Online D&D games?

[Dante Stern]

So I recently did an application to an online D&D game.. I'm unsure if these usually work out? I'm new to this scene and completely unprepared

 

[Hussar]

I'm assuming you mean Virtual Tabletop yes? Like Maptools or Fantasy Grounds?

I've been running and playing VTT games for over ten years now and there are some differences to live games.

1. People often treat virtual games less seriously than live games. Flakey attendance, multitasking during game time, that sort of thing. My advice here is to weed people out pretty ruthlessly. It's the only way it seems to work. Someone's habitually late without some reason? Boot 'em. Get another player.

Will post more later. No time now.

 

[Baumi]

There are many questions open .. What plattform will you use (Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, Maptools,...) and will you use a additional Program like Teamspeak or Skype? Also do you use Videochat or Voicechat? Have you played D&D or other RPGs before?

You will certainly need a headset (nothing is more annoying than a play with a stand-alone microphone that echoes every other player). And you might also need a Webcam if you use Videochat (but you should still use a headset!). The good thing is both of these are not that pricey, usable entry level devices can be bought in the 20-30$ range.

If you have no experience with D&D, you can get the Basic Rules for free (Player PDF should be enough):
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules
The PDF has the full rules and Equipment, only the Classes and Races are limited to 4 of each, but they included the essential ones.

If you have never played an RPG before than you can watch some Videos on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgNRe76o4_8
(do not watch it if you are planning to play "Lost Mine of Phandelver"!)

But the most important thing is to talk to the Game Master! He will certainly be glad to tell you everything you need to know.

Also ... Have FUN!

 

[wedgeski]

I've found online D&D to be amazingly close to the table-top experience, as long as video chat is a part of it and technical foul-ups and/or dodgy internet connections don't get in the way.

Just remember to give some space to the other players and (mos importantly) the DM -- it can get messy if everyone's over-excited and talking over each-other all the time.

GLHF!

 

[S'mon]

Running with skype/video, it's basically a tabletop session.

My preferred form is text-chat, which can be a very rich experience, different from tabletop - all the advantages of PBEM/PBP but with a decent play rate, about half that of a regular tabletop session but potentially much more in-depth roleplay. Plus you can save the chat logs for later reference!

 

[Shiroiken]

I've not done it outside of friends (or friends of friends), so I don't have any experience playing with total strangers. With us, we quickly fell into a pattern of controlled speech, allowing the first one to talk to finish before interjecting. That, and the lack of facial expressions (since we don't use video) are the primary differences from IRL gaming.

 

[wedgeski]

My preferred form is text-chat, which can be a very rich experience, different from tabletop - all the advantages of PBEM/PBP but with a decent play rate, about half that of a regular tabletop session but potentially much more in-depth roleplay. Plus you can save the chat logs for later reference!

Interesting. I've done text in many PBEM's but it never occurred to me to try a real-time chat game.

 

[Hussar]

Interesting. I've done text in many PBEM's but it never occurred to me to try a real-time chat game.

When I started playing on VTT, (OpenRPG for those keeping score at home), VoIP was still in its infancy and many of my players were on 56k modems or very early ADSL lines. Video was straight out, and we never bothered with voice chat. It was text all the way. Yeah, it was a bit slower, but, I did find that the role play was MUCH richer. People can stay in character in text much better than in voice. It really is a lot of fun playing that way. Very immersive. Particularly if you bolster it up with lots of images.

Anyway, back to my numbered list.

2. You can really lean on the computer to deal with a lot of the fiddly bits of D&D. Pretty much all the VTT's now have some sort of framework that handles the math and whatnot. Levelling up a character in Fantasy Grounds, for example, is as simple as dragging and dropping onto your character sheet. Very smooth. OTOH, VTT's do have a learning curve. They are not the most user friendly programs in the world and it can be a bit of a climb to learn how to do things using the program. Be prepared for a bit of frustration as you start out and have to fiddle around with the controls to make the program do what you want it to.

