What's Wrong with Virtual Tabletop Play?

[Kahuna Burger]

I've been doing a play by chat for a few months now, and for a regular game, I prefer it to face to face. Mostly because I can effectively be in a game with the hubby. We have a 2 year old, and no one who we could ask to watch him every week. We had a game going at our place for a while but Kahuna Meatball would get overstimulated by all the people around and want my attention, and by the time we were getting into the flow of the game it would have to be interupted for me to (painfully) put him to bed. With only weeknights available, and one player who lived an hour away and needed to leave by 10 at best, we were not getting a lot of gaming in.

The play by chat sessions are scheduled shorter, but go much more smoothly. I can often get the meatball to sleep before we start, and we can play later because no one has to clean up or drive home. Totaly random table talk is reduced, and when it happens the main game can often just flow around it. We can play with a guy who was in the Hubby's face to face game but moved a couple of states away. If I'm not involved at that minute I can run down a load of laundry, and it causes no distraction to the rest of the group.

I also find that its easier to get your two cents in, since everyone can type equally loudly and you don't worry about interupting anyone. Yeah, sometimes the order of conversation can get a little confused, but nothing awful.

Its worth noting that all but one of us in the chat game have a small child or baby (and he's expecting one soon). The ability to play in our own houses is a tremenous benefit, and we can throw in an extra weekend session far more easily in the chat format than if we had to physically get together.

Mechanically, I'd like it if we were playing with one of the programs that can do battlemaps, but that is a problem we could resolve if it became too annoying. (and eventually may.)

 

[Nine Hands]

One thing I have had alot of success with (since all of my players are 'net aware and live close) is a hybrid online/offline game.

We use Yahoo Groups for most of the role playing (and right now combat since I can't get any free time to run a table with them). When we have a combat we want to play out, we all meet. Its a really interesting way of playing and I'm really surprised it works so well.

With this game, I try to post as quickly as I can to keep the game moving (unlike other PBEM games, where I post every 2 weeks or so).

We also don't use any fancy programs (other than me using Photoshop, CC2/3 and MS Paint to make maps). While I could see the utiltiy in things like OpenRPG, I just don't need them.

 

[Hussar]

I think, for me, the biggest bonus of VT gaming is the flexibility. As Kahuna Burger mentions, some of us have children, live far from any other gamers, have significant others, whatever. Getting six adults into the same room for four hours can be a pretty large challenge. However, with online gaming, you can simply find a time that works for you and advertise in that time slot. It took me about two years to build the group that I have and they are great. ((Props to both Awayfarer and Merkuri)) Once you find a group that has similar schedules to you, you're good to go.

No need to find babysitters, travel, whatever. Most people can sit down at the computer for three hours and play a game, be it rpg or any other game for that matter. What I really, really hope is that WOTC picks up the ball here and develops a solid VT program. Text based works best, IMO, simply because there is no real learning curve. Setting up a world in NWN is technically challenging and time consuming. Typing up your adventure is no more time consuming for tabletop or VT.

With the backing of WOTC, I could see a real community of gamers developing. Imagine RPGA virtual tournaments being held weekly with a few thousand participants. Being able to find a game 24/7 and picking and choosing the one that fits you. OpenRPG has a large enough community that you can almost do that right now. I know that, as a DM, if I post a Players Wanted ad on the OpenRPG forums, for any time day or night, I will have six players within a week or two.

To me, that's a very big benefit for VT.

And, for those who are interested, here is the raw transcript from our last session. I don't actually trim very much when I post them to the site. Just the banter at the beginning and the end of the session.

 

[sjmiller]

I really don't understand this point of view. I'm not saying it's wrong, because, well, it's not. But, I don't understand. What about playing in a chat based game, like Fantasy grounds or OpenRPG, is so distasteful? Why is there this view that face to face is so superior for playing RPG's?

I can give you my reason for preferring face-to-face gaming. It costs me less. I don't have a high speed internet connection, or the headphones with the microphone, or a web cam, or anything like that. To play a face-to-face game all I need are the books I spent $20 each to get ($60 if I am playing D&D), the dice I have owned for decades, pencil, and paper. To play online it will cost me a lot more.

Plus, I can't joke around with my friends when we're not involved in the game, we can't share my bottle of champagne and cake for my birthday (happened last weekend), and the game just seems more cold and impersonal. I game for the social aspects of gaming, as well as for the actual game play. Gaming online, to me at least, is about as anti-social as a game can be.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I'd do it if I could find an interface that was worth a flip.

