PBEM Advice

**Vondy** · Aug 5th, '03, 08:54 PM

Hi, my name's D-Man, and I've been table top free for...

I'm going to be starting a PBEM game pretty soon and I was hoping I could get some advice from people who have done it on two very specific things:

Ways to expedite/handle dialogue
Ways to expedite/handle combat

Thanks.

**Gary Ciaramella** · Aug 5th, '03, 09:57 PM

I know that you are asking for advice, but I am not in a position to give you any since I have never been in a PBEM game before...

That having been said, I'd like to apply for a position in your game should it happen...

**misterdeath** · Aug 6th, '03, 04:33 AM

Most of my PBEM have been solo type games, and much more freeform, so I'm not much help.

Shelley Chrystal Mactyre had some advice on her website. http://www.mactyre.net/shelley/pbem.html

D

**Karimarle** · Aug 7th, '03, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by D-Man
Hi, my name's D-Man, and I've been table top free for...

I'm going to be starting a PBEM game pretty soon and I was hoping I could get some advice from people who have done it on two very specific things:

Ways to expedite/handle dialogue
Ways to expedite/handle combat

Thanks.

I moved from Canada to Brazil some years ago and had to continue my fledgling FH game by e-mail. It’s since shut down but I’ve got a rockin’ PBEM going now. Those are my only two experiences besides lurking on a D&D game years ago, but here’s my 2 cents.

The majority of combat has to be resolved by the GM. You certainly have to do all the rolls. I’ve developed some spreadsheets to ease my workload. Players give me their combat moves in various ways. Some give me just and idea. Some describe it like writers, even giving me results or possible results or even more than one possibility. Some give me metagaming moves (1/2 move and attack, all CVs to OCV; etc) and some give me a combination. I interpret them, make the rolls, and then translate it into the next post. We are only a 1-2 post a week group, but an intensive fight can have me posting once every day or so.

The speed at which combat posts are given can also vary. If there’s something simple like each character with one opponent, only HTH involved or something like that, I can post with an entire turn. If things are more intricate or a player’s move becomes really important, things slow down to phase by phase.

As for dialogue, you need to be flexible, but move things along. When my latest group started, there was a lot of in-character, short-speech posts to the whole group while we got to know each other. Speeches are often longer now, but I sometimes feel I have to ‘shift the scene’ if I sense a conversation has played out..

As a GM you have to learn where they can take liberties with PCs actions. If the High Priest pointedly asks an initiate PC if he can come to tomorrow’s service, the PC is obviously going to say yes and you can take the post to the next day during the service. If the Captain of the Watch orders the lowly soldier to slaughter an innocent child, maybe you have to wait for his answer.

Players also have to learn where they can take similar liberties with NPCs.

And you have to allow for the way back machine. We recently had a fight in the middle of a city street. Afterwards, I changed the scene to the PCs safe house, but one of them had wanted to say something more. I responded as the opponent NPC and another PC added more dialogue and THEN I took it back to the safe house.

This doesn’t work so well in combat posts, but I have done it out of fairness to the PC.

**MoonHunter** · Aug 8th, '03, 12:39 AM

As the moderator of a PbeM or PbP games, you have to control the tempo of the posting. If you have something you need to get through, like a combat, you need to send people messages to get them involved. This has worked to great success for me.

Does this mean they will think you are a dictator or a mother hen? You betcha. however, they will enjoy that they get more gaming done in your game than some table top games they play. Once you get your players properly trained in their response times (and types of response), it all runs smoothly.

Some Play by computer advice

Type it: In any game over the internet that uses text, you need to understand the medium. Typing is slower and more formal than speaking, but whispering using Internet chat is much less obvious and more viable than passing notes in full view of other tabletop players. Be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the communication tool you are using. You have to be proficient in its use so you can concentrate on gaming.

Type it: Be A Fast Typist You should learn to type quickly if you are in an online game. If not, look for every way to shave a second or two from getting that text to the players. Create cue cards, preset sections of text that you can cut and past. These "cards" usually text files, can hold character descriptions, character actions, setting descriptions, spell effects, or what ever. . The fastest way to use them is create a folder on the desktop with each cue card's short cut. the end though, nothing beats being able to rip out sentence after sentence by being a demon typist.

Type it: Be A Frugal Typist! In an online game, where typing is speaking, being efficient with your words is important. The corollary to being a fast typist is being frugal with words. Make scenes and places as vivid as possible with a single, short sentence. Then transition immediately into NPC actions, scene updates or "now that you look at it" details. That way, players will imagine the scene quickly and be able to type in their actions and questions. Note: Accuracy is important, too; your frugalness will be wasted if laden with misspelled words. Misspelled words and abbreviations can break the mood as players struggle to decipher you.

