Confessions of an Online GM

[teh bunneh]

About a year ago, I was invited to participate in a PbP Hero game on HeroCentral. I was very excited about it -- I'd never done an online game before (well, once, but that's another story), the concept was awesome, and the group seemed really cool. But unfortunately, the GM vanished before we really got started and things fell apart.

Then (crazy, foolish) I volunteered to pick up the game where the other GM had left off. I had no idea where the GM was going to go -- there were no campaign notes, and my emails to him either bounced or went unanswered. So I winged it.

And here we are, a year later. The heroes have completed one adventure, and they are moving towards the climax of the second. There has been a steep learning curve. I've made a few (a lot!) of mistakes. We've lost a few players, we've gained a few more. It's been a fun ride, and I look forward to continuing it.

I wanted to start up a thread to talk about the lessons I've learned (and am still learning). This isn't meant to be a rant thread at all -- like I said, I'm enjoying the game quite a bit. It's all just very new to me, even a year later. I'll try not to mention my players by name (to protect the guilty and innocent alike), but they know who they are. :)

More to come...

[Corven_Ren]

Well Bunny-Man at least you seem to be having a positive experience from this. PBEM/PBP has been my only role playing outlet for a couple of years now. I have played in several and GMed one and I can honestly say it has been quite fun. I plan on starting up one within the next month or so myself. So I say lets give a big salute to all PBEM gamers.

VIVA PBEM

[Hermit]

*bribes Bill with offered Rep to make him look good in official records*
:whistle:

[Remjin]

Y'know, I've played in a couple of PBeM and PbP games, mostly in the BBS days of modems and dialing individual boards and all that... I'm currently in a PbeM game and its been all right so far. The only thing about PbeM is that its so slow, as is PbP. The thing I like about it, though, is its something you can do as you go.

What I'd really like to get into though is a chat game, where it at least has some similarities to Face to Face (FtF?) gaming and a lot more gets done... from the comfort of my own home. =) Only ones I can fine seem like all D&D games, and I don't want to purchase a program for it unless I know I'm going to use it.

Ah well.

[teh bunneh]

*bribes Bill with offered Rep to make him look good in official records*
:whistle:


Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Banner, one of my players. :cheers:

Not to make anyone blush, but I've got good players. Really good players. I think I'm lucky in that. I think that we all have the same (or at least, similar) vision for the world and the game, which makes things easier for my poor bunny brain.

One thing about my players is that they force me –- literally force me -– to be a better writer. I'd be happy saying, "Your energy blast missed." But when my players write up two-paragraph descriptions of how the crimson coruscating energies of the solar-powered whatzit play across the features of the hero, every bead of sweat on his brow illuminated in stark highlights... well, I'd feel terrible if I didn't respond in kind. Or at least, if I didn't try. :lol:

Also, as I was saying, my players seem to have a similar idea as to what the universe should be like. When I write something about the NPCs, I sometimes get PMs saying, "Right on! That's exactly how Gyrich should act!" This makes me a happy bunny, because it means the players and I are sharing something. :)

Choosing players for an online game (in my experience) is a harrowing process. When I posted for new players, I had over a dozen submissions but only room for one new character. I got several good entries, so it was tough to choose which one I liked the best. I also got several entries where I could only think, "What the heck was this guy thinking of???" My players gave me feedback as well, letting me know which ones they thought would fit in the team and which wouldn't.

Even so, turning people down for the game was really tough. :( I'm actually glad that I didn't take part in the original selection, that would have been too tough.

Still, being so picky pays for itself in the long run. I get players who share my vision; there's no, "No, Captain Marvel would never do that!" arguments. Or... if there are, they take place in PM where I can't see them.

Yeah, I'm totally insecure about this. First-time online GM and all. :o

[Fireleaper]

Yeah, I'm totally insecure about this. First-time online GM and all. :o

It is ok to be insecure, I remember the first time I officially DM'd. Things went well and most of the players enjoyed it. But all throughout I was nervous that I was doing something badly. Especially since it was DND and the game evolved into the save or die levels (Poor Weldun).

[Ghost Archer]

Y'know, I've played in a couple of PBeM and PbP games, mostly in the BBS days of modems and dialing individual boards and all that... I'm currently in a PbeM game and its been all right so far. The only thing about PbeM is that its so slow, as is PbP. The thing I like about it, though, is its something you can do as you go.

What I'd really like to get into though is a chat game, where it at least has some similarities to Face to Face (FtF?) gaming and a lot more gets done... from the comfort of my own home. =) Only ones I can fine seem like all D&D games, and I don't want to purchase a program for it unless I know I'm going to use it.

Ah well.

Well, what you do is find some GM that purchased a chat base program, say Klooge Werks . . . and that purchased four extra 'floating licenses' so that he could bring players in without their having to lay out any cash. All you'd have to do is download the Demo of Klooge Werks from one of the many sites, like over at http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=4533& then the GM can open a room and let you drop by and see what's up. Let me know when a good time is for you. Just make sure to use the Player button when it comes up and let it do the updates. You can find my games under the Wild Hunt.

[teh bunneh]

It is ok to be insecure, I remember the first time I officially DM'd. Things went well and most of the players enjoyed it. But all throughout I was nervous that I was doing something badly. Especially since it was DND and the game evolved into the save or die levels (Poor Weldun).

When it comes to FtF gaming and gamemastering, I've got 25+ years of experience under my belt. The whole online thing, though, is completely new to me. I was hoping to be a player for a while before I tried my hand at GMing (and I was a player in the game I'm running now... for about 2 weeks). :rofl:

FtF and PbP are two very different experiences, in my experience. But it is invigorating in some ways. I imagine perhaps this is how I felt back in Junior High School, when I was first muddling my way through the Keep on the Borderlands with some of my buddies. :ugly:

[RPMiller]

Which game is it k_b? For those of us that would like to peek in on it. :)

[MilkmanDan]

The Bunny is running The Avengers campaign and, if I may say so, doing quite well. I'm in the semi-cursed Thunderbolts campaign that shares the same game world (we had the same issue with the same GM just vanishing, had several players drop out, and just lost another because he can only use IE and that no longer works on HC). We've also got a great group of players (of which said Bunny is one), and it's been fun to watch the players come together with the varied personalities.

I haven't done face-to-face gaming in about 2 1/2 years (which, not coincidentally, is how old my second kid is), and online is my only outlet, and I think I prefer it. Gives me a chance to really think and plan and, big bonus, it means I can have a character with a VPP and not annoy all the other players while frantically trying to do math at the last minute (instead I can just annoy the GM by trying to foil his plans with my VPP).

One thing I like most about online gaming is I have no problem whatsoever thinking like a 24-year-old woman while writing, as I've done a fair amount of creative writing in my life and doing it via gaming is just a natural extension. When I do FTF playing I have a much harder time really getting into the character's personality, as I don't have any dramatic background whatsoever and I feel a bit odd playacting as someone else. Writing, well, that's second nature for me, so I can really extrapolate on my character's motivations (which I have done, to say the least, at some length).

