GhostOrb

[Keeper of Secrets]

Going through the latest issue of Dungeon (121) I saw an ad for something called 'GhostOrb.com.' I checked around to see if there had been any other threads about it but couldn't see any. The gist of it (for those who don't know) is that you could join the site (starting in April) for a small monthly fee and play games.

I wonder if anyone knows anything else about GhostOrb as I am always a little suspicious when it comes to playing games online with other people (as it takes so long to type things out).

 

[Stegger]

Hi,
I asked a somewhat similar question about two days ago, but got only one reply. I dont have any additional information about the site/systemm but I would also like to know some more. If you dont play for the pro GM, is it any different from rpol or places like it??
Cheers,
Stegger

 

[Heathen72]

Going through the latest issue of Dungeon (121) I saw an ad for something called 'GhostOrb.com.' I checked around to see if there had been any other threads about it but couldn't see any. The gist of it (for those who don't know) is that you could join the site (starting in April) for a small monthly fee and play games.

I wonder if anyone knows anything else about GhostOrb as I am always a little suspicious when it comes to playing games online with other people (as it takes so long to type things out).

Go to the address and check it out - If I remember correctly, your typing speed may not be an issue - they have Full Voice Conferencing.

I've been looking at Ghostorb recently with a mix of interest and trepidation, mainly because one of the players in my game may be heading overseas soon. As I have been running the campaign for well over 10 years, I don't want to let something as petty as several thousand kilometres get in the way! I wondering if GhostOrb will be a solution?

I remember when I was younger I began to fantasize about all the nifty ways we'd be able to use the blossoming technology to add to our games. Until recently though, it has had very little impact on the way I game. There have been few innovations that have been able to add to the simple joy of sitting around a table with my best friends rolling little polyhedrals and using silly voices.

A little while ago, though, I started using my laptop to create maps via Dungenie, using my media player to organise and play mp3's for sound effects and mood music (for every situation) and started downloading the resources I need via vendors such as RPGnow.
Soon, I will be able to project our maps onto the battlemap, and if need be, I will be able to run games with my players on the other side of the world. It's an exciting time to be a gamer.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

See, like you I have mixed feelings. Is this the wave of the future for people who like to game but can't get out as much because of kids, location, etc. On the other hand, is it just another lame gimmick? I think I would like to give it a try and see if it is any good.

 

[asch]

Im addressing this forum as I work at ghostorb as both an illustrator and forum moderator, and I can indeed assure that ghostorb is not a gimmick. As I am somewhat loathe to turn any forum (other than our own, of course) into an advertisement, I'll try to answer any questions you have regarding our site without trying to be a salesman. Although the site itself is a work in progress at the moment, most of the information can be found if you look around.

Anyhow, feel free to contact any of the ghostorb.com email addresses for any further info you may require.

Asch

 

[Axegrrl]

We've had a game move from IRL to via chat due to two of the players moving out of state. We've tried voice chat, but frankly, the technology just isn't there yet on the PC as far as we can tell. We've even tried a couple of for-pay solutions on a trial-use basis to test the sound quality, and there's always something that makes it not worth the $$.

By contrast, I've heard the good sound quality that you can get with iChat and iSight on a Mac. The sound quality is better than we usually get on our cell phones. If we could get that sound quality in a multi-person conference, we'd pay for it.

What are you guys doing to improve the voice quality over that of what you can get with YIM voice chat?

And what about Mac compatibility?

 

[DMFTodd]

The gist of it (for those who don't know) is that you could join the site (starting in April) for a small monthly fee and play games.

I think that's right, IF you bring your own DM to run the game or you find a volunteer there. Looks like the are also going to have "pro-DMs" that are going to run games. You pay an additional amount to play in those - $6-$8 for a 3-4 hours session.

 

[DMFTodd]

I'll try to answer any questions you have regarding our site without trying to be a salesman.

How come you don't have a free demo so people can see what the software does?

What do you offer, other than the pro-DMs, that I don't get with other virtual gaming software - kloodge.werks, openrpg, screenmonkey, FantasyGrounds, etc.?

 

[JoeBlank]

How come you don't have a free demo so people can see what the software does?

What do you offer, other than the pro-DMs, that I don't get with other virtual gaming software - kloodge.werks, openrpg, screenmonkey, etc.?

and the other newcomer, Fantasy Grounds, which seems to be catching on quick?

I play in an online game using OpenRPG and WebRPG, but we are looking to upgrade. Right now, Fantasy Grounds is the leading candidate.

 

[asch]

I'm not sure of the specifics of the sound system, however I do know that it sounds great...better than ventrillo or teamspeak for any of you who have ever used those. In fact, Praetor (one of the GMs) is wanting sound quality to be top notch as he is trying to pipe in music simultaneously. Eventually we would like to be able to stream music of choice as you play, or have a selection of player made Mp3s available for download depending upon the genre of your game. Anyhow, I will ask the devs more about the specifics of the sound tech.

As of yet there is no Mac capability, however we are looking into trying to implement that sometime in the future if possible.

The client is working quite well considering the gap between the players. In fact we are even testing with someone in Japan at the moment.

Yes there are both friendly and pro-GM run games, but it costs no extra to play in the friendly games. In fact we have clan pages so that groups of players may come together and use their clan page to organize games as well as chat in their own personal forums. The pro-GM games do cost more, but are well worth it, as we screen GM's thoroughly, and the experience is like no other (not to mention dungeon dives, arena championships, and tournaments).

We will be offering a free demo of sorts. I know that any pre- reg user gets a second account that lasts for one game session so that they can let a friend join up to a game and see what its like...however we want the client to be fully functional and as bugless as possible before we implement the demo. Im not sure what we have planned for other demo offers, Ill have to ask and see.

As far as what we offer, well, full voice conferencing for one, as well a dynamic community behind the client (which I believe can totally sell itself once you've tried it). The interface itself is completely skinnable, and is usable with ANY game system, not just d20. As far as I know, FG offers only d20 (although they have a great interface). We are also hiring both artists as well as writers who have worked in the RPG/fantasy/sci-fi/whatever field before. There is a ton more, but the website does a better job describing that than I ever could.

Anyhow, lemme know if ya have any more questions.

Asch