PrecociousApprentice
First Post
Play-by-post is a very fun format for role playing. It opens up the possibilities for groups that you can play with, it creates a very interesting narrative, and it allows you to role play in small increments of time. Unfortunately, it takes forever to get anywhere. I have run into this problem. It often results in the dissolution of the game. Many PbP games die a horrible death of post lag. It takes so long that players lose interest.
This is compounded by the 4e rules. There is a heavy dependence in 4e on things that aren't available if you are not playing face-to-face. I am trying to compile a list of ideas for how to hack 4e to make it more PbP friendly. Here is what I have so far. Please comment and add what you can. Thanks.
[SBLOCK=Gridless Combat]Gridless combat is still possible. Here are some links for those that are interested.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=BattleGrid Combat]There are three really good solutions that I know about.
The first is to use a spreadsheet program to simulate the battlemat. This is great because you can use published pdf or jpeg maps as the background and you don't even have to create the map! You can also use gimp/photoshop/other drawing application to create your own for backgrounds. This works great. The down side is that you have to keep sending the spreadsheet around.
The second is to use google docs to host a spreadsheet map for the group. This is nice, but you can't use a pdf/jpeg map as the background. Great on the collaboration front, not great on the pretty front. Slightly harder to create maps for, since it all has to be done in the google spreadsheet.
The third is to use Gliffy. This is a collaborative online drawing site that has a built in floor plan app. Pretty nice, and I believe that you can use a jpeg as a background. This has both of the strengths of the previous two, but I am not as familiar with it.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Initiative Issues]The way that the core initiative rules work can get in the way of PbP. The core rules assume that players will be face-to-face, and real time, so issues in the initiative system don't surface for most gamers. When playing PbP, everyone rolls initiative, and each party is dependent on all the players/DM before them in the lineup to go before they can post. When Bob goes first, but can't post till 11pm, then Billy goes, but has to post after 5pm and before 7pm, then Lucy goes, but has to post either before 5pm or after 11pm, then I get to go, and I only have access to a computer from 1-2pm, we have a minimum of three days for one round. That is if there are no questions! If a combat takes even seven rounds (pretty standard if you ask me), that is a minimum of three weeks for one combat! There are two ways that people usually handle this.
[SBLOCK=Initiativeless 4e]If you just ignore initiative in 4e, and let people just post in whatever order they choose, then each player can post when they need to and we can progress at a much faster pace. If you include a rule that one day real time is equal to one round game time, then players know when a round starts and stops. Each player posts once a day, and the DM posts as many times as he wants in order to space out the monsters. There is no need to make the randomizing factor for determining order be the dice. It could be just using life schedules to randomize the order.
This rule also has the added benefit of eliminating the power difference between dexterity and intelligence. No initiative means no initiative bonus, means no difference between attributes. Certain things like Quickdraw and Improved initiative would have to be houseruled or dropped, but it works out pretty well. The upside is that monsters can break into the order at times that are appropriate.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Split Round Initiative]For those who want to keep a standard initiative system, a split round works pretty well. It basically goes like this. Monsters all go on the same turn. Players each roll initiative as usual, and the monsters roll as a group. All players that go before the monsters go in any order. Then the monsters go. Then all players go in any order, then the monsters. It looks like this.
Initiative rolls
Bill 16
Bob 15
Jim 14
Monsters 12
Billybob 9
Jimbob 7
Half round
Bill, Bob, and Jim go in any order.
Monsters go
First round
Bill, Bob, Jim, Billybob, and Jimbob go in any order.