[teh bunneh]

Which game is it k_b? For those of us that would like to peek in on it. :)

Like Milkman Dan says, it's the Avengers: The Next Generation game. Here's a link to the storyboard: http://www.herocentral.net/storyBoard.htm?campaignId=476060

:)

[OddHat]

I really enjoyed my own time GMing and playing on Hero Central, though I eventually withdrew. The time demands compared to FtF were overwhelming. Still, it was a great way to dig deeper into the HERO rules (my FtF group is so used to my house rules that I rarely even crack the book), and some high quality writing was done by all involved.

Considering the quality of his own writing, I'm sure Bill has been a heck of an online GM.

[Tom]

As another 'just let me play' HCer who somehow ended up as a GM let me say you've got a heck of group going with A:TNG k_b. You've got some very impressive writers, and more importantly, you've got a group of players that seems to mesh very well together -- something you seem to realize already. That's probably the hardest thing of all to find with an online game...

I don't normally do much lurking outside of the games I'm in (or the one I GM), and I've only recently started lurking the current story arc (I'm certainly looking forward to see what happens in Cinnabar's thread) but from what I've read so far you certainly seem to have a decent handle on the mechanics of running a game on Hero Central...

[teh bunneh]

As another 'just let me play' HCer who somehow ended up as a GM let me say you've got a heck of group going with A:TNG k_b. You've got some very impressive writers, and more importantly, you've got a group of players that seems to mesh very well together -- something you seem to realize already. That's probably the hardest thing of all to find with an online game...

I don't normally do much lurking outside of the games I'm in (or the one I GM), and I've only recently started lurking the current story arc (I'm certainly looking forward to see what happens in Cinnabar's thread) but from what I've read so far you certainly seem to have a decent handle on the mechanics of running a game on Hero Central...

Thanks, Tom. :) I'm having fun with Cinnabar's personal crisis, too. :eg:

Since this thread is titled "Confessions of an Online GM," I thought perhaps I should actually make at least one confession...

I've done almost no planning ahead for this game. Seriously, I'm just making it up as I go. Up until I actually post something, I'm not sure what's going to happen. As an example, in the current storyline, I wasn't really sure who the bad guy was going to be or what his ultimate plan was until I did the big reveal (in Cinnabar's thread).

Flying by the seat of my pants is a new experience for me. In my FtF games, I usually have the current adventure planned at least 1 week in advance, and I have the outline for an overall story arc (which may change based on the characters' actions, but at least I have an outline).

My entire set of notes for this game read something like this:

Banner hunted by Red Skull
Hank & Jan Pym – Alive? In Microverse?
Cinnabar hates brother; where is Scarlet Witch?
SHIELD Super Agents vs. Brotherhood of Evil Mutants -- routed
Serpent Crown? Look up old Marvel 2-in-1 story arc
MandarinSo my confession is that I feel like I should actually plan ahead, but I don't. Everything seems to be working OK so far; I just hope my lack of foresight doesn't come back and bit me on the cotton tail later...

[Savinien]

The Bunny is running The Avengers campaign and, if I may say so, doing quite well. I'm in the semi-cursed Thunderbolts campaign that shares the same game world (we had the same issue with the same GM just vanishing, had several players drop out, and just lost another because he can only use IE and that no longer works on HC). We've also got a great group of players (of which said Bunny is one), and it's been fun to watch the players come together with the varied personalities.

I haven't done face-to-face gaming in about 2 1/2 years (which, not coincidentally, is how old my second kid is), and online is my only outlet, and I think I prefer it. Gives me a chance to really think and plan and, big bonus, it means I can have a character with a VPP and not annoy all the other players while frantically trying to do math at the last minute (instead I can just annoy the GM by trying to foil his plans with my VPP).

One thing I like most about online gaming is I have no problem whatsoever thinking like a 24-year-old woman while writing, as I've done a fair amount of creative writing in my life and doing it via gaming is just a natural extension. When I do FTF playing I have a much harder time really getting into the character's personality, as I don't have any dramatic background whatsoever and I feel a bit odd playacting as someone else. Writing, well, that's second nature for me, so I can really extrapolate on my character's motivations (which I have done, to say the least, at some length).

Is there a thread somewhere here or on HC looking for players?

I'm fairly impressed with the player line-up for both games.

[Savinien]

I've been playing (and GMing) at HC for a while now. It has its pitfalls and advantages over FTF gaming for sure. When I fly by the seat of my pants (as a GM) I've found the slowness of the game gets me in trouble. I end up adding too many tidbits that muddle up the plot to a horrific level. Then, I get confused, let alone the confusion that exists with the players!

Anywho, that's my confession and I'm sticking to it.

[MilkmanDan]

Is there a thread somewhere here or on HC looking for players?

I'm fairly impressed with the player line-up for both games.

Thunderbolts probably will be, depending on a few things. If so, we'll perform thread resurrection on the original T-Bolts thread. Supreme Serpent is our GM, so he'll post something if bodies are needed.

[Supreme Serpent]

Hi there, interesting thread so far.

I'm an HC'er myself. Currently in Bill's game, took over the associated Thunderbolts game as GM, also play in another supers game.

Plus, played in four other campaigns that crashed in middle of first real adventure, and GMd one that fell apart.

Things I've learned (some also apply to regular GMing, but sometimes people forget in online context):
(all IMO, IME etc of course)
*Don't get overextended. It's tempting to run and play in a bunch of games at once, but unless you're getting paid to do it, time can be an issue and either quantity or quality of posts will suffer.

*Become aware of timeframes. What can do easily in one session with a FTF group can take weeks to do with PBEM. This has pros and cons.
*As GM, don't have to have everything planned out in advance. :sneaky:
*As player, can be away for awhile and only be a few posts behind.
*Can adapt for vacations, temp player absences and such. On
the down side, these sorts of things will happen on a regular basis, and rarely at the same time for everyone. At any given time out of six people will probably have at least one temporarily unavailable. It's probably a good idea to have a rule about how long you'll wait for someone in a phased situation (for example, if three days goes by after your turn comes up, character assumed to be holding action, next in line goes)

*Communicate. Clear expectations on posting, campaign tone, expectations, house rules and such can save headaches later. Communicate extended time away, delays and such as best able, in advance if at all possible. Goes for players as well. Solicit and give feedback. Helps make the game better and more fun, and therefore people more likely to hang around.

*Be prepared for revolving doors. Few campaigns will go on for a long time with the same set of players. Time issues, lifestyle changes, internet explorer, just don't like the game after all - they can all cause people to need to drop. Some things to minimize the damage:
*Communicate. As above. Sometimes could arrange a few-month absence and return at appropriate time. Could be better than trying to work entirely new person in. Also helps to correct any issues as a GM that are causing people to leave.
*Try to avoid setups that early on establish the current PCs as indespensible. If your fantasy game establishes PC X as the chosen one to fulfill the prophecy, if he bails you'll have some major rewrites to do or the campaign will be much different if it continues at all. Run a shakedown arc and re-evaluate after seeing who's left after a few months. If you run a campaign premise along the lines of "only six people in the world have powers" and three people drop out of the game, be prepared to change the premise or do a lot of adjusting.

