Re: pbem role-play - hints?

From: "Geoffrey Sears" <gcsears@accessone.com>

Date: Wed, 07 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Hi Tim,

I read another users response to your post, and thought I might throw my two
cents in. I have tried now to run three campaigns on the internet via email,
and I have found it to be a daunting task mostly because of hurdles I
suspect everyone who tries to run a role playing game has encountered.

The first thing to understand is that they are different critters, even if
you are using all the same rules. The players have much more responsibility
to create and propel the story forward (at least in my games) and the DM has
to be more effective in giving them a story to chase down. If the game falls
back to a report, their response, another report another response... etc...
It will slow to a crawl quickly if the players are waiting for every nuance
to be filled in by you.

I agree in the importance of using computer tools to enhance your game, and
most of all save you time. Draft your scenarios in a word processor and that
way you can cut and paste into your emails what you need to send to your
players. Invest in, or commit to one email program so that you have a
consistent history. I would also think about setting up a web site if you
know how as an easy means to diseminate information such as maps, histories,
and other things you might email and your players might loose. (This
includes one of the biggest problems in a lot of games, the character sheet,
and keeping it current.)

There are a lot of different styles, but what I find to be the most
compelling of game styles is one with a strong narrative. Get people
involved in telling a story and don't focus so mucn on the mechanics of the
games rules. I am beginning to think, now that I am in the third month of my
Warhammer PBEM that the rules are the biggest short coming. (I have to be
honest I am not really interested in a free form game yet, but it is an
issue.)

Combat is best handled by the GM. Get player input as to their stategy and
ride that input until you honestly don't know what way they will go. If you
play out combat roll by roll, it will choke the game. You also would benefit
if combats or other die rolling situations are minimalized or glossed over.
Get the excitement of teh combat on page, but have the players focus on
something else.

Finally, I started reading this group because a lot of useful advice
(including an ever present FAQ) gets diseminated. When I started I went to
www.pbm.com and other play by email sites for their own advice documents.

I hope this was of use,

Geoff

References

pbem role-play - hints?
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 05 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

pbem role-play - hints?
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 05 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000