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Ok, now I've fixed my Gameplay tab but how do I "add" players to the character tab?
I believe they're automatically added when they make a post in the gameplay thread.
Ok, now I've fixed my Gameplay tab but how do I "add" players to the character tab?I believe they're automatically added when they make a post in the gameplay thread.
Ah ok silly me. I thought it was the discussion tab. Thx
Is there a way to prevent people from posting? For example, only allow me and my players to post?
Ok, now I've fixed my Gameplay tab but how do I "add" players to the character tab?I believe they're automatically added when they make a post in the gameplay thread.Ah ok silly me. I thought it was the discussion tab. Thx
Is there a way to prevent people from posting? For example, only allow me and my players to post?
Nope. It's a free messageboard. :)
Unless you have lurkers following your game, however, no one other than you or your players are very likely to post in the game thread.
Ok, now I've fixed my Gameplay tab but how do I "add" players to the character tab?I believe they're automatically added when they make a post in the gameplay thread.Ah ok silly me. I thought it was the discussion tab. Thx
Is there a way to prevent people from posting? For example, only allow me and my players to post?
Nope, no control over who can and can't post in these forums.
Lurkers are good. I've picked up players because people have followed along and noticed a vacancy.
Sorry for all the noob questions but how do I make an alias. I click on my account profile at the top after the Welcome XXXX but then under the alias tab there is no "add new alias" button or link. Nor is there one under my profile.
I have one alias already. Can i not make more? I am running a PBP campaign and i would like to put some NPCs on there.
Click on My Account at the top right of the screen, and enter your password. Messageboard aliases are the fourth box down on the left side of the screen.
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Click on My Account at the top right of the screen, and enter your password. Messageboard aliases are the fourth box down on the left side of the screen.Sorry for all the noob questions but how do I make an alias. I click on my account profile at the top after the Welcome XXXX but then under the alias tab there is no "add new alias" button or link. Nor is there one under my profile.
I have one alias already. Can i not make more? I am running a PBP campaign and i would like to put some NPCs on there.
What Joana said. Click on the “Create new messageboard alias” link at the bottom of that section.
It's also fun to lurk in other PbPs, just to see how other GMs do things. I've also had some lurker comments in our discussion thread, and they're always helpful (so far, anyway). It's cool to create a story anybody can jump into and follow along, and have a record of everywhere you've been.Lurkers are good. I've picked up players because people have followed along and noticed a vacancy.Definately. Plus it’s kind of flattering to know that people are reading along and enjoying a game you are running or participating in. It’s fairly rare that roleplaying gets to be a spectator sport.
Agreed again. I read a LOT of PbPs before I decided to run one. Very helpful it was too.
Thanks for all the advice folks. It is greatly appreciated.
Does anyone know of or is aware of a way to format text on the pbp forums without resorting to the html-like tags? Better put, is there a faster way to create the markup tags for bold, ooc, dicerolling, italics and such? Several of my players play by phone and/or tablet and it is less than convenient to do the formatting.
Is there a plug in? Like on my smartphone there is plug ins like emoji for emoticons and such.
Cheers!
I think a user called Laithoron recommended a freeware program called Shortkeys. See this post for some details:
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This is not really a pbp question, per se, but I am only running such a large group because the game is a pbp. I have a question about the treasure of economics for a larger pbp game. My party is seven PCs that I am running through an Adventure Path designed for four POs. So, what are your suggestions with regards to treasure?
Would it break the economy of the game to multiply the coin treasure by 1.75?
Towards the end of the module, there is a "budget" for the gm to design party specific magic items...would you increase that budget, or should the treasure be more dear?
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How are maps handled in a PBP situation? I have been involved in a couple Google Wave games, and the cooperative ability to all move icons around a single document was awesome. When built in die rollers were added, it made the whole process very smooth.
Given how map-oriented Pathfinder (and previously 3.5) combats are, how do PBPs in these forums handle maps?
How are maps handled in a PBP situation? I have been involved in a couple Google Wave games, and the cooperative ability to all move icons around a single document was awesome. When built in die rollers were added, it made the whole process very smooth.
Given how map-oriented Pathfinder (and previously 3.5) combats are, how do PBPs in these forums handle maps?