*It's a bit different handling actions - post with die roller code, don't see results immediately. So either need to post follow-up post or go back and edit results in. Coding can be fiddly at times, leading to GM/player frustration especially if new. It does get better.
*Be aware some individuals, the same ones who likely pick up the dice at the FTF games before anyone can see it, cheat at these imaginary games through trying to edit things to re-do rolls and such. :rolleyes: Be sure as a GM you get all the edits sent to you.

*Threads can get cluttered. Start new threads regularly and/or "move things to the left" to make for easier reading.

*It's hard to keep the magic going. Try to keep posting, communicate with the players and keep extended pauses to a minimum if possible. It can be hard to jump back into something two months later.

[Supreme Serpent]

Thunderbolts probably will be, depending on a few things. If so, we'll perform thread resurrection on the original T-Bolts thread. Supreme Serpent is our GM, so he'll post something if bodies are needed.

Right now it's looking like some prior folks are returning. If that changes, absolutely.

[Blue]

I've never done the online GM thing, but I conducted a great many one-on-one games by phone in my youth. Now I'd have no problem running a one-on-one online, but a big group of people might be a mess.

As a component of my current face-to-face campaign, I originally let people do things "off camera" (via e-mail). Turned out to be a bad idea. Only one person wanted to take the time AND actually had the time to take, and this meant that at each face-to-face game we had to recap what he'd found. It felt like everyone else was being cheated so I canceled that part of the game.

[teh bunneh]

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the high-flying Hornet, also in my game. :cheers:


Don't get overextended. It's tempting to run and play in a bunch of games at once, but unless you're getting paid to do it, time can be an issue and either quantity or quality of posts will suffer.

Tru dat. Sometimes it's hard to find time to write for just one game.

I had a great idea, early in the Avengers game. I thought what I'd do was run various solo side adventures for all the players. So even though I wasn't planning to use Roxxon in the main game, I could still do a short little Iron Girl story involving Roxxon (she's got a Hunted in her background). Sort of like the solo titles in the Marvel Universe. I had some cool ideas, too.

I'm actually glad that I talked myself out of that. It would've been fun, but way too much work. :(


Be prepared for revolving doors. Few campaigns will go on for a long time with the same set of players. Time issues, lifestyle changes, internet explorer, just don't like the game after all - they can all cause people to need to drop.

Also true. Players come and players go. We've lost... I think 4 players since the Avengers game began, and picked up two new ones. Some of the missing PCs I miss greatly. Others I barely got a chance to know. But I've learned as GM that you have to accept this and adapt when necessary. One of the missing PCs is now a major NPC, f'rinstance, just because his background was too cool to let drop (and because it fit perfectly in with the current story arc). :D

[teh bunneh]

Here's a random musing, more related to my specific game than to online gaming in general.

The Avengers is not a balanced team, and throughout most of its history, it never has been. (I'm of course using "balanced team" in the general way that gamers are used to: 2 fighters, a cleric, a mage, a thief, and a utility player -- or, in Champions terms: a brick, a blaster, a speedster, a mage, a stalker, and a utility player ;) ).

Look at a lot of the classic Avengers -- Thor, Namor, She-Hulk, Hercules, Wonder Man, Vision, Iron Man, Giant Man (frequently all on the same team). It's almost always a brick-heavy team. Normally in an RPG, if you put four bricks in the same team then everyone is always stepping on each others' schtick. But somehow, for the Avengers it seems to work. I don't know why.

In my team's original lineup, we had Cinnabar (STR 90 with her DI turned on), Iron Girl (STR 75), Dynasty (STR 50), Kolbrandr (STR 50), and Arachne (STR 45). Half the team were bricks! Well, utility bricks, since they all had other schticks... actually, maybe that's the secret. None of them were full, no-foolin' bricks; they all had other things to fall back on. Interesting...

Here's the funny thing. When I was trolling for new players, people kept asking "What do you need?" I kept telling them, "I don't need any specific power sets -- I need personalities." I guess I've always seen the Avengers as being more personality-driven than powers-driven. Five bricks plus Hawkeye? Hell, it works in the comics. :smoke:

Something I think about frequently.

[BcAugust]

Bunny, it looks like you're doing great. I'm sorry for having to drop out, but well... real life is rarely neat.

[Haven Walkur]

Respect and Realism

The Boss Bunny runs an excellent game, and he doesn't give himself enough credit. He knows him some Marvel characters and backstories, sure!

The feel of the Marvel Bunnyverse is very much classic Marvel of the 1970s, '80s and (maybe) a bit of the '90s, with all the idiotic bits ignored by mutual consent. But the Bunnyverse isn't in stasis; there has been change.

For example, Nick Fury retired and Colonel Katherine "Kitty" Pryde took over as head of SHIELD. Skurge the Executioner is now the son of the original, still wielding his father's axe. Tony Stark died of natural causes, leaving three illegitimate children (one of whom succeeded him as both corporate head and armored avenger). The Avengers broke up for the last time about 10 years ago and the old Avengers mansion is now a museum, open to the public.

And in the fight against the malicious Egyptian god Seth, a new Avengers team assembled!

The Boss Bunny knows his NPCs...and he always gives his NPC villains something to say. I suppose that's all part of his respect for the characters; they come across as real people with what seems like (to them, at least) good reasons for doing what they're doing...even if what they're doing is dressing up in a hi-tech porcupine suit and crashing the New Avengers' press conference. (The Porcupine's good reasons: "I was getting paid, and it was a job I didn't dare turn down.)

Thus far, the plots have flowed organically one into the other, with info discovered earlier in the campaign leading naturally to a later discovery...usually of someone with a serious legacy grudge against the New Avengers. The revelations don't feel forced; everything makes good "comicbook" sense.

Along with the Boss Bunny's respect (and affection) for the characters -- he treats both the canon NPCs and legacy PCs seriously, with no eye-rolling or "get real!" remarks -- that sense of "comicbook realism" is a great strength of the game.

Yes, it's a superhero game -- but within the Marvel Bunnyverse, it all makes sense! Comicbook sense, of course, but good comicbook sense, the sort that includes logic, history and reliable characterisation as important elements...and the only suspension of disbelief you need is to be able to accept that the superheroes are real.

[sinanju]

One thing I like most about online gaming is I have no problem whatsoever thinking like a 24-year-old woman while writing, as I've done a fair amount of creative writing in my life and doing it via gaming is just a natural extension. When I do FTF playing I have a much harder time really getting into the character's personality, as I don't have any dramatic background whatsoever and I feel a bit odd playacting as someone else. Writing, well, that's second nature for me, so I can really extrapolate on my character's motivations (which I have done, to say the least, at some length).

I've been in a few online PbEM games. I've joined quite a few more that never got off the ground after initial character selection.

