How do *I* decide? I ask myself, "How much do I dread running this game?" which tracks directly to Is it possible to run it later in the con without dread of it shading my enjoyment.
I often run slot 2, Friday morning, because I started then long ago (see point 1, Dread) and it works out for me alright and maybe people expect it. Sometimes I can't eat from dread, and in the morning that doesn't screw me up as much as later on.
Time: I'm used to 4 hours. If I can think of something to drag out, like at-the-con chargen, I might go for a longer slot.
This is not something you asked, but it may be useful: this is what the slots are like socially.
Slot 1: People will come in late, possibly very late from delayed planes. People may come in starving because they went to the reception and it doesn't have "food" food. It's a little harder to get an intense game in this slot.
Slot 2: People may come in late, panicked from the way breakfast doesn't bring them their check forever and ever. Or they overslept and they show up an hour in. But an hour into the game people are usually awake and engaged.
Slot 3: Pretty solid. Though sometimes in the afternoon people get distractible.
Slot 4: Pretty solid. Effects of previous games may start to show: people may be pissed from past frustrations. Usually people will not be late to this, I seem to recall, as the dinner break is long enough.
Slot 5: Breakfast panic. Often slow to start, and can suffer from bad pacing if the GM thinks they're dragging out a shorter game to fit a longer slot. Pretty solid.
Slot 6: People are starting to get tired. May start late due to dinner slowness. If it ends early, this is a great time to go to the bars.
Slot 7: With a GM that can set tone and get things cracking, this can be the most awesome slot as everyone hypnotizes themselves into that mindset and plays to the hilt. If the hypnotic sleep-deprivation of the players isn't used for good, though, it will be used for evil/muddling around.
But in general any slot can be awesome with any GM. It's a crapshoot.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2010-07-23 05:55 am (UTC)I often run slot 2, Friday morning, because I started then long ago (see point 1, Dread) and it works out for me alright and maybe people expect it. Sometimes I can't eat from dread, and in the morning that doesn't screw me up as much as later on.
Time: I'm used to 4 hours. If I can think of something to drag out, like at-the-con chargen, I might go for a longer slot.
This is not something you asked, but it may be useful: this is what the slots are like socially.
Slot 1: People will come in late, possibly very late from delayed planes. People may come in starving because they went to the reception and it doesn't have "food" food. It's a little harder to get an intense game in this slot.
Slot 2: People may come in late, panicked from the way breakfast doesn't bring them their check forever and ever. Or they overslept and they show up an hour in. But an hour into the game people are usually awake and engaged.
Slot 3: Pretty solid. Though sometimes in the afternoon people get distractible.
Slot 4: Pretty solid. Effects of previous games may start to show: people may be pissed from past frustrations. Usually people will not be late to this, I seem to recall, as the dinner break is long enough.
Slot 5: Breakfast panic. Often slow to start, and can suffer from bad pacing if the GM thinks they're dragging out a shorter game to fit a longer slot. Pretty solid.
Slot 6: People are starting to get tired. May start late due to dinner slowness. If it ends early, this is a great time to go to the bars.
Slot 7: With a GM that can set tone and get things cracking, this can be the most awesome slot as everyone hypnotizes themselves into that mindset and plays to the hilt. If the hypnotic sleep-deprivation of the players isn't used for good, though, it will be used for evil/muddling around.
But in general any slot can be awesome with any GM. It's a crapshoot.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-23 06:26 am (UTC)