What's your favorite way to play D&D over the net?

[Jupp]

Neverwinter Nights. It's not a replacement for face-to-face gaming but sometimes it can be quite fun and it bridges the time until the next real live meeting with our game group

 

[DragonLancer]

Neverwinter Nights is a great online D&D experience. Other than that I like Java based chat games sites (see IceHaven in my sig).

 

[Bront]

I've been in one PBEM once, and it moved a bit too slow, and was hard to keep up in because some players would post more than others, and do so much it made it hard for others to get in the game.

I'm looking to try something different, just need to find a group.

 

[Starglim]

Multi options would have been good (can this forum do a preference-ranked poll?)

At the moment I favour play by post using ezboard as the medium.

Forums on a dedicated game site are good for attracting the attention of players, though they lack many game-play options.

I've played PBeM quite a bit, play by snail mail some years ago.

OpenRPG is the online RPG client that I know best (or at all) and works pretty well. Generic MIRC with a plug-in dicebot works OK but doesn't do maps.

 

[Arc]

Our group has been playing over IRC for a while, and there are some definite benefits and drawbacks. Being able to scroll up or check previous logs helps keep everyone on the same page of what the plot is, and I find the DM can weave a more effective metaplot, since even if we didn't pay attention to the subtle hints from 4 sessions ago, it's possible to look back for them once you have information. For high Int/Wis characters, it's a great boon, since you don't have to keep meticulous records, or sheepishly ask the DM "Um... what was that again?" when you're trying to remember something your character should know.

I also find that online games allow for more subtle roleplaying (at least for fast typists). Unlike live games, where only one person can really speak at a time, and everything is made up on the spot, you can take a little more time to think about how to say something in character when it's being typed.

 

[Vonlok The Bold]

I love Fantasy Grounds. It's the next best thing to being there. The strategy is there, the role play is there, the table, books, maps, notes, character sheets are all similar to face to face game.

It takes about two sessions to get used to it, and I've had a really enjoyable experience with it.

A DM and some friends were going to try a NWN campaign where the DM would possess every single creature in the story to make it more like face to face D&D, but it got to be too much.

Fantasy Grounds is a blast.