Suggestion: Add a bit of narrative/summary to some of the overseer posts to show who did what during the prior stage?That's a great suggestion, and I may try to do some of that for Shadow Lodge, since there are only 8 tables. When I had 22 RPG tables and 12 more ACG tables for 9-00, it became much harder to keep track of specific player actions as the Overseer.
Ahh, I can't imagine having to keep track of individual player actions, maybe a table's actions would be enough? Or the actions of the last reporting sucess would be enough? But I think that it's an amazing idea, and really only something that ould be done in a format like this, with a complete record of actions that can be perused at anytime.
One thing I can suggest is that the aid tokens usually should have a marker of the character name who provided a boost to them, which can help give a sense of other Pathfinders also participating.
Also, when I as table GM deliver aid tokens to another table, I tend to do it 'in character' as one of my favorite characters.
I also did not find that my one in person special had any more a sense of this than PbP specials do, but maybe my experience was unusual.
Oooohhhhh, I like this quite a bit. We could even maybe link a url to the booster's character page or the post where they were boosting the token to give the GM an idea of how it was boosted? It'd be a great chance to build the sense of interaction!
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Next topic: Aid Tokens (posted at Redelia's request)
Those of you that have played or GMed an MTS before know what these are, but for some of you it might be new. In person, Aid tokens are sheets of paper that circulate around the room. They have bonuses that a table can use in game, or alternatively a table can boost the aid token and pass it along to another table with a better bonus. Either way, they then pass it to another table. A table can only use one aid token per encounter, but if they are working right each table should see multiple aid tokens over the course of the adventure.
In Play-by-Post, aid tokens work much the same way. The main difference is that the 'token' is a virtual thing, tracked and posted by GMs. When another GM wants to pass your table an Aid Token, they will post it in two places: (a) your discussion thread, and (b) the 'Recruitment' tab of their GM thread (so that there is a record for the Overseer and the other GMs of who has received Aid Tokens recently). If you look at the Recruitment tab of the example GM thread linked at the top of the page, you'll see a series of posts that look like this:
Passing Aid Token to: Bret
Current Boosts: None
That would be posted both in that Recruitment tab and in the Discussion tab of the table the token is being passed to. When you are ready to pass it to another table, reply to the message, delete the [quote [/quote tags, and change the recipient name. Then post it both in the discussion of the receiving table and in the recruitment tab of the GM Thread.
Because this version fo the aid tokens doesn't have any of the instructions attached, I recommend that every GM link a copy of the Aid Token in a Google Slide, either at the top of their game thread, in their maps deck, or both, so that your players can easily find it. Encourage your players to use the token quickly, then pass it on. It should not be with your table for more than a a couple days.
Any questions? Experienced GMs, anything to add?
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I guess two extra things.
Firstly, it can be hard seeing which tables have currently got, or have not had many aid tokens. One MTS (sorry can't remember which) we had a google sheet that showed who had the tokens at the moment (as slower tables can sit on them for a few days and get lost in the thread) - but also tracked the cumulative number they had received. That way when you are giving aid you can ensure the love is spread around.
Secondly, I normally try to get a player from my table (when giving aid) to post in the gameplay section of the other table an IC action showing the aid being given. Especially in games where the tokens can be boosted, this can really add some personality to it.
I guess a third thing, which I touched on in the first, is choosing which tables to provide aid to. Sometimes I ask my group if there are any preferences (e.g. low level, or a CORE table as they are sometimes more fragile than classic characters). Mostly it depends on timing, as I try to get it passed as soon as possible.
In my experience, sometimes you will have to practically beg your players to use the token - a lot of players have a bit of a hoarding mentality with it. I've found that giving your table a time limit to use it or boost it can help keep the tokens flowing if they're prone to delaying (i.e. "Okay guys, I'm going to pass the token along tomorrow evening if it hasn't been used. Anyone want to boost it instead?")
