12-09-2012, 02:36 PM | #11 | ||||||||
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
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Characters Astrid 14/14HP, 3/10FP buffs Jorin 13/13, 9/10, 0/1 ER, 24/24, 3/6, 6/6, 6/6, 6/6 Rings, 6 days since last use of WT |
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12-09-2012, 06:08 PM | #12 | |||||
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
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Last edited by Lamech; 12-09-2012 at 06:12 PM. |
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12-14-2012, 03:43 PM | #13 |
Join Date: May 2011
Location: high desert plains
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
Genre: Fantasy, DF, Science Fiction, Supers, Space Opera and others. Which make you say "I've got to play this", and which do you particularly avoid?
I'm not too concerned with genre... I do tend to prefer fantasy or SF, but that alone doesn't make much difference to me. Activities Planned: Do you prefer solving puzzles? or is it combat that enthuses you? How important is character development? Is negotiation an enjoyable part of play? I enjoy all of the above, but considering the strengths & weaknesses of the PbP format, combat should probably be de-emphasized outside of arena-style games. And while I can enjoy character (CP) growth, I do think it's completely unnecessary to a fine game -- I can take it or leave it. Supplement materials: Which sets of rules make or break a PbP game for you? This includes Cinematic vs Realistic, G:Magic, Thuamology, Supers, Psionic Powers, DF, MH, MA, and so forth. Not much of an issue for me so long as all of that is stated up front... and supplemental rules do not cover too many books (just for the sake of my sanity). Plot: how important is the plot? do you avoid games without it, and only go for ideas that sound cool? do you prefer just wandering around letting characters make their own decisions? And is this question even an issue? While there should be some purpose to an adventure, I become immediately bored if I find that said plot is really a script and there is a predetermined path to the goal. I rather insist on some level of sandboxiness. Power Level: Do you love working with mounds of points? is such a prospect dull to you? does it matter by genre? similarly, (but not the same) do you enjoy being world shakers, or do you want to deal with peers? or is this even an issue? I confess that point totals over 400 or statements like "try to keep disads below 125" cause me to veer off sharply. (With the exception of full-on Supers games, of course.) And probably a corollary to that -- I strongly prefer playing a credible individual, rather than some wish-fulfillment avatar. House Rules: Are they annoying or wonderful? If depends, what determines this? or are they just all par for the course? Any should be minimal, stated up front, and very clearly worded. I might make an exception for a well presented original supplemental book (something like "MyPsionics", for instance.) Gaming Group: Different players and GMs cause games to behave differently. when using PbP on this forum, how important is who is already playing in the game, or GMing it? The only way I can survive in PbP is to be very flexible and accommodating to other folks' playstyles. Only in the case of someone who genuinely annoys me will this be much of an issue. Other issues: what other issues strongly effect how well a pbp game runs? Although I agree with some previous posters on the importance of consistent posting frequency and styles... I have come to believe that this is a virtual, if not literal, impossibility within this universe and among this species. |
02-25-2013, 03:53 AM | #14 |
Join Date: May 2010
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
Questions for people who've opined here: There seems to be a fairly strong pro-plot consensus here, but what makes a good plot? Similarly, a number of people have said they like puzzle solving, what makes a good puzzle (or mystery to investigate, etc.)? How much guidance is good as to the *approach* you take to solving a given problem? How do you make sure all characters get time in the spotlight, if one player/character turns out to be a lot better puzzle solver or investigator than the others?
