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Persistent virtual spaces like Second Life and the late There.com always seemed to me to have a lot of potential for the extension of a campaign setting. Why haven't they been more widely employed by authors, publishers, and homebrew GM's?
I was stoked when Never Winter Nights, with its DM tools for creating your own online adventuring space, was announced. And the sheer number of people who turned out their own reproductions of modules A1-4 in the months following its release tells me that I wasn't the only one. But it didn't take off.
Millions of people quest and do the XP grind that Poppa Gary and Uncle Dave popularized, shelling out $10/month or more to explore online worlds despite their lack of Vancian magic. Everquest and World of Warcraft have been the source of hundreds of hours of enjoyment for me. But my personal impact on those massively multiplayer worlds isn't profound, like is at my Thursday night Pathfinder table.
We are spending a lot of resources and energy on turning the monitor into our game table. And we've gotten pretty good at it. Fantasy Grounds, RPGTools, Map Tools, d20Pro, are getting better and easier to use. I enjoyed playing Living Greyhawk and Blackmoor online. Tough on the arse, but it beats eating a mod, right? Maybe it has been difficult to develop a thriving online TT RPG community because we are forcing a 1970's analog on potential participants. Most of us have a supercomputer in our hands at the tabletop now, but all we use it for is a high tech book bag and dice cup.
Why hasn't something intermediary arrived on the scene? Where is the online equivalent of the neighborhood haunted house, where everybody chipped in, decorated for a week, and let the whole community have a great time enjoying their efforts? One part True Dungeon, one part Pathfinder Society, one part Second Life, one part Dungeon A Day?
I challenge everyone and anyone reading this post -- authors, publishers, entrepreneurs, hobbyists -- to begin thinking of a way that I could learn about and participate in your stories and share with you my own in a totally new manner.
Let's take the participatory tabletop story telling and role playing game into the 21st century.
We're overdue.
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The P Prize
A cash award given to a creator or team who can produce in a persistent online 3D environment a participatory immersive story experience inspired by the PFSRD and the game that inspired it.
If you didn't grin when you read that, you need to check your pulse.
I would *so* contribute to that.
I am intrigued by this.
Edit: Using something like MapLib.net to make a clicky map with side treks/adventure nuggets, etc? This bears pondering.
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I am intrigued by this.
That's no coincidence because I considered mentioning you in my first post.
You've done a lot of community work -- for instance, I used your drawings for my Tsuto's Journal handout. What if those drawings were in a virtual world, in a virtual representation of that journal? Instead the link to that part of your dA site is mouldering in a stale thread.
I am intrigued by this.That's no coincidence because I considered mentioning you in my first post.
You've done a lot of community work -- for instance, I used your drawings for my Tsuto's Journal handout. What if those drawings were in a virtual world, in a virtual representation of that journal? Instead the link to that part of your dA site is mouldering in a stale thread.
So you're talking about a communal website where multiple people can keep things all together, through an easy-to-use interface of course, and say "hey, today my game is in Cheliax, what other stuff have people made that goes there? Oh look, there's this, and this, and this. Say, here's this map somebody used..." Things like that? Or are you looking for a more immersive, near-3D environment set up?
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I don't know.
Yes. No. All of the above.
I wouldn't restrict the vision at this point. "website" or "wiki" or "communal" seem limiting at this point in my vision, because I want something that doesn't currently exist to be the result of my challenge.
Remember the thrum of excitement we felt when Google Wave came along? We were all *so* ready for the next thing. And that wasn't it.
Maybe it would be a for-profit that charged small groups of players for a night of online adventuring. Maybe it would be an evolution of Wolfgang's OD model, where patrons would get to make in-world design decisions for an online experience -- or even pay to play their NPC! Wouldn't that change the whole "let me tell you about my character" joke?
I think, for the purposes of this discussion, we wouldn't even talk about new versions of things that already exist.
Lisa is percolating. :)
This does bear further percolation.
*gets the coffee brewing*
So we start off small...what do we all start with a PC or NPC. So lets combine a character generator with some type of Avatar system. We'd need to pick or use a 3-D graphics generator of somekind, with a possible tie-in to say something like PCGen, or Hero-labs to keep track of the stats.
From there we'll need tons of artists to start generating or adding content of all weapons (broken, regular, masterwork) and armors, monsters, etc.
The tie in here for Pathfinder could be the Items cards. Graphics mimic the item cards and once given to a PC he keeps the card on his "character sheet". The back could be used for History, or what the item actually is.
