Forum
Interest check: Play-by-Post right here?
Quote from Gabe Dybing on December 29, 2018, 5:38 pmHey, designers and community. I’m wondering if anyone is interested in playtesting the QS right here in these forums. I’m proposing something very informal. The purpose would be for the designers to see how others interpret and interact with the rules as presented in the QS.
I’ve tried this format many times in the past, always as the GM. Those games never lasted long: they died out because of group dysfunction or inattention. This might reflect my incompetencies as a GM, but I’ve always been complimented on my GMing style. I myself don’t appreciate how the social media aspect of “play-by-post” develops a subconscious demand on my constant attention, so I request that the commitment to this exercise be minimal yet sustainable.
Here’s what I have in mind:
- No more than 2-4 players.
- The game would start with character creation at Level 1.
- I will not be running “Willow Lake”; I GM better with my own stuff.
- The adventure would be built around the Background Options of characters at character creation.
- All dice rolls would be dependent on the “honor system”: players roll however they like and report them truthfully (if players prefer, we can use an online dice roller, but I don’t think that’s necessary).
- We can homebrew the game world (or I could use Pete Fenlon’s expanded continent of Arda—this is the setting for my home game, and I’ll be introducing VsD to my home group in that world at the end of January).
- Player commitment would be to check the forum at least once a day and post if necessary to the furtherance of the game.
It might be that Discord is a better format for PbP, and I’m open to that, especially with the possibility of voice chat, though I don’t imagine that I ever would be flexible enough to organize a “meet-up time.” Anyway, I’m eager to get crunching on VsD, and I think this format might satisfy this urge in some way.
Hey, designers and community. I’m wondering if anyone is interested in playtesting the QS right here in these forums. I’m proposing something very informal. The purpose would be for the designers to see how others interpret and interact with the rules as presented in the QS.
I’ve tried this format many times in the past, always as the GM. Those games never lasted long: they died out because of group dysfunction or inattention. This might reflect my incompetencies as a GM, but I’ve always been complimented on my GMing style. I myself don’t appreciate how the social media aspect of “play-by-post” develops a subconscious demand on my constant attention, so I request that the commitment to this exercise be minimal yet sustainable.
Here’s what I have in mind:
- No more than 2-4 players.
- The game would start with character creation at Level 1.
- I will not be running “Willow Lake”; I GM better with my own stuff.
- The adventure would be built around the Background Options of characters at character creation.
- All dice rolls would be dependent on the “honor system”: players roll however they like and report them truthfully (if players prefer, we can use an online dice roller, but I don’t think that’s necessary).
- We can homebrew the game world (or I could use Pete Fenlon’s expanded continent of Arda—this is the setting for my home game, and I’ll be introducing VsD to my home group in that world at the end of January).
- Player commitment would be to check the forum at least once a day and post if necessary to the furtherance of the game.
It might be that Discord is a better format for PbP, and I’m open to that, especially with the possibility of voice chat, though I don’t imagine that I ever would be flexible enough to organize a “meet-up time.” Anyway, I’m eager to get crunching on VsD, and I think this format might satisfy this urge in some way.
Quote from Rob Harper on December 11, 2020, 11:52 pmGabe,
Did anyone take you up on the PbP option?
Rob (interested)
Gabe,
Did anyone take you up on the PbP option?
Rob (interested)
Quote from Patriot on January 1, 2021, 9:02 pmI’m Also interested, looking for a pbp with committed dm and players to see it through, and hopefully be ongoing for years
I’m Also interested, looking for a pbp with committed dm and players to see it through, and hopefully be ongoing for years
Quote from Terry Mullins on January 2, 2021, 4:08 amwell, the first post was two years ago, so I assume it never happened
well, the first post was two years ago, so I assume it never happened
Quote from Gabe Dybing on March 21, 2021, 5:17 pmThis proves I should be checking these forums more often! My rpg life is almost entirely on Discord these days!
For those interested in PbP... I don’t claim that I no longer think about it, I even want it, but it may be that the Darkmaster has cursed my PbP endeavors. I had a two-player one on the VsD Discord server. One player ghosted, that game ended.
I got another one going in a private server. That went a bit better. Until we got into an involved, tactical encounter. Then it felt like there was repeated miscommunication through the textual medium. Actions were fragmentary and out of context. E.g., I attack him; I rolled 139. “But that guy isn’t even by you anymore.” I decided to close that one down.
Other, non-VsD PbP games have ended similarly. I have sworn never to do it again.
But I know it can be done! I’ve been playing in Iron Ranger’s Scorched Sanctuary campaign over at the Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea boards. How Iron Ranger started that campaign is ingenious.
In fact, I may disavow myself and borrow his approach for here. It would be an informal “soft start.” I would have no expectations to be broken because I would have no expectations. 🤔
This proves I should be checking these forums more often! My rpg life is almost entirely on Discord these days!
For those interested in PbP... I don’t claim that I no longer think about it, I even want it, but it may be that the Darkmaster has cursed my PbP endeavors. I had a two-player one on the VsD Discord server. One player ghosted, that game ended.
I got another one going in a private server. That went a bit better. Until we got into an involved, tactical encounter. Then it felt like there was repeated miscommunication through the textual medium. Actions were fragmentary and out of context. E.g., I attack him; I rolled 139. “But that guy isn’t even by you anymore.” I decided to close that one down.
Other, non-VsD PbP games have ended similarly. I have sworn never to do it again.
But I know it can be done! I’ve been playing in Iron Ranger’s Scorched Sanctuary campaign over at the Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea boards. How Iron Ranger started that campaign is ingenious.
In fact, I may disavow myself and borrow his approach for here. It would be an informal “soft start.” I would have no expectations to be broken because I would have no expectations. 🤔
Quote from Rob Harper on March 23, 2021, 11:51 pmJust to say thanks for giving this a go Gabe, I understand being burned by PbP/Remote play etc. and promise not to be "Lucy with the football".
I'll hold off generating details of character until we see others' interests. The Leshak Rogue was the first PC I tried coming up with in VsD and as conceived he's a stealthy, woodsy, ranged fighter with a minor (very minor) in healing. However if the best synergies for a group called for tweaking that, so be it and BP's would be spent otherwise. I'm assuming Leshak Woad aren't very advanced technically (e.g., shortbow is the type of bow they use).
Just to say thanks for giving this a go Gabe, I understand being burned by PbP/Remote play etc. and promise not to be "Lucy with the football".
I'll hold off generating details of character until we see others' interests. The Leshak Rogue was the first PC I tried coming up with in VsD and as conceived he's a stealthy, woodsy, ranged fighter with a minor (very minor) in healing. However if the best synergies for a group called for tweaking that, so be it and BP's would be spent otherwise. I'm assuming Leshak Woad aren't very advanced technically (e.g., shortbow is the type of bow they use).