Playing in Person Is Just Better (for me)

[MNblockhead]

I have a group that's been 100% online because we met here on ENW, and we’re scattered all over the US.

That group only exists because of online play. But if there was a chance to play with them in person, that’d be awesome.

I mean… is there anyone who doesn’t prefer in person play?

I’m sure there could be, but it’s not really surprising that most of us prefer to play in person. There are pros and cons to each, but still… I think most prefer in person play.

Let’s hear some man bites dog. Who out there actually prefers online play?

Let's see if we can summon @Jd Smith1 -- he's the first who comes to mind in strongly stating his preference for on-line play.

 

[MNblockhead]

I love playing in person and there are some games I just would not want to play online. InSPECREs, for example. Which is a very much beer-and-pretzles TTRPG.

With D&D I use a vertical display with physical minis, so I still get the convenience of having lots of maps instantly available, with fog of war.

But I've been running a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4e game since the beginning of the year. I have an opportunity to run a session in person when I'm back to my hometown for Thanksgiving. But I'm likely not going to run it live. It would be hard to do without everyone bringing laptops. Its a much cruncier game, so having to go pen and paper would slow everything down. Trying to run just one session in person in a game that has always been online in a fully supported game system would be a PITA.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Let's see if we can summon @Jd Smith1 -- he's the first who comes to mind in strongly stating his preference for on-line play.

I do prefer on-line, for various excellent reasons.

The first is the sheer volume of good players available on-line. For at least two-thirds of my gaming career (started in 1979), I have have the prospect of campaigns being derailed/ruined by the loss of players without ready replacements hanging over my head. I have had to tolerate less-than-stellar players just to fill enough chairs. Since moving on line, that stress has been removed entirely.

Convenience. For the last twenty years, I had not hosted my games, as I live in the country, which meant shuttling my GM materials to various locations, a drive home after gaming, dealing with players who have poor eating or hygiene issues, or venues which are infested with rats, poorly trained pets, small children, and other vermin. Playing on-line, everything is at my fingertips, I recline in great comfort in my $1500 chair, and the instant the game ends, I am home.

Being on-line makes simple things better: instead of passing notes, you can DM a player in complete secrecy, without anyone knowing notes are bring passed. Players can be tasked to Google and post simple research questions. Handouts and props are simple to distribute, and keeping things like a stock market feature is easy.

Players don't forget their PC sheets, handouts, props, or anything else. Its always right there.

There's no question about suspicious dice or wanky rolling methods; we're all using the same dice roller.

I had used a VTT for the last decade of F2F gaming, so using Roll20 was simply a step up from the familiar (MapTool).

None of my players are getting any better-looking, so not seeing them is no hardship. In fact, I find it makes it easier to visualize role-play when I can't see the 6'3" redneck ex-biker who is playing a 5'1" Italian researcher.

There are fewer distractions; as a GM I focus on the map and the material; players who are eating mute their mikes, no one is (as far as I know) trying to force a d4 into a body orifice, there's no beating of other players with random objects for stupid moves, and so forth. It creates a cleaner, smoother, more in-depth gaming experience. In a fart-free environment.

There's no need to stop for smoke breaks, because everyone is at home.

There is, so far as I am concerned, literally no downside to on-line gaming.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Let's see if we can summon @Jd Smith1 -- he's the first who comes to mind in strongly stating his preference for on-line play.

Sadly, he’s blocked me, so I suspect he won’t see the post you quoted. And I won’t see any reply he makes.

But I imagine his reasons have something to do with Texas!

 

[aramis erak]

There's no question about suspicious dice or wanky rolling methods; we're all using the same dice roller.

I have a player who has not, for whatever reasons, rolled well on the same die roller as the rest of the group. I need to go back through and run some stats, but I'd be surprised if he was above mean.
He blames the die roller.
It doesn't help that I wrote said roller, but that's pretty irrelevant.
(FTF, he had similarly bad luck.)

Players with bad luck will seek to blame some sophont for the issues they're having.

 

[Marc Radle]

I’m firmly in the playing live camp.

There’s nothing wrong with playing on line of course, but it is definitely not for me.

 

[Starfox]

Sadly, he’s blocked me, so I suspect he won’t see the post you quoted. And I won’t see any reply he makes.

But I imagine his reasons have something to do with Texas!

He literally posted right above you in this thread. I think quoting is inappropriariate.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

On the other hand, it reveals a strong experience with... less than adequate players. I thought it was elitist when I saw the mention of the abundance of good players online, but the contrast is what I'd say that there is no shortage of tolerable human beings online. Which may happen in person.

I am playing with friends so I prefer to play in person because I like meeting them. Playing online (as we did in pandemic and as we do when transportation happens to be a problem) has some perks like sharing maps and nobody forgetting their stuff. But it lessens the experience for me not to have side conversations (in characters) because everyone must shut up to try and listen to the active player or GM online.

I have learnt from the pandemic that storing digital handouts on my phone and sharing them in our Signal group at the appropriate time is a good thing. Sure it requires people to activate their phones, but digital handouts sometimes are very helpful and we kept that from the online gaming period.

 

[Jd Smith1]

On the other hand, it reveals a strong experience with... less than adequate players. I thought it was elitist when I saw the mention of the abundance of good players online, but the contrast is what I'd say that there is no shortage of tolerable human beings online. Which may happen in person.

The thing is, there are so many players looking for a good weekly game, that you can carefully vet each one, and ensure you get the right sort.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

TLDR; RPGs are like sex; it's better in person. But if that's not your bag, or you can't be there in person, that's okay. We don't judge.

Or if you are a true D&D perv/deviant, you will get it both ways and twice on Sunday!

Remote primes the pump!

Also for playing D&D…wait what were we talking about?