Okay, Delphine is still without internet access, and i have no idea when she might next have it.

CJ's had to drop out due to schooling.

I know at least a couple of people are grumbling that we haven't done anything with the campaign in several weeks, but I thought we also had all agreed that it would be best to resume the campaign once everyone was available?

Now, I can't please everyone.

We can give up on it completely, upsetting anyone who wants to continue.

We can wait until everyone's available again - which could be as soon as next week, and might never happen - upsetting anyone who wants to play right now.

We can play without everyone, upsetting anyone who cant make it to the next session and complicating efforts at continuity of the story.

They all set bad precident. I'd rather we not pack it in completely, because then any future games are going to be easy to walk out on at the least little thing. I'd rather we not have to wait, because this eases any responsibility on the players to actually show up when they're supposed to. I'd rather we not play without everyone, for the same reason but also because we will alienate players who get skipped over on a session.

So, given that people are tired of waiting, I'm turning it over for a vote. anyone who cares enough to comment is free to. Anyone who doesn't is thus assumed to vote for quitting altogether by default.

Ba votes for playing without everyone. Perhaps set up a quorum, a minimum number needed. But the fact is, most weekends, there's going to be someone who can't make it. They can either arrange for their character to be played by someone else, or their character can just sit things out (the assumption in continuity being that they were there, they just didn't do anything).

I vote for playing without everyone.

Yeah, play without everyone.

It's not the end of the world, and as Ba says, there's always going to be someone or other that can't make it.

Such as... myself, next weekend. Cause I shall be at Alton Towers.

Playing without everyone.

I myself have doubts whether I'll be available next weekend, but I may be. Whatever happens, happens. Now, one missing person is not a problem, in my opinion, as long as he doesn't have a problem with someone taking over his character for the duration, and hasn't missed too many sessions one after another.

Two people missing is a bit more problematic, but is still playable, if all agree.

Three... Now, this is where we can't move on. This is where we say that there just aren't enough people to play.


The problem is indeed precedent, as Garner said. My least favourable precedent is that we wait for everyone, every time, and people get tired of it.

I'm tired. I'm afraid that any games that follow this one will take years, if not decades, to complete. And I don't want that.

Same as everyone else really. We can play without everyone

We did it before, with Ba taking over Roman's character, Grace taking over Ella's and all the other cases (me once)

Obviously it would be preferable that everyone's there, but it's not going to happen every week.

Right, then let's say that once we restart, we play provided no more than two no-shows?

Next week Doors is out, Ella probably will be, and Roman might be. We're in a fight scene where no one's made any progress and we haven't even played it in weeks. We're altering the continuity to that ba can join back in as his own character. Roman's the only other player who really knows the combat rules...

You *do* realize that this is an extremely difficult situation to contend with for the DM as well as the players, don't you? Due to player availability, the party was split up - always a bad idea. Due to session length, we've had to stop in the middle of a fight - always a bad idea. I welcome anyone who's got any suggestions or advice. If the group would rather we just errase the past few sessions from the records and have stayed in town rather than gone to the farm, then I'd be happy with that. We can take it from Ba's character getting back to the inn, maybe?

Now, as for games taking years... well, roman's only limited to two hours at a time due to catching the train, so that puts a limit on session lengths. Due to scheduling conflicts, we've only got one decent day a week we can play. Because Doors won't change ISPs to one that actually provides internet service, Ba's fucked up sleeping schedule, Ella's inability to get to a cybercafe or similar, and Grace having course work she needs to complete some weekends, we have not had a Sunday for weeks where there were less than three absences.

Additionally, we're not trying to blitz our way through dungeons and focusing on the story and role play elements instead, which seemed to be pleasing to everyone at first. I'm no happier about the pacing of combat than anyone else, but the thing about tutorials is that you're dealing with people who have to take it slow so they can learn.

Pointing out problems that DON'T have solutions doesn't help. If anyone can suggest ways to fix them that I simply can't see, please speak up.

That said, shall we agree to play next week provided no more than two people are unavailable?

My own participation on Sunday next depends solely on catching the right train at the right time. Reviewing the timetable right now, I'm thinking I'll be there more likelier than not, but it all depents on some army interviewer. Never set the clock by an army interviewer.

As for the no more than two absentees rule, I agree. We just can't handle more than that, really, as far as I can see it.

Garner, I know this is a difficult situation for you as well as for us. In fact, it's probably a far more difficult situation for you, you being the DM. The problems are, as you said, without any real solution. One good thing, though, is that some of the various individual problems of the last few weeks should be solved eventually.

Ella will have an internet connection eventually, Doors will move one sunny day, Ba's sleeping schedule will be corrected sometime, and Grace's coursework will abate sooner or later.

But for now, the problems are there, and living with a two absentee cap is what it takes to handle them.


As for erasing the past few sessions, I'm not sure I like the idea. Making things unhappen isn't the best way to go, and combat has to be learned anyway. As we can see, it's not that small a problem. Shoving it away for later though is not the best way, I feel.

edit: Spelling.

Ditto, I might not have to rely on cafés myself soon too

I agree with the plan of going ahead unless we're missing more than two players. I see no reason to pretend the story so far hasn't happened. I'm quite happy to go ahead with it from where we left off. I may not be available next weekend, as I have one more mock exam left to do, but I will try to fit it around playing.

eee. well, next weekend is looking iffy right now gang, but we'll get this thing back on track one way or another