On the other hand, I'm in a livejournal RPG that's been going like gangbusters for over a year now. It has slowed down some since initial white-hot posting frenzy, but it doesn't show any signs of stopping. It's a game--but with no rules. You suggest a character (mostly characters from tv/movies/etc but a few original characters too), and the GMs okay it, you're in.

No stats, no hit points, no die rolls. Just role-playing--but that doesn't mean people don't get injured. Or killed. Or have steamy sex, in some cases. I really enjoy it because it fills my need for gaming and for creative writing all at once. I occasionally think about running a game of some kind online, but if I did I think it'd probably be something like this instead of one with lots of rules. This has worked very well.

[teh bunneh]

Bunny, it looks like you're doing great. I'm sorry for having to drop out, but well... real life is rarely neat.

Yes, real life happens. One of the lessons learned. I always thought Lightshow had a lot of potential; sorry you had to go. :(

[Tom]

I pretty much always fly things by the seat of my pants -- the one thing I like most about GMing on line, I have the TIME to do that. Your list of notes is more extensive than mine... ;)

Some things I've learned over my time GMing:

Chat (or PM) with your players from time to time. They can give you some good ideas about where the stories are going, and where they could go...

The Timeline is your friend. Especially if you have solo threads and as you develop a game history. It makes it easier for you to keep a sense of 'when' things happened (especially in reference to everything else)...

As a GM, use email notification and get the edits. Yeah, it'll let you catch people trying to fudge the die rolls, but the main thing I use it for is keeping track of where I owe posts. My game tends to have multiple active threads and sub-threads at any point. I have a mail rule set up in OE that automatically sorts my game related emails to the appropriate campaigns (I'm in a total of 6, iirc). This makes it easy for me to keep a rough track of where the various stories I'm involved with are going, and I keep unanswered posts marked as unread -- this lets me see at a glance where I need to post when I have the time to do so. Actually, this helps whether you're the player or GM (and I get email for all my games). I've seen too many cases of a game stalling, and it turns out one or more players hadn't seen they were up...

[Enforcer84]

When it comes to FtF gaming and gamemastering, I've got 25+ years of experience under my belt. The whole online thing, though, is completely new to me. I was hoping to be a player for a while before I tried my hand at GMing (and I was a player in the game I'm running now... for about 2 weeks). :rofl:

FtF and PbP are two very different experiences, in my experience. But it is invigorating in some ways. I imagine perhaps this is how I felt back in Junior High School, when I was first muddling my way through the Keep on the Borderlands with some of my buddies. :ugly:
you're a player in the Thunderbolts, and we appreciate it.

[Supreme Serpent]

I have a mail rule set up in OE that automatically sorts my game related emails to the appropriate campaigns (I'm in a total of 6, iirc). This makes it easy for me to keep a rough track of where the various stories I'm involved with are going, and I keep unanswered posts marked as unread -- this lets me see at a glance where I need to post when I have the time to do so. Actually, this helps whether you're the player or GM (and I get email for all my games). I've seen too many cases of a game stalling, and it turns out one or more players hadn't seen they were up...

:yes:

Having the seperate sub-folders for each game makes keeping up with things much easier. If you're looking at the thread on HC, it's easy to miss a reply to a reply to a reply to a post halfway up the page, much easier to spot if it comes through as an email to a tidy defined space. :)

[Supreme Serpent]

Here's a random musing, more related to my specific game than to online gaming in general.

The Avengers is not a balanced team, and throughout most of its history, it never has been. (I'm of course using "balanced team" in the general way that gamers are used to: 2 fighters, a cleric, a mage, a thief, and a utility player -- or, in Champions terms: a brick, a blaster, a speedster, a mage, a stalker, and a utility player ;) ).

Look at a lot of the classic Avengers -- Thor, Namor, She-Hulk, Hercules, Wonder Man, Vision, Iron Man, Giant Man (frequently all on the same team). It's almost always a brick-heavy team. Normally in an RPG, if you put four bricks in the same team then everyone is always stepping on each others' schtick. But somehow, for the Avengers it seems to work. I don't know why.

In my team's original lineup, we had Cinnabar (STR 90 with her DI turned on), Iron Girl (STR 75), Dynasty (STR 50), Kolbrandr (STR 50), and Arachne (STR 45). Half the team were bricks! Well, utility bricks, since they all had other schticks... actually, maybe that's the secret. None of them were full, no-foolin' bricks; they all had other things to fall back on. Interesting...

Here's the funny thing. When I was trolling for new players, people kept asking "What do you need?" I kept telling them, "I don't need any specific power sets -- I need personalities." I guess I've always seen the Avengers as being more personality-driven than powers-driven. Five bricks plus Hawkeye? Hell, it works in the comics. :smoke:

Something I think about frequently.

I think that the "balanced" team is mainly a function of pre-packaged modules/opposition and the desire to have everything "covered". If the module requires a cleric to open door X or use magic item Y, if your group is all fighters and thieves, you're screwed. If you're fighting Eurostar and don't have an easy counter to X, you're screwed. It's archetype-based spot defense.

In a more organic setting with a GM or writer, the scenario will be set based on the characters at hand. I ran a long-term game with a team that was usually 75% martial artists and light bricks at any given time. In a pre-packaged scenario they might have run into a few situations that really screwed them not having a mentalist, FW maker, good ranged combatant, etc. Since I was basing the scenarios around them, I could arrange things so with reasonably smart play they could have lots of close-in fights where they wouldn't be terribly disadvantaged.

And I do think the "other things to fall back on" and variation is key too to avoid toe-stepping. In the group I mentioned above, the three main martial artists had one guy who could lay a big-die attack down but was fragile, another who was very sneaky, had AP attacks and trick shuriken, and the third was stronger and much tougher defense-wise. While they were all "martial artists" they definitely played very differently.

[BunnySue]

My biggest problem with online gaming is that it is very difficult for me to write. Mostly because I'm a very poor speller and I spend most of my time making sure everything is spelled correctly. :(

I know what I want to say, but making sure it comes out correctly on paper is hard for me. So a three line post may take me half an hour to get "right."

All that aside, I've been enjoying the game and all the characters. Being the "new kid on the block" lets me surprise the other players with new tricks. :eg:

[RPMiller]

I'm in the same boat BunnySue. That's why I'm very thankful for the spell checker in the toolbars at HC.

[teh bunneh]

Thares' a splelchekker on HC?

[RPMiller]

Sure is. I use it all the time. :)

[Enforcer84]

I like it! Mainly because I can have my character flirt with the ladies and I don't have physical reminders that they're all played by guys.
:D

[Remjin]

I like it! Mainly because I can have my character flirt with the ladies and I don't have physical reminders that they're all played by guys.
:D

My next character for a FtF game is a 17 year old hot perky cheerleader falling into the whole stereotype... I'm a 31 year old mesomorph male with close-cropped hair. I look forward to creeping everyone at the table out. :rofl: :sick: :nya: :cry:

[Enforcer84]

But I won't be there! :D

[Remjin]

You can ask Bloodstone or Rapier how bad it could be. Heck, who knows, I might get excerpts in Quote of the Week. :D

[casualplayer]

Choosing players for an online game (in my experience) is a harrowing process. When I posted for new players, I had over a dozen submissions but only room for one new character. I got several good entries, so it was tough to choose which one I liked the best. I also got several entries where I could only think, "What the heck was this guy thinking of???" My players gave me feedback as well, letting me know which ones they thought would fit in the team and which wouldn't.

