All These Years Later

My blogging hiatus was not exactly planned: Google decided to lock me out of my account two years ago, due to disuse. Which isn't surprising, because I hadn't had internet access in over four years.

Well, that is one thing that has changed. Satellite technology finally caught up to the fact that not everyone lives in an area with DSL lines, so NOW services are offered that work completely off the satellite receiver (as opposed to receiving through satellite, and sending through DSL. Now the signal goes both ways). SO rural customers can now get an internet connection without either relying on cell service (which is also bad in most rural locations!) or investing in military-grade equipment. Hurrah!

Back to the gaming?

I'm working on it. So far, the original RPGaming message boards are back in working order, spam- and bot-free. That was quite a project. And I'm currently running a Tri-stat dX play-by-post game (modern-day urban fantasy) over there. Anyone is welcome to join, any time!

Mass Combat

I have a (not-so) secret (anymore) process for getting through an epic battle in a way that doesn't take weeks or months (or even hours), but allows for the player characters to determine the outcome completely.

"Impossible!"  You may say.  I do admit that it's fast and dirty, so not for everyone, but it's a fair way of handling it in a short amount of time.  Behold:

Mass Combat Procedure (developed specifically for Tri-Stat dX, but adaptable for most any system with active attack and defense)

1. PCs and key NPCs choose their opponents and make attack and defense rolls as usual.  You may either use one round to determine the outcome, several and average it out, or continue until one party is clearly victorious or someone retreats.  Add +2 bonus to PC party's Mass Battle Roll if attack and defense (or most attacks and defenses) both succeed.  Add +1 bonus if only one succeeds.  Apply a penalty of -1 if one fails, and a penalty of -2 if both fail.

2. Add a bonus or penalty for the PC party's army size (if not equal to the opposing army).  100 troops vs 60 should incur a +2 bonus vs their -1 penalty, etc.  Use percentages to figure this if possible, taking into account superior training and equipment if applicable.

3. Add a bonus for tactical advantages (flanking, using cover, etc.) and terrain.

4. Generals (PC or player representing the team vs GM) make an opposed roll to determine success.

5. Determine casualties: difference in rolls +/- all modifiers x 0.01 (to determine %)

6. Losing General (or representative) makes Soul roll continue with a -1 penalty per every 10% casualties.

7. Repeat until one side surrenders, retreats, or is annihilated.

GMing Play-by-Post Games

My friends over at The Disciples of Grell seem to have discovered my humble blog, so hello to them!  I now feel the pressure to, ahem, post something.  And since my new readers have a play-by-post gaming site in common, i will blog about GMing play-by-post games.  Heck, maybe i'll even do a series on it.

For now, just some basic tips:

1. This may be really obvious, but create or choose a forum site that will allow you to edit or otherwise moderate posts.  (It's easy to set up your own free site somewhere like http://www.prophpbb.com/ if you don't know someone that'll give you a spot on theirs.)  Forums are by far the simplest and most flexible medium of play.

2. Choose a system that all of your players have access to or can obtain easily.  It's rude to pick something that's $75+ for a used copy and otherwise unavailable.  If your prospective players have no prior experience, be prepared to answer a lot of questions.

3. Choose a system with a simple combat sequence. It is infinitely simpler to use systems in which characters do not have variable amounts of attacks that must be performed in a convoluted sequence. If a round is a round and everyone takes a turn during each (characters with multiple attacks simply make them all on their turn), you can establish the combat order and then just post for the opponents and NPCs as needed.

3. Check the math on your players' character sheets.  Trust me on this one!

4. Use as many visuals as possible.  It's more difficult to immerse over text, so consider providing pictures or art for major NPCs as well as maps and photos of places.  Google maps has a feature that allows you to mark places in real cities and share your edited versions privately.  If you don't want to search for images (or your forum settings don't support it), provide a lot of details.  It's better to explain too much than too little.

5. Have a plan, but be flexible.  Give the players enough room to effect the plot and interact with each other.  You're not limited to weekly sessions, so take advantage of the slower pace.

Stating the Obvious

I suppose there's a certain point, when you've been gaming or especially GMing for a very long time, that you might take it for granted that other players will have some basic common sense.  So here's a little reminder for today:

If your GM is kind enough to post a detailed map of the game setting, you should probably look at it before asking stupid questions.  Otherwise, you might miss something like a major league baseball stadium outside your front door.

That is all.

Back Behind the Screen

The title is inaccurate, considering i do all of my gaming from behind a computer screen these days (and therefore don't have any use of a GM screen), but after three weeks of once again running games of my own, i feel confident enough to announce that i'm filling the role of GM on Saturday nights.

Game: hippie's Supernatural (play-by-chat)
System: Cortex
Day: Saturday
Time: 5pm central
Place: OpenRPG (server announced weekly)
For more information, read over the posts on my game forum.

I currently have two regular players, and a third that joins in as available; this arrangement suits me fine as i'm setting up sessions like episodes, with a new case each week or two, amid a bigger plot line.

Expectations: Player vs GM

I suppose the title may be misleading; I don't mean to discuss what happens when the players and GM play against each other (though that might be a fun topic for another post), but rather when the players' expectations do not match the GM's plans.  This very issue was the end of a game I intended to run a few weeks ago, before it even started, and it was an educational, if not slightly traumatic, experience.

First, a little background may be in order.  Most of my gaming is done online, via either chat program (more specifically, OpenRPG) or message board post.  It's safe, it's comfortable, and it fits in nicely with my 24/7 parenting schedule.  However, it has left me VERY out-of-practice when it comes to interacting with *ahem* real-life people.  To pull myself out of the less-than-occasional rut that creates, i do sometimes reach out (via internet communities, of course) and attempt to meet up, in person, with local gamers.  So far I have had little to no luck, only banding together with a couple or two and playing a few games before something conveniently comes up to prevent further meet-ups.

This time i found a semi-local ("semi" because I have to drive approximately 3 hours, round-trip) gaming store that offers open gaming space, which would logically boast both a neutral gathering place and a more diverse pool of gamers--and thus far, the arrangement has delivered on both counts.  However, the group seemed too good to be true, especially after some pre-game correspondence that revealed that all of them were up for anything.  One would think this was a very good thing, but it left me wondering what they wanted in a game.  And i never found out.

Through message board posts, we decided that i would run Armageddon, and i provided them with information on how to obtain the necessary materials for play.  I had a setting in mind, and a few ideas for adventures, but i wanted to wait and see what sorts of characters they created before committing to a solid campaign.  Little did I know, it seems they had it in their minds to wait until they knew what the campaign concept was before creating characters.

*facepalm*

I suppose my method works just fine for online games, where the players may post messages for a few days, making suggestions and requests and bouncing character ideas off one another before game day.  But in face-to-face games, it seems that people expect to do these things in person.  And let me tell you, i was terrified.

One long, painful story short, and a panic attack later, we decided it would be best if someone else ran a game, and i graciously bowed out.

Lesson?  Make sure everyone's expectations are very clear from the beginning.  If the players expect an involved campaign, have one ready.  If they expect lots of flexibility and player-driven storylines, be prepared to toss out your notes.