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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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

[Remjin]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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

 

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

[Fireleaper]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

It is ok to be insecure' date=' 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).[/quote']

 

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).

 

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.

[RPMiller]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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

[MilkmanDan]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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.

 

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
  
• Mandarin

So 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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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.

*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. 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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

Thunderbolts probably will be' date=' 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.[/quote']

 

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

[Blue]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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

 

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

 

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' date=' lifestyle changes, internet explorer, just don't like the game after all - they can all cause people to need to drop.[/quote']

 

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).

[teh bunneh]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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.

 

Something I think about frequently.

[BcAugust]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

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]

Re: Confessions of an Online GM

 

One thing I like most about online gaming is I have no problem whatsoever thinking like a 24-year-old woman while writing' date=' 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).[/quote']

 

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.