DDI play and RPGA

[Greatwyrm]

There's been a healthy discussion of whether or not people are planning to use the virtual table top to play online. However, it occurred to me that this could really be a boon for organized play groups like the RPGA. I never really participated in RPGA since there wasn't much going on near my. With DDI, geography isn't an issue. If they can get some kind of controlled character generation, item and XP tracking, could it work?

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

I know we are certainly hoping it does.

Chris Wachal
Point of Contact - Akanul Region (Living Forgotten Realms)

 

[Mirtek]

Since the RPGA is organizationally a subbranch of the WotC marketing department it's more or less a 100% safe bet that WotC will demand DDI events from the RPGA to get from cash flowing from subscriptions

 

[Festivus]

I would be really surprised if it wasn't supported... I was hoping to participate online.

 

[D'karr]

During DDXP it was said that Dungeon Adventures would eventually be "converted" for use with the Virtual Game Table. Dungeon Adventures are already sanctioned for RPGA play. So I can see that this option will be available at some point.

The "biggest" problem with the Virtual Game Table is that it does not allow imports of terrain into it, at least at this time. This means that any adventure "converted" for use the the VGT will need to use Dungeon Tiles as the basis for the maps. This can become repetitive rather quickly.

 

[Mirtek]

The "biggest" problem with the Virtual Game Table is that it does not allow imports of terrain into it, at least at this time. This means that any adventure "converted" for use the the VGT will need to use Dungeon Tiles as the basis for the maps. This can become repetitive rather quickly.

Well, I never played a homegame with terrain tiles and the RPGA events I played were to 95% played on just a plain battlemat with some lines drawn with a marker (and the 5% when the DM did prepare some printed map or brought terrain tiles I didn't get anything from it that I didn't get from the plain mat with some crudely drawn lines), so I don't see any problem with that.

 

[pedr]

Chris Tulach said - back at GenCon, I think - that online play will be supported for Living Forgotten Realms (and, probably, future as-yet-unanounced campaigns). Of course, online play is allowed for much of the current campaigns. There are some restrictions but quite a lot of online play goes on.

Most play uses a freeware program called 'OpenRPG' as a virtual table-top, and people have started to use Ventrilo recently to speed things up further. There is no indication that online play for LFR will require the use of the DDI tools, though WotC obviously believe and hope that they are creating a tool which is 'better' than the competitors and that people will choose to use DDI instead.

One advantage I'm hoping it has is that it might increase the number of people aware of online play, making it easier to muster tables, particularly for those of us not in North America!

 

[phil500]

If they can get some kind of controlled character generation, item and XP tracking, could it work?

I think they can.

But then people may start grinding- set up 20 high level minions all together, let the wizard shoot them with an AoE power that does damage even if they save.

yikes!

 

[Aristotle]

My intention, should the virtual table top live up to expectations, is to drastically reduce my MMO time (which I play as it is the closest thing to role playing I can get most of the time) and get involved with multiple virtual table groups.

My bi-weekly game might go weekly, with off-weeks played online... but I also have an RPGA membership I never use. I'm hoping to run or play in pick up games of Dungeon magazine adventures. I'm really hoping to get involved with each of the "Living" campaigns as they go live.

My players and I (5 in all) are hoping maybe we can find a DM to run regular sessions for us (maybe in Living campaigns or a serial Dungeon adventure) It would be a unique chance for us all to play character together for the first time.

Yep I intend to play a lot of games.

 

[arscott]

Phil, it doesn't quite work like that--RPGA campaigns are limited to specific events that grant only a set amount of XP and treasure.

You can't make up your own encounters just for the XP and swag. You also can't grind minions like that--they never take damage on a miss. And those high-level minions that do survive the fireball (most of them, since they've got decent defenses), will pound the wizard into dust pretty quickly.