The problems...cost. usually a graphics engine is licensable, that could be costly...then the artists, are they doing this for free? Or are we paying them? Or a combination. Something like, hey created a swords pack, you can download it and add it to the system for 1.00?
Pretty interesting subject.
I bet there's an alternative to licensing an expensive graphics engine.
To some degree it is probably an issue of technology.
The most annoying things when playing online, and what is lost from face-to-face contact are:
1. Seeing everyone and keeping their attention by looking into their eyes. (Skype Videochat can correct this)
2. Easily moving things on the battlemat (and people like to move them.)
(Personally I've had trouble with maptools, I don't like it; then again I last used it around 2006. I hear they improved it since then.)
3. DM drawing maps and easily relaying them to players on the fly and revealing them in increments (maptools also tries to do this)
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A. I think that 1 can be corrected through videochat and or a second monitor or a larger monitor to show everyone's friends.
B. I think that 2 and 3 can be solved with greater tablet technology- not just the iPad but plug in styluses where a dm can quickly draw a map or a sketch, just like they could draw in person for people to look at.
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I think we are almost there where a distance game can approach a good level of satisfaction, but until the technologies A and B above are achieved in a more widespread manner, gaming may be difficult.
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Other Thoughts
-The Rolling dice problem has largely been solved.
-There may be other problems that I have yet to consider.
~~~
To your other point, a platform where many people can get together and participate in a Living Golarion campaign sort of like Total Annihilation's conquest of the galaxy campaign or an online MMO with set quests for adventurers to delve into- that sounds interesting.
Light Dragon,
You are largely correct. However, I don't think video chat is a true problem. With VTTs and web play, just audio is often enough to maintain the game, and the screen can be used for visuals (paintings of the locations from the PDF, or maps in maptool, or NPC portraits) that actually help the players stay focused and in-character moreso than they would be if they were around the same table.
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Bigger! Think bigger!
WHAT IF...
I'm on my way home from work, and I had mustered by website or mobile app to play a PFS adventure tonight, but I'm late. I get home and the session has already started so I instead walk my avi to the Absalom city square- the OOC chat area.
A system wide announcement pops up. Is anyone available to play NPC's in the Magnimar area tonight? I click the yes button - suddenly I'm where I need to be and the "director" is talking to me by private voice chat telling me that two groups are adventuring there tonight. She sends me the blurbs for the NPCs I'm responsible for.
One of the groups is playing traditional initiative based combat, where the mechanics and dice rolling are all handled through a tabletop like interface. I am trash talking until the director messages me and reminds me I'm not following the instructions in the blurb. I was supposed to run away when I got to 40 hp. Oops. No problem, she says.
Another group is trying the new silent combat interface where the dice rolling and game mechanics are all behind the scenes. This is going great until in the middle of the combat someone uses diplomacy to shift my attitude to friendly, and I crash and have to log back in. Gary mentioned that part was still a little buggy.
After a couple of hours of that, I've earned back the two karma points I lost for not showing up for an adventure I mustered and/or paid for.
I saw in the Paizo blog that Crystal was going to have an instance open this evening for some in character stuff related to her ongoing Diamond Throne game. So, I go back to Absalom, stop by a shop operated by Malhavoc and buy a Litorian avatar. Crystal is allowing lurkers in her instance, so I walk around and listen while they're all in there.
A few weeks later I see in the Magnimar lore wiki that one of the NPCs I played has its own entry. I add a little bit to it so that next time someone plays that character they'll know what happened the night I played it, but Josh deletes it because only people with ten karma or more are able to add to the lore wiki. Technically, I only had eight karma when I role played that because I missed the muster.
I like how you think as well, but I worry about ambition. If a game company insists on overreaching then they will create vaporware.
Better to give the consumer a realistic product that gets years of use while we would be waiting for the vaporware release. Memories are short.
Your description of an MMO-like Pathfinder experience is indeed compelling, and I would be the first to sign up for such a thing if it existed. But let's not forget that companies with more resources undertaken similar goals, and achieved only a spectre of your vision.
We'd sooner see a quality Pathfinder TV show than a quality Pathfinder MMO. The former is less expensive than the latter.
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I like how you think as well, but I worry about ambition.
Thank you.
We're brainstorming here. This is the phase where being overambitious is okay.
If a game company insists on overreaching then they will create vaporware.
But the P-Prize wouldn't pay off until the experience was delivered. It doesn't have to be an existing company or IP we're talking about here.
We're in the disillusionment phase of the "hype cycle" regarding BOTH 3d virtual environments AND an eventual WotC online TT experience. Right now, anyone who tries to tell before they show is going to get a lot of ridicule.