Bold mine.

I would just like to say when I floated the idea of Aegis/Athena Pym, a female permutation of Ultron, they laughed at me. Laughed, I tell you! Now look at what's coming in the new New Avengers comic; a female Ultron! That bot has gender issues, I knew it! My genius and foresight will finally be recognized.

Now if only I could get my lazy, procrastinating arse to write up these character ideas ....

[Hermit]

Bold mine.

I would just like to say when I floated the idea of Aegis/Athena Pym, a female permutation of Ultron, they laughed at me. Laughed, I tell you! Now look at what's coming in the new New Avengers comic; a female Ultron! That bot has gender issues, I knew it! My genius and foresight will finally be recognized.

Now if only I could get my lazy, procrastinating arse to write up these character ideas ....

It was envy of your genius that lead to the obstruction of your brilliance.

*nods* ;)

[casualplayer]

It was envy of your genius that lead to the obstruction of your brilliance.

*nods* ;)

Would bran help with the obstruction?

I agree entirely while only understanding marginally. ;)

[Enforcer84]

Would bran help with the obstruction?

I agree entirely while only understanding marginally. ;)
Bran just works on anything.

[teh bunneh]

So I'm sooper-dooper sick right now and am finding it hard to concentrate/come up with creative ideas. Which is teh suxx0rz because the Avengers game is speeding directly along towards the climax of this adventure. So regretfully, I'm putting the game on hold until my poor bunny head has less cotton stuffed into it. :(

I've got some good stuff planned, but putting together more than 3 sentences -- much less a coherent combat situation -- is really tough right now.

Should've stayed home today. If I'm not feeling better then maybe I'll ditch work tomorrow and sleep all day.

[teh bunneh]

Running a fight is ... hm ... what's the right word? ... interesting ... online. Obviously, things go slowly, due to all the other things that make up an online game. There can be long breaks in the action, if someone goes on vacation or gets sick or something. It's sort of hard to keep things moving at a good clip, to keep the excitement up. It might, in many ways, be better to keep battles to a minimum. Many veterans of online gaming have told me this.

But there's a hitch. Well, two hitches.

First is that I'm running an Avengers game, based in the Marvel Universe -- and Avengers means fighting. It's what they do, and what they've always done. There is rarely a single issue that didn't start or finish with a big battle-to-end-all-battles. If an issue didn't have a fight, it was because they were setting up an even bigger fight!

So, who cares, right? I mean, it's not like I've got Jim Shooter looking over my shoulder and telling me that there has to be more action in this issue. It's my game, I can put in as many or as few fights as I like. And of course, there are other options. Marvel Angst™ is practically its own genre, for example.

But ...

Unfortunately, fights are pretty much all I know how to do. I rarely go more than two sessions in my FtF games without a fight of some sort. I mean, character interaction and whatnot is fine, but I really feel like I need to throw some two-fisted action in there. I'm not even really sure how to run a game without that particular brand of conflict. I've played in them before, and then tend to bore me after a while.

So... how to run a fight in a PbP game, without having it bog down? I haven't quite figured that one out yet. :think:

[Supreme Serpent]

So... how to run a fight in a PbP game, without having it bog down? I haven't quite figured that one out yet. :think:

I think part of it is really just expectations. A short conversation in an FtF game that only takes two minutes can take a week or more in PbP to finish. But because it's not action it doesn't feel like that big a deal. Meanwhile, the 90-minute FtF slugfest we expect to rocket along in comparison partly because it's exciting. But it's hard to do, unless everyone is logged on for a few hours straight, firing off replies as fast as they can type. If you have a group that you can do that with ("OK, everyone be on from 10-12EST Tuesday and we'll do the fight") - and it's unlikely - one probably has to live with the delays. For example, in the Thunderbolts game, I think that even with the delays we were going at a decent clip for the Hydra fight, and that took like two weeks to go from seg 12-> seg 8.

[Tom]

Obviously, having everyone handy is the fastest way to get a fight done -- especially if you're all in chat too, and can deal 'realtime' with all those annoying little side questions ("how far away is 'x'?", "does my char recognize 'y'?") that you sometimes forget to put into the initial post -- or that you just didn't think of...

Since that doesn't happen anywhere near often enough, your next best bet is having a group that posts predictably and giving a clear indication of who goes when. This works best when players don't get in a big hurry to post their next action while you're still trying to resolve the previous action (and god help you if the speedster is the slowest poster in your game). You already seem to be doing a good job of this, k_b...

If you think details are going to be important, use a map of some kind to cut down on confusion. There's a jpg of a hex grid over in the free stuff, iirc, which with only minimum effort in whatever generic paint program is on your computer can at least handle battle mapping as well as most of us can with a battlemap and markers. Winterhawk uses that over in 'A Game of Chance' to good effect. When I feel the need for a map, I use AutoREALM (which is free), but it has a lot more of a learning curve for those of us who aren't necessarily that familiar with similar programs (I could make it do basic stuff easy enough, but I managed to get a lot more out of it once a friend who regularly makes presentations with stuff like PowerPoint and what-not showed me a few tricks). I also know a few games where the GMs use Photo Shop to make maps, so you've got a lot of potential options depending on what resources you have available, and the time you have to use them...

If you're not going to use a map, make sure you have a common set of assumptions with your PCs. Unless you state otherwise as GM, PCs are assumed to be within a half move of all villains. If a PC posts an action that makes use of something you hadn't considered might be available, go with it unless you've got a good reason not to...

All of the tricks suggested for speeding up combat in the book are a really good idea online. Don't waste time giving agents and low level minions recoveries -- once they're down, they stay down. I usually don't even bother tracking stun with agents; a good hit will stun them, two hits will drop them, a really good hit and they're out. I don't usually worry about giving villains recoveries either, if they're further down than one Recovery will suffice to give them positive numbers (and not even then unless I think it's going to make a difference in the fight) they're out of the fight...

[zornwil]

Running a fight is ... hm ... what's the right word? ... interesting ... online. Obviously, things go slowly, due to all the other things that make up an online game. There can be long breaks in the action, if someone goes on vacation or gets sick or something. It's sort of hard to keep things moving at a good clip, to keep the excitement up. It might, in many ways, be better to keep battles to a minimum. Many veterans of online gaming have told me this.

But there's a hitch. Well, two hitches.

First is that I'm running an Avengers game, based in the Marvel Universe -- and Avengers means fighting. It's what they do, and what they've always done. There is rarely a single issue that didn't start or finish with a big battle-to-end-all-battles. If an issue didn't have a fight, it was because they were setting up an even bigger fight!