Monsters go
Further rounds
Repeat as above
This format keeps the importance of having a high initiative, while it eliminates the lag of waiting for other posters to post. The down side is that monsters go in a block. Not a serious issue, but some people don't like it.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Assumed Delay]A corollary to the initiative solutions above is the Assumed Delay. If a character has not acted in the round, they are assumed to be using a Delay action. If they have not acted by the end of the alloted time (usually a day) then they lose their action as if the round had ended without them acting (it did). This encourages posting and eliminates the wait for an inactive poster.[/SBLOCK][/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Adjudicator Apps]Some form of DM-less adjudication is useful. When a player can adjudicate his own actions, there is less need for back and forth via the message board. This back and forth can seriously slow combat. Eliminating it can speed combat significantly, and it can actually keep the narrative smoother. If a player can declare an action, determine the results, and write an interesting narrative of the sequence, all without requiring the input of other players or the DM, and all within one post, then we and get more game in with much fewer posts. I will be using this idea in my next PbP game. I have built a Combat Adjudicator based on this tutorial, and modified it to my tastes. I will also be creating a Skill Challenge Adjudicator with similar features as soon as I have mulled it over a little. I want it to work as well for Skill Challenges as it does for Combat.
The basic idea is that the DM creates a spreadsheet that is shared with the players. I will use google docs for mine, but Excel and Open Office would work just as well if you don't mind sending the sheet with each post. This sheet takes the input from player rolls and determines whether an enemy is hit, whether it is healthy/hurt/bloodied/dead based on damage, and can allow for some IF/THEN reactions to player actions, all from behind the scenes in the spreadsheet. It keeps a running tally of HPs and status effects, and could be modified easily to add more features. Nice idea. The Skill Challenge Adjudicator could be created to function similarly.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Predetermined Actions]Some actions occur on other players' turns. This is a problem if you aren't there to announce them. There are two easy solutions.
[SBLOCK=Assume OAs and have provokers roll them.]When a Opportunity Attack can happen, it does, and the provoking party rolls all rolls for it. Every player should provide info on their PCs to each other and the DM.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Create IF/THEN statements]A similar problem occurs for Immediate Actions and Free Actions on others' turns. Each character should have a set of IF/THEN statements created to cover any Immediate Actions or Free Actions that they would like to do. This can also include Delays with conditional actions. When the initiating conditions are triggered, the triggering party should include that in their turn, and have the initiator roll all dice for them. An alternative is to have players roll up and post a series of rolls for these. This is less satisfactory to me because it feels too predetermined then. The only upside is that the player gets to roll all their own rolls.[/SBLOCK][/SBLOCK]
These house rules and tools should get us a long way toward better PbP games with 4e. I am looking forward to trying them all, and I would also love to hear some feedback from other people if they choose to use them. Any insight or additions are also welcome.
This is compounded by the 4e rules. There is a heavy dependence in 4e on things that aren't available if you are not playing face-to-face. I am trying to compile a list of ideas for how to hack 4e to make it more PbP friendly. Here is what I have so far. Please comment and add what you can. Thanks.
[SBLOCK=Gridless Combat]Gridless combat is still possible. Here are some links for those that are interested.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=BattleGrid Combat]There are three really good solutions that I know about.
The first is to use a spreadsheet program to simulate the battlemat. This is great because you can use published pdf or jpeg maps as the background and you don't even have to create the map! You can also use gimp/photoshop/other drawing application to create your own for backgrounds. This works great. The down side is that you have to keep sending the spreadsheet around.
The second is to use google docs to host a spreadsheet map for the group. This is nice, but you can't use a pdf/jpeg map as the background. Great on the collaboration front, not great on the pretty front. Slightly harder to create maps for, since it all has to be done in the google spreadsheet.
The third is to use Gliffy. This is a collaborative online drawing site that has a built in floor plan app. Pretty nice, and I believe that you can use a jpeg as a background. This has both of the strengths of the previous two, but I am not as familiar with it.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Initiative Issues]The way that the core initiative rules work can get in the way of PbP. The core rules assume that players will be face-to-face, and real time, so issues in the initiative system don't surface for most gamers. When playing PbP, everyone rolls initiative, and each party is dependent on all the players/DM before them in the lineup to go before they can post. When Bob goes first, but can't post till 11pm, then Billy goes, but has to post after 5pm and before 7pm, then Lucy goes, but has to post either before 5pm or after 11pm, then I get to go, and I only have access to a computer from 1-2pm, we have a minimum of three days for one round. That is if there are no questions! If a combat takes even seven rounds (pretty standard if you ask me), that is a minimum of three weeks for one combat! There are two ways that people usually handle this.
