The Perils of Play By Post (Is it Just Me)?

[Jared Rascher]

I've tried running play by posts several times now. When I do, I invariably get behind. Oddly, despite moving slowly, I have a harder time keeping up with a play by post that I'm running than prepping for a regular game session.

I think part of it is that I actually have too much time to think about what is going on, but I also kind of get lost in the thread. I've never had a hard time following a "normal" discussion thread, but for some reason, when running a play by post, it takes me forever to sit down and sort out who did what and what needs to be addressed. I'm really perplexed as to why I get this lost.

I've noticed a similar problem when I play in a play by post. I get lost. I don't know what everyone else in the party is doing, even when I read through each and every post.

Its almost like hearing everything in monotone and not being able to pick up what's important and what isn't from inflection or emphasis. I'm probably just strange, but I was wondering if anyone else has had a problem with this sort of thing.

 

[Zhaleskra]

No it's not just you. I find it hard to keep up and keep interest. Running just becomes a chore after a while, especially if there are random encounters. Player wise, I get the same hang ups you do.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

You're not alone, brother. I've given up on pbp games, despite living in a fairly rpg-dead area, because I just can't keep focus. The longest pbp I ever played was an adventure that I DMed for all of three encounters before calling it quits.

Yeah, it's weird; pbps are like mental quagmires.

 

[SoulsFury]

I have became quite familiar with PBP games over the last several years. The key to PBP is to not let the game bog down. This is hard because different players like different things. I have a PBP group right now that bogs down and quits posting if they aren't in combat. Likewise in years past, I've had groups that bogged down if combat lasted more than a couple of rounds before they could get back into rping. PBP requires a good blend of characters/players so everyone stays interested. I've also found that pre-written modules, such as Dungeon adventures, work really well for PBP.

 

[shadzar]

I don't think it is too much time to think, for me, but the fact that so much time passes I forget what I was thinking initially.

So PBeM, PbP, etc never really worked for me. IRC almost worked a few times, but voice chat didnt really help.

Just the momentum of the game is lost in translation.

 

[Mallus]

My group plays-by-post between our live game sessions. It works fairly well for us... it gives our inner hack fantasy novelists a chance to, umm, get out. And frankly, our characters usually wind up sounding more like we want them to playing-by-post, given all the extra time to formulate their responses.

We've even run a few complex 4e combat encounters by post. Not ideal, but certainly doable.

 

[Raven Crowking]

I would love to run a pbp game....but, alas, I don't seem able to keep my focus on it either.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I play in one PBEM and it works swimmingly. The primary reason is because we have a top notch GM. But I think the two main ways that it helps keep our interest is that:

1. it is all narrative with very barebone stats so combat always flows. You post what your character does and the GM responds in kind. There is no lag for die rolling, hit points, or movement on a battlemap.

2. each character has their own storyline so you don't have to wait long for a response, as long as the GM is responding quickly. (As opposed to waiting for Players 1, 2, 3, and 4 to respond before ending round one.) That keeps the game flowing and keeps interest up.

And frankly, our characters usually wind up sounding more like we want them to playing-by-post, given all the extra time to formulate their responses.

That's definitely my experience too. At the table one of my friends lives for combat. He's primarily hack and slash with not much roleplaying going on. But in a PBEM he's a stellar roleplayer. A few posts into his first PBEM and his character had written a beautiful poem! That coming from a guy who I've known and gamed with my whole life completely wowed me.

 

[Raven Crowking]

I, for one, would be interested in a primer on running a successful pbp. Anyone feel up to the task?

 

[GandalfMithrandir]

representing the pbp community (sort of, I am non-endorsed) here at EN World, and having been in multiple games that have died, I think the main problem is keeping up interest, at least here, because DM burnout is an issue, I have found, and lack of Player interest as well, for example, in this game, we started in the middle of an AP and it kind of died from (mostly my) lack of interest, I find that 90% of the games that die here are from a long period of time when there are no posts, then interest dies out, and also there can be when you sign up for a game and you are very excited to play in it, and then your interest dies after a while so the game falls to disrepair.

in any case, just my two coppers