So, who cares, right? I mean, it's not like I've got Jim Shooter looking over my shoulder and telling me that there has to be more action in this issue. It's my game, I can put in as many or as few fights as I like. And of course, there are other options. Marvel Angst™ is practically its own genre, for example.

But ...

Unfortunately, fights are pretty much all I know how to do. I rarely go more than two sessions in my FtF games without a fight of some sort. I mean, character interaction and whatnot is fine, but I really feel like I need to throw some two-fisted action in there. I'm not even really sure how to run a game without that particular brand of conflict. I've played in them before, and then tend to bore me after a while.

So... how to run a fight in a PbP game, without having it bog down? I haven't quite figured that one out yet. :think:
I've considered this, wondered on how to pull it off.

I tend to think a more abstract combat would work well, with players describing more their tactics for the first "few" Phases (in HERO terms of course).

Lamrok once suggested octaNe, which uses a very simple and abstract conflict resolution system, could be easily grafted onto many systems, including HERO, for PBEMs specifically. It's an interesting thought, as octaNe uses minimal dice-rolling and maximal description - but it can disenchant some players as it's "fudgy" in results (essentially the final result you drive to at each step is "player full control," "player partial control," "GM partial control," and "GM full control" over the outcome).

[Tom]

I'm using a map for a 'danger room' scenario I'm running for the Shadow Guard kids, and thought I'd post it here too as an example of one way to handle mapping....

[Tom]

Just finished up with the fight I posted the map for above. Initial post for the thread was on Feb 12 and today is Feb 21, so the fight took about a week and a half to game out and lasted for just over one Turn of game time. Four PCs vs three villains (Black Diamond, Bluejay, and Cateran -- all from CKC) in a 'danger room' scenario.

I'm adding the link to the thread for anyone who might want to see how it went. My posting was slow in parts because of weather and work (when you work in logistics/transportation the two tend to be interrelated). The maps I have attached in the thread are only good for two weeks, but the initial map is posted above and I'll post the 'final' map here as well...

...Shadow Guard (lessons)... (http://herocentral.net/readStoryThread.htm?postId=631110&campaignId=33358)

[Savinien]

Expectations is what is bringing you down. First off, request an average of a post a day, with the caveat of more during combat if you can get it. Then, try to be structured. Post what you can as GM and then give what you're looking for from the players. If you can also get the players to put a few options in their posts, that can help. A lot of holding actions and aborting doesn't always work that well, but we make do, don't we?

Like Tom mentioned, if you can get everyone on around the same time firing off posts, or IM/CHAT/PM back and forth with the niggling questions, that can help too. I've ran 5+ turn combats in both Annals of the Mask and Fourth Age in less than a week with 30 + combatants.

Back in HCv1 I ran a combat between PCs (yes supers and villains) and it worked out fairly well. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, even the defeated.

Anywho... It can work, but it takes some time.

[Supreme Serpent]

Since this was linked to from a more recent thread, thought I'd add a few more thoughts on running fights/pacing.

As a GM, I institute a time limit for posting the action of the next in line - depends on the posting rate of the game of course. I use 3 days as a guideline. If the next person in line to act doesn't post within that timeframe, they're assumed to be holding their action. The player can of course drop in anytime and use that held action, or if appropriate the GM may do a defensive action on their behalf.

Speaking of defensive actions - the way posting and the dieroller work, it seems to work out smoother to let people 'abort' to defensive actions even after seeing the to hit rolls, etc. It's a bit gamey and peels some of the uncertainty away, but makes things go much smoother and faster IMO. And of course it works for the villains too. :p

[Fedifensor]

One thing I'm curious about - how many people is it feasible to handle in a single game. I usually want 4 to 6 people in a face to face game, but with playing at such a slow pace I'm not sure if more people would help or hinder things...

[Kevin Schultz]

One thing I'm curious about - how many people is it feasible to handle in a single game. I usually want 4 to 6 people in a face to face game, but with playing at such a slow pace I'm not sure if more people would help or hinder things...

The fastest games I've seen are solo ones, with one player and one GM. In my experience, the more people you have, the more likely someone is to not respond, thus slowing the game down.

[Checkmate]

Kevin Schultz is right. There are some advantages to larger groups, such as increased interaction and makes a bit less work on the GM as they don't have to post as often, but it does slow things down considerably.

Some other things I've learned is that while it seems like separating the group would be easier with an online game, it has some inherent problems just like a FtF game if you want to keep the characters on the same timeline it can be incredibly difficult.

For combats I cannot recommend maps enough. Even if you just have a bmp that you edit with Microsoft Paint.

[Tom]

One thing I'm curious about - how many people is it feasible to handle in a single game. I usually want 4 to 6 people in a face to face game, but with playing at such a slow pace I'm not sure if more people would help or hinder things...
It really depends on the players. Get a bunch of addicts.. errrr, serious players.. online at the same time and things can move along faster than you might think.

Biggest problem with multiple players can be if they don't remember to pace themselves to the GM or a slower poster, and then keeping up becomes an issue...

Having said that, solo games tend to be the smoothest overall. But a smoothly meshed group can accomplish a lot with minimal fuss.

[matrix3]

<snip>
For combats I cannot recommend maps enough. Even if you just have a bmp that you edit with Microsoft Paint.


How do people do maps on HeroCentral? Is there some functionality that you can use, or is it really a BMP edited with mspaint?

[mvoncannon]

Or other graphic format. That is about it. You can attach it to a post or put it in your file area of you CP and then link to it.

An alternative would be to schedule some time and you all meet up in the chat room. Then you could us something like Screen Monkey or other system similar and do that way.

[Tom]

How do people do maps on HeroCentral? Is there some functionality that you can use, or is it really a BMP edited with mspaint?
You can upload images with a post, but they only remain for two weeks -- which is more than long enough for my purposes as a rule. Or you can link externally.

Personally, I use AutoREALM (it's free, but it has a bit of a learning curve) for mapping. However, I've also used basic Paint images too.

I'll link an example of one of the maps from a combat I did once...

[Fedifensor]

This is probably the wrong thread (and maybe the wrong board), but is there a guide on how to use HERO Central, sign up for campaigns, etc? It would be nice to get into an online Champions campaign, but I'd want to know what I'm getting into first...

[Tom]

This is probably the wrong thread (and maybe the wrong board), but is there a guide on how to use HERO Central, sign up for campaigns, etc? It would be nice to get into an online Champions campaign, but I'd want to know what I'm getting into first...
Dan's put up a good FAQ on HeroCentral, and you can usually find someone in chat there who's willing to answer questions...

You can get a pretty good idea how the games run just by lurking through the existing campaigns. Joining a game is pretty easy mechanically, though finding a game that's open can be a bit more challenging. There are always new games starting and older games needing new blood, so persistence pays off in the end...