3. Participate in the game outside of game time. You're on the Internet, so, use it. If the DM has set up a forum (or is using someone else's) take a few minutes every week to post something. Background for your character, things you'd like to see in the game, that sort of thing. It will really energize your DM and make the game much better if he knows you're not just phoning it in for X hours per week.

4. It is very, very difficult to get feedback. The DM can't see you and it can be very hard to judge feelings over a voice chat. Private Message (or publicly if you like) the DM once in a while and tell him/her what you like about the game and try to give some constructive criticism. Again, the Golden Rule certainly applies, so, if you've got something to bitch about, do it politely with an open mind.

5. Presuming these are strangers, it's okay to walk away. Trying to get five or six people together on a regular basis to play a game that is primarily personality based can lead to lots, and lots of conflict. If you're not having fun with the game, walk away. No harm, no foul. You do not owe these people anything, nor, do they particularly owe you anything. Sticking it out will likely lead to frustration and even more conflict. There are a bajillion online games out there and everyone has different play styles. Just because you joined this one does not mean you have to stay with this one. Be polite and give lots of notice, but, if you're not having fun, walk. A politely worded email or message on the board is good enough. Thank the DM and everyone else for their time, and bow out. This is a good thing. You very well might have to shop around a few games to find a group that best fits. Again, there is no judgement implied at all with that. It's perfectly fine.

6. Be kind to the DM. By that, I mean don't test boundaries. If the DM says no X in the game, then, don't try to play X. Take the time to question the DM about what kind of game is going to be run, what are the expectations and what are the house rules. It's no fun getting surprised by something half way through play. Additionally, if you have rules issues, remember, this isn't a face to face game with friends. Make sure you know what you're talking about before you question mechanics. Take a minute to find page and paragraph and THEN bring up the rules question. It could be the DM is wrong, it could be you are wrong. Make sure you know what you're talking about first.

7. Before the game starts, take a minute to make sure your equipment works. If you have a five year old headset that you bought at the Dollar store, maybe it might be an idea to upgrade a bit and buy a decent headset and mic. Does your computer run the virtual tabletop AND the voice program AND maybe your web browser at the same time? Check it out. Most VTT's come with connection tests, so, again, make sure you can connect to servers before the game starts.

8. If you're going to be absent, make sure you message the group and let them know. In this day and age of smart phones and whatnot, there is zero excuse barring catastrophe not to let the DM, at the very least, know that you can't make the next session. IOW, don't be a dick. This is a social engagement and you should treat it as such.

Well, that's enough of my soapbox for now.

 

[Dante Stern]

There are many questions open .. What plattform will you use (Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, Maptools,...) and will you use a additional Program like Teamspeak or Skype? Also do you use Videochat or Voicechat? Have you played D&D or other RPGs before?

I'm actually on Roll20! Just made an account a few hours after this one. I've got both team speak and Skype available but no webcam or anything.
I wouldn't have considered VTT if I could find more people around me that wanted to play

If you have no experience with D&D, you can get the Basic Rules for free (Player PDF should be enough):
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules
The PDF has the full rules and Equipment, only the Classes and Races are limited to 4 of each, but they included the essential ones.

I'll be sure to check out that PDF file after I'm done here. Thanks for the link!

If you have never played an RPG before than you can watch some Videos on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgNRe76o4_8
(do not watch it if you are planning to play "Lost Mine of Phandelver"!)

I've never done a tabletop RPG but I do have RPG and RP experience. I've also seen countless hours of various people playing D&D(CriticalRole, Projared, ect...)

But the most important thing is to talk to the Game Master! He will certainly be glad to tell you everything you need to know.

Also ... Have FUN!

Apparently I can't just reply to the posts, sorry.

 

[Dante Stern]

Thanks so much for all the info and tips! I'll be sure to keep them in mind when I finally find someone to try to play with