I've been getting into running games via Fantasy Grounds and ScreenMonkey. I adore the medium and I do more with virtual games like make maps, NPC's, campaigns, than I do with my real group. I don't know what the opposite of a Luddite is but I love tech.
I like to run games vs. play a character (I'm weird that way). Who would be interested in playing games via virtual tabletop? I'm thinking of like a "One Shot Wednesday" run twice a month to actually use some of the games I've purchased over the last 30 years of gaming. Like a classic RPGA event. A 4-hour game with pre-gen'd characters and I host.
Now Fantasy Grounds is great for d20 but it has a purchase price of 19.95 for the players client. ScreenMonkey is free for the players but not as robust as Fantasy Grounds for image sharing, dice management and interactivity.
The biggest benefit of ScreenMonkey is that people could easily jump on with no monetary layout. (I should probably do a review one of these days for both products).
For VoiP I'd use Skype (with a limit of 4 players with sweet quality) or Ventrilo on another server I run out of my house. I don't like typing - it's too slow for me and I'm much more aural so it's easier for me to keep track of things. Years of customer support and consulting have also assisted me in recognizing voices so I'm very quick to associate voices with names.
Current Games on the demo list:
I like to run games vs. play a character (I'm weird that way). Who would be interested in playing games via virtual tabletop? I'm thinking of like a "One Shot Wednesday" run twice a month to actually use some of the games I've purchased over the last 30 years of gaming. Like a classic RPGA event. A 4-hour game with pre-gen'd characters and I host.
Now Fantasy Grounds is great for d20 but it has a purchase price of 19.95 for the players client. ScreenMonkey is free for the players but not as robust as Fantasy Grounds for image sharing, dice management and interactivity.
The biggest benefit of ScreenMonkey is that people could easily jump on with no monetary layout. (I should probably do a review one of these days for both products).
For VoiP I'd use Skype (with a limit of 4 players with sweet quality) or Ventrilo on another server I run out of my house. I don't like typing - it's too slow for me and I'm much more aural so it's easier for me to keep track of things. Years of customer support and consulting have also assisted me in recognizing voices so I'm very quick to associate voices with names.
Current Games on the demo list:
Hard Nova ][
(Hero 5th) - a variety of genres including Star Hero, Fantasy Hero, Champions, etc
HARP
Burning Wheel
Dawning Star
Warhammer FRP
Ars Magica 5th
Savage Worlds
Ex Machina
Jovian Chronicles
I'd keep it to in-print games but would run nostalgia games for old-schoolers and for those that like to try what was made before they were born. Like a fine wine some of the get better with age while others turn to vinegar.
Villains and Vigilantes
Star Frontiers
Arcanum (by Bard Games)
Marvel Superheroes
Runequest III
Rules Cyclopedia
AD&D 1st and 2nd edition
I am in initial discussions with Wizards of the Coast to run a tournament style game for UnCon 2005 ( see flyer here ) .
What I'm looking for though is feedback. Yes, I know the enworld.org is a small subsection of the role-playing community, but do you think:
1. People will be interested? I would be fulfilling what alot of good FLGS's do. Promote games and get people interested.
2. Would game companies be willing to pony up a prize or two to be handed out.
3. Are there others interested in doing the same. I know companies have demo teams (I'm part of a few myself - Legion of Heroes for Hero Games, Pod Corps for DP9, Legionnaires for I-Kore (though the status of that is unknown)) but this would expand their market to those that don't have access to a FLGS or friends like me who are classified as game whores and who, for the past 20 years, have purchased way too many games to run full campaigns with?
Help me enworld.org ...your my only hope - but I'll cross-post to rpg.net and maybe email some game companies as well.
Later,
Greg Volz
Natural Twenty Gaming
www.naturaltwenty.com