[teh bunneh]

Arise, arise oh dread thread and terrorize the living! Mwa ha ha![/necromancy]

My confession of today... Not really a confession. Not really a rant, either, though that's a bit closer. Just sort of a grouse, I guess. First, a bit of history:

In my Avengers: The Next Generation game, I originally signed up to be a player. Created a fun character -- Arachne, the teenaged daughter of Peter Parker. She inherited not just his powers, but also his bad luck, his uncertainty, and his angst (based pretty much off Ultimate Spider-Man, since that's the only SM I'm reading these days). I thought she'd be a larf to play -- fun personality, lotsa plot hooks, and a classic power set.

But, as fate would have it, the original GM vanished and I stepped up to the plate. I do enjoy running the game and all, but... gosh, I'm sad that I never got the chance to play Mary Parker. I mean, she's still around as a GMPC, but I don't feel like I can really play her.

The games that I run are about my players, not about me. I've been in too many games where the GM's pet character took over, and the rest of us just followed him around watching how cool he was. So I don't do that. My GMPCs can be competant, but they can't be the hero; I won't let them steal the show from my players. Arachne won't ever come up with The Big Brilliant Idea That Saves The Day, because that's the players' job. Her job is to be there, in the background, when the players need her.

Which is good -- that's the way it should be IMHO. But sometimes I wish I could just let Arachne cut loose, play her the way I would've wanted to. Normally it's not a big deal, but the reason this comes up right now is I was reading one of the "WWYCD" threads, and I thought, "I know exactly what Arachne would do in this situation. She'd call Banner or Hornet or Iron Girl and ask them to work it out." Silly, huh? :)

[Supreme Serpent]

Hopefully when we get the crossovers going you'll have a chance to play her more directly. Won't be as often as being a regular player, but hey, better than nothing. :)

Aside from...other things...in the works, I've got a "Marvel Team Up" Arachne/Electron story that's been floating around in the back of my head. And maybe she'll get to guest-star sometime when the X-Men go to the Savage Land or something. :)

All is not lost! It's just in our other pants. ;)

[teh bunneh]

Hopefully when we get the crossovers going you'll have a chance to play her more directly. Won't be as often as being a regular player, but hey, better than nothing. :)

That'll be fun. :)


Aside from...other things...in the works, I've got a "Marvel Team Up" Arachne/Electron story that's been floating around in the back of my head. And maybe she'll get to guest-star sometime when the X-Men go to the Savage Land or something. :)

<pictures Arachne in a "Shanna the She-Devil" outfit made out of the remains of her costume, complete with mask> :love:

OK, yeah. I'm going to That Special Hell now. :o

[Vondy]

OK, yeah. I'm going to That Special Hell now. :o


You talk during movies?

[MilkmanDan]

Aha! My first chance to post in this thread as an online GM!

First thought--being an online GM is a hell of a lot harder than I thought. I mean, I tend to think of myself as a writer and as someone who can sit down and knock something out without too much trouble. Problem is, in an online campaign, there's a more or less inherent schedule to that. I feel like I need to do something every day; I know a lot of play-by-post goes slower than that, but I don't want to; I want to write something every day. In some ways, it's good, as it forces me to write on a regular basis, but the simple fact is that some days I just don't feel like it. I'm a "streaky" writer (which is why I don't write creatively for a living). I write when the proverbial muse makes a visit. I'm enough of a self-critic that I get pissed at myself when it isn't up to my alleged standards.

Two, being an online GM is hard because, well, there are times you just don't feel like it. I've got a job and a wife and two young kids and soccer to go to and dinner to cook and laundry and yard work and cleaning and reading with kids and bedtime stories and trying to decompress and then there's this online campaign I need to be paying attention to. I recall a PM I sent to teh bunneh when we were discussing an online GM that had vanished and I threw out the line "With great power comes great responsibility, but with insignificant power also comes insignificant responsibility". By taking on the job of online GM, you're saying to the other players "I'm going to devote the time to make this fun for you". It's often hard to find that time.

When things get a bit stressful and busy (like the last few weeks) my online posting suffers (both as a GM and a player; the Electron/Arachne confrontation in the T-Bolts campaign just didn't go like I wanted it to, but couldn't find the mental acuity to polish it like I wanted), but that's just how it is. In a face-to-face game, it's easy to just say "Uh . . . I punch the bad guy", but, in play-by-post, I feel the need to actually write something definitive and "worthy" and there's less leeway.

Add to that I started playing in my first face-to-face game in four years a couple months ago, so I'm rusty, and the X-Men: TNG game is the first GMing of any sort I've done in probably a good 15 years and, well, it's hard to get in the groove. I've started minor plot bits I've dropped mid-adventure, neglected people's actions, railroaded the plot somewhat, and stumbled in multiple ways, but, well, I figure that's the way it goes.

Still, it's loads of fun. It does force me to write creatively and, at best, it's really satisfying (as a player, the "Electron being angsty about her past" and "Ms. Marvel II confesses to Kitty Pryde" bits in particular I'm proud of), so it's worth it, but I really kind of figured I'd start a campaign, dump out posts, and it wouldn't be much effort. The big difference between online GMing and face-to-face GMing, as far as I can tell, is that face-to-face requires you to be on your toes every week or two weeks or whatever, while online is pretty much every day.

[teh bunneh]

Today's confession is in re: The West Coast Avengers game on HeroCentral.

(It's probably OK if my players read this. If they haven't figured out what's going on by now then I should probably just come out and tell them). ;)

The characters have just been introduced and are standing around chatting. I get the impression that they're wondering when the adventure is going to begin (or more likely, I'm just impatient), so I start casting around for an idea.

Yeah, that's right. I started the game with no idea what the first adventure was gonna be. Anyway...

So I'm looking at the characters' disads list. Rivalries, hunteds, psych lims, backgrounds... I'm thinking, "Mad scientist. Mecha. Yeah, we're on the West Coast. Shogun Warriors! Except Red Ronin already showed up in the Thunderbolts game, and that would be a total ripoff. Hmm... Ooh! Godzilla! Perfect!"

So Godzilla shows up and starts tromping on downtown LA.

OK, so now what the hell do I do? Godzilla is a hurricane, a force of nature, not a supervillain. You can't punch him and make him go away. So I need to come up with a good reason why he's here.

(Keep in mind that the adventure has already started -- I've already introduced the Big G into the scenario, with no idea of why he's there or what he's doing or anything). :help:

Looking back on what I had already written, I see that I heralded Godzilla's arrival with an earthquake. Did the quake wake up Godzilla? Did it summon him somehow? No. Again, I need someone for my heroes to punch, and an earthquake isn't any good for that.

So I bounce this back and forth in my head for a while.

Ah ha! There's an old Marvel villain named Moses Magnum who could cause earthquakes. He got his power overcharged by Apokalypse so now any time he sets foot on solid ground, he causes earthquakes. He's also a wealthy industrialist and arms-dealer.

Now we're getting somewhere!

OK, Magnum has lured 'Zilla here using a sonic ray that causes the big lizard pain. Godzilla isn't so much attacking LA as he's just looking for the thing that's hurting his ears. Why?

