Just wondering -- but if there were a roleplaying game run on Gather, somehow or another, would you play in it? It's a thought that's been running in my head for the past couple of days, and so I'm slightly curious...
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Comments: 44
Austin, I'd definitely be interested although I did see someone else try once and it kinda fell flat after only a couple of posts.
Unfortunately, I live in an RPG-sparse environment, so I have to take my gaming where I can get it. I've mostly done online gaming in similar fashion -- I have considered trying to use Neverwinter Nights as a gaming vehicle, but... eh. I'm much better with text than puppetry.
Anyhow, the reason it's occurred to me is because of the success of another style of online roleplaying - the play-by-post (usually done on Livejournal or GreatestJournal.) It doesn't usually require a rulesystem, and the only tricky part would be making sure the players keep checking the dedicated group and keep up with what's happening.
It's definitely a thought.
You could have a group set up that has featured articles detailing the setting, characters, and general rules. Everyone posts what character they're playing as a comment to the characters post.
Then someone starts a post describing a scene. Like say the scene takes place at an inn - they'd describe the inn to give folks something to work with. Then everyone who wants to be in that scene can comment in character to that scene post, and interact with each other.
It could be a lot of fun!
If you wanted to start your own scene, you could make your own scene post.
Really, there could even be multiple settings if you wanted - you could reply in a comment to the Settings featured article with details of a setting you want to use, then mark your post as taking place in that setting.
The group image space could be used to post pictures of characters, settings, maps of a world, or whatever.
I think it's totally doable if folks want to!
What sort of setting would you like to play in? Fantasy world, modern age, future era - derivative of a particular universe, or something unique?
Thanks for the heads up Austin.
As I wrote to Austin, I have been developing an RPG called SAMURAI ANDROIDS -- a world in which a future, ravished Japan is populated by androids who, after 'The Flash', are left to their own devices, as their human masters have disappeared. I would be interested in running this if people were interested.
Something to keep me busy after the jobs (yes, plural) and all the books stacked up.
I've never been involved in one, but if it knocks at the door, I'll try it out.
Just about every genre you could think of available. Have to register to see everything though. It's free, so no problem there.
http://www.rpol.net/
GAME MASTER: You are in a large room with a table and a mirror, there is no way out. How do you escape?
PLAYER 1: I fly around the room.
PLAYER 2: I look annoyed at Player 1 for mussing my hair as he flies around.
PLAYER 3: I take a nap.
PLAYER 4: I look in the mirror...
(I would play, it sounds like something original to do)
1) Resolution mechanics (also called "dice rolling"). RPOL has a built in die roll generator that can be customized for any system. There are a couple on the web as well. The GM can handle all resolutions if desired, or you can go on the honor system.
2) Content ratings. Gather is a bit strict on what's acceptable in an unflagged group/post. Rough language, depictions of violence, sexual content - the game rules on these things need to be made clear beforehand.
3) Logistics. I think the best way to run the game would be to have a public group about the game, with the rules, setting, etc. available to anyone. The game itself should be private. Ideally, only players should be able to post, but I don't know if Gather has that functionality.
In the game itself, the GM posts a starting scene as a new article. If the scene turns into a long one, the GM creates a new article called (scene name) 2 and the scene continues there. Once the scene is over, start a new scene, rinse, repeat.
4) Game system. Want to use a published game system, make one up, or do without? All the players need to have access to the rule books for published systems; the GM has to be a really good cinematic storyteller to do without.
5) Setting. Setting has a lot to do with content rating. The last game I ran on RPOL took place in a dark fantasy version of Las Vegas. Care to guess what the rating was? ;-)
6) Posting guidelines. At the very least, everyone, especially the GM, needs to post regularly. At least once a week, preferably twice or more. This also has to be specified and agreed to ahead of time.
7) Player responsabilities. Players need to accept and abide by the content rules & posting guidelines, keep a current copy of their character information posted, and keep everyone informed if they're going to be absent. For prolonged absences, the character can either sit out the action, be run by another player, or be ghosted by the GM.
Players having private, game-related conversations should always copy the GM on any messages. Any personality conflicts should be handled ***OFFSTAGE***.
Play-by-post can be a lot of fun, but it is a committment of time & energy for all involved. A good game can last years, so make sure you can make that committment before beginning.
Good gaming to all!
The problem that I've always seen with PlayByPost games is attrition. You need to build in a way of incorporating new players as the game continues to replace those to depart. I think also, that everyone needs to feel empowered so that when the game is doing something counter to their preference, it can be talked about. I don't play in games where the game is owned by the GM and her fiat is all that matters.
