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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Entropi" data-source="post: 4857957" data-attributes="member: 68849">Greetings.I've been wanting to run a 4E pbp game for a couple of months now, and have finally decided to run an arena campaign.  I've already developed the arena system I'll be using, as I run it IRL.  However, I would like some input on converting it to online play.The basic concept is that each player will create a team of 3 PCs to fight battles against monster groups.  Groups will be generated by me and will always be 'Hard' encounters of 2 levels above the team.  The team fights multiple fights in a day, earning progressively more gold for each fight as the day goes on.  A team may fight up to 5 fights in a day, but must quit for the day if they lose a battle (or choose not to continue).In the online version, battles will be held at regular intervals (either weekly or every 2 weeks).  I want the game to always be open for new players, and to be able to accommodate any number of players.  I can envision 3 possible ways of setting things up to achieve this.1.  SOLO METHODPlayers fight the battles offline themselves.  When I post the battle schedule for the week, I will include a description of tactics that the monsters use.  The players must make a good faith effort to follow the monster tactics and to administer the rules as fairly as they can.  They then post an after-action-report of their fight in a thread created for that purpose.Advantages:- Easy to set up, manage, and participate in.  Doesn't require transferring character files/sheets from player to DM.  Disputes cannot arise.Disadvantages:- Dependent wholly on the honor system.2.  EACH PLAYER IS ALSO A PITLORDA player that signs up his team to fight that week must also Pitlord (DM) the fight of another player.  When I post the battle schedule for the week, I will include pairings.  It will then be up to the player to send his Pitlord his character sheets (or character builder files).  Each player must also write up tactics for his team, and send these to his Pitlord as well.  The Pitlord will use the player's written tactics as a guide when fighting the battle.  At the end of the week (or two-week period) the Pitlord must post an AAR of the battle.Advantages:- Players are not Pitlording their own characters, so there is no temptation to cheat.Disadvantages:- More fiddly.  Requires off-board communication between player and Pitlord.  Disputes can and will arise.  Pitlords can and will flake out and not run their fight.3.  VOLUNTEER PITLORDS  Same as #2, except a group of Pitlords are assembled before the arena opens.  These Pitlords will be responsible for running all fights.  This is how the Core Coliseum on the WotC boards works.Advantages:- Pitlords less likely to flake out.  Over time, some posters will establish themselves as dependable Pitlords.  Quality of Pitlords (in terms of rules knowledge and running battles) is likely to be consistently higher.  Players who have no desire to run any battles will still be able to participate.Disadvantages:- Requires a stable of committed Pitlords.  Burden on Pitlords may be too high.  Depending on participation levels for both players and Pitlords, there may not be enough Pitlords to run the battles, which could slow down progress at the least, or bring the whole game to ruin at worst.So... thoughts?</blockquote>

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