Your Experience: Is Online Gaming Worth It?

[Retreater]

I'll spare you all of the details, but it looks like my two gaming groups are limping along and about ready to collapse. Every acquaintance, coworker, family member, lapsed gamer, etc., that I can think about has repeatedly turned down the offer to join the group. Playing at the LGS has not allowed us to recruit anyone who can commit to a regular game.

It's basically looking like online gaming (using something like MapTools) might be the best (only) way to go to play something resembling a TTRPG.

I've tried a game on MapTools about two years ago. It wasn't the smoothest experience around, and it crashed about an hour in.

Has anyone had success with any online gaming sites? Is it worth the effort to play online?

Retreater

 

[DMFTodd]

Sure, it's worth it. I've been playing via VTT for the last six years. First with Klooge and currently with Maptools. The software works and you can get players for all over the world if you like.

 

[Umbran]

Lots of folks around here have had success. For some, it is their primary means of gaming. So, as a broad generalization, yes, it is worth it.

The question is whether it will be worth it for you, in particular. You're an individual, with your own needs, that may nor may not fit that method of gaming.

 

[Diamond Cross]

Aside from MMORGS like WoW, I've never tried online gaming through things like RPG Maker.

 

[Stoat]

For me, yes it is worth it. I have been playing online for several years, first with Klooge and later with d20 Pro. My group uses Ventrillo or Skype to talk while we play.

I find d20 Pro to be a stable program. I can't remember the last time it crashed. It handles most of the math for 4E or 3.5 automatically, which I consider a plus. It isn't the most intuitive program I've ever used (the process for importing an image to use as a map is particularly odd) but the learning curve for it wasn't as bad as either Klooge or Fantasy Grounds.

I miss having eye contact with my players. I miss being able to use body language and hand gestures for RP purposes. However, I like being able to actually show the players fancy, full-color maps. I like being able to create and use tokens that match the monsters in the game instead of repurposing other minis/lego dudes. Most important, playing online has enabled me to keep up with good friends who have scattered all the hell across the country.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I've recently tried online gaming via voice-chat and VTT.

The first game went ... three sessions? It fell apart due to the DM's new job, which was apparently more demanding than he had expected.

The second fell apart before my first session for some reason I don't even understand. Player conflicts, DM buyer's remorse, I dunno.

At this point we've started a new PFRPG game at home, so I've let my search for an online game fall by the wayside.

Obviously, my experiences haven't been ideal, but (perhaps oddly) I would try again. I think the actual play experience is viable. In my first try, I was surprised how much it felt like a face-to-face game (once we got some tech details ironed out), albeit a face-to-face game with pleasant strangers, and I was enjoying myself. The group seemed like a good one, as did the DM.

The big drawback to remote gaming of any sort -- email, play-by-post, VTT/Skype -- seems to be maintaining group cohesion and play-session momentum. That's also an issue in face-to-face games, of course, but (IME, at least) not nearly to the same extent. I think it's more difficult for folks to flake in a face-to-face game without feeling significant guilt about it.

 

[Sorrowdusk]

I would certainly say so! I've had a blast with DnD and Shadowrun over Internet-the best was probably Call of Cthulhu when the game moved to SKYPE.

 

[Stormonu]

Its certainly worth it, but it takes even more dedication than a TTRPG in some ways. I'd also strongly advise a good bit of pregame testing - in a mutliuser environment there's always one computer that's gonna be a hassle and eat up time troubleshooting the problem.

 

[Falkus]

I've had great success running a Dark Heresy and (recently) Deathwatch game for a year and a half now using IRC.

We'd initially hoped to use map tools, but network issues (one of my players is in China and couldn't connect) prevented it. Honestly though, I've found that removing the nitty gritty details of positioning in combat and only using a map as a reference instead of a battle is actually more fun for the DH system.

 

[jcayer]

We use maptools at our table top game. We also have one guy who travels quite a bit and this has allowed him to play remotely numerous times. It works well for him. A couple sessions ago, we had some bad weather and the 2 farthest players elected to play from home. It worked well for them as well.

The biggest issue is voice. We used a star phone and conference bridge, which left something to be desired. I think if I, as DM, had a headset, it would be much better.

Still, it is certainly a viable alternative.