You ever have one of those weeks? You know the ones I’m talking about. You can’t get anything done that you want to because the things that you need to do keep getting in the way. It’s very frustrating, and very obnoxious. I’ve been having that kind of week. Well, it’s been more like three weeks actually. Back to back to back hell weeks at work which have kept me from my articles.



I barely had time to write my last article due to work related fun (heavy sarcasm) and I had just formulated some ideas after reading Mark’s Gamer Movies article before work hammered me again as one of my clients dropped a massive project in my lap. Basically I got to do two weeks worth of work in one. Not too bad, I thought. I’ve had worse. Then Friday rolled around and I could see it wasn’t going to end there.



The next Monday was basically the same and I finally got around to reading Mark’s Diversification article on lunch today. Thankfully, things have finally slowed down to a point where I can breath, my heart rate has dropped to something just less than a rabbit on crack and I can finally do some of the things I like to do – Like write this article.



What does this have to do with gaming? Well, one of the things that I love doing with players is to keep them busy. Too much down time and they’re minds start to wonder and they can loose focus on the game at hand. While a break can be useful as we’ve discussed before, and there are times when it’s helpful to stop and think before you act, you can’t have too much down time or things get boring.



RPGs are similar to movies, much more so than novels. Movies need to keep a certain pace if they are going to get their viewers to sit through the whole thing. A book has the luxury of allowing a reader to put it down and pick it up again. Movies are meant to be seen in one sitting, and RPG sessions are meant to be full of things to do.



Wondering monsters are great ways to fill the time in some games, while random acts of weirdness can be fun in others. Not only does this keep the action in your games, but it also allows you to keep the players at bay for a while. Kind of a way to take a break from your plot while still playing.



If the players are marching quickly to the end of your plot sometimes you need to slow them down for a while so you can figure out what you need to do. Sure they may try and stall you, but that doesn’t mean you have to give them a lot of time to think. I’ve often told other GMs that I talk with that there’s nothing like a good high action combat to keep the players occupied while you think of what you need to do next.



Is there such a thing as giving players too much to do? Definitely. You can’t run anyone ragged for too long before they break down. Hit points will drop, spells will be used up, powered armor will need recharging – the players are going to need a break eventually. If you keep an eye on their condition (both PCs and players) you’ll know when to let up and let them rest up.



The other thing that this type of non-stop action can be used for is those game sessions where everyone just wants to blow stuff up. You know what I mean, everyone has had that long day at work and the idea of pulling a Conan move in some huge fray and standing atop a heap of your foes seems like a hell of a good idea. Sometimes contemplation and plot development are not what the group is looking for. Sometimes it’s action and lots of it.





Well, that’s enough out of me for now. I think I’ll be back on track next week. At least I will be if my GM… er clients give me a chance to rest.



See you in the Forums!