Loudwater Sessions & Real Time per Tier
Heroic Tier 1-10: April 2011 1st to February 2013 35th = 35 sessions, 23 months
Paragon Tier 11-20: February 2013 36th to September 2014 75th = 40 sessions, 20 months
Epic Tier 21-29: November 2014 76th to August 2016 103rd = 28 sessions, 22 months
Total Played: 103 Sessions, 65 months = 5 years & 5 months.
Heroic Tier started with irregular sessions and seemed to go quite quickly in terms of advancement for sessions played. In Paragon Tier the PCs really hit their stride (few defeats & no more permanent PC deaths), while advancement hit a steady rate of 4 sessions per level. The game was probably most balanced at this Tier. Epic Tier I felt faltered as the PCs outpaced any normal opposition (especially after 24th level), combat slowed even further, and after about 25th level energy drained somewhat from the sheer length of time played, leading to long GM breaks which then compounded the issue.
The Loudwater Campaign was certainly a satisfying experience and an epic campaign in all senses of the word, with a great bunch of players. In hindsight the campaign concept, with its rootedness in the Gray Vale and the restoration of the Shining Vale, might have best suited a level 1-20 campaign, planned as such from the outset, with Orcus and his demons (if used) then de-levelled from their inflated 4e levels to suit Paragon heroes in the 16-20 range. Epic 21-30 level 4e is certainly workable, but it has an issue with "too little butter stretched over too much bread" - something that 5e, with its level 17-20 'Epic Tier', has clearly sought to avoid.
