An Idea About Game Table...

[Scribble]

So I was thinking about soemthing when(if?) Game tabe eventually materialized...

What if say, a number of DM's got together, and sort of created a shared world environment... Each one would maybe create a dungeon, or adventure in some part of the world. As they created adventures they could give little snippets to other DM's in the group. (Like you could create a treasure map, or tell ask another DM to include a scroll with a hint about your adventure in it or something...)

Players would then get together groups of their own devising... Maybe you could advertize, "cleric needed!"

Players would approach the shared world as one world. If you're off adventureing in one DM's dungeon, others might be adventuring in another dungeon.

The DM of each would be responsable for what happens to his dungeon after it's been adventured in, so that if say group A then decides to go to the second dungeon after group B has already been there it will be a different experience then when group A was there.

 

[justanobody]

Sounds like a PW for NWN.

Conceptually brilliant, implementation possible problems.

 

[Scribble]

Sounds like a PW for NWN.

Conceptually brilliant, implementation possible problems.

Yeah it would probably have a lot of things that you couldn't do "perfectly."

But that I think goes without saying in any RPG game period.

I guess you'd have to agree on what times it would happen. And if you decide to do an adventure ina certain DM's dungeon, and that DM is unavailable you might have to wait, or just pick something else...

But overall I think it might be kind of neat...

(Althouth the potential for a DM to get overwhelmed if he had to run more then one group through a dungeon at a time would be high...)

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

So I was thinking about soemthing when(if?) Game tabe eventually materialized...

What if say, a number of DM's got together, and sort of created a shared world environment... Each one would maybe create a dungeon, or adventure in some part of the world. As they created adventures they could give little snippets to other DM's in the group. (Like you could create a treasure map, or tell ask another DM to include a scroll with a hint about your adventure in it or something...)

Players would then get together groups of their own devising... Maybe you could advertize, "cleric needed!"

Players would approach the shared world as one world. If you're off adventureing in one DM's dungeon, others might be adventuring in another dungeon.

The DM of each would be responsable for what happens to his dungeon after it's been adventured in, so that if say group A then decides to go to the second dungeon after group B has already been there it will be a different experience then when group A was there.

It sounds like this may be possible with the DDI table. Now, someone needs to invent the million dollar tool that live updates the community when a player is needed (ahem, Enworld).

The DDI tool is going to present a huge, HUGE opportunity for the first developer to create a tool that builds onto the tool by providing the community with live updates. Consequentially, that same developer will likely turn over some serious ad revenues from web traffic and banners.

 

[justanobody]

I am working on a list of potential problems that oculd arise and should be looked out for if anyone should try this and is interested in the list, form a functionality and resource management perspective.

Should have it done later tonight based on what is currently known or suspected about DDI and Game Table.

 

[Scribble]

It sounds like this may be possible with the DDI table. Now, someone needs to invent the million dollar tool that live updates the community when a player is needed (ahem, Enworld).

The table is (supposedly) going to have a "lounge" area... You wouldn't really need a tool to update the community, as everyone you need should be waiting in the lounge.

You would probably need the DMs on some sort of site or something off of DDI that keeps them all o the same page though... Like where they can put notes and stuff.

Justan I'm looking forward to your list...

 

[justanobody]

Knowns:
*Multiple DMs are needed to encompass the regions accessible within the story.
*Multiple accounts are needed to create each location within the games
*Limited players can be handled by a single DM unless they stick together

Assumeds:
*Time limit to play per Game Table session, or day.
*Game Table offers two mode: 4th edition on, and off

Possible problems:
*Get all the DMs in place at the correct schedule
*DMs having enough time per day/session before being logged off of DDI
*Being able to move from one location/DM to the next via a crowded lounge and find the proper area
*Getting people to not watch an area they are not currently playing in
*Getting people to not start playing in an open table out of sequence of locations they needed to visit first so the DM of that area will know they has some prior information on what is going on with the multiple tables.
*Getting people in one area to stick together rather than "wander off" as parties may happen to do.
*Getting people not a part of the game to stay out without preventing people that belong in to come in. (Passwords could be given to closed tables in a previous table as clues and hints such as the door to Moria)
*Making sure that if one DM is running behind there is a way to contact another location to tell them the party may be delayed.
*Getting the players to not enter and leave one location running back and forth.
*Using the same set of rules throughout the different tables so as not to confuse the players.
*How do characters moving between games/tables in the lounge interact with new places? Does XP remain, is it reset to lowest for that level? Do all items have to be recognized in a new place? Will all rooms have to be set to house-rules mode? Does the same party have to be together for the game to move to a new table? How does save spots work for those that must break and return? Can you DM more than one instance of the same adventure and save them without having to create them as new games for people beyond the first party? What happens during a glitch and people are missing from a room that were there prior to the glitch?

Possible Solutions:
*Door to Moria as a way to prevent people from entering an available table when the player or character is not yet ready to enter.
*One table for the world that is run at all times, and "hours of operation/travel" for other rooms such as cities/dungeons/etc that do not allow just anyone to enter at anytime.
*Website with standing house rules, or rules changes for the system of tables used for this multi-room/DM adventure
*One starting area for all interested new players to enter the "world" that is open when a DM on duty can be present and introduce the idea to the players wishing to participate and guide them to the afore mentioned website for more information and to help answer questions and the DM would act as a tour guide through the first section of the adventure to prepare things needed as they go to other rooms/areas/overland.

Footnote:
Well that is the list formatted with BBCode that I came up with of a few things to look out for or think about when trying to create your potential MMO via Game Table, for any game you should try to use and play through DDI.

With NWN and the PW (persistent world) model, there was less active DMing and the scripts were allowed to handle most every thing through tokens and multiple DMs could be present at the same time. Game table seems to be a secluded idea which might not be very well suited for the same idea, but it may not be impossible to create the same feel with time and planning to make sure the above and maybe more things are considered, and the adventure and rooms tested out prior to allowing players to do what they do best...run wild and destroy all the machinations of the DM.

Hope this helps and does not entirely turn you off of the idea!

Just-a-nobody (Not Justan O'Body )

 

[garyh]

Ya know, we're doing this already over in Living 4th Edition (without all the fancy graphics).

 

[the Jester]

Assumeds:
*Game Table offers two mode: 4th edition on, and off

What on earth gives you this idea?

My suspicion is, you'll be able to turn HOUSE RULES on or off, but it will be 100% designed to support 4e. Why else would WotC invest so much money, time and labor into it? (And don't ask me how much they are actually investing, I have no idea...)

 

[justanobody]

One of the developers, or more; has said it will either turn rules checking on or off. This can only be 4th edition as they do not own WoW or Warhammer to include the rules for those games, but the Game Table is supposed to be able to play any PnP RPG virtually.

To only allow it for use with D&D (house-rules or not), would be corporate suicide.