Re: pbem role-play - hints?

From: "Carl D. Cravens" <cravens@southwind.net>

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000

On Wed, 7 Jan 1998, Jason Paul McCartan wrote:

> Tim, what you are attempting is more in the vein of traditional roleplaying
> than straight pbm/pbem.
>
> Most, but not all, pbem/pbems use some form of computer moderation, often in
> the form of custom control programs. These programs have pre-determined
> conditions that when met allow the development interactive fiction.  The
> main point to using a computer-modertaed system, especially a well
> thought-out one, is that you can still have the creative freedom and also
> have the speed and processing power of a fast-dedicated number- and data
> crunching machine.

There are far more "traditional" roleplaying games being played by
email than you seem to think.  The www.phoenyx.net is dedicated to
hosting them, www.pbem.com is dedicated to announcing them (the
majority of their listing are human-run games as far as I know), and
there are several groups dedicated to Star Trek PBeM roleplaying.
(Many call them "sims", but they're essentially roleplaying without
rules.)

> Many hand-moderated games have to deal with the problem that you are
> referring to... it takes a long time and a lot of hard work to continually
> develop the adventure from players inputs.  There's also the problem of

It's true that PBeM roleplaying is hard work, but some of us don't
consider something that can be computer moderated to be "real"
roleplaying.  Computer RPG's aren't the same as traditional RPG in
that your range of response is limited by what the computer can handle
and that range is very narrow compared to what the person might
actually want to do.  Computer RPG's are individual-level war and
strategy games and not much more.  No computer control program can
provide near the flexibility of a human gamemaster.

A "real" roleplaying game is very different from a computer-moderated
game, and there are a lot of people out there that play the former and
wouldn't enjoy the latter.

But that aside, most of your advice is very good.  The only thing I'd
object to is discussing how to handle things with the prospective
players.  First, attrition rate can be high... that's a lot of work to
go through for players who may not last past the first month.  (Heck,
my wife recently started a game with eight players who were
enthusiastic about the game during character creation and then three
disappeared after the introduction turn was mailed.)  Second, players
expect the GM to be organized and know how to handle things...  the GM
needs to know how he's going to handle things before he starts
recruiting players, I think.  Because players often don't realize how
much work PBeM roleplaying for the player as well as the GM, it's a
good idea to be organized and make it as easy as possible for the
player... keeping a player is usually easier than creating a character
for a new player and fitting it into the game.

--
Carl D. Cravens
cravens@southwind.net

References

pbem role-play - hints?
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Mon, 05 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000
Re: pbem role-play - hints?
"Jason Paul McCartan" <jason@mindshift.prestel.co.uk>
Wed, 07 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
Re: pbem role-play - hints?
"Jason Paul McCartan" <jason@mindshift.prestel.co.uk>
Wed, 07 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0000