Actually I've found it is more of a "What the hell is this thing? Reading directions!? I didn't come here to read a new small wall of rules! Nor do I have time given the posting rates. And then I have to read another smaller wall of rules that explain what I can do with this particular thing somewhere else (possibly on a whole 'nother thread)! I don't really need anything that badly myself, and don't want to be a hog about it, or just randomly punt it (which takes even more time) so I'll pretend I didn't see it and hope it goes away or that it is someone else's problem." sort of thing.
The only time I ever want to do anything with them is when I am feeling an uncomfortable sense of table embarrassment and then someone (thankfully) always beats me to the punch.
The rules about using them always seem a bit disconnected from in-game reality breaking any immersion that might be going on. I mean you suddenly have to make this one roll completely out of context (often without any in-game description) of anything that might currently be going on, and it powers up this thingie you might have to make an extra post or two for on another thread that as far as any of the PCs concerned might be in a mirror universe for all the mention the 'other tables' get in your particular table's game. And then when you do you're just barging into the next table's flow like some vowelless imp from the 5th dimension to raise someone else's blood-pressure.
Play-by-post is different than gaming at a table where players often have a lot of downtime between actions to communicate with one another, at higher rates of relative speed to posting. "You wanna do it?" Then waiting.... "I was gonna let Susan do it because of X." And then waiting.... "Susan's on vacation until tomorrow." And more waiting.... "I don't need it, guys" Even more waiting.... "Um, guys?" And so on. Often players on the boards are posting on breaks at work, or in-between tending to the needs of home, family, and themselves. Some have over-committed to a few too many games to get as much gaming in as possible. At a real-life table you can discuss things while individual players take their turns with the GM. There's a lot of built in downtime because you are specifically there for four hours to play a game. You can strategize, even look at the other tables in your play group.
Specials, by their nature and accelerated play schedules don't even really accommodate 'role-play'. There's no time for subtlety or digression. GM's can't really beat around the bush, because stuff just happens regardless. Online it is worse. Players can realistically just sit there and wait for the scene to change because the GM is automatically behind the 8-ball. Often I find GMs will just narrate what perception checks need to be made and where the PCs need to make them. It turns the game into a ride at MGM. For me, Specials play more like fever dreams than actual games.
Most times for me tokens are just one more thing added to the play experience in a game setting where there is not enough time to play anyhow and often they are not worth the 1d6 hp to everyone, or +2 to a climb check, or the time to roll whatever random thing you are supposed to roll to move the hot potato elsewhere in exchange for the time wasted in dealing with them.
Besides, I just assume one of you all will be at my table as a player, know what to do by way of osmosis, and just do something with the tokens out of shear annoyance. Rage Token Burn. I gotta work on the name.
But again that might be just me. ;)
Stay thirsty my friends.
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That is an incredibly accurate and not-succinct summary of the tokens in PbP in my experience as well.
Suggestion: As you muster, encourage the players to designate one or two of the group to use the tokens. That will delegate to them and only them the extra pressure and take it from the GM and other players who feel similarly to TMIGM.
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That is an incredibly accurate and not-succinct summary of the tokens in PbP in my experience as well.
Suggestion: As you muster, encourage the players to designate one or two of the group to use the tokens. That will delegate to them and only them the extra pressure and take it from the GM and other players who feel similarly to TMIGM.
I felt much more comfortable, as a player, allowing an experienced person to use and move it. I'm sure players newer to MTS would appreciate this.
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At this point, I think we've covered the basic topics, other than what to do if you have questions or need help.
If your question is a general one about how specials work, feel free to ask it here.
If your question is specific to the special you are GM for, but would be of interest to other GMs for that special, the GM thread for that special may be your best choice.
If the question is even more specific, don't be afraid to reach out to your overseer for help.
I and the other PbP Venture Officers also have open PM boxes if you need anything from us.
Thank you to everyone who has participated here, whether as an experienced GM or as a new GM. Let's make RetroCon a lot of fun for everyone involved!
A PbP question for those of you who organise these things: How do you determine how much time to allow for the event and for each portion of the event?
Oh. Thank you. Good to know the expectations. :-)
I posted this in the Stonelords thread, but posting it here if other backup GMs want to utilize it as well.
I found it helpful when I GM'd a special on the boards to see who was available when I needed a couple days off.
I will be putting it in the header of my alias.