Play by Post vs. Tabletop

[DDK]

I've just recently started a PBP on these boards and am finding that I actually enjoy running it. Although it's only JUST started, the setup was kinda fun and I've got six decent players with six decent characters and have started with one decent story.

Something I don't think I've ever managed with a tabletop group.

There's something about the medium that I'm finding rather enticing. It seems more story-based and I have a greater degree of control over the running of the game whilst at the same time, I feel the players are also more empowered. Plus you can do neat things like use images on websites for battles, npcs, or even landscape or cities.

I honestly can't wait to see how it all pans out. The only thing I'm not liking is the potential slowness of the game but then again, I start school this week so I won't have as much time anyway. Having established a set routine in the PBP, ie. a minimum of one post every 'turn' or 24-hour period, I can simply come back to the thread once a day, at the end of the 24-hour period, and respond to all the posts. There are other benefits like breaking up the text into different types (thought, speech, action, OOC) which help me with things like awarding RP XP as well. And I have TIME to do everything properly, to consider various plots and threads and devices.

So I'm curious, do any of you prefer PBP over tabletop? If so or if not, why?

 

[Buttercup]

In my experience message board play has much to recommend it. As you are finding, you can really develop a rich, complex story. The slowness is tough. It can take months for the characters to get to second level!

When I was running a message board campaign, my only problem is that my players seemed to want to post all day, every day. They were either better at multitasking than me, or they had jobs where no one cared if they got no work done. I finally just couldn't do it any more, especially when I started running a tabletop game as well.

 

[Aeolius]

Because of my offline schedule, I set my rate at one "Chapter" per week, with updates as time permits. MBGs do teach one patience, this is true

 

[DSC-EricPrice]

I personally think that PbP and PbeMs are very interesting, and Im involved with one that started just the other day. (But not, I dont think, Fourecks).

rpol.net and storycrafter.com and irony.com all have links to PBeMs. Some are great, some are horrible.

PbeMs arent without their problems. People seem to wait until the most ackward time, then disappear never to post again. DMs are left scrambling to find new talent and somehow incorporate them into the storyline. Some people post prolifically, and some post only when cajoled into doing so by the DM. While Im fond of the 3rd-person limited perspective, many others dive headfirst into their posts, posting in the here and now and even telling me what they are thinking.

I think the slowness mentioned is also a cause for another problem Ive discovered with the style. Oversubscription. People get to feeling they can swing 2 or 3 or more games at one time, and then they cant remember the details, keep them straight, or remember to post at all in a timely fashion. They either get booted by their DMs (where they start the cycle all over again) or they burn out from all the work involved in what was supposed to be a game.

All that said, finding a good gaming group online is just as difficult as finding one in real life. Its just not as obvious when you start.

I recommend everyone try it and Fourecks, good luck with your game. Why dont you post the URL so we can all lurk?

 

[Sixchan]

I definitely like Electronic Gaming more than real-life these days. I've noticed that there seems to be less Metagaming, more Roleplaying, less "I wanna do this! I wanna do this! And **** balance!", and best of all, Less of me DMing.

It's a little slow, but at least most player will show up at least once per day, and I can't get my player in RL to show up even once per week.

 

[DDK]

Too tired...

I recommend everyone try it and Fourecks, good luck with your game. Why dont you post the URL so we can all lurk?

Thanks for posting. I'm too tired to reply properly to all the posts though so I'll just leave you with the URL seeing as I just realized some people don't have Signatures turneed on

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?threadid=39107

 

[WanderingMonster]

My experience with PbP and PBEM has not been very good.

The PbP had everything going for it: it was in a community I already liked and trusted, the DM was the best you could hope for, and everyone semed jazzed. The problem for me was that turns went by too quickly. I couldn't keep up with the volume, and was soon lost among the posts. In a case like that, the squeaky wheels have all the fun.

The PBEMs I'vve tried have devolved into melodramas, or slowed to such a degre that I could hardly bring myself to care what happened next.

I'm trying it again. The idea is brilliant in theory. I'm holding out hope that it will work out for me this time.

 

[DDK]

The PBEMs I'vve tried have devolved into melodramas, or slowed to such a degre that I could hardly bring myself to care what happened next.

Hopefully by being aware of these potential pitfalls, I'll be able to avoid them.

In fact, this could be an interesting thread if we discuss the good and bad points about PBP's and how one can avoid the problems.

Any thoughts?