games collapsing - is this normal or am I unlucky?

[SunGold]

My current PC is from "a land far away over the seas" which may or may not be another plane. A wanderer like that could, conceivably, work in several campaigns... but let's hope he won't have to

Here's hoping that's the game that sticks for you!

That one looked really fun...I had juuust joined another pbp and was still getting into the swing of it, or else I'd have joined that game in a heartbeat.

 

[Matthan]

I know this thread is almost done, but I saw it and wanted to add in two cents.

1. DMing PbP is very hard and more time consuming than it appears to be. I tried to run a one shot and just could not make it work. Think about how much a DM talks during a RP scene with NPCs. Each time the DM talks, that's a post. It's much easier to stay on top of a game as a player. Add in miscommunication or people waiting on other people and things can just slow to a crawl. It's hard work so it shouldn't be surprising that so many drop off and die.

2. If you're really interested in PbP and want to find more games to try, there are other forums that do it. However, other forums that are dedicated to it tend to have a lot of players fighting for spots. It's heartbreaking to put in a ton of time building and crafting a character only to be competing with 20 or more other people for 4 or 5 spots. That's why I don't try to get into games on Mythweavers. Still, it's an option for you. I've had my most success at the Tangled Web forum.

3. A few tips that I've picked up to help you out:
-Posts don't need to be long. Since there can be so much time between posts, there is a tendency to think of each post as an event where you have to narrate thoughts or scenery. You don't have to do that much work every time. Most of the time, the best thing you can do is post one or two lines that move the scene forward. At its best, PbP is a game and a game likes to move forward.

That doesn't mean that you won't have occasions to stretch your skills and write a big block of text, but don't feel pressured to do that every time. It's that pressure that will keep you from posting and the game will grind to a halt.

-Always try to actively work with the group in narrative progression. That doesn't mean you can't have some interparty conflict (though work with the other player), but it does mean that you should always be trying to advance the story and keep the game going. Your character doing or saying something gives other players and the DM something to interact with. That's the best thing you can do.

-Communicate your scene goals. One of my biggest concerns in games is that everyone gets a chance to shine. If you feel like this is a scene where another player should take the spotlight, go ahead and say that OOC. Some folks are reluctant to take the spotlight and can be emboldened if they know the other players are rooting them on. Likewise, if there is a scene where you want your character to shine, don't be afraid to speak up OOC. 99% of the time the other players/DM want you have your moment too and will help you achieve it.

-Just keep posting. This is probably the biggest thing that I've found to keep things alive. People tend to wait on other people. Don't be that person. Just post. Even if it's a single line. Just post. Even if you have no role in the scene and just say that you stand there listening. Just post. It's amazing how that will keep things moving.

 

[Ancalagon]

The thing that bothers me sometime is that I don't want to post too much and take too much space...

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[Matthan]

If you're worried about posting more often than other folks, post that. Put up a post OOC and just say that you feel like you're talking to much or whatever and would someone else like a go. Think of it like this: if you were sitting around a table, then you would have all sorts of ways to make sure everyone was included and drawn out. You could give a little nudge or a look. You don't have that with PbP so you have to type it.

Just remember that everyone wants to have fun and tell a good story. Don't be afraid to speak up OOC to work with your fellow players to build that.

 

[SunGold]

The thing that bothers me sometime is that I don't want to post too much and take too much space...

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Wouldn't worry about it. The real PbP killer is people not paying attention and having to be @'d to take their turns, not showing up for days, etc.

 

[Ancalagon]

Here's hoping that's the game that sticks for you!

That one looked really fun...I had juuust joined another pbp and was still getting into the swing of it, or else I'd have joined that game in a heartbeat.

Well, my "accidental planewalker" PC moved to a new game... so one more game down already. I hope your game is going better.

One thing I'm noting is that in every game, everyone is excited at first, and there is tremendous energy by everyone to create new PCs... and it seems that little of that gets carried forward, ie the momentum fizzles fast. I don't know how we can keep this momentum going. That seems to be the thing missing, otherwise it's more of a "PC creating experience"...

 

[eayres33]

Well, my "accidental planewalker" PC moved to a new game... so one more game down already. I hope your game is going better.

One thing I'm noting is that in every game, everyone is excited at first, and there is tremendous energy by everyone to create new PCs... and it seems that little of that gets carried forward, ie the momentum fizzles fast. I don't know how we can keep this momentum going. That seems to be the thing missing, otherwise it's more of a "PC creating experience"...

The one pbp game I'm in on this site is still going strong and I'm about to start DMing a game here and will see it as far as the players will go. I know PBP games fail from time to time, but you seem to have the worst luck.

 

[SunGold]

Well, my "accidental planewalker" PC moved to a new game... so one more game down already. I hope your game is going better.

One thing I'm noting is that in every game, everyone is excited at first, and there is tremendous energy by everyone to create new PCs... and it seems that little of that gets carried forward, ie the momentum fizzles fast. I don't know how we can keep this momentum going. That seems to be the thing missing, otherwise it's more of a "PC creating experience"...

Oh nooo, I'm sorry to hear that!

But hey, if you're up for giving PbP another chance, join eayres's game! He's in that game I joined (The Dwimmermount) that stopped me from signing up for The Village. I joined his new one too, because he's a great RPer, which makes me think he'll be a fun storyteller as DM.

So far it's three women signed up, so come crash the party and provide some balance.

And hey, while I'm calling out people in this thread to join, paging [MENTION=6776182]JustinCase[/MENTION]...you should too.

 

[eayres33]

Oh nooo, I'm sorry to hear that!

But hey, if you're up for giving PbP another chance, join eayres's game! He's in that game I joined (The Dwimmermount) that stopped me from signing up for The Village. I joined his new one too, because he's a great RPer, which makes me think he'll be a fun storyteller as DM.

So far it's three women signed up, so come crash the party and provide some balance.

And hey, while I'm calling out people in this thread to join, paging [MENTION=6776182]JustinCase[/MENTION]...you should too.

Thank you for the promotion, SunGold. Long before I started playing D&D and even longer before I knew of 5E D&D PBP, I was playing a storyline driven play by post on saberforum, (there were no dice rolls, you had to either work the fights out before hand or set yourself up not to fail, I was Darth Severus there.)
I would love to bring that element of story telling, and team it with the easy conflict resolution mechanics of 5E to this forum. Playing with a great PBP DM in the Dwimmermount forum has made me want to get even more involved.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Come join my Vault of the Dracolich. I can't guarantee I will be a good PBP DM (I've never done it, but I KNOW I am a good DM IRL... so hopefully it will translate?

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