[SBLOCK=Initiativeless 4e]If you just ignore initiative in 4e, and let people just post in whatever order they choose, then each player can post when they need to and we can progress at a much faster pace. If you include a rule that one day real time is equal to one round game time, then players know when a round starts and stops. Each player posts once a day, and the DM posts as many times as he wants in order to space out the monsters. There is no need to make the randomizing factor for determining order be the dice. It could be just using life schedules to randomize the order.
This rule also has the added benefit of eliminating the power difference between dexterity and intelligence. No initiative means no initiative bonus, means no difference between attributes. Certain things like Quickdraw and Improved initiative would have to be houseruled or dropped, but it works out pretty well. The upside is that monsters can break into the order at times that are appropriate.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Split Round Initiative]For those who want to keep a standard initiative system, a split round works pretty well. It basically goes like this. Monsters all go on the same turn. Players each roll initiative as usual, and the monsters roll as a group. All players that go before the monsters go in any order. Then the monsters go. Then all players go in any order, then the monsters. It looks like this.
Initiative rolls
Bill 16
Bob 15
Jim 14
Monsters 12
Billybob 9
Jimbob 7
Half round
Bill, Bob, and Jim go in any order.
Monsters go
First round
Bill, Bob, Jim, Billybob, and Jimbob go in any order.
Monsters go
Further rounds
Repeat as above
This format keeps the importance of having a high initiative, while it eliminates the lag of waiting for other posters to post. The down side is that monsters go in a block. Not a serious issue, but some people don't like it.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Assumed Delay]A corollary to the initiative solutions above is the Assumed Delay. If a character has not acted in the round, they are assumed to be using a Delay action. If they have not acted by the end of the alloted time (usually a day) then they lose their action as if the round had ended without them acting (it did). This encourages posting and eliminates the wait for an inactive poster.[/SBLOCK][/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Adjudicator Apps]Some form of DM-less adjudication is useful. When a player can adjudicate his own actions, there is less need for back and forth via the message board. This back and forth can seriously slow combat. Eliminating it can speed combat significantly, and it can actually keep the narrative smoother. If a player can declare an action, determine the results, and write an interesting narrative of the sequence, all without requiring the input of other players or the DM, and all within one post, then we and get more game in with much fewer posts. I will be using this idea in my next PbP game. I have built a Combat Adjudicator based on this tutorial, and modified it to my tastes. I will also be creating a Skill Challenge Adjudicator with similar features as soon as I have mulled it over a little. I want it to work as well for Skill Challenges as it does for Combat.
The basic idea is that the DM creates a spreadsheet that is shared with the players. I will use google docs for mine, but Excel and Open Office would work just as well if you don't mind sending the sheet with each post. This sheet takes the input from player rolls and determines whether an enemy is hit, whether it is healthy/hurt/bloodied/dead based on damage, and can allow for some IF/THEN reactions to player actions, all from behind the scenes in the spreadsheet. It keeps a running tally of HPs and status effects, and could be modified easily to add more features. Nice idea. The Skill Challenge Adjudicator could be created to function similarly.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Predetermined Actions]Some actions occur on other players' turns. This is a problem if you aren't there to announce them. There are two easy solutions.
[SBLOCK=Assume OAs and have provokers roll them.]When a Opportunity Attack can happen, it does, and the provoking party rolls all rolls for it. Every player should provide info on their PCs to each other and the DM.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Create IF/THEN statements]A similar problem occurs for Immediate Actions and Free Actions on others' turns. Each character should have a set of IF/THEN statements created to cover any Immediate Actions or Free Actions that they would like to do. This can also include Delays with conditional actions. When the initiating conditions are triggered, the triggering party should include that in their turn, and have the initiator roll all dice for them. An alternative is to have players roll up and post a series of rolls for these. This is less satisfactory to me because it feels too predetermined then. The only upside is that the player gets to roll all their own rolls.[/SBLOCK][/SBLOCK]
These house rules and tools should get us a long way toward better PbP games with 4e. I am looking forward to trying them all, and I would also love to hear some feedback from other people if they choose to use them. Any insight or additions are also welcome.