Type it: Suggest Actions To Clarify And Speed Things Along: When playing an online game, you need to enhance your lines. When you turn your attention to a single player and ask "What do you do now?", consider adding some obvious and sensible actions. "Corwin, what do you do? Attack? Run away? Do something else?" will both clarify what is expected (allowed) and help out a confused player. Sometimes, players get stage fright or get stumped.

Type it: Use "Best Guess" And Go With It When playing an online game, you have to deal with short text answers. Sometimes, it isn't worth clearing up little misunderstandings from the players. Make your best guess at their intentions from their input, describe what they actually do, and then describe the result. As long as you guess sensibly, the players will not complain. Slowing down to make everything precise is often not worth it. Over time, if you give your players the benefit of the doubt and make them look smart, they will come to love you even more.

Type it:Use Narrative To Move The Game Along A good idea in any roleplaying game. It is a must in an online game. If you are trying to keep the pace up (or running out of time), consider describing rather than role-playing pieces of the game. If the party is returning to a previous spot, you could just type, "The party turns around, runs down the hall, turns left and jumps over the trap. They skid to a stop in front of the unexplored corridor." Why take the time toget all the orders and ideas, when everyone basically agrees that is what they would of done?

Type it: If Players Do Not Act, Make Them React Another good piece of advice for both offline and online gaming. The players might be confused or they might be indecisive (decision by committee is never easy). The solution is to have something explode. Have water drip. Make a door swing open. Have footsteps be heard on the floor above. Don't waste precious session time while players dither trying to find something sensible to do. Force a decision or, at least, a reaction. Imbue a sense of immediacy. As things happen, little misunderstandings will be cleared up and your players will get a better sense of what their options are.

Type it: Keep Everybody Involved & Address Everybody Directly: In an online game, it is easy to loose the player's attention. They can be distracted by anything and you would never know. When you type, nobody can tell who you are looking at or who your statement is directed towards, so start a line meant for a certain PC with his name. You don't have type: "Corwin, what do you do?" over and over. Mix it up. For example, "Amber falls back after being hit. What do you do?"

Type it: Do not fall into an order rut. You might also consider scrambling the initiative order to keep the players on their toes. Try to draw in the players who haven't typed anything in a while and might be getting lost in the shuffle. Through a chat window, it is much harder to tell when a player is distracted or bored so be proactive about keeping each player involved.

Type it: Use "Whisper" To Its Best Advantage Most Internet chat systems allow you to send a message to a single person in the room without letting the others see it. Rather than describe details, use this "whisper mode" to give details to a single player and let that player relate the information to the party. If the system does not have a whisper mode, invest in an alternate system like AIM, Y! or ICQ.

Type it: Whisper is your friend When playing online, you can't nudge someone to get their attention or pass a note. You need to communicate these ideas in another way. Encourage your players to use "whisper mode" to ask about rules clarifications so they do not disturb other players. A GM who is a fast typist can even let the party split up and neither group will know what each other is doing. Internet chat shines in comparison with tabletop games in this respect. "Whisper mode" is less obvious than passing notes during a game. Use it to its best advantage.

Type it: Make Every Session Exciting And Complete A good rule for both online and offline gaming. It is more important for online gaming, as the troupe's membership can be more fluid because there are no boundries separating them. Make sure every player enjoys the session. It helps make sure they will be back.

Type it: Be Ready To GM, No Matter What! The Internet is an anonymous place. If you ran a tabletop game, you could phone or run over to your player's house to get him to come to a session. On the Internet, however, people can drop out of the game with no warning. Furthermore, if a player's first session is dull, he probably won't come back for a second one. As a GM, be prepared to deal with old players who don't show up, new players who don't have character sheets, too many players, or too few. If you have a policy to play--no matter what--you'll be fine. Games with GMs who are picky or dictatorial quickly turn into solo sessions.

Type it: Use the Web to its advantage- Web Page. Since the game is based on the internet, you can utilize other elements of the internet easily. Get a website. Use it to post things that will be helpful for you such as: An introduction to your campaign world , Maps, World Packets, Your style of play, Information on the game system being used and any house rules, How to join the game, GMs e-mail address, and How to install any necessary software. An example log from one of your sessions is a nice touch, as is a log of all your sessions.

Type it: Use the Web to its advantage-Message board. Sign up for a free message board for your group on Yahoo! or any number of other free sites on the Internet. This is now the site of between game chatter. The group can discuss the game here. They can plan actions and party strategy. They can also play by post story lines between game sessions. It also allows the GM to post the game's schedule up where everyone can see it.

Type it: Use the Web to its advantage- Email List. An email list allows players and GMs to reach everyone at one time. You can announce things of group importance or if you are going to miss the game. Also you can use email to roleplay private lines.

**MoonHunter** · Aug 8th, '03, 12:45 AM

Make sure that the players know how much dialog they can put in the mouths of other players in their post. This will let them post scenes rather than just impulses.

Some players will talk to each other through other means to work out theire scenes ahead of time. encourage that.

Of course other players can approve or disapprove of any diaglog produced by another player through their character's mouth.