AND -- regarding leasing an expensive graphics engine --
In February, the New Media Consortium polled educators about their preferred platform for producing virtual experiences for their students. Here are some company/product names I grabbed from the resulting article.
3DXplorer, ActiveWorlds, Blue Mars, IBM Sametime, Metaplace, Multiverse, Open Sim, Proton Media, Second Life, Teleplace, Vastpark, Web.Alive, Wonderland, Unity Game Development Tool, Exit Reality, Oberin
Is anybody using/misusing/abusing any of these sites for gaming/storytelling/roleplaying?
I've percolated this in my noggin for the last couple of days, and I think to have its broadest appeal...don't use 3D.
Let me explain...
In the times that I've beta-tested MMOs, one of the biggest hurdles to community involvement was the limitations of the graphics engine, art budget, scripting - you get the idea. I am all for a Golarion video game, MMO, whatever. But those avenues of virtual Golarion are better left to the professionals.
A better angle to look at it is how to maximize the tabletop roleplaying experience, rather than take the tabletop roleplaying game into a 3d environment.
What kind of technology assists are out there for tabletop games (answer: a lot)? But is there a general toolbox? A unified set of tools that are easy to use and easy to learn, but most importantly - a way to share the creations from those tools with other GMs?
I am definitely interested in such a toolbox, but I think there should be a low barrier to entry. (Think casual games vs. AAA games.)
What kind of technology assists are out there for tabletop games (answer: a lot)? But is there a general toolbox? A unified set of tools that are easy to use and easy to learn, but most importantly - a way to share the creations from those tools with other GMs?I am definitely interested in such a toolbox, but I think there should be a low barrier to entry. (Think casual games vs. AAA games.)
Maptool is getting better. The next version is supposed to focus on usability and cleaning up the UI. It will be a little bit of a wait, but totally worth it.
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Lilith is right in this... there are already many ways of playing online... what we would benefit would be in a way of making that experience richer.
For example, using golarion map we could a database that could tell us what PFS games are on play or scheduled (or that have happened) as an option,... and besides that one we could have "where are you partying?" a section for GM to add their campaign AP, modules, or homebrew...
I think this would be not only interesting but evene benefical to Paizo...
It will tell them what is being played... where... which are the palces more atractive to play or the the most sought adventures...
homebrew material could be added similar to what the wikipedia is doing (i know there is a group doing such a thing) so you can loot/buy/find this cand of thigns...
certainly i see it more like a chat that show you especific maps (or related art), shows the character avatars (maybe added by them or chosen from options) and exchance infromation and experiences...
a mixture of a virtual table, online chat and digital databse
but those are my 2 cents
Certainly once you lose the insistance on 3D you're entering the realm of realistic and timely. Likewise, when you play PnP games you're typically NOT playing a 3D game, you're playing a 2D game (or 0D when not in combat and the ike) in a 3D universe, hence, there's depth to the minis.
All this said, the only thing you need Paizo for when it comes to such a project is permission on the IP side of things.
Certainly once you lose the insistance on 3D you're entering the realm of realistic and timely.
This is a common misconception. Many of the obstacles of a proper multiplayer game have nothing to do with the limitations of a graphics engine. Graphics are simply one part of a very complicated endeavor.
This is a common misconception. Many of the obstacles of a proper multiplayer game have nothing to do with the limitations of a graphics engine. Graphics are simply one part of a very complicated endeavor.
As someone who's entire life is very comfortably provided for by mid-scale multiuser software that I designed, I'm fairly confident in my assessment, but thanks for the "insider" view of the industry.
So, I again say that I agree with Lilith on this - if you exclude the need for 3D, you're about 100x closer to making something reality than you were before. If we work from the standpoint of "Virtual Tabletop" software, the other two things that count as major obstacles are "OS independence" and "Game system agnosticism".
Also, this isn't about writing "a proper multiplayer game" - I don't see many of the people in this discussion actually implying that the community needs, or even would benefit from, a PF based MMO similar to existing games. I don't think DDO in some way enhanced 3.x, do you?
Rather, what I envision anyway, is an online system that creates something of a "PnP MMO" - the gaming is all real roleplay with a human DM and human players and such, but it is done as organized play facilitated by a persistent online system. Thus, players who want to play, and DMs who want to DM, have a way to immediately find and game together, and it would be regulated by an organized play system and levels of human adjudication. Then you'd know if Bob's character gamed under another DM to level 3, he'll have an acceptable character coming into your level 3 game... and if bob isn't available, Tom's level 3 character might be because he wants to game.. or you just game with your regular real-world gaming group.
