Running online

[0bsolete]

Myself and a couple friends have been trying to find a way to play D&D online. Preferably 3.x though if that's not possible 4e would be acceptable. Previously we've just done text only though Yahoo Messenger. Naturally this has many limitations. Primarily maps. This means dungeon crawling is basically impossible without sending out maps.

Does anybody know of any possible way to make this work? WotC is supposed to be coming out with a program for this, but that could be a year or more at the current rate of production. I've tried OpenRPG and connection problems stopped that in its track. Vassal seems like a solid program, but unfortunately I can't find a D&D addon, D&D miniatures, but thats it.

Any suggestions?

 

[Gorok]

I have looked at several possibilities, and am now using Maptools. The program is free, and is actively updated and supported. Check it out at:

RPTools - Home

 

[Rechan]

And here I was coming to suggest Maptools.

I also recomment Skype/Ventrillo/some other voice chat. This speeds things up much faster.

 

[Festivus]

I used to say Fantasy Grounds. Excellent for 3.5, but we are now running 4E and find Maptools a much better fit.

 

[0bsolete]

And here I was coming to suggest Maptools.

I also recomment Skype/Ventrillo/some other voice chat. This speeds things up much faster.

The primary problem isn't communication in that way honestly. We have used those types of programs in the past and they work, the primary problem is that without even rough sketches the scope of game styles is limited. No dungeon crawls, no dragon lairs, no secret doors, and very limited fighting at all in fact, because invariably every discription gives everybody a different imagine in their mind. This isn't generally a problem when you glance at the map and see a context. You can do turn by turn by room, but eventually everybody is lost and they start showing up in the same rooms they did before. Even things like fireballs take a new level of complexity because the wizard doesn't even know where he's aiming it and if its going to backlash. While all of us are fond of roleplaying, diplomacy and other non combat oriented aspects of the game, it wears thin. Eventually there is no point in leveling up, because you don't really get more powerful in ways that are useful. That new sword isn't anything for excitement because you will very rarely use it. Even if it is dungeons and dragons, you never see a dungeon and the only time you see a dragon is in a throne room and even then if you ever fight it half the best tactics can't be effectively used because you have no context of where the dragon is, where the enviornment is, or where the party is. Some of that can be circumvented, but in no permanent way.

For everybody else, thank you very much for the suggestions and I hope more can be found. If possible a program with its own maping utility would be nice, but main priority is ease of use. I only have so many free hours a day as a GM in which I can learn a complex program, though if thats the only option I will at least give it a try.

 

[Rechan]

The primary problem isn't communication in that way honestly. We have used those types of programs in the past and they work, the primary problem is that without even rough sketches the scope of game styles is limited.

Yes, I know. I ran via a text medium for about 8 years. It was ass. Fun, great roleplaying, slow as hell, but it really limited the venue.

 

[charonsg]

i used openrpg once for an online game
not sure if it is still available today

 

[Treebore]

Maptools does have its own mapping utility. Watch the videos. They are old and out of date, but it helps give you an idea of what can be done with maptools.

Personally I do fine lifting a map out of a PDF, or some other digital source, and saving it to my paint, save it as .jpg, put it into my Maptools library folder, and then pull them out into Maptools when I need them.

However their mapping utility is pretty kick butt, but time intensive. Its like a 2-D Dwarven Forge set up.

 

[Arkhandus]

I'm not sure if it's optimal for your group or not, but I've been using OpenRPG for the past 7 or 8 years. As far as its map feature is concerned, just avoid using .gif images for minis and maps, and try to keep the minis simple (otherwise it might run really slowly when you've got several minis on the map).

The default map is just a green field with a square grid (there's a hex grid option as well IIRC), and you can load your own maps (activating or deactivating the grid if you want) from any other site that hosts the images (I just put my maps on my Geocities webpage, but others use PhotoBucket or similar).

 

[S'mon]

Strange, I run text chat dungeon crawl games all the time, no problems. Admittedly I have mostly cool old school gamers since I run them on Dragonsfoot - the mapper player maps the dungeon as they go, then posts it online later for the others to see. Or the PCs wander around without a mapper and risk getting lost. It's a lot more atmospheric and immersive than just giving them a map.

It runs about 2/3 to 3/4 as fast as a tabletop game IME. 3 2 hour text chat games is about equivalent to a 4-5 hour tabletop game.

Systems I've used are Labyrinth Lord (Moldvay D&D clone) and Castles & Crusades. I wouldn't try this with 4e, because 4e combat is so heavily minis-centric, but it should work ok with 3e if the GM isn't anal about positioning & squares - just don't use squares, keep it flexible like a real battlefield. Adjudicate corner cases in favour of the PCs.