Re: Global Guardians - Champs by email (review)
This has been a fascinating thread, and I thank everyone for their thoughtful responses. I never imagined it would get so many! And now, a very long post commences...
My comments, 2 years later:
1) I was frustrated when I composed the original post. Some of you could tell! And, though sarcastic indeed, and prone to exaggerate a bit to make a point, I had what I thought were valid comments. All were true and based on my early experience with the GGU, but I still apologize for any offense taken. I thank the people who felt my comments honestly given (whether or not they agreed with them). No "trolling" was intended.
2) I got to play a bit. I was accepted to one campaign, but changes to my character took the essence out of his powers, and I lost heart, and so dropped out. I was accepted to a different campaign, but that one died a quick death due to other players failing to post (and I suspect the GM losing interest because of that). I made it into yet another campaign, picking up an abandoned hero (an excellent way to skip the audit process, nice work if you can get it!), and this one was great. Then players kept dropping by the wayside, and the GM, you guessed it, bagged the campaign. At this point, tantalized by moments of extreme fun, like a lab rat that sometimes gets a treat if it just keeps slapping away at the little lever, I decided to take a more active role.
3) I got to GM a bit. I volunteered to run an 'empty' campaign. I had the freedom to do what I would with my little corner of the GGU, thanks to that fella I complained about a couple years ago. I found out that Jack is a feisty fellow, but also fair, creative and a pretty sharp hand as a player. I also was a HUGE fan of his frequent recipe posts! Anyway, I got to do that nifty thing, a post for players. Great fun, and a difficult choice when so many innovative character ideas are competing for your attention.
4) I found out, "It ain't that easy." With only a few official auditors, it really does take a while to get people approved. We skirted the issue with a pre-game disclaimer, saying that anything that didn't make it through audit would be retroactively fixed (very comic-book), but then starting play pre-audit. I recommend this for all GMs... start playing immediately, and fix the math later (subject to Worldmaker approval, natcherly).
5) The campaign began. We even had a crossover with another GGU campaign! It was nifty.
6) Then one of the starting characters failed to respond. At all. I couldn't get the player to participate, no matter how gently and diplomatically I encouraged him. Despite bringing to mind the question, "Then why did you sign up?", I managed to incorporate that hero's inactivity into the storyline... it was an evil clone! The real hero was still on the way, and could burst in at the last minute and help save the day! But he just wouldn't respond. We spent a lot of time trying to get things going, and in retrospect I wouldn't have wasted everyone else's time in that manner. We would have moved on and got to the adventure.
7) My campaign folded, too. Pretty soon only a couple players were actively posting, and I don't blame them. The pace was painfully slow. If I were to do it again, I'd have posting guidelines, something like An Actual New Turn Every Week, Where Something Happens. I'd also confer more with experienced pbem gms to figure out how to streamline combat.
8) At this point, I gave up. I couldn't see how to get around the features of pbems and keep it fun like a tabletop Champions session. My theory: instead of offering a hero writeup as your 'application' to enter a campaign, you might engage in a two-three week post-a-thon where only the most diligent and persistent get in. Even someone with bad typing would be welcome if they were interested enough to post regularly.
9) It was about this time that I started playing City of Heroes a lot. That sucked up all my game time, you bet it did. I'm better now, a bit. (twitches his mouse hand, convulsively presses movement keys...)
10) I wish Jack and all GGU players and GMs nothing but success and fun. I wish that my temperment were such that I could still be a participant in this well-thought-out world. Thanks, Jack and everyone, for a great game and some damn fine work. Play on!
Patrick Provant, formerly GM of GG5-LA, formerly Gryphon of the Venture Institute, and now Capt. Aardvark, Freedom Server, City of Heroes and DM of a good ol D&D campaign again after many long years.