Re: PBEM websites

From: "PBeMPortal" <pbem@tapirdesigns.co.uk>

Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2006 12:46:42 +0000

> Why not? :) But why stop at two?

Well, I wish I had the time to work on more but, as you say, pbem is a
hobby for people and on top of a job and doctoral studies I really can
only spare enough hours for the two ;-) :)

> My memory isn't what it was, but I don't remember you advertising them
> particularly in this newgroup.

They have been advertised. On RPGLibrary (and therefore to this list),
PBEMNexus, and others besides. I've been incredibly active in
recruitment of new players. In fact most of the new signups I've had to
both games I run have been from Google-based search ratings (i.e.
they've found the sites just by a Google search). But, that doesn't
diminish the need for maximising the exposure of games to potential
players who might be trawling the web with less success. For every one
person who finds my pbems from Google, there may be more who are out
there thinking "yeesh, no-one has made a game of this yet?".

> No, I would have to disagree with you there. It's possible that two sites
> might be useful, though to be honest most of the sites outside of Greg's
> that I've seen have been focused on RPGs. There's really not enough room for
> (as an example) 4 sites focused on a specific game type. Even if they were
> all general, that's four sites that a user has to go to in order to find all
> the games.

A specific game type? As far as I know all the portals advertise a
plethora of games. From AD&D to historical based storytelling to
strategy/map based wargaming. All of the portals I have used have scope
for GMs to list whatever type of game they're running. So, it's
incorrect to say 4 sites focus on a specific game type.
And yes, there *should* be a list of sites players visit to find
things: you would instead have one announcement site hold a monopoly on
listings? Well, in that scenario I would ask:
a) What happens if a GM of a game doesnt know about it?
b) What happens if players don't know about that one single site?
The same goes for shops. You'd prefer a society with just one
supermarket brand? Well, what if I prefer Sainsbury's cookies to
Tesco's? lol.
The point is: the more sites there are, the more chance there is that a
player can find a pbem portal and then a game. GMs have more places to
advertise so it increases the likelihood they'll get interested players
discovering their game and joining up.

> My thinking is that PBM is not a big hobby as it is; we're in danger of
> shrinking beyond the viable point. It's surely better for people to put
> aside differences and concentrate on making a good *centre* for people to
> come and look for PBEM games, and for newbies to be directed to in the
> fairly likely hope of finding what they want.

That sounds like mercantilism to me...! PBeM is not a big enough hobby
only because there are potential people who might take it up who know
nothing about it. You assume that there's a finite number of people who
could ever be interested in pbeming, and I just don't find that's
plausible.
The last point you make is spot on with my own thinking though: yes,
cooperation between pbem portals and other community resources is
important. When I set up PBeM Portal I emailed a few of them. Brandon
over at PBeM News & RPGLibrary gave some helpful pointers, and Steve
over at the PBeM News @ Goeste.com has also indicated a desire to
cooperate and affiliate so that when a player/GM visits one site they
see there's another they can go to check stuff out. That's what's
important: community spirit. I'm all for that. I've never once said "I
want my site to be better than anyone elses". It's on a server I'm
already paying for hosting a multitude of things inc. the two games I
run. It is, as they say, no skin off my nose whether people use it or
not. It's simply *there*.

> Flagship is very good, and fills that niche for those of us already in the
> hobby. For others, however - and particularly those who've known nothing
> other than the instant gratification of the web - a website is needed. Greg
> Lindahl and I have had our differences in the past, but his PBM list serves
> the job, does it well, and has done for some time. Most of the game
> announcements that I see are still from his site.

Yes Greg's PBM list is an extremely useful and valuable resource (as I
see all others). I don't understand your remark about the "instant
gratification of the web" however. PBeM games are, by their nature,
played via the Internet...so I'm puzzled about that really. What did
you mean? I could just be misunderstanding the point.

> With the understanding that a couple of sites can probably complement each
> other, I still do not see the need for three or four sites competing. I
> don't think I'll ever believe that's healthy for the hobby in the state that
> it's currently in.

See above comment on cooperation vs. competition.

> Please understand there's no hostility in this, I just want to see PB[e]M
> survive. The nature of programmers and designers is to try and create
> somethign new, and sometimes that needs to be tempered with reality.

That's ok, no offence taken :) It's just a difference of views! PBeM
will survive, but the point of more portal sites is this: that it will
encourage it to do so by providing a greater number of resources for
individuals to use. I don't believe that any single site can cater for
the wide range of individuals using the Internet who might be
interested in PBeMing. Whether it's from the type of resource to the
look and feel of the site. Just not possible IMHO.

(The Other) Steve
http://www.pbem.tapirdesigns.co.uk

References

Re: PBEM websites
Geoste <geoste@ATsympatico.DOTca.nospam.invalid>
Mon, 03 Apr 2006 02:31:51 +0000
Re: PBEM websites
"PBeMPortal" <pbem@tapirdesigns.co.uk>
Mon, 03 Apr 2006 08:24:06 +0000
Re: PBEM websites
Paul Walker <usenet@blacksun.org.uk>
Sun, 09 Apr 2006 00:19:12 +0000