How to PBEM question

[THE PATRIOT]

I'm looking to have one group of players go up against/team up with another group of players on line. While having the GM at another screan running the show. We are all inexperienced with attempting such a feet because we are all a bunch of old face-to-face table players.

Would MSN chat room work with the GM being registered so as both groups could send "whispers" to the GM? Or is there something more efficient and set up for such a battle? I believe this would give both groups the fun of being together and combined with the computers a chance to do some player against player battles that doesn't challenge the GM for trying to lead around a massive group of people.

Thanks for the help.

[ShelleyCM]

I read this post earlier and passed on it because I was sure a dozen people would come out of the woodwork to tell you about all the latest in how games can be done online. But here it is night, and no one's responded! Although my experience is just with plain, boring PBEM, I'll take a stab at it.

My recommendation: don't do it online.

Online combats are much more work than face to face combats. I came up with a way of doing it that worked fairly well for me -- I could get a complex combat resolved in a week -- but it took a while to get the kinks out. If you're interested, it's posted here. The combats written up in the PBEM turns I have online were done that way.

I'm assuming from your post that since you're all FTF players that you're all FTF players in the same location. If I wanted to do something like this, I'd just set everyone up in a big room together around the table. If things are meant to be secret from one time to the next, then I'd divide 'em into groups, and the GM would move between the two groups. Have a table with the battlemap set out between the groups.

But like I said, I'm an old school PBEM-er. Maybe there's a better way now!

-Shelley

[THE PATRIOT]

Shelley-

Here I was just checking up on your site yesterday to see what was up. Yes, you have a secret fan base of your writtings. I was surprised too not to see the responses that I was expecting.

What I am attempting is to have to seperate groups of Champion players located in two seperate cities. Each group has always played FTF, but I want to try and have Team A at one location teaming up/battle Team B at their location. Both groups would be together in their seperate locations at the same time. While the GM can be at one of the locations on his/her seperate terminal.

NOW GET BACK TO STUDYING THOSE LAW BOOKS, before we throw a tart at you...oops I mean a tort.

[keithcurtis]

I would quail and falter at running live combat over the internet in any form, PBeM or chatroom. For my Play by Post game (sort of a hybrid, run at herocentral.net) I ask each player their intentions and contingencies for the first few phases. I'll get back something like this:

"I will draw may swrd and charge at the nearest wolf, skill levels on defense. If my Uncle is threatened, I will break off from whatever I am doing to defend him. However, if more wolves jump from the forest, I will urge everyone to run back for the cover of the wagons."

Everyone submits something along those lines (and I will have posted a map for reference). Once I have all submissions, I run and log the combat myself until the situation changes enough to warrant new input from the players, usually about half a Turn to a full Turn. Then I re-write the log into a narrative format, post it and ask for further input. This is repeated until the combat is resolved. It may not work for the idea you are contemplating, but that's the way I do it.

I would advise looking at the various campaigns at herocentral.net, you might pick up some good ideas.

Keith "Mr. Helpy-Guy" Curtis

[ShelleyCM]

Originally posted by THE PATRIOT

NOW GET BACK TO STUDYING THOSE LAW BOOKS, before we throw a tart at you...oops I mean a tort.

Mmm.....tarts....

(My torts prof showed lots of Simpsons clips to illustrate points!)

-Shelley

[Trebuchet]

A very nice article on PBEM, Shelley.

I'm currently participating in my first PBEM campaign, run by the nefarious Pattern Ghost. We're just getting the second scenario rolling. I've switched from running Defender to a new character, Blood Orchid, a female ninja/Batman type.

I hope to learn enough to tackle running my own PBEM fairly soon.

[ShelleyCM]

Originally posted by Trebuchet
A very nice article on PBEM, Shelley.

Thank you! I wrote it a long time ago for a Rogues' Gallery issue.

Good luck with your future game!

-Shelley