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DTFarstar
So, I've never run a PbP game before, but I'm thinking about working one up. I had a Chicago storyline stuffed in the back of my skull somewhere at some point....*rummages around and then comes back* anyway, I was wondering if the collective consciousness here at DS would be willing to give me a bit of advice. I've seen many a PbP game die and usually for similar reasons(life getting in the way or whatever that ends with players leaving or just not posting for awhile). If I start one I really don't want it to end that way and so I ask you :

What makes a good PbP game? I mean obviously good players and a good GM working together to make a good story, but what seems to be more conducive to the PbP environment. I would think less direct combat more story and cinematics. Combat slows things down in real life, without a good system it could bog down a PbP game for weeks.

So.... what makes a good PbP game? Also which system, if either, is more conducive to the PbP format here at DS? I only know SR4 well, but I imagine I could easily pick up SR3, I've got alot of the books loaned to me by a friend so.... What do you guys think?

Chris

PS: If this is the wrong board, feel free to move this thread where it belongs. I just put it here because SR4 board seems to receive the most traffic one of the two questions I pose does relate to SR4.
Dashifen
This is probably appropriate for the time being. Once you actually start getting the game set up, we can either move this thread to the gaming forum here on the DSF or you can let this one die off and start a new one in that forum.

The best way I've done combat in play by post is to have everyone declare their actions for a combat phase in the OOC thread and then in the IC one, the GM can post a big resolution in as much or as little detail as he/she wants to. That way, people who are involved in the combat can declare their actions quickly and the GM can resolve everything.

'Course, this also requires the GM to post environmental modifiers (range, visibility, etc) so that players can roll their dice.

I've also seen some really solid online games run so that the players don't roll dice at all. Instead the GM has the sheets for the game and he or she rolls all the dice. The handy part about that is that if a player drops due to life, the GM can NPC the character without too much trouble.

And the last suggestion I have is to ask your players to tailor their characters to the time they have available. For example, if someone does 14 hour work days and generally posts only once per day, they probably don't want to play the primary social character of the group or conversations will go on forever.

Finally, if you have an interaction between you and one other person, I suggest you set up a time to handle the entire scene in an 1-on-1 off-board sort of way. For example, if the hacker is performing a major, non-group related hack, meet him or her in an IM window at some pre-arranged time to do it or use Skype to handle the entire scene in real-time rather than post-by-post. That way, the character can come back and just post the results after you, the GM, work up the scene for the rest of the characters. This works well as a once or twice sort of thing, but used too often and it gets to be crappy.

I would suggest running it here if only because it avoids having to add another forum to your players and your schedule during the day. I tried to run a game off of my own web site and it never really got off the ground, I think primarily because we never remembered to go there during the day. But, since most of the people playing in games here stop by at least once a day, you're probably set up for a good game.

As for system ... run what you're comfortable running (in this case, SR4) but make sure you advertise the game as such to avoid confusion by people who only play one system or the other.

Edit: incidentally, I might be interested in playing..... *nudge, nudge*
DTFarstar
Thanks for the input, Dashifen. My current plan whenever I get the setting solidified in my brain and get the players together was to just let this thread die out if it hasn't already died before then. I doubt I will do the players don't roll thing, but I will have a post by X time or I will NPC you to the best of my ability till you can post again and to that extent I will keep current versions of my characters character sheets. Hell, I do that in real life in case we have to stop in the middle of something and someone can't make it the next week.

I've found that I like to be very involved in the character creation process with my players. It allows me to get a more complete view of their character as I can see it forming, so I should hope I would be able to keep someone with no time from making a social interaction based character. If I couldn't I guess I deserve what would come afterward(a slow and painful death by post starvation).

I also believe in full disclosure so I would probably post environmental modifiers in OOC anyway simply because if it was me I would want to know and I am open to arguments against my judgement from my players- provided it doesn't stall things of course.

Whenever I do manage to get this together, I will definitely run it here. Just easier really, and more likely to keep people posting. I will probably also require an email and/or IM/Yahoo/MSN/ICQ ID from my players so I can keep track of them and bug them if they go too long without posting, or at least have an explanation for the other players if they stall and I have to NPC them for a bit(which I hate doing, but it is necessary to keep a game alive sometimes.)

As for your interest, keep watch here and I will be sure to let you know. I'm keeping a list of people who express interest and I'll make sure to send them all a PM when I open character submission.

Oh, and finally, I just wanted to say that for some reason everytime I see a mod colored post it freaks me out a little bit for some reason. I mean, I guess that is good for you guys, it strikes the appropriate response from me, but it bothers me that when I see a mod colored post I go "Oh crap! What did I do lately?"

