Long distance gaming

[Someone]

http://nodwick.humor.gamespy.com/ffn/index.php?date=2004-05-13

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I hold pretty odd hours, so a lot of my gaming is done via VTT (Virtual Table Tops).

Skype (or Ventrillo or Teamspeak) is a must for PC users.
Maptool is super-handy for any sort of miniatures / mapping usages. You can also use it for non-map pictures. (Open RPG is also useful for this, though not a spiffy as Maptool).

Later
silver

 

[mearlus]

Thanks for everyones replies. We'll try out a few of them to see if we can get things to work out. The Virtual Table Top applications look interesting

 

[Dougan Axehammer]

I can help you make it free!

Well, you're looking for a web cam thing. Can't help there. But all of my friends are in NY, FL, and MO and I use the Internet to set up gaming sessions with them. Here's how I do it:

---Purchased "Campaign Cartographer Pro 2" along with "Dungeon Designer" and "City Designer".

---Downloaded a software called OPEN RPG at www.openrpg.com. Had my players download and install it too.

---Downloaded Teamspeak and purchased a headset and had my players purchase their headsets and install Teamspeak.

---Possess a scanner, to scan material from D&D books your players like to look over

---I pay $3/month to have 500 MB of storage to upload material with on Geocities.

I use OPEN RPG to set up a room in one of the servers and password protect it. My players enter and there's all sorts of cool features. You can play music for everyone in the room to hear, roll real-time digital dice, upload maps and battlemaps as the combat progresses, send private messages, it has a built in initiative system program and a bunch more. I use CC2 Pro to make my maps, upload them on Geocities after being saved as a .jpg, and use the URL of the uploaded picture to load the map into the room instantly. I usually change it every turn or every round, depending on the situation. I grid my battlemaps with numbers on the left side and letters on top.

It has its drawbacks, nothing beats rolling dice IRL. But private messages make things very useful and suspenseful and it's fun when the players can't see the other players character sheets. I've had a player who played a Ninja fool the others for so long before he finally told them his secret. I've had other players shock the group when they busted out an ability unknown to the rest. Pretty exciting. And the ability to play music on the OPEN RPG just came out recently and makes it even more fun

This is free? :\

 

[mearlus]

Incase anyone else is looking to do this I just got a link for a creative webcam that ends up being entirely free after a rebate and free shipping. As I do not know if I should post links here for products feel free to send me a private message if you're wanting to know where I found it.

Some free is easy to spend time trying out

 

[Razz]

This is free? :\

It is if you manage to have access to a free mapmaking program and can get a headset from a Garage Sale or something...but I bought CC2 Pro and a headset to play online D&D