So far I haven't seen such a beast.

 

[sjmiller]

I think, for me, the biggest bonus of VT gaming is the flexibility. As Kahuna Burger mentions, some of us have children, live far from any other gamers, have significant others, whatever. Getting six adults into the same room for four hours can be a pretty large challenge. However, with online gaming, you can simply find a time that works for you and advertise in that time slot. It took me about two years to build the group that I have and they are great. ((Props to both Awayfarer and Merkuri)) Once you find a group that has similar schedules to you, you're good to go.

I have a group of nine adults, including myself. Two of them have to deal with child custody issues. Another has three kids and a non-gaming wife. We play every other weekend from late October to the end of May. We manage to get all nine of us every time we play, with the occasional exception for emergencies/obligations/sickness. The way we do it is we set up a calendar in October and post all the dates we know that each of us cannot make it. Then we plot the best set of dates with the maximum attendance. We've been doing this for 3 years now and we wouldn't do it any other way. This group has been melded from several different groups, some with over a dozen years playing together. I just can't imagine having a group online that would compare to the group, the friends, I have made face-to-face.

 

[Hussar]

I have a group of nine adults, including myself. Two of them have to deal with child custody issues. Another has three kids and a non-gaming wife. We play every other weekend from late October to the end of May. We manage to get all nine of us every time we play, with the occasional exception for emergencies/obligations/sickness. The way we do it is we set up a calendar in October and post all the dates we know that each of us cannot make it. Then we plot the best set of dates with the maximum attendance. We've been doing this for 3 years now and we wouldn't do it any other way. This group has been melded from several different groups, some with over a dozen years playing together. I just can't imagine having a group online that would compare to the group, the friends, I have made face-to-face.

Late October to end of May. That's seven months plus a bit. Bi-weekly, you're looking at 15 sessions a year. To me, that's nowhere near enough gaming to scratch my itch.

 

[Kalmarjan]

Have you all tried it?

I see a lot of nay sayers here about online roleplaying games. I also get the sense that the nay sayers here have not tried, nor never will try the game.

Playing online is a different bag to traditional play. A lot of aspects are different. To say that it is not a replacement for table top play is right on a few points, and wrong on a few others.

The point is, if you had no other alternative, then you could look into online play. The point is the roleplaying, the socialization of friends if you would. Since when did it matter how you did it?

I forsee a future with online play. I can see all the major companies jumping on board with this new paradigm. It spells good news for the industry as a whole, as now games can be targeted at someone other than the person who still lives with his mother and is playing in his basement.

Kalmarjan

 

[smerwin29]

I see a lot of nay sayers here about online roleplaying games. I also get the sense that the nay sayers here have not tried, nor never will try the game.

I have both played and DMed online games using a variety of different interfaces. At this point in my life, and with the current technology, I can honestly and safely say that I would rather not play at all than play online. I spend my working hours staring at a computer screen boxed away from the world; I do not want to make that my hobby as well. I'm sure others are in different situations and therefore look to find a game any way possible, and I respect that decision. But for me, no matter how "kewl" the technology can make the experience, the face-to-face social aspect of the game is what appeals.

 

[Matchstick]

I just can't imagine having a group online that would compare to the group, the friends, I have made face-to-face.

And yet, should you or someone in your group of friends move away, you wouldn't try online gaming to stay in touch with them? To keep them in the game?

I see a lot of nay sayers here about online roleplaying games. I also get the sense that the nay sayers here have not tried, nor never will try the game.

Playing online is a different bag to traditional play. A lot of aspects are different. To say that it is not a replacement for table top play is right on a few points, and wrong on a few others.

The point is, if you had no other alternative, then you could look into online play. The point is the roleplaying, the socialization of friends if you would. Since when did it matter how you did it?

I forsee a future with online play. I can see all the major companies jumping on board with this new paradigm. It spells good news for the industry as a whole, as now games can be targeted at someone other than the person who still lives with his mother and is playing in his basement.

Completely agree. I really believe this is one major direction that RPG's are going to go. It makes too much sense as the interent becomes pervasive and gamers find their schedules more and more full. As real life takes hold.

I don't understand why people would look down on what is simply another option for friends and gaming groups to get together, socialize (and it is a social experience online), and play the games that we all love. More options are always better.