Likewise, it opens the door to having a player-influenced and developed campaign setting. DMs could flesh out certain regions of the game world and, if accepted by those levels of adjudication, they would become part of the standard canon. In their off time, the die-hard roleplayers could do social roleplaying of their characters in location-specific chat areas, and so on.
From an implementation standpoint, that isn't all that grandiose.
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So, in essence we are looking at a centralized resource for online play revolving around Paizo's Golarion world. This would be a site where virtual games can be run and documented for everyone to see and use information generated by hundreds of users.
I am "picturing" a map of Golarion with points indicating where games are to take place. Clicking on those points gives you information about the game, such as GM, whether it has open spaces, or is closed, levels etc. Alternatively you could click on Absalom, for example, and see a list of games that you can filter to find one you can play in and is right for you. Of course considering the nature of the messageboards here and the appeal of Golarion worldwide, I expect a language list would be necessary as well.
Then you "register" for a game, which would probably consist of submitting your Character, which is kept in a library online and upon approval pay some token fee.
The game experience would consist of an interface to connect all of the players, handle dice rolls and map movement.
The session would end and notations would be made by the GM onto player character sheets and you go look for another game.
It is almost like a centralized, coordinated Pathfinder Society play, but online.
Honestly almost all of the tools necessary to do this exist, but as I think it was Lillith that pointed it out, no one has collected everything necessary into one "toolbox" into one easy to use experience.
Now the only REAL serious impediment to this concept is the IP holder to Golarion, that is Paizo. While parts of this would certainly be beneficial to them, there are elements that I would not think they would like at all. For instance, if a "database" of NPCs were to be created for others to use, then these user created personalities become essentially cannon. An adult-oriented game might attract an under aged player who lied about their age, and now Paizo, and many others are liable (stupid legal system). Some GMs might have NPCs do things that are beyond the PG-13 rating Paizo likes, and if that became "cannon" there would be problems. Worse yet, is GMs killing NPCs and nuking cities. And who knows what else can be devised!
I think in concept this whole undertaking is doable. Whether Paizo would want to participate is another issue. They might find it intriguing until they talk to their lawyers...
But ya know what, I think the whole concept can be done and could be quite successful.
As someone who's entire life is very comfortably provided for by mid-scale multiuser software that I designed, I'm fairly confident in my assessment, but thanks for the "insider" view of the industry.
My comment was just intended to clarify that graphics aren't the only aspect of game production. I'm not really an insider or anything of the sort. It's nice to have others with direct experience weigh in on the topic — I just worried about people getting the wrong impression from your statement.
By a "proper" multiplayer game I just mean a system that lets people play together without centralized hosting, and without an IT degree to get things set up (not an MMO). Maptool is a pretty good candidate for what you are talking about... it is both OS independent and RPG system agnostic.
There have always been programs that let you do things "more or less", but the tendency is for things to be "less", and involve heavy jury-rigging to accomplish. You can use existing virtual tabletop programs to run games, and organize to do so on forums, and use the PF organized play system in the process, and so on. Likewise, there were tagboards before there was twitter, which let you do "more or less" the same thing, if you had your friends watch yours and you watched theirs, and so on.
There tends to be a fairly big difference between the thrown together solutions people CAN use, and things designed to do EXACTLY what you're after.
Virtual tabletop programs, for example... there's a reason that there are a slew of them, and almost nobody ever says "this program does EXACTLY what I want!" - they all try to be everything to everybody, and end up being some things to most people. I've desperately tried to get enthusiastic over them, and I own a "DM" style license on a few of them, but all of them try too hard to work for everything, and in doing so end up being almost great, but never quite there.
Krome - you'd probably be better off not using Golarion, frankly. Paizo has already said their compatibility stuff doesn't extend to computer games and the ilk. You can use Pathfinder's rules and mechanics without a problem, though.
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Krome - you'd probably be better off not using Golarion, frankly. Paizo has already said their compatibility stuff doesn't extend to computer games and the ilk. You can use Pathfinder's rules and mechanics without a problem, though.
yeah but what attract many of is here is Goalrion, not just Pathfinder :P
even a community created world might not garner the same kind of response as Golarion (Or the realms it would be the case)
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I've percolated this in my noggin for the last couple of days, and I think to have its broadest appeal...don't use 3D.
Lilith is right in this... there are already many ways of playing online... what we would benefit would be in a way of making that experience richer.
Certainly once you lose the insistance on 3D you're entering the realm of realistic and timely.
Great observations.
