I've never seen much point in online dice rollers - IME it goes a lot smoother if the GM does all the rolls. I also think online play works much better with less reliance on dice. Outside of combat (for combat games), I find GM discretion is the best arbiter of whether the PC can climb the wall, sneak up on the guards etc - with reference to the PC's skills of course. I only roll if it seems uncertain to me. Of course I'm far more likely to 'arbitrarily' let the PC succeed than have them arbitraily fail. Online games are great for immersive roleplay but are not good for tactical combat, so they favour a more story-oriented approach than a tabletop game.
What's your favorite method of on-line play?
- Thread starter Halivar
- Start date
JoeBlank
Explorer
As others have said, nothing comes close to face-to-face.
With that out of the way, I second the recommendation of OpenRPG. WebRPG is also an option, which has recently become free again.
I often hear of OpenRPG games breaking down because people don't show up, and similar problems with PBP and PBEM games. These games all work best if you know the people beforehand, or at least have a core group together.
If the problem is your regular group having a hard time getting together, suggest to them that you try one of these options. My group ended up having a couple of members move far away, but we all wanted to keep gaming together. Now, we use a mix of PBP and OpenRPG, and the rare face-to-face game.
With that out of the way, I second the recommendation of OpenRPG. WebRPG is also an option, which has recently become free again.
I often hear of OpenRPG games breaking down because people don't show up, and similar problems with PBP and PBEM games. These games all work best if you know the people beforehand, or at least have a core group together.
If the problem is your regular group having a hard time getting together, suggest to them that you try one of these options. My group ended up having a couple of members move far away, but we all wanted to keep gaming together. Now, we use a mix of PBP and OpenRPG, and the rare face-to-face game.
diaglo
Adventurer
i recommend all the above.
i also used the community over at WotC to game. but they are way too fast or active for me.
and i like making hookups with www.accessdenied.net
i also used the community over at WotC to game. but they are way too fast or active for me.
and i like making hookups with www.accessdenied.net
NiTessine
Explorer
Pbp games, even at their fastest, are exceedingly slow. Now, if you can devote a weekly timeslot for the game, try IRC. Almost as fast as tabletop. We've got several online games running weekly on chat.psionics.net, the server that also houses EN World's official chat room, #dnd3e. Games are usually found by posting either to the boards at www.psionics.net, or the Gamers Seeking Gamers board here, or just pestering people at #dnd3e until you get into a game.
The gaming itself is simple. You usually have two channels. One where the gaming action is, and another where you keep the OOC banter and stuff like that. The dice are rolled with a bot.
I've played in four campaigns over IRC, and all have been very positive experiences. It's easier for me to immerse myself in the character when there are no grinning faces of my friends staring at me from across the table. Of course, your mileage may vary.
The gaming itself is simple. You usually have two channels. One where the gaming action is, and another where you keep the OOC banter and stuff like that. The dice are rolled with a bot.
I've played in four campaigns over IRC, and all have been very positive experiences. It's easier for me to immerse myself in the character when there are no grinning faces of my friends staring at me from across the table. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Similar Threads