Magnum. Earthquake powers. Overcharged. Hey, maybe his powers are so overcharged that even getting near land causes earthquakes now! That's what caused the tremblor that heralded Godzilla's arrival! So he's looking for a way to control his powers.

Great! There's a lab here in LA that's working on creating a device to suppress earthquakes. It's heavily guarded by SHIELD. Magnum tried to buy it but they wouldn't sell, so now he's going to steal it. But he needs to distract the guards, so he stages a huge disaster (cue 300 foot tall radioactive lizard). The guards leave in order to do damage control, he walks in and takes the device.

Score! Now I have a plot!

(And only two+ weeks after the game began...)

So I tell my wife my brilliant idea and she's like, "So he lures Godzilla halfway across the Pacific just to distract some guards?" :rolleyes:

Yeah, OK, it's far-fetched. But it's the Jim Shooter (as interpreted by Bunneh) Marvel Universe! What do you expect?

My hope is that, reading this, my players will say "Oh my god, I had no idea you were just making this up as you went. I assumed you had this all planned out from the beginning!" :king:














Well, that's my hope, anyway. :o

[Vanguard00]

Just an afterthought...yeah, maybe he lured Godzilla over to LA to distract the guards, and maybe he did it to hide his presence in the area. A 60'-tall lizard makes a big boom with every step. Seismographs are goin' haywire as it is. Who'd notice a trembler here and there as Moses Magnum does his thing? Plus power outages, superhero distractions, major emergency procedures...it all works in his favor. It's a good idea (if a bit after the fact).

By the way, do you know where the sonic ray is located? Make it Hollywood if you haven't already... :)

[MilkmanDan]

What? You started an adventure without a clear idea where it was going? I'd never do that.

Um . . .

OK, I knew where it was going, I just wasn't sure how to get there. Looking back on the first X-Men adventure, I started various plot points that I never really resolved, introduced characters then dropped them utterly, didn't tie up loose ends . . . then again, I guess I'm trying to recreate the Claremont days, and that's pretty much what he did. He just did it better.

Then again, one of the big curveballs for me was I had really only planned half of the adventure--it never occurred to me that PCs were going to split into two groups. I had plenty of things planned in the castle, then, suddenly, I had a bunch of PCs sneaking up underwater and no idea what to do with them. So . . . I know, a cybernetic shark! I'm sure future adventures will not feature PCs screwing up my plans, because that never happens.

[Jalinth]

I am so glad that I am not the only GM who doesn't wing things in PBP games.

Most of my PBP have me flying by the seat of my pants. At least with that format, you can take six hours to think things over. Kinda hard to do that in a FtF session.

[Tom]

Planning too far in advance is almost more effort than it's worth. The tighter you plot the adventure, the more likely your players are to do something completely off the beaten path. Even online, I try to think more in terms of 'who' and 'why' -- with only a real general idea of 'how' based on the villains' capabilities...

I worry about specifics once the players start looking for them. (though I try to have a couple or three possibilities in the back of my mind based on what I know the PCs can do -- trying to guess what they will do tends to give me a headache... ;D)

And yeah, I had Moses Magnum looking for a way to control his powers on my list of possibilities... As for Godzilla as a distraction, as I once had an NPC tell a PC worrying about why a villain was acting the way he had: "Sanity is not normally a defining characteristic of supervillains"...

(though the hiding Magnum's presence from seismographs isn't a half bad idea, though I'd almost have to assume that Magnum 'happened' upon where Godzilla was snoozing while doing his 'man w/o a country' impersonation and took advantage of the opportunity...)

[Fedifensor]

Then again, one of the big curveballs for me was I had really only planned half of the adventure--it never occurred to me that PCs were going to split into two groups. I had plenty of things planned in the castle, then, suddenly, I had a bunch of PCs sneaking up underwater and no idea what to do with them. So . . . I know, a cybernetic shark!
Isn't that one of the rules of GMing? If you don't know what to do, throw a random combat at the characters to give you time to figure things out? :D

[Supreme Serpent]

Isn't that one of the rules of GMing? If you don't know what to do, throw a random combat at the characters to give you time to figure things out? :D

It is. Based on the old Raymond Chandler line, "When in doubt have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand."

In the HeroCentral stuff, I generally try to have a general idea of where things will go - who's involved, what their plans are, etc. But it doesn't always work out that way of course. Case in point Doom's solo arc has gone in directions I never imagined. The fledgling solo stories teh bunneh took over for me also ended up going places I never imagined when I first set them in motion.

But sometimes it's fun to throw something out there and then try to make it make sense. :p

Plus, sometimes I think I tend to see that the end I had in mind is in reach so I'll move towards it faster then I should.

[Fedifensor]

So, any more confessions from the various online GMs?

I guess I'll chime in with my own lesson learned - avoid linking real world time to the game world in any way, shape, or form. Better yet, don't mention a month or year unless absolutely necessary (such as the obligatory Christmas adventure). If you say it's 2009...you may find yourself one week forward in game time after a year has passed in the real world.

[teh bunneh]

So, any more confessions from the various online GMs?

No new confessions, but I can reiterate this one:


Yeah, that's right. I started the game with no idea what the first adventure was gonna be. Anyway...

My hope is that, reading this, my players will say "Oh my god, I had no idea you were just making this up as you went. I assumed you had this all planned out from the beginning!" :king:

Yeah, the current storyline with the West Coast Avengers in hell? Lady Pandemonia? Yeah. Came up with that brilliant idea yesterday... weeks after the adventure started. :o

[ghost-angel]

I guess I'll chime in with my own lesson learned - avoid linking real world time to the game world in any way, shape, or form. Better yet, don't mention a month or year unless absolutely necessary (such as the obligatory Christmas adventure). If you say it's 2009...you may find yourself one week forward in game time after a year has passed in the real world.

We have one campaign that runs in real time, has for almost 15 years. We keep a pretty meticulous calendar, as well as measure down time in months. Which also helps to establish patterns of "normal" vs "world shattering" which makes for some nice balance.

[teh bunneh]

So I rebuilt Arachne (my GMPC from the Avengers) using 6th edition. She comes out to just under 100 points (all of which are in Characteristics)more expensive than 5th. I also took away 50 disad points (so she's 600 base + 100 complications now). Seemed to work pretty well.

I really, really like buying OCV and DCV seperately. I gave her an 8 OCV (she's campaign average/just under average for hitting folks) and a 12 DCV (she's very hard to hit). Works great! Also tweaked her DEX way down to the mid-20s (instead of the low 30s), so she's better than any olympic athlete could ever dream of being, but she's not in the god-like levels. I kinda like this -- you can make a Ben Grimm with a, say, 14 DEX (much better than average but not at the "way better than an olympiad" level) and still have him be competitive in a fight.

I'm not planning on converting any of the games to 6e any time soon. Just wanted to do it as a thought exercise. I might do Batroc next, to test out the new VPP rules. :thumbup: