D&D 5E PbP games: what works and what doesn't?

[FitzTheRuke]

Here is something else about pbp that comes about. In game it has hardly been an hour of time. But in RL players have gone to work for weeks, played other games (for me that is Warhammer 40k), and gone to a couple movies or watched their favorite show for 10+episodes.

I guess forgetting is a thing that can be bad for pbp how do you compensate for that.

I've travelled to five countries in the last three weeks. I've been on airplanes, ships, trains, and cars and tried to communicate in four languages. I've also played three board games, D&D in an in-person game, kept up with my Comic store's upcoming shipments and sales tracking, caught a fish in a rowboat in a lake, swam in the ocean, drank a lot of beer, watched the World Cup games, helped build a hot tub, gone kayaking, drove the Autobahn at 170kph, and put my hand in stinging nettle.

I can barely remember my own name far or less what's going on in my games.

I guess it's a good idea to find a way to do quick recaps as often as possible? I'm not even sure what *I* have forgotten in the games I'm running, far or less what my players remember or not.

 

[jmucchiello]

I think things like maps and initiative order need to be reprinted every round of combat. That would not have helped this particular issue. But that could have been mitigated by posting to the RG thread.

But to solve the issue generally? No idea. Maybe keep a "where are we now" map in the first post of one of the threads. Summaries might help although I'm not sure what would trigger them. Perhaps after each encounter. Posts in PbP tend to have certain types. There's RP posts that take place in a single location or during an overland journey. They advance the party's internal plot lines. But they are free of structure. You can post IC during conversation and travel as many times as you like.

Then there encounter posts that are usually more terse and are structured on a turn by turn basis. Your character cannot post several times in a row as there's only so much action they can do during their turn. But these posts generally take up the bulk of the IC thread as combats will require "number of players + GM" times "rounds the combat lasts" posts at a minimum. It's encounters that push important information off the current page. In every game I'm in, after an encounter, I usually have to go back to before the fight to find out who it was were fighting for as their name is completely gone from my head.

Reflecting on the above, I don't think it helped much. Perhaps the best advice for the GM is to be repetitive. Always use NPC names when they speak. Always refer to the location when you post. Don't assume something you posted in the OOC thread during chargen will be remembered later in the IC.

 

[Radaceus]

I've been keeping a copy-pasted word file for information directly related to my character in the PbP games. I'll probably have to cliff note that in time.

the map idea at the front of IC or even RG thread is a great idea.. Is it worth considering a party leader or a co-dm permission added to the RG thread might help with paperwork, in which that person could keep a diary (Party Notes)?

I have to keep a Party notes log on my roll20 games because playing 4 different campaigns gets kind of confusing, but that is a lot of homework for one guy, I try to get one of the others to help when i can.

 

[jmucchiello]

Buying into that could be hard: the whole story is right there in the IC thread, isn't it?

But summaries in the RG, perhaps (or one of those reserved for no reason posts in the OOC), when XP are given out (or level ups) sounds like a good idea as well.

 

[Radaceus]

That's what I meant, summary, xp, any loot, current amd known locations/ npcs type of stuff.

 

[KahlessNestor]

I try to keep a header with location/time/round on my posts. When I remember, I try to keep a "Mission Notes" OOC tag at the bottom to remind me.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I try to keep a header with location/time/round on my posts. When I remember, I try to keep a "Mission Notes" OOC tag at the bottom to remind me.

It's super useful and appreciated.

 

[EarlyBird]

Also something I think that is working are the One Shots. Think we have slogged through three of them and have two running. In pbp a short game at whatever level that has a diffident end might get your players to stick it out.

Still some kinks but so far so good.

 

[tglassy]

Yes, one shots are great. Having a specific end is great. Though I will say, I do have two long running games going that are doing pretty well, still. Both are two years old. I flaked on them six months ago, but when I reached out to see if anyone wanted to keep going, everyone did, so now they're back up and running again.

But I made them much more character centric than plot centric, so the players (I hope) have connected with their characters more. Plot centric is easier, because it doesn't matter what characters come, it's how they complete the game. But I'm wondering if that just doesn't work for longer games.

Like, for shorter games, something basic with a clear plot and a clear end is best. Not much character development, just get in, play around, get out.

But for longer games, I feel that it has to be more about the characters than the plot, having a basic, overarching story, but allowing the characters to be intimately involved with it. That keeps players interested over longer periods.

Just some thoughts.

 

[EarlyBird]

So a longer campaign should be a bunch of linked One Shots. Give them a now goal and after they accomplish it set up another and send them off.

Hmmm... sounds like something I should be trying to do in my games. haha I better get on that.