(I ask because I'm thinking of starting up another supers game, want some input on these things before I do.) |
02-25-2013, 03:11 PM | #15 | ||
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: The Western Harbour
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
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If you're going to run a game with plot then reserving some space in the OOC thread in advance for plot notes to be stored would be an idea. And being ready and willing to reiterate plot details on a regular basis would be handy. Plus warning people in advance... For puzzles it can be awkward. Some players will spend masses of points on skills and then seemingly fail to look at those skills when you present them with an opportunity to use them which is tailor-made for their character... Basically, it's damned awkward. The best you can do is let people know in advance what is going to be required of them in terms of paying attention to situations and being creative with their abilities. Some players will jump in and make good use of their skills while others will hang back. I did ask something like this myself once, regarding Worlds of Fire. I think ultimately the answer is that you need to be ready to adjust things as they go along. The one thing I would really suggest though is not relying on players talking to each other and planning coherently the way that they could around a tabletop (there was a wonderful example of that in one PbP game where, after the setup and discussion of the plan, three players launched into totally separate plans which contradicted each other in big ways). My introduction to GURPS is described here (and this is the kind of thing that I was expecting when I started playing it): Quote:
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"John Adams was a farmer. Abraham Lincoln was a small-town lawyer. Plato, Socrates were teachers. Jesus was a carpenter. To equate judgment and wisdom with occupation is at best... insulting." |
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02-26-2013, 03:06 AM | #16 | ||||||||
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: The Netherlands
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
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Puzzels are kind of hard, in a pen and paper game the GM can see when and where the PC's are struggeling and ofer a quick hint in the good direction. This is somewhat harder online, that borderland between too easy and too hard is very small. For the GM it is a lot harder to offer the correct hint that doesn't spoil the puzzle because he doesn't know how the players are thinking and what they are thinking about. Some combat is okay but it should be about something and not just a seriers of dice rolls. Combat is also rather slow. Finally it should be interesting, no infinite smooth plain with opponents that rarely make an unexpected move. Negotiation is okay as long as there is something of value to the PC to negotiate about. I don't care if I pay 3$ or 2$ for me lettuce, that can be handeld by a quick merchant roll. Let it change the plot if it goes wrong or right, make it mean something. Quote:
Which books to use doesn't really matter, al long as it fits the campaign. Any campain involving combat should include MA at least. I'am a fan of LT and it's companions. Quote:
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I like playing that influential advisor or mage, but not the king himself or the highest ranking soldier in the campaign. Quote:
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As a player I like GM's who are involved with my character and work to make somthing nice out of the thing we are all playing. Overall I like seeing character development and a world that changes with the actions of the players. It doesn't have to be big, but should be something that matters for the chracters |
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06-02-2013, 11:35 AM | #17 |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Quebec
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
Genre: While I would play any genre, I have a favorite spot for anything that involves mecha, be it sci-fi, steampunk, or even mecha in fantasy. Since 99% of any pbp game is played with D&D and thus medieval fantasy, I would try to avoid it, too common. I also fear that horror can't really work well in a pbp game, as getting back in the scary mood as you receive mail seems impossible. You can of course have a game with vampires and gore, but the players are not going to be really scared.
activities: Pbp is notoriously slow. Personally, i would rather wait for the opponent's move in a battle than wait for a reply like "I think you're right." for 2 days, after suggesting a possible solution to a riddle. Conversation is just way too long. Combat is too, but I don't really mind it, people have been playing chess and such by mail for centuries, and it works, no matter how long the game takes, as long as each post is exciting, wich is usually more than talking to an innkeeper. supplement: my favorite environments are those that have a bit of evrything. So a setting with no magic is lesser in my opinion. Same thing if there is no technology. A mage/martial artist fighting demons in his giant power armor is so cool. (I'm a munchkin, I admit.) Plot: While a plot might make a greater story overall, it rarely survives player interaction, and dice rolls. You need one to get the game started, but don,t insist on respecting it too much if you don,t want to railroad the players. Power level: In my own games, I always start the characters as weak as I can get away with. In GURPS, that would mean 10 in all stats and 0 points. But there is no limit to the power that can be acquired, as my campaigns always have a cosmic bend. The point is, you can accumulate untold power, but no freebies! (When I play alone, I even pay back those starting 10s before I can raise to 11!) But then, you can eventually be a mage/martial artist in power armor! Admittedly, I can't get any players because of that, so don,t listen to me, lol. House rules: Personaly, I love them, especially if there from me, lol. I like to experiment variants on how to do things, combine game systems together, etc. But I know by experience that most players don,t want any. They usually worship the books, as someone who wrote a book is obviously so much better than you loser GM. AD&D epoch: Me: Alignment languages are a stupid idea, i'm not using them in my campaign. Players: what? Alignement languages are great! Gygax says so! He's so much brighter than you! We'll bug you each session until you allow them! 3rd edition: (no longer any alignment languages in the rules) same players: alignment languages were so lame! I"m glad we never used them! Want to enrage a gaming club? Suggest a hybrid Mage Knight/Magic the gathering combo. (the basic idea being that you have to conquer lands before you can place them in your deck) and you'll get a feeling you're saying something blasphemous. So I keep my house rules to myself, and play by the book in the few instances I get players. The exception being when I play with lazy types who don't bother to read any books (most players I know now, actually) and count on me to teach them... I can teach them whatever I like, hehehe. Gaming group: If the question is how important it is that you like the people youre playing with, I would say its the major point. The fact that you are not face-to-face does'nt make disliking another player any less likely, and it is much easier to stop playing on a whim in PBP than around a real table. All pbm games i tried quickly died, because no one cared for the other player or his character, so lost interest as soon as the action dies down, wich is all the time in pbp. Being a smartass, it,s not easy for me to go well with a group. either. other: A big question is how to hurry people who always take so much time before replying. Giving a time limit is not a good idea, as they'll just quit, We game for fun, not for pressure. (we work for that.) The ideal group would have passionate players would will find time to do their turns no matter what job/family exacts from them. (or else don,t have jobs/famillies to start with.) But it's not easy to arrange. Overall, i prefer playing by email than playing by chat, mostly because it gives you time to think. (playing a ccg such as YU-GI-OH by mail is a totaly different experience than playing on a table. I'm sure lots of people are signing themselves with the cross at reading this...) Also, I have a short attention span. i'd rather do a round of a big battle each day for 3 months than play it for 8 hours in a row. I searched a while for people to play miniature/wargames by email, but again, its a sacrilegous idea, it seems. |
08-15-2013, 06:14 AM | #18 | ||||||||
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
I'm not really very experienced in PBP, but I'm going to answer anyway. Take my responses with the appropriate grain of salt.
Note well that the opinions expressed below are all my opinions. I am not stating anyone else's opinions. Least of all, dear reader, am I trying to express your opinions. Quote:
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__________________
Decay is inherent in all composite things. Nod head. Get treat. |
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04-04-2014, 05:54 PM | #19 |
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Saint John, NB, Canada
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
Genre: Fantasy, DF, Science Fiction, Supers, Space Opera and others. Which make you say "I've got to play this", and which do you particularly avoid?
I'm open to everything but space opera. I've gotten backlash from that genre whenever I go to use it. If I had to take one, I'd got with a mix of Horror and survival style. Activities Planned: Do you prefer solving puzzles? or is it combat that enthuses you? How important is character development? Is negotiation an enjoyable part of play? Depending on the players power, I tend to make puzzles for low point (50-100), and combat orientation for high point (100-250). Character developement is usually part of a plot, or interactions between players. I tend to shun away from negotiation other than if it could lead to a fun bit or two. Supplement materials: Which sets of rules make or break a PbP game for you? This includes Cinematic vs Realistic, G:Magic, Thuamology, Supers, Psionic Powers, DF, MH, MA, and so forth. I don't use a specific book other than basic. If a player has a rule that they want to use, they have to bring it up beforehand. I stand mostly towards realistic, but I allow SOME cinematic stuff in a realistic game. I find magic to be high point stuff, but allow it. I've never used psionic or thuamology yet, but I tend to stay near basic than branch out. Keeps stuff simple. Plot: how important is the plot? do you avoid games without it, and only go for ideas that sound cool? do you prefer just wandering around letting characters make their own decisions? And is this question even an issue? somewhat important. I'll keep stuff loose enough for players to stumble on, or give them a general outline. I love to throw a twist or two in the game. Power Level: Do you love working with mounds of points? is such a prospect dull to you? does it matter by genre? similarly, (but not the same) do you enjoy being world shakers, or do you want to deal with peers? or is this even an issue? 50-100 points in a survival or horror game. 125-150 for fantasy. anything higher and I feel like the characters are... superhuman. I enjoy a world-shaking monster, not character. House Rules: Are they annoying or wonderful? If depends, what determines this? or are they just all par for the course? Recovery and Common sense are 1 point perks. they're the only two I really use. Oh, and a 120 enchantment point cap to cost 1$/magic point. Gaming Group: Different players and GMs cause games to behave differently. when using PbP on this forum, how important is who is already playing in the game, or GMing it? I find if I know the person, or converse with them, it goes a bit smoother. Other issues: what other issues strongly effect how well a pbp game runs? visual and musical accompaniment. I like to give campaigns I play an extra boost by adding an ambience and sketching some of the areas, NPC's and players... Sometimes it doesn't turn out completly right, but it adds another layer to the... feeling? of the game. |
09-22-2015, 12:02 PM | #20 | ||||||||
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: [OCC] Poll : What makes a good PbP game? (will be applied)
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