1) Conflict Resolution. Generally, with play-by-posts, I tend to side with freeform -- where, in effect, the players are entrusted to do what they think their characters can and would do in a particular situation, and the GM's job in this capacity is to provide a) feedback on the way the world reacts, and b) a reality check for players who try to do things that are literally impossible for their characters to do (rolling a 21 on a twenty-sided die, shall we say.) Honestly, I prefer dice for the most part, but in a play-by-post environment, it's much harder to know the GM isn't trying to really screw you. "No, Dave, it was a one. I'll take a picture. See, it's a one." "You're just trying to get me killed, aren't you?"
2) Probably the simplest way to handle this is to discuss with the players, up front, what sort of content the game should / is likely to contain, and stick to it. Me, I generally don't play or run games with graphic sexual content, but I'm okay with violence. Not all people are interested in all things, though, and the most important thing is what the players want to play.
3) The logistics as I see them would basically involve an unmoderated group for discussing the game itself, and a moderated group for playing. I think it's perfectly possible for players to start their own posts - to play out a particular scene, for example - without the GM's divine intervention, so odds are the moderation capacity would only be used to a) prevent the group from being joined (and published to) by folks not in the game until they've gotten a character together and approved (so that you don't, say, suddenly have a lightning-powered superhero running around zapping everyone in an android-centric world), or b) to zap something if the players are in a general consensus that it's causing a big problem. (Or, to put it another way, if the GM has a problem, he'd message you. If the GM and the rest of the players have a problem... zap!)
4) Although it might sound silly to use a game system if you're not rolling the dice, I have done it in the past as a GM and player - using the game system to create the character, and then basing your assumptions on what a character can do off of this. (Still, player agreement is the most important factor - if players and the GM agree on a particular solution to #1, it would apply here as well.)
5) As per #2, discussion with the players is key... and with Gather, a particular focus should be paid to 'okay, which of these content flags do we promise never ever to need to use'?
6) I agree - and this should be worked out in advance. (And shouldn't be treated with military precision, either... who has time to figure out whether Bob has commented on any of a dozen scenes this week?)
7) Most definitely do I agree on the first paragraph. On the topic of 'tell the GM your private game messages', I think this usually isn't a requirement, and people are usually good at sorting out what needs to be brought to the GM's attention. (Researching a way to design a space rocket probably should; the fact that your character and another are doing the horizontal tango offstage probably should not.)
Christopher: I agree wholeheartedly - in the best games, there isn't even a need for a game master, just as in Monopoly, you don't always need an official banker.
Hang on a sec, I've got an idea...
I wasn't actually referring just to graphic sexual content; I prefer to "fade to black" on those occasions. My concern was more that Gather seems to have a zero-tolorence policy towards ANY sexual content, regardless of degree.
Suppose the game were to have a chase scene that took place at a furry convention; even though the narrative might not explicitly describe the sordid details, the way I read the Gather policies, anything beyond "you see a lot of yiffing going on" might require a content flag.
I might be overthinking it a bit, but, hey, better safe than sorry.
I figure that people will want to run plenty of settings, so I've built a group around getting people together. There's two posts that will stay featured - the 'rules of the group', and the 'campaign settings' posts. People can use it as a springboard for getting their campaigns started, discuss things specific to the Gather-centric roleplaying experience, or... well, basically, anything that's relevant to roleplaying, particularly on Gather.
I know I want to try at least one setting of my own - and Made in DNA wants to try that Samurai Androids one - so that's two so far!
I know you can flag an entire group to have certain tags, though, and if an area is approaching 'forbidden content' zone, you can always say (Okay, we have to create a new post here, because the location you're wandering through isn't exactly pretty... new post is -here-), maybe?
I'm not going to list it in Campaign Settings until I've got it better defined, but that's a sneak peek... and, well, a chance to tell me that it's a really bad idea if you think that it is, in effect, a really bad idea.
I'm not trying to put a damper on anyones creativity or hard work, but just until we figure out how this will work properly we should stick to something a little more universally known like D&D (I play 3rd edition) or Rifts.
Just a pragmatic thought,
~DragonSoul
(And I fully acknowledge that I'm a minority opinion-holder and that it _may_ be most pragmatic to go with D&D from a player-gathering perspective if you're going with a rules-heavy game. [Are there really that many people out there who play one version or another of the Palladium system?])