I am curious to learn if others here like myself have had experience roleplaying with others online. I want to tell my story, and try to see if it is unique to my experiences or if it is indicative of a larger trend.
I've done roleplaying online through a number of mediums, from post-to-post RP, to RP via IRC, but most of my online RP has been through Neverwinter Nights. My experience with Neverwinter Nights has changed how I view roleplaying in general.
I personally live in a small town. In order for me to play a more traditional tabletop game, I have to drive at least an hour to find a group. Finding a group to begin with is difficult, but the internet is a helpful tool when it comes to conducting a search.
As a result the bulk of my experience is online, and Neverwinter Nights 1 in particular. Using NWN I have played more traditional games where we met up once per-week, as well as gaming on persistent worlds where I could log on 24/7, 365 days a year to interact with others.
My introduction to roleplaying in general was over IRC with friends I had made on a MMO. (Back before the days of World of Warcraft or EverQuest.) I was in my late teens at the time, either 16 or 17, which I'd suppose is most likely around the age most kids get started.
I missed the whole revolution of the 70's and 80's because it took place when I was too young to play. I came of age in a sort of sweet spot, right before MMO's really took off and the internet became indispensable (mid-to-late 90's).
In my experience with online gaming, I have met many individuals - hundreds. A lot of the folks I've met, primarily individuals around my age, though there are many who are younger, they had never played a tabletop game. Most of those guys (and more than a few gals), flat out said they'd never consider playing a tabletop game.
In my online games, people really got into their characters. From the time they logged on till the time they logged off, most people remained in character the entire time. Sure, there were a few moments where things went off the rails just like in a more traditional tabletop game, but overall those seemed to be far fewer and less frequent.
The anonymity of the internet seemed to allow many of the people I interacted with to be able to explore something like roleplaying in a "safe" environment. Additionally, with the mechanics of the game being mostly handled by the computer / server, it allowed us to ignore that aspect of the game and focus on what drew us together: the roleplaying itself.
Of course, it's not without its downsides. Everything in life has its trade-offs. NWN is limiting in a number of ways, primarily it requires skills that most DM's simply don't possess, whether it is scripting or basic technical knowledge. The community is large and great, and super helpful, but a DM trying to use NWN still has to devote far more time than a more traditional DM just to simply get the game ready. Whether that is creating NPC's, adventures, whatever, but in addition they must engage in the virtual world building itself.
In a tabletop game you have the potential to go anywhere and do almost anything. Your imagination is the limit. Gaming via NWN, you are limited by the engine itself and what is built. So it is not without its drawbacks.
I have found that among the folks I've met gaming online, that my experiences seem to be unique in some way. Most of them have not, will not, and have no intention of transitioning to tabletop gaming. They are not interested in the hobby, and are there for only one reason: the roleplaying.
I feel like somewhat of an oddball. Without the internet I likely would have never heard of or discovered D&D. I couldn't have told you what a d20 looked like if my life depended on it. There are no gaming stores in my immediate area, the closest one is 45 minutes away, and I likely would have never set foot inside without a reason. Even so I still order the bulk of my books online, and prefer PDF's over traditional books, simply due to the convenience.
I've found that traditional tabletop gaming is a great way to meet other geeky folks like myself, who share a strong love for the hobby. Yet, for the most part we seem to be a small niche group of enthusiasts, but there is a wider world out there with people who could potentially be brought inside.
In my mind there is a holy grail. I want a virtual tabletop that I can use via my web browser. It'd handle the mechanics of the game, reduce the DM's workload, and blend my two worlds seamlessly into one. I'd be able to find a game anytime of the day, any day of the week, and I'd get to meet up with other geeky folks to discuss geeky things.
When WotC created Gleemax I thought my dreams were about to come true. Of course, Gleemax is vaporware, and by and large I moved on beyond D&D years ago. (One of the things I disliked about NWN was that the rules were hardcoded into the engine itself.)
