Time Conflicts in TTRPGs
It's been a while since I played a game of Dungeons and Dragons; specifically, it was during 2022 at the unfortunately disastrous CONQUEST 2022. I’ll discuss my experience with that mess another time… But I’d like to talk about time conflicts and how they affect most, if not all, TTRPGs—unless you run a West Marches campaign. Before you begin a game in most tabletop games, you need to schedule a date, time, and place if you plan on an onsite game.
In most TTRPGs, people discuss the date and time they’ll assemble and play the game before actually starting. Generally, many details are agreed upon in one sitting or a few hours, including the system, the players, and who will GM or facilitate the game. However, maintaining a schedule that works for everyone is often the most difficult part. For example, in my game, we agreed on a weekly D&D 5E campaign that lasted for two years until we had to put it on hiatus because only one or two people were available. As of this blog’s publishing, it has been a year since we had a proper session in that specific campaign.
As heartbreaking as that was, we couldn’t help it—our schedules made it difficult to coordinate, and none of us prioritized it. As much as I love D&D, I have academic responsibilities that I want to fulfill, and the same goes for my friends, which led to the hiatus.
So why is it so difficult for us to schedule a game? The simple answer is that we have different schedules and priorities. One person has Saturday classes, some come home from practice, and some live in a dorm with limited privacy. Sometimes, we’re just not in the right frame of mind at the scheduled time. Even when everyone is available, finding a common day and time for all party members is time-consuming.
Typically, we use websites to help find a suitable date by showing when everyone is available. A site I use is When2Meet; I won’t say much, but it helps me find a schedule that works for us. One way to manage this is to be honest with your GM and fellow players. If you can’t make it, make sure the game can still proceed with a backup plan. This helps the GM plan for alternative activities if some players can’t join.
One long-term solution is to consider a West Marches campaign, where players can join or leave sessions based on their availability. This style allows for a flexible schedule and focuses on exploration and adventure in a shared world, accommodating various player schedules and reducing the need for consistent attendance.
Another solution, though not my favorite, is asynchronous play, such as play-by-post, where the game progresses through text on forums or group chats. Personally, I’m not a fan of this method because it doesn’t engage players as much, and I prefer in-person and real-time gameplay for TTRPGs.
Ultimately, you should discuss availability with your players and determine what works best for the group. Balance is key; life is busy, but an hour or three of Dungeons and Dragons will not hurt. Just communicate with your group and have fun.
These are links to articles I find helpful and related to this blog: