Pacing is one of the biggest challenges in play-by-post roleplay. What takes minutes to describe in live play can stretch across days or weeks in PBP. A simple conversation might span dozens of posts over several days. Combat that would take an hour at the table can drag on for weeks. Without intentional pacing strategies, stories lose momentum and players lose interest. This guide covers proven techniques for keeping your PBP games moving at a satisfying pace.

Understanding PBP Time Dilation

The fundamental challenge of PBP pacing is time dilation - the gap between real time and story time. In a live game, an hour of real time might cover several hours of story time. In PBP, a week of real time might cover just a few minutes of story time. This dilation isn't inherently bad - it allows for richer description and deeper character exploration - but it requires conscious management.

Time Dilation Effects

Conversation Creep

A simple exchange can take days. Characters ask a question, wait 24 hours, get an answer, wait another 24 hours to respond.

Combat Crawl

Turn-based combat with multiple participants can take weeks to resolve a single fight that would last minutes in-game.

Plot Patience

Story arcs that would unfold over a few sessions in live play can take months in PBP.

Urgency Erosion

Scenes meant to feel urgent lose tension when they unfold over days of real time.

Memory Fade

Players forget details from posts made weeks ago, losing narrative threads.

Engagement Decay

Slow progress leads to declining interest, which leads to slower posting, which leads to slower progress.

Setting Expectations

Good pacing starts before the first post. Establish clear expectations about posting frequency, response times, and how different scene types will be handled. When everyone understands the rhythm, the story flows more smoothly.

Pre-Game Pacing Agreements

•Define minimum posting frequency - once daily, every other day, twice weekly?
•Establish 'active hours' when faster posting might happen for willing participants
•Agree on how long to wait for a missing player before moving on
•Discuss preferences for scene length and when to time-skip
•Set expectations for combat pacing - turn timers, group initiatives, resolution systems
•Decide how to handle scenes with participants in different time zones
•Create protocols for extended absences
•Agree on who has authority to time-skip or summarize

The Art of Time Skipping

Time skipping is your most powerful pacing tool. Not every moment needs to be played out in detail. Learning when to time-skip and how to do it gracefully keeps stories moving without sacrificing important beats.

When to Time Skip

•Travel that has no encounters or character development planned
•Downtime activities that can be summarized (training, shopping, research)
•Repetitive conversations that have made their point
•Scenes that have accomplished their purpose but haven't naturally concluded
•Transitions between major plot beats
•Recovery periods after major events
•Waiting periods that are narrative dead time
•When all participants agree a scene has run its course

How to Time Skip Gracefully

•Offer players opportunity to add closing details before the skip
•Summarize what happened during skipped time if relevant
•Use time skips as opportunities for character development - 'During the week of travel, your character...'
•Establish clear 'landing points' - where and when are we after the skip?
•Allow for 'retroactive RP' if players want to add scenes from skipped time later
•Don't skip over content players were excited about without discussion

Pacing Different Scene Types

Different scenes have different pacing needs. An intimate character conversation benefits from slow, detailed exchanges. A tense action sequence needs momentum. Recognizing scene types and adjusting your approach accordingly creates better rhythm.

Scene Type Strategies

Dialogue Scenes

Combine multiple exchanges in single posts. Instead of one line of dialogue per post, write several back-and-forths, leaving clear hooks for response.

Exploration Scenes

Let players declare multiple intended actions. Respond to all of them at once rather than waiting for each individual action.

Combat Scenes

Use group initiatives, simultaneous posting phases, or narrative combat instead of strict turn-by-turn resolution.

Emotional Scenes

Let these breathe. Slower pacing can enhance intimacy and impact. Don't rush grief, romance, or revelation.

Transition Scenes

Keep these short. Getting from Point A to Point B doesn't need extensive posting unless something interesting happens.

Investigation Scenes

Batch clue delivery. Instead of finding one clue per post, let thorough searching find several at once.

Combat Pacing Solutions

Combat is the biggest pacing challenge in PBP. A fight with five participants using strict turn order could take a month to resolve three rounds. Various systems can speed this up while maintaining excitement.

Combat Pacing Options

•Group Initiative - Players post in any order during 'player phase,' then GM resolves enemy phase
•Simultaneous Posting - Everyone posts at once, GM narrates how actions interact
•Narrative Combat - Describe combat cinematically without strict mechanics, resolve through fiction
•Rapid Resolution - During combat, expect faster posting (within hours, not days)
•Action Bundling - Players declare several rounds of intended actions; GM resolves in batches
•Time Limits - If a player doesn't post combat actions within X hours, their character takes a default action
•Simplified Mechanics - Use lighter rules during PBP combat than you might in live play
•Combat Summaries - For less important fights, summarize the middle, play out opening and conclusion

Maintaining Momentum

Momentum is the feeling that the story is going somewhere. When momentum dies, players lose interest and posting slows, creating a death spiral. Active momentum management keeps everyone engaged.