My gm has been doing text-based maps. Which is a pain for him but works :)
When we hit reply, the map lines up since the text composer is unicode.
Many people use a Google site or photo-hosting site to show their maps and then link to them from their posts. They have far greater digital map-making abilities than I, though. :)
EDIT: Example in this post. (Scroll down after the initative listing for the map link.)
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This is not really a pbp question, per se, but I am only running such a large group because the game is a pbp. I have a question about the treasure of economics for a larger pbp game. My party is seven PCs that I am running through an Adventure Path designed for four POs. So, what are your suggestions with regards to treasure?
Would it break the economy of the game to multiply the coin treasure by 1.75?
Towards the end of the module, there is a "budget" for the gm to design party specific magic items...would you increase that budget, or should the treasure be more dear?
You need to be reasonably aware of what level the character are and given them stuff which is level appropriate. In other words, increase the budget accordingly, but don't given them more powerful items, just more items in line with the extra players.
Given how map-oriented Pathfinder (and previously 3.5) combats are, how do PBPs in these forums handle maps?
The most popular method I've seen is to set up the tokens on the map with Maptools, save it as an image file, and upload it to an image site and provide a link. Then the GM can update the image as the fight progresses.
The second most popular method I've seen is to make a more primitive map in a Google Docs spreadsheet. It's less pretty, but it has the added bonus of allowing the players to move their own characters around (if you set up the sharing permissions correctly).
Late input...
I've found MapTools to be a great asset for PbP and PbE games. Its free and fairly easy to use. I especially like using it with the APs - I can screenshot the map from the adventure pdf, save it as a jpg and set it into the background, adjust the grid size to the new map and BAM - ready to go. For combats, each round I'll resolve the actions, screenshot the MapTools, and email to my players. Works like a champ!
That's just the basics - it also has some overlay tools for sorting out areas of effect, fog of war cutouts, hit point bars, condition markers, etc. You can easily build tokens with their TokenTool program, too.
I can't understand going through the level of asspain required to build the text maps, but I respect those who try! ;o)
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Hey so im a noob too pbp games but i was wondering how to do the sweet little thing where it shows what you rolled on like a d20 roll. Could someone either post it for me or tell me where to find it and any other cool commands that i can use on the boards? thanks that would be sweet.
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<dice>1d20+5</dice>
Just replace the <> brackets with [] brackets and it's good to go.
Out-of-character text is done as <ooc>Albina moves to square G5 and casts grease on Ogre 3, Ref DC 15</ooc>
Bold text (often used for speech) is <b>"I mock you, clumsy Ogre!"</b>
As above, swap out the <> brackets for [] brackets and the code does the rest.
"I mock you, clumsy Ogre!"
I think I've seen people do bigger or smaller text, but that's too fancy for my simple tastes. :)
Hey so im a noob too pbp games but i was wondering how to do the sweet little thing where it shows what you rolled on like a d20 roll. Could someone either post it for me or tell me where to find it and any other cool commands that i can use on the boards? thanks that would be sweet.
While Set has covered the basics, see the type-your-reply box at the bottom of the screen? See the little button below it that says "How to format your text [Show]"? Click the "Show" button, and you'll get examples of how to use all the formatting features of the Paizo messageboards.
While Set has covered the basics, see the type-your-reply box at the bottom of the screen? See the little button below it that says "How to format your text [Show]"? Click the "Show" button, and you'll get examples of how to use all the formatting features of the Paizo messageboards.
It's so simple, I can use it. That's saying something!
I wrote up a PBP beginner's guide for anyone interested.
Re-posting from my blog. Wrote this last month and it may be helpful to someone.
Michael, I can appreciate your frustration. Getting into PBP can be a bit of a challenge in the beginning. It is a very different format than face-to-face play and has its own challenges. Many people are frustrated with players and/or GMs who disappear shortly after a game begins. There are many reasons for this, some good some less so. But this is what leads to this tendency to only accept experienced or known players. Not all GMs demand a good backstory and I agree that a good backstory does not always equal good role-play. What it can tell a GM, especially in an online format is how committed you are to your character and how well they can fit said character into their game. There are many different GMs with many different styles and all of them have different ways of approaching things. If you stick with it, you can find a game that works out for you. In the meantime it will help a lot if you just try to keep your cool and as you say, be patient. Post some in other areas of the messageboard. Let folks get to know you. This will help convince people to give you a chance as well. And if you don't mind joining a gestalt game already in progress, I'm always open to new players. Send me a PM if you're interested, though I know that it's not the type of game for everyone. :)
Personally, I'll take committed over backstory-heavy any day. Literate helps too, but it isn't essential.