Anyway, thanks for the input and the interest. I'll keep you updated. Earliest I can see me beginning this is probably early December. Like the 10th or so, but I don't know once we start getting a little more certain I'll have to sound out everyone's Christmas and New Years plans and see if we need to wait until the new year.

Chris
Fortune
One of the things that might help prolong the game is for you to only invite people that you know will be able to post frequently ... and those who's gaming style is compatible with yours. I know these things are kind of obvious, but sometimes with games played by post, the pressure to include anyone and everyone that expresses interest can be counterproductive in the long (and sometimes even short) run.
WeaverMount
I've found PbP to be more free form. I've also found free form games work well with GMs who "simulate" the setting. If you have a brief write up of what all the major street gangs in your setting are like, and what they want it will be easier to figure out what they do when the players go off and explore/interact with your setting. I don't know what your GM style is like, just my .02 nuyen.gif
eidolon
QUOTE (Dashifen)
Edit: incidentally, I might be interested in playing..... *nudge, nudge*


Yeah, because you need to be in more games. Addict. grinbig.gif
Redjack
I'm playing in a number of pbp and are running several. So far, I've never had one I run end prematurely, nor have I ever lost more than one player at a time (RL concerns [like job schedule and the like] and the occasional drop off the planet). I have one game that is over 18 months and two others at about 9 months now. I have seen some games running well beyond that by others. smile.gif

Over half the games I have played in have died prematurely. It is my honest opinion that several elements are required for a successful, ongoing game.
1) The players and GM have to commit to the game.
2) The GM accepts responsibility to keep the game moving. When I GM'd at GenCon, the first thing I realized was that in order to finish a game in under four hours I had to help break up analysis paralysis. Same responsibility exists in a forum game.
3) The more posts draw the players into the game, the more they want to stay involved. I believe that a GM should try to make their posts inclusive of the scene. Colorful. Very descriptive. I try to anticipate the 'clarification' questions might have about the scene. Doesn't always work, but I feel it does many times.
4) Sometimes you have to prod the players a little in OOC. Even well established, long term players sometimes lose track of how long since they last posted.
5) Establish clear lines of communication early. When people will be on vacation, when they are busy at work, etc.
6) Don't be afraid to move the game on. Sometimes a key person starts slacking. You may need to 'remote them' or play through the scene to move the game along. Sometimes this hard decision is required to keep the game moving and keep the rest of your players. This is not an issue if you establish this as SOP at the game onset.

QUOTE (Fortune @ Nov 20 2007, 08:00 PM)
One of the things that might help prolong the game is for you to only invite people that you know will be able to post frequently

Yes. At this point I've not lost a single player added by invitation to a game.... Respondents to an open call.. Wow...
DTFarstar
Sounds like most of my initial ideas from watching things around here were pretty spot on. So, does anyone have a favorite PbP game or favorite type of game to play on the boards or do they all seem to work equally well(low power, high power, combat, infiltration etc.)?

Chris
Redjack
I'd like to add a thought about advancement.
In my long running game I award at the end of a chapter, but given that it can take more than a month to work through a scene (making a chapter sometimes 6-12 months), I have started awarding at the end of every scene or two (smaller awards). People then have a sense of advancement with the character that matches up with mini-advancements of the storyline.

I'm playing in both high and low power games. I enjoy both (When Fisty reads this he should know I hate getting my butt kicked by huge macho spirits! nyahnyah.gif ). It isn't Shadowrun without some combat, but a mix of good story telling is always appreciated.
Glyph
I would concur with Redjack's earlier post that the big thing is to keep the game moving. One of the biggies is scene transition - if everyone is into a scene, let them chew up the scenery, but otherwise the key to keeping the game moving is to move to the next scene as soon as the posting starts to slow down.

One thing some GMs do, and which I don't mind, is that they will include some minor interactions involving your character, or others, in their posts. This can be good in getting past exposition or other potentially time-dragging moments without waiting for several people to post a few sentence replies.


As far as what type of game works best, I have found that "professional" runs can often bog down in the tedium of several people trying to come up with a moderately complicated plan. Some of the free-form games can also bog down, either from everyone going different ways or from people being timid of posting scene transitions, interactions with NPCs, or other things which are generally considered GM turf. A play-by-post game really needs a GM, both to keep it going and to give it some direction.

The roleplaying moments and the actual combat actually tend to go the smoothest. I haven't found power level to make a huge difference, even though you would think it should. But that actually makes sense, in a way. Forum games are set up for a game run at a certain power level, and the GM will usually give additional character creation guidelines. So whether it is 300 BP gangers or 450 BP characters with 100 extra Karma, the characters will usually be about right, power-wise, for that particular game.
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