One effect of the changes to mod cards for the 2015 season is that the new procedures require PCs to spend much more time OOG. For instance, consider a typical case where I have scouted out a mod card beforehand, have gone to the tavern to get a group together, and I have just finished getting a group together. Under the old procedures, I would:
(1) bring my group to NPC camp (which is less than 5 minute walk away from the tavern),
(2) walk IG to the mod location while the NPCs are preparing
(3) only have to wait OOG at the mod location while I'm waiting for the NPCs
Under the new procedures, I have to:
(1) bring my group to the mod location,
(2) trigger the card, taking the group OOG, and send a runner back to NPC camp,
(3) have the runner wait for the NPCs to prepare,
(4) have the runner go back, with the NPCs, to the mod location,
(5) finally go back IG and run the mod.
For concreteness, suppose that I get my group together at 12:00, it takes 20 minutes for NPCs to prepare, and 15 minutes to walk from NPC camp to the mod location. Under the old procedures, I would inform Plot of the mod at 12:00, go IG to the mod location, arrive at 12:15 and go OOG, and then the mod would be run at 12:35 (20 minutes for the NPCs to prepare, plus 15 minutes for them to walk to the mod location.)
However, under the new procedures, I would arrive at the mod location at 12:15 and go OOG, the runner wouldn't arrive at NPC camp until 12:30, the runner would wait there until 12:50 and then go back to the mod location, not arriving until 13:05. So my group is now spending 50 minutes OOG rather than just 20. The problem gets worse if information needs to be communicated between Plot and the players (e.g. Plot is behind and needs to know whether any of the PCs have someplace else to be shortly), since only the runner is there to talk to NPC camp rather than all the players in the group.
Thus, I have started this discussion to see what ways there may be to run mod cards more efficiently while preserving the benefits of the new mod card system. Here are some ideas I had.
Reducing time that players spend OOG
- Allow players to carry a walkie-talkie, radio, or other communication device that can be used to inform NPC camp of a mod. The PC would still be required to go to the mod location with their group as normal and read the mod card to trigger it, but would be able to inform Plot without needing to send an OOG runner.
Reducing the time it takes NPCs to run a mod
- On some mods which are not terrain-dependent, the card could inform the whole group to go to NPC camp, and the mod could be run next to NPC camp. Again, the whole group would need to go to the actual mod location to trigger the mod, but this would avoid having to spend valuable NPC time walking to a mod location and back. I know this is not ideal, and should not be used for all mods, but it might be better to do this on some mods rather than delay the whole thing due to lack of NPCs.
- Inside NPC camp, a bulletin board (for NPC eyes only) could be set up with all the mods that have been put out that event, and also posted up could be possible stat cards for the NPCs. This way, while NPCs have downtime at NPC camp for any reason, they could use it to familiarize themselves with these mods. Thus, when called upon to run the mod, they would already be familiar with it.
- NPCs will probably have better ideas for this than I would because they have more experience doing these mods. I have only been an NPC a few times.
Managing the mod queue
- Some sort of display could be set up in the tavern, linked to NPC camp, where NPC camp could give real-time updates on how many people are in queue and whether they need NPCs right now. Probably an electronic display would be too immersion-breaking and/or difficult to set up, but this could be done with a simple radio link between the tavernkeeper and NPC camp, with the tavernkeeper relaying information. That way if NPC camp is behind and they could really use more NPCs right now (for mod cards or any other reason), they could call up to the tavern and ask for volunteers. Nobody would be forced to be an NPC, but perhaps you could give additional GS rewards to players who "jump the fence" right when NPC camp needs it.
- During mod card hours, one or more small groups of NPCs could be allocated specifically as "mod card teams" who do nothing but run mod cards during mod card hours. This could ensure that these teams are available as well as reduce the amount of time spent figuring out who should be on what mod. [This idea was suggested by Jenn.]
(1) bring my group to NPC camp (which is less than 5 minute walk away from the tavern),
(2) walk IG to the mod location while the NPCs are preparing
(3) only have to wait OOG at the mod location while I'm waiting for the NPCs
Under the new procedures, I have to:
(1) bring my group to the mod location,
(2) trigger the card, taking the group OOG, and send a runner back to NPC camp,
(3) have the runner wait for the NPCs to prepare,
(4) have the runner go back, with the NPCs, to the mod location,
(5) finally go back IG and run the mod.
For concreteness, suppose that I get my group together at 12:00, it takes 20 minutes for NPCs to prepare, and 15 minutes to walk from NPC camp to the mod location. Under the old procedures, I would inform Plot of the mod at 12:00, go IG to the mod location, arrive at 12:15 and go OOG, and then the mod would be run at 12:35 (20 minutes for the NPCs to prepare, plus 15 minutes for them to walk to the mod location.)
However, under the new procedures, I would arrive at the mod location at 12:15 and go OOG, the runner wouldn't arrive at NPC camp until 12:30, the runner would wait there until 12:50 and then go back to the mod location, not arriving until 13:05. So my group is now spending 50 minutes OOG rather than just 20. The problem gets worse if information needs to be communicated between Plot and the players (e.g. Plot is behind and needs to know whether any of the PCs have someplace else to be shortly), since only the runner is there to talk to NPC camp rather than all the players in the group.
Thus, I have started this discussion to see what ways there may be to run mod cards more efficiently while preserving the benefits of the new mod card system. Here are some ideas I had.
Reducing time that players spend OOG
- Allow players to carry a walkie-talkie, radio, or other communication device that can be used to inform NPC camp of a mod. The PC would still be required to go to the mod location with their group as normal and read the mod card to trigger it, but would be able to inform Plot without needing to send an OOG runner.
Reducing the time it takes NPCs to run a mod
- On some mods which are not terrain-dependent, the card could inform the whole group to go to NPC camp, and the mod could be run next to NPC camp. Again, the whole group would need to go to the actual mod location to trigger the mod, but this would avoid having to spend valuable NPC time walking to a mod location and back. I know this is not ideal, and should not be used for all mods, but it might be better to do this on some mods rather than delay the whole thing due to lack of NPCs.
- Inside NPC camp, a bulletin board (for NPC eyes only) could be set up with all the mods that have been put out that event, and also posted up could be possible stat cards for the NPCs. This way, while NPCs have downtime at NPC camp for any reason, they could use it to familiarize themselves with these mods. Thus, when called upon to run the mod, they would already be familiar with it.
- NPCs will probably have better ideas for this than I would because they have more experience doing these mods. I have only been an NPC a few times.
Managing the mod queue
- Some sort of display could be set up in the tavern, linked to NPC camp, where NPC camp could give real-time updates on how many people are in queue and whether they need NPCs right now. Probably an electronic display would be too immersion-breaking and/or difficult to set up, but this could be done with a simple radio link between the tavernkeeper and NPC camp, with the tavernkeeper relaying information. That way if NPC camp is behind and they could really use more NPCs right now (for mod cards or any other reason), they could call up to the tavern and ask for volunteers. Nobody would be forced to be an NPC, but perhaps you could give additional GS rewards to players who "jump the fence" right when NPC camp needs it.
- During mod card hours, one or more small groups of NPCs could be allocated specifically as "mod card teams" who do nothing but run mod cards during mod card hours. This could ensure that these teams are available as well as reduce the amount of time spent figuring out who should be on what mod. [This idea was suggested by Jenn.]