So, this brings me to my conclusion. What are the experiences of others? Is my experience unique? How many people here have done serious roleplaying online?
I've done roleplaying online through a number of mediums, from post-to-post RP, to RP via IRC, but most of my online RP has been through Neverwinter Nights. My experience with Neverwinter Nights has changed how I view roleplaying in general.
I personally live in a small town. In order for me to play a more traditional tabletop game, I have to drive at least an hour to find a group. Finding a group to begin with is difficult, but the internet is a helpful tool when it comes to conducting a search.
As a result the bulk of my experience is online, and Neverwinter Nights 1 in particular. Using NWN I have played more traditional games where we met up once per-week, as well as gaming on persistent worlds where I could log on 24/7, 365 days a year to interact with others.
My introduction to roleplaying in general was over IRC with friends I had made on a MMO. (Back before the days of World of Warcraft or EverQuest.) I was in my late teens at the time, either 16 or 17, which I'd suppose is most likely around the age most kids get started.
I missed the whole revolution of the 70's and 80's because it took place when I was too young to play. I came of age in a sort of sweet spot, right before MMO's really took off and the internet became indispensable (mid-to-late 90's).
In my experience with online gaming, I have met many individuals - hundreds. A lot of the folks I've met, primarily individuals around my age, though there are many who are younger, they had never played a tabletop game. Most of those guys (and more than a few gals), flat out said they'd never consider playing a tabletop game.
In my online games, people really got into their characters. From the time they logged on till the time they logged off, most people remained in character the entire time. Sure, there were a few moments where things went off the rails just like in a more traditional tabletop game, but overall those seemed to be far fewer and less frequent.
The anonymity of the internet seemed to allow many of the people I interacted with to be able to explore something like roleplaying in a "safe" environment. Additionally, with the mechanics of the game being mostly handled by the computer / server, it allowed us to ignore that aspect of the game and focus on what drew us together: the roleplaying itself.
Of course, it's not without its downsides. Everything in life has its trade-offs. NWN is limiting in a number of ways, primarily it requires skills that most DM's simply don't possess, whether it is scripting or basic technical knowledge. The community is large and great, and super helpful, but a DM trying to use NWN still has to devote far more time than a more traditional DM just to simply get the game ready. Whether that is creating NPC's, adventures, whatever, but in addition they must engage in the virtual world building itself.
In a tabletop game you have the potential to go anywhere and do almost anything. Your imagination is the limit. Gaming via NWN, you are limited by the engine itself and what is built. So it is not without its drawbacks.
I have found that among the folks I've met gaming online, that my experiences seem to be unique in some way. Most of them have not, will not, and have no intention of transitioning to tabletop gaming. They are not interested in the hobby, and are there for only one reason: the roleplaying.
I feel like somewhat of an oddball. Without the internet I likely would have never heard of or discovered D&D. I couldn't have told you what a d20 looked like if my life depended on it. There are no gaming stores in my immediate area, the closest one is 45 minutes away, and I likely would have never set foot inside without a reason. Even so I still order the bulk of my books online, and prefer PDF's over traditional books, simply due to the convenience.
I've found that traditional tabletop gaming is a great way to meet other geeky folks like myself, who share a strong love for the hobby. Yet, for the most part we seem to be a small niche group of enthusiasts, but there is a wider world out there with people who could potentially be brought inside.
In my mind there is a holy grail. I want a virtual tabletop that I can use via my web browser. It'd handle the mechanics of the game, reduce the DM's workload, and blend my two worlds seamlessly into one. I'd be able to find a game anytime of the day, any day of the week, and I'd get to meet up with other geeky folks to discuss geeky things.
When WotC created Gleemax I thought my dreams were about to come true. Of course, Gleemax is vaporware, and by and large I moved on beyond D&D years ago. (One of the things I disliked about NWN was that the rules were hardcoded into the engine itself.)
So, this brings me to my conclusion. What are the experiences of others? Is my experience unique? How many people here have done serious roleplaying online?
