Mixing tabletop and remote players in a game

[Greenfield]

Two of the players in my regular game have just run into transportation issues, and won't be able to attend.

Simply put, they live two counties away (about 75 miles) and have been commuting via public transportation each weekend to game. (They arrive Saturday morning, game with us on Saturday, then game/crash at a friend's house Saturday night, game/hang out for most of Sunday, then ride the bus for two hours to get close enough to home to have someone pick them up.)

We hate to lose our regulars, so I'm looking for answers.

One obvious solution is Skype. Set up the laptop at the end where they usually sit, fire up a video session, and let them join in that way.

Another obvious solution is a virtual game table. I know there are several out there. Not sure how well they mix with an actual battle-map-and-figures game.

Anybody have any experience with this? Any advice? (And yes, I know it reeks of Shawn in Full Frontal Nerdity. )

 

[prosfilaes]

A group I'm friends with tried the Skype thing. They found it impossible, as the person never heard things the first time, couldn't see the map, etc. You may have better success, but my friend said never again.

 

[Grogg of the North]

We've done the half live/half skype thing before. It turned out okay. As long as you're willing to play the "You move here? Here?" game with your players it works.

Of course dealing with D/Cing players can be a problem. And there is a bit of trust since monster stats are just a click away.

Otherwise, while virtual table tops have their own issues, it's been ok for my group.

 

[Thaumaturge]

I do this about half of the year, because one of my players is a snowbird. We set up an iPad (laptop, or even a smartphone, would work) at one end of the table and go. It's not perfect, but he gets to see and hear a lot of the experience.

My suggestion would be to use Google Hangouts instead of Skype. Hangouts does auto-switching (It detects who is talking and let's that person/room have the camera). Especially with 2 remote players, auto-switching is a nice addition. And it's free. I also think the Hangouts codec is a touch more robust (I think Skype gives a better picture if everything is optimal, I think Hangouts gives a better picture if something is off).

Depending on your players' setups, it would be nice for them to have headphones on, it'll cut out a lot of the room noise you might hear behind them.

And, yes, it's Theater of the Mind all the way. Even in scenarios where we've used minis for those present, it becomes TotM for those who are remote.

If you have any other questions about logistics, I can answer those.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Shiroiken]

I play with a group that is a mix using Skype, and it works really well. We have a Roll20 game that we use just for the dice rolls and the occasional map. Of course, our combats are usually TotM anyway, so it's not a big deal if we can't see the battlemap.

 

[JamesonCourage]

I played a session last night with three players physically present (along with me running the game) and one player on Skype (my brother, who lives across the country). I've done this kind of thing before, too. I just usually have the camera pointed at me, but I'll move it to the other PCs when things like planning, social RPing, etc. is being done, so that the players can see each other.

In my experience (including last night), it works really well. It's not as good as having them be there physically, but it's not nearly as bad as I initially thought it would be. Though, it should be noted that both sides having a good internet connection is a must. When it's choppy, it's pretty frustrating.

We've done the half live/half skype thing before. It turned out okay. As long as you're willing to play the "You move here? Here?" game with your players it works.

This was my experience when I had a player who had a PC in my 4e game (the only time I've used a battle map). She was able to pick it up pretty quickly, and it worked out pretty well. A little slower than normal, but not too bad.

 

[wedgeski]

Clearly all that is needed is the Sheldon Cooper Mobile Virtual Presence Device.

 

[N'raac]

If seeing the battlemat is an issue, maybe we let the characters get a bit more freeform - no one gets to count out the squares (or even get rid of squares and go free form with a tape measure and templates for areas). "My move? OK - I will move in towards the two Hobgoblins attacking the wizard. If I can get there in one Move Action, I Attack. If not, I will continue moving to Charge one of the hobgoblins".

The characters can't likely see that they are just barely close enough to get there in a single Move Action anyway.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I run a game with Skype, where half my players are present in the room, and half remote in. It can work well, but there are some caviats.

First, it's best to avoid using battle maps when you don't need them. If you have a large enough screen to share with the table, Roll20 can work, but using a battle map will always be an extra layer of complication to deal with.

Second, get a good webcam. I use the one in my Surface Pro, and it has a solid widescreen camera and picks up sound across a room. These things are essential for the enjoyment of those on Skype.

 

[DMZ2112]

I'll echo the recommendations for theater of the mind play; managing a battlemat across a camera feed is rough. It can be done, but it is rough.

I've had nothing but trouble with Skype, but a great deal more luck with Google Hangouts. The Google Hangouts interface is particularly nice for having multiple cameras at the table on devices that are all signed into the service, so that remote players can switch their own view of the table without having someone shuttle a tablet or phone around.