Rate of Play?
Just looking for a bit of advice, as a new player. Quick note, I’m going to try and stay vague with this…the odds may be crazy, but I’m not doing this to gossip or start drama…just need some guidance.
I’m a new player, joined a paid online game in December of 25. First real game. We are using a 3rd party module, that is intended to be long term, Google says 200-300 hours. I’m having some issue with the rate of play, the pacing, and ultimately the DM.
I started in December, and joined late at character level 6. We are using milestone level ups, so I caught a level up in just a few games, but at this point it’s been 6 months and we haven’t leveled up. I’m just kind of estimating on that timeline, just to get to level 12 which is around endgame, that’s 30 months…plus the 6 months I’ve played already (not including what they did before me). That’s 36 months, 3 years. We play once a week, roughly 4 hours. So…that’s 624 hours assuming we don’t miss a week.
I feel like the DM purposefully throttles us. For example…there is some logic as we are currently limited to a city where we are wanted criminals…but requires multiplier skill checks for us to move around the city…but it takes sooo much time to do anything, it kills the momentum. It would not be unheard of us to spend basically a whole session just to get across town, for someone to tell us, ok you need to go back across town and fight this guy. Specifically, 2 skill check challenges to get to the destination…that’s 10-15 minutes each challenge, then assuming we fail one, 1-2 hours for combat encounters…then a quick chat with a npc to send us somewhere else, so more skill check challenges.
Then the DM is quick to move a goal post, if we are making too good on time. I asked the other players, and only one responded saying that it was normal for the DM to adjust things if they were too easy or too hard…but I really feel like they do it to stretch things out.
We got a new player and they quit after a couple weeks, confiding in me some similar thoughts to mine. Another player left…but only to switch to an alternate campaign with the same DM…so that probably means nothing. I personally feel bad to quit now, even though I’m not fully feeling it…as I don’t know if they would continue with only 4 players.
I do have some specific examples…but I’m hesitant to lay it all out…just because they might read this sub, and like I said, I’m not trying to make this a fight. If you are curious about a specific thing, you’re welcome to DM me.
Ultimately, this all may be normal stuff, and I may just not be cut out for this game…but I’d like to hear some thoughts.