I DM 4e mind you, which has a small pool to draw on, so the issues are slightly different.
On a general note, when trying to get into a PbP, it helps to be flexible about character building, consistent with posting and interested in the whole game.
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After numerous attempts to PBP it has become apparent that all DM's want are experianced PBPers. You all where once inexperienced in this format. I have been playing tabletop for 35 years. Have alot of player and DM experiance that would be useful in PBP but since I have never played PBP that means nothing. I guess I had just stick to tabletop and be patient maybe I can come across one again. Thank you people so much for nothing. By the way this demand for a good back story is pretty stupid. In my experiance a good back story doesn't mean good roleplay.
Really? I suspect you just showed up late - places get taken quickly. Or possibly you are under-selling yourself. I don't demand an experienced PbP-er - it really makes no difference to me, though an understanding of the rules in general is nice. But if you say "I am an inexperienced player" then you will make it more difficult for yourself, especially since clearly you are not. And backstory is nice but not the be-all and end-all - though it is easier to work in, to some extent, in a PbP since is is a bit more "literary" than table-top.
Fundamentally, you've probably just been unfortunate in the recruiting DMs you have encountered, by the sound of it. That said, a public hissy fit isn't very endearing in a player either. And if the DM wants you to have some backstory, providing it will also make the DM better disposed towards you - the DM, after all, will probably be putting in a lot more effort than you overall, so humouring him, at least in the early stages, is probably just polite.
I have noticed a tendency in PBPs. I'm playing in a couple and have signed up to many over the years.
So far, not a single one has progressed past the first forays into adventure. The vast majority never get past recruiting, the GM disappearing into oblivion before the game even starts. On more than one occasion the GM has been uncontactable thereafter, leaving the recruitment thread to die a lingering death as players peter out with the realisation of abandonment.
Even if the game does start, few players post more than once or twice a week and soon lose interest entirely.
Am I just unlucky?
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I've been in several that have faltered, just as you said. Then again, I'm in six games right now that are well over 2000 posts and still going strong.
The best thing you can do to up your odds of finding a game that lasts is research. Research the GM. Click on his name, check out his posting history under all his aliases. Is the recruitment thread his first post on the boards? Outlook is dim. Does he say something like, "I've never GMed a PbP before, but how hard can it be?" Run for the hills. Has he started several other games that have petered out? Has it been because he was the one to disappear?
Research your fellow players as well. Do they have a history of joining games, posting like crazy for a week or so, and then petering off? Then they'll probably do it again.
The more selective you can afford to be as to the games you apply to, the more likely you are to find a quality game that will last. Even then, there are no guarantees, and there are several GMs that break all the guidelines I look for and are running great games now. But as a general rule, there are signs you can look for to protect yourself from disappointment. It's not just a roll of the dice. Or maybe it is, and all that stuff just gives you a bonus to the roll to beat the DC for survivability. Nothing precludes a first-time GM from rolling a natural 20. ;)
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Not unlucky exactly. There're games out there that keep going and actually make progress through the story. But they are the exception raher than the rule. It's usually a good idea to look for games run by folks with a history of sticking around. Obviously everyone starts somewhere so you have to take some chances.
I will confess to having done just what you're talking about the first time I ran PBP. I came back and apologized later, but I felt awful and it was a long time before I got up the courage to start another game. Running a PBP is harder than it looks. I spent quite a while learning how from observing long-running games and seeing what works and what doesn't. And the second attempt went a lot better than the first. :)
Sage words from Joana. Research is a good idea.
Once you have a couple steady games it's easier to take chances because if the game peters out you've still got the steady games.
Running PbP is hard. One problem for me is keeping track of details for weeks that in a face to face game I would only have to remember for a couple hours. Pacing is hard.