Momentum Maintenance Techniques

•End posts with forward motion - questions to answer, situations to respond to, cliffhangers to resolve
•Introduce new elements regularly - NPCs, revelations, complications, opportunities
•Create urgency through in-story deadlines even if real-time is slow
•Celebrate progress - acknowledge when major milestones are reached
•Keep multiple threads active so there's always something to do if one stalls
•Use NPC actions to push plots forward when player momentum slows
•Periodically recap where the story is and where it's heading
•Ask players what they're excited about and steer toward those elements

Preventing and Handling Stalls

Even with good practices, stalls happen. Someone gets busy, a scene loses direction, a decision point creates paralysis. Having systems for recognizing and resolving stalls keeps them from killing campaigns.

Stall Prevention and Recovery

Recognize Early

Track posting patterns. When frequency drops significantly, investigate before it becomes a crisis.

Check In Privately

Reach out to quiet players individually. They might be struggling with something easily resolved.

Offer Exit Ramps

If a scene isn't working, provide ways to conclude it without forcing artificial endings.

Split the Party

If one scene stalls, let other players continue in different threads.

External Interruption

Introduce something that demands response - an attack, a message, an opportunity.

Time Skip to Interest

If nothing interesting is happening, skip to when something does.

GM Pacing Responsibilities

Game Masters have special pacing responsibilities. You control the world and most NPCs. How you structure your posts and run your scenes directly impacts the game's rhythm.

GM Pacing Practices

•Set the pace through your own posting. If you want daily posts, post daily consistently
•Respond to player posts promptly - don't be the bottleneck
•Give players clear hooks and choices, not vague openings that require guessing
•Don't wait for perfect moments to advance plot - perfect moments rarely come in PBP
•Be willing to narrate player actions when waiting would stall the game
•Run concurrent threads to maximize engagement opportunities
•Communicate proactively about your availability and any expected delays
•When in doubt, push forward. Slow games die; fast games can always slow down

Player Pacing Responsibilities

Players also have pacing responsibilities. How you post affects not just your own experience but everyone else's. Good posting habits keep games healthy.

Player Pacing Practices

•Post when you said you would. Consistency matters more than speed
•Don't hold up group scenes - if you're the last to post, prioritize that thread
•Write posts that move things forward, not just react to what happened
•If you have nothing to add to a scene, say so - 'My character follows along' is valid
•Communicate delays before they happen when possible
•Don't post so much that others can't keep up - match the group's rhythm
•Engage with what others are doing, not just your own character's storyline
•If you realize a scene isn't working, speak up rather than disengaging silently

Rhythm and Variety

Good pacing isn't just about speed - it's about rhythm. Stories need variation between fast and slow, tense and relaxed, action and reflection. Monotonous pacing creates boredom even if the speed is appropriate.

Creating Rhythm

•Alternate between high-intensity and low-intensity scenes
•Follow action sequences with quieter character moments
•Build to climaxes through escalating tension, then release
•Use slower pacing intentionally for emotional beats
•Create urgency through story deadlines, not posting pressure
•Plan story arcs with clear rising action, climax, and falling action
•Let players set the pace for their character's personal moments
•Recognize when a slower pace serves the story vs. when it indicates problems

Long-Term Campaign Pacing

Individual scenes need pacing, but so does the overall campaign. A story that takes two real-time years to tell needs different strategies than one planned for a few months.

Campaign-Level Pacing

•Break long stories into distinct arcs with clear endings - celebrate those endings
•Plan major plot beats at roughly regular intervals to maintain engagement
•Build in natural pause points where the game could end if needed
•Create escalating stakes so the story feels like it's building toward something
•Track overall progress and share it with players periodically
•Be willing to cut planned content if pacing requires it
•End campaigns before they overstay their welcome - better to end wanting more
•Consider planned breaks between arcs to prevent burnout

The Right Pace for Your Game

There's no single 'correct' pace for PBP roleplay. Some games thrive on rapid, multi-daily posting. Others work beautifully at a leisurely weekly pace. The right pace is the one that works for your specific players and story. What matters is that the pace is intentional, agreed upon, and actively managed rather than left to chance.

Remember: pace is a tool, not a goal. Fast pacing serves action and urgency. Slow pacing serves intimacy and reflection. The best PBP games use different paces for different moments, creating a rhythm that serves the story being told. Master pacing, and you'll keep players engaged through stories that might take months or years to tell - and those stories will be worth every post.