Let's talk about play by post gaming!

[Aeolius]

Yes, I should use it, but I don't. And I know I am not the best writer (even in French, my primary language), but I think I am clear enough to be a good PbP RP, but it may affect a bit my play because of that.

In my campaign, the characters speak aquan, elven, Dramidji (local dialect in the Dramidj Ocean), and a host of other languages. Clear communication isn't always the first order of business, at any rate.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Hmmmm... Yes, I should use it, but I don't. And I know I am not the best writer (even in French, my primary language), but I think I am clear enough to be a good PbP RP, but it may affect a bit my play because of that.

I never noticed it in the game we played, though it was short lived.

Aeolius, check your pm please...

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

I've been DMing since July of this year ('03), though earlier I was in a CoC game, which whetted by appetite for PbP gaming.

I'm now DMing about 7 games and participating in two. None have bombed yet, though one is going incredibly slowly (though that's partially because we're in a small environment).

It does take a bit more work than I had anticipated to keep them going, as delivering a good update for 7 games takes a lot of time. I'm willing to keep working at it if my PCs are, but I need a lot of encouragement from them. The more my PCs give me to work with, the better I think the game is. It's when I'm left hanging with people wondering what to do that I get frustrated.

I don't mind if PCs take the initiative, actually I prefer it. Sometimes I want the PCs help to keep the campaigns moving along if I'm busy. I surely don't mind them staging a harmless encounter with an innkeeper or blacksmith or beggar, if it keeps everyone engaged.

So, in conclusion, I consider a PbP game to be built by both the DM and the player. As a matter of fact it seems that in PbP gaming the players have a bit more responsibility in keeping the game going.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

It does take a bit more work than I had anticipated to keep them going, as delivering a good update for 7 games takes a lot of time.

Your insane.

I'm willing to keep working at it if my PCs are, but I need a lot of encouragement from them. The more my PCs give me to work with, the better I think the game is.

I couldn't agree more and the same goes for a player perspectives. The best games I've been in have had as much conversation OOC, and via email than has been in IC. That's the reason why I have every means of communication with me listed.

So, in conclusion, I consider a PbP game to be built by both the DM and the player. As a matter of fact it seems that in PbP gaming the players have a bit more responsibility in keeping the game going.

I couldn't agree more.

I do have a game starting some time soon. It’s for Spycraft, but d20 Modern can answer also. How valuable are maps?

And a question for DMs/GMs in general, how far do you plan ahead?

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Depends on the game. Some I have the plot all planned out (well, not every single detail, but you know what I mean) and others I'm flying by the seat of my pants. But the great thing is about PbP gaming sometime you can't tell the difference because of the speed of the medium. So what if I don't have a plot the day I start the game? It could be two months before I even managed to get the party together, and if I can't come up with a good plot by then I have no one to blame but myself.

 

[Erekose13]

For maps I use them for combats. Either scanning in the map from an adventure and adding the PCs to it as icons, or drawing a rough one on hex paper and then adding the PCs to it. I have drawn up maps for my city based game prior to starting. I really wanted to create a living vibrant city, so I figured that having maps so that I dont mix up the names and locations of things will help.

In ref. to planning. I think I mentioned it above but in my campaigns it has differed. The first one I played a module, not much planning besides that. Then when it finished I continued playing the game at the PCs request and I am using a novel as inspiratio, but besides that I am just winging it. The third campaing, my AU one, I worked hard on creating the vibrant city atmosphere that I spoke of earlier. So I went through and created a number of important NPCs and factions and the map. But plot wise I have only a rough idea of some of the ways it could go. I am really trying to get the PCs to help move that part of it along with their interactions with my NPCs.

 

[Velmont]

I never noticed it in the game we played, though it was short lived.

I'm happy to see that I'm not that bad, but I just received a report I had to wrote in English, corrected by a friend, and I see almost as much correction as there is text... ok, not THAT much, but it is pretty red on the pages. I hope it will get better with the time.