of the positives of the sign up system is you know the players are there and ready to play because they signed up 10 minutes before the game. Signing up 75 to 105 minutes before the game could break that (I sign up, then I leave site to eat, it gets delayed, I come back 10 minutes in to the slot...)

If there's going to be a significant gap anyway then you might just as well sign all the days games at the beginning. This does away with having to hang around ready to write a name down between every slot and so frees up time to eat etc. ad allows you to plan the day better.

[zackspacks]

The only problem with that is if someone wants to start earlier, a sheet going up at 7.30pm means the earliest they could start is 25-30 mins early.

Yeah that occurred to me later, how about they go up at 1815 etc

This then causes a problem for people who actually want to run a 3.5 - 4 hour game in the afternoon. Forex, I had the idea of running a 1500-1830, leaving a 90 minute break for tea. An 1815 sign-up sheet would completely scupper this, and I would be back to having to run 1500-1800 to allow everyone a chance to ambush Elaine.

Another question regarding timings, I think you can both start early and finish late on Sat afternoon, and sneak a 4 hour slot in e.g. 1430-1830 ? Likewise you could start half an hour early( 1930 ) on the Sat evening and run late, there you go Mik, 4.5 hour slot for you, sorted Somebody playing in both games, would only have an hour for tea, but I won't go there.....

Okay, so my current thinking is that 90 mins for lunch is way fine for me, so I intend to run 3.5hrs Slot 2, from 1430-1800, 2 hours for tea, then a 4hr slot 3 from 2000-0000. Is this okay ?

cheers
Paul

[queenortart]

This is beginning to offer some anarchistic potential - which mildly concerns me!

[Mick Red]

Im not fussy either way but it may lead to people hanging around for 5-6 hours a day that could be spent gaming, to say mark your sign up if your games may go beyond the three hours doesn't really cut it tbh as who really knows how long the game will last until it gets underway? This could lead to GM's rushing the final third of the game they are running which would certainly piss me off if i was playing

[Evilgaz]

People can happily run to four hours, but who first made that number up, at the first ever gaming convention? Student nationals run for 7 hours or whatever.

I can't believe people are seriously stressed about three hour games and getting their timing right, especially when 2 out of 5 slots have been shorter ones.

The easiest thing to do is have all the slots the same length and get people to man (or woman) up and run the game to the time available. Its really not that difficult.

Seriously, anything that's not 210 - 240 minutes long is an issue? You've all been gaming for years right?

A couple of two hour breaks out of an entire day is not much especially if you've got to eat or had to get accommodation off site.

Roll initiative and get it on you hippies.

Tough Love Gaz

[dr_mitch]

How about this?

(1) Staggered start times are likely to lead to confusion and chaos. At least they'd confuse me. I suggest avoiding them.

(2) If there's no staggered times, sign-up sheets go up 15 minutes or so before the game as before. Otherwise, nothing wrong with all sign-ups at the start of the day.

(3) Default running time is 3 hours. If someone wants a game running for 4 hours, that could be indicated on the sheet- though that should be the exception rather than the rule. With that in mind, those who've already submitted games in slots 3 and 5 (where going at all beyond 4 hours to be a problem) could switch to one of the other slots if this is an issue.

(4) The committee are a benign triumvirate, and will do what is best, I'm sure.

Problem solved, nicht?

[First Age]

We are considering all this right now. I need to check something with the venue before sharing where we've got to.

Our major goal is to provide more time for eating and socialising between slots, whilst preserving as much time for gaming slots as possible.

I have a plan.

[Palpatine]

Last year was my first weekend at Furnace. The previous year was just for the Saturday. But from my limited experience I found that the game slots were about right. Slots of 4 hour duration gives the GM the opportunity to build the game up to a spectacular conclusion. Plus, surely it is easier on the GM's to give them the opportunity of finishing a game earlier than stressing if the game runs over the 3 hour slot and have the possibility of players leaving their game to grab some food before the next game starts. I had plenty of time during the breaks for food and looking on the stall. Perhaps I was just fortunate. In fact the only slot I would suggest changing would be the Saturday evening slot, as it seemed that everyone was starting to flag after a long first day.