RL changes too. I had a couple years of very good posting, but lately (last 6 months) work has made me erratic. I try to keep everyone updated with my posting schedule, but am not always successful. My players and DMs have been quite understanding, for which I am very grateful.
While I agree with a lot of what Joana says, even GMs start as novices too. I started when a GM disappeared from a recruitment thread and offered to try to take over. I'd said I'd never done it before but I'd give it a try. It's been a year and a half and we're almost finished with the first chapter of Kingmaker and going strong. Lots of player turnover, but the GM's still plugging away. I've since got a few more games going, which I almost enjoy more than playing because I know I'm not going away (I've had that happen in probably a half-dozen instances I tried to play).
That said, when I ask for a back story, it's because that's the only way I can check how someone writes. It doesn't necessarily need to be novel (as in new/unique), but I want to make sure they can spell and use proper grammar.
As for backstories, I have to say I'm in favour of extensive ones, even for low-level characters. It shows commitment. The more a player has written about their character, the more likely they are invested into that character and the game. Someone that doesn't want to write a backstory seems more likely to ditch the game on a whim.
I like asking for backstory, for the same reasons -- spelling and grammar. And because it's one way I can see how committed a player is. The correlation between backstory and roleplay may not be perfect, but unless the player has a backlog of posts there are few other ways screen.
I also like to draw on character backstories for plot hooks. I enjoy running games where the story is intertwined with their beginnings and each note in their backgrounds can be pulled on for further plots.
That mysterious old guy that started you on the path to wizardry? He's a bad guy and now seeks to test your devotion to the magic arts with some insidious tests. Your parents are dead? Their murderer works for the BBEG, or worse, works for your patron in secret! Or is your patron!
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I have noticed a tendency in PBPs. I'm playing in a couple and have signed up to many over the years.
So far, not a single one has progressed past the first forays into adventure. The vast majority never get past recruiting, the GM disappearing into oblivion before the game even starts. On more than one occasion the GM has been uncontactable thereafter, leaving the recruitment thread to die a lingering death as players peter out with the realisation of abandonment.
Even if the game does start, few players post more than once or twice a week and soon lose interest entirely.
Am I just unlucky?
Not really. Very few games, especially the AP's, even make it to chapter 2 of an AP.
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I have noticed a tendency in PBPs. I'm playing in a couple and have signed up to many over the years.
So far, not a single one has progressed past the first forays into adventure. The vast majority never get past recruiting, the GM disappearing into oblivion before the game even starts. On more than one occasion the GM has been uncontactable thereafter, leaving the recruitment thread to die a lingering death as players peter out with the realisation of abandonment.
Even if the game does start, few players post more than once or twice a week and soon lose interest entirely.
Am I just unlucky?
Running a game, even at the slow pace of PbP, is a still a reasonably significant call on your time. I suspect that a lot of start-up DMs have a great idea, but don't have the time of interest to necessarily push it through. Sometimes circumstances change and they don't have time anymore. And sometimes the DM's interest just flags - I've halted a couple of PbPs over the years I've been doing them here because I wasn't feeling the love so much. That said, I've never just vanished but have said I'm finishing the game so everyone knows the score.
But I think a lot more games get started than get very far. And even my long-running games are fading slightly because of life-changes for all the players (including me as DM) have made it that bit harder to commit. It's the nature of the format - I reckon it'll take a decade at least to complete an AP from start to finish at our pace. A lot can happen in the real world in that time.
As for back story - yes, plot hooks are far and away the main reason I want them. Grammar, writing style and so on I'm less interested in - enthusiasm and ongoing commitment are far more important.
I wonder what should I end up if I like a character so much but then don't get accepted into a game.
Also when running a game is asking the player who they want to take care of their character if a leave of absencse is required.
So, let me see if I got this.
I think I can; I think I can.
Well, this isn't so bad. I'll try adding a spin to it.
Acrobatics:
Hello everyone! I'm new to PbP, but I love the idea. I think I will enjoy forging my actions and responses. I've played D&D for a few years and recently switched to PF. I hope to run into some of you in a game.
Welcome to the boards and to Pathfinder HeroicSort.
You got the basic posting commands
do you know how to make an Alias for PBP?