RPG Master Class

Currently Playing: How Queuing Theory Can Help GMs and Designers Keep Players Engaged

Dr. Ben discusses queuing theory for GMs and designers (Episode #165). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp Website https://rpgphd.com/ Discord https://discord.gg/STFdne3PbU RPG PHD swag!!! https://rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rpg_phd/ Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social Patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87730462&view_as=patron Special thanks to Evelina for the thumbnail template, much appreciated!! 😊 Waiting Kills Momentum explores how queuing theory can help tabletop RPG GMs and game designers think differently about pacing, initiative, spotlight, and player downtime. In this video, Dr. Ben breaks down why players disengage when they wait too long, how turn order and scene structure shape the flow of play, and what practical lessons GMs and designers can use to keep TTRPG sessions moving and players engaged. ttrpg, tabletop rpg, rpg design, gm advice, dm advice, queuing theory, queueing theory, rpg pacing, initiative systems, turn order, spotlight management, player engagement, downtime in rpgs, combat pacing, ttrpg design, game design, rpg theory, rpg phd --------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 01:28 What Is Queuing Theory in Tabletop RPGs? 03:27 How Tabletop RPGs Create Waiting Systems 06:03 Why Player Waiting Feels Worse Than It Should 10:13 How Initiative and Turn Order Shape Combat Pacing 13:53 How Spotlight Gets Unevenly Distributed at the Table 20:05 What Bottlenecks Slow Down Tabletop RPG Sessions 24:14 Why Meaningful Waiting Feels Better Than Dead Time 27:53 What Game Designers Can Learn from Queuing Theory 32:04 Pitfalls of Queuing Theory 34:01 GM and Designer Guide Step By Step 44:48 Final Thoughts on Pacing, Spotlight, and Player Engagement -------------------------------------------- Cooper, Robert B. Introduction to Queueing Theory. 2nd ed., North-Holland, 1981. INFORMS. “Queueing Models.” INFORMS, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. Little, John D. C. “A Proof for the Queuing Formula: L = λW.” Operations Research, vol. 9, no. 3, 1961, pp. 383–387. Maister, David H. “The Psychology of Waiting Lines.” In The Service Encounter, edited by John A. Czepiel, Michael R. Solomon, and Carol F. Surprenant, Lexington Books, 1985. Bonito, John A. “The Analysis of Participation in Small Groups: Methodological and Conceptual Issues Related to Interdependence.” In The Cambridge Handbook of Group Interaction Analysis, edited by Anna De Liddo and others, Cambridge University Press. Bonito, John A. “A Social Relations Analysis of Participation in Small Groups.” Small Group Research, vol. 33, no. 4, 2002, pp. 412–448. Music and Sounds: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe/ Music: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe/ Music: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ/ https://www.epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e