Downloadable or streaming video from authors or publishers that enhanced or replaced boxed text, that established mood or setting while DMs draw on the mat, or that related historical or recent events. A la carte, Paizo-style subscriptions, free web enhancements.
Can't you imagine one of the rooms at Paizo-con being set up for people to do videos of some of the major PFS NPCs? Or in-character introductions that are available online for viewing? And voting for?
Rather, what I envision anyway, is an online system that creates something of a "PnP MMO" - the gaming is all real roleplay with a human DM and human players and such, but it is done as organized play facilitated by a persistent online system.
<snip>
Likewise, it opens the door to having a player-influenced and developed campaign setting.
THIS! This is EXACTLY what I want.
You are well down the road to winning the P-Prize. Unfortunately, you are also the one that was going to have to fund the P-Prize. So go ahead and write the check to yourself, add it to your resume, and list me as the contact.
From an implementation standpoint, that isn't all that grandiose.
That is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. :)
Is it sustainable?
You lose me at MMO. Not because it wouldn't be neat, but because of this.
Now, that's a very aggressive and condescending rant by some guy, but it is largely true nonetheless. Even with 2d graphics, there is little hope of cramming the giant rules-beast that is Pathfinder into something manageable as an MMO without a massive investment.
I should hope that any announcement of such an MMO, even a "PnPMMO" would involve Paizo partnering with an experienced company.
You lose me at MMO. Not because it wouldn't be neat, but because of this.
Now, that's a very aggressive and condescending rant by some guy, but it is largely true nonetheless. Even with 2d graphics, there is little hope of cramming the giant rules-beast that is Pathfinder into something manageable as an MMO without a massive investment.
I should hope that any announcement of such an MMO, even a "PnPMMO" would involve Paizo partnering with an experienced company.
Well put, Evil Lincoln...a 3d (heck even a 2d) MMO is grasping for a bit too much.
Shoot, I'd just like someone to do a Google Maps hack for a few areas in Varisia (starting with Sandpoint, puhleez? RotRL campaign newly underway). I've seen those done for things like Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto.
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So since I've been percolating on this for a little bit as well, I wanted to bring in my ideas about it.
It seems like the consensus is that you need to "take out the 3D" to make it a possible and realistic project. I understand that, and pretty much about 95% agree with it.
However I did want to bring it back into the cool "wouldn't this be awesome" idea storming that it is.
My thought would be to merge the 3D first person, MMO concept with the tabletop game. Well, on the micro level how would you go about this? Let's got to the basic concept of D&D. Approximately 4-5 PCs are sitting around a table with a DM watching over them and giving the storyline and controlling the monsters. To me it seems like it would be a pretty simple concept to create a first-person / third person style game where you can walk around the world and interact (ala WoW or any other fantasy MMO out there).
Note:
So then we get to how does playing work. You'd want to keep it as close to the tabletop game as possible, meaning attacks of opportunity, walk speeds, # of attacks, etc. But these are all gameplay mechanics that can actually be pretty easily implemented to the system. I'd envision a real-time system rather than turn based, however making it wholly based off of the turn system. This could be possibly by having “initiative” being a slight delay from your first action, which would then give a sequential order to things. In a way it would bring D&D slightly closer to the real world and get rid of some cumbersome rules (delay? All you need to do is sit there for a second or two doing nothing. Ready? Same idea but with some kind of preconditions maybe). No matter what though I’d give the DM the ability to “pause” the game as well as possibly players as well.
The problem is the DM. In other MMOs and games the computer is the DM and the designers are the publishing company. The key to this concept is to both give the DM as much control as he wants in addition to giving him a view of the world similar to the players. My vision would include the ability to have the DM control specific enemies / NPCs by "jumping" into them (which would probably entail some hotkey then a drop down list to switch. Could be time-consuming, but after practice would get to be pretty quick). Once inside a NPC they have the ability to play them as a normal player would. The key though is having the “god-mode” as it were, a system where you would be looking “over the tabletop” in a RTS/Starcraft/Warcraft style system. You could easily queue orders for your minions or even just set AIs for them. In most cases I’d envision there really not needing to be much intervention from the DM, as the mooks would simply attack or do simple commands as necessary.
The other key to DM play that I see is something that St. Meerkat brought up earlier. The ability for random people to jump in and play an NPC for people. I’d bet that in a mature system like this there would be people that would play for this sole reason to be able to jump into NPCs and play various roles. This would also let BBEG encounters and encounters with multiple, complicated NPCs be run smoothly.
In the end this would give the realism necessary in my vision as well as the fun factor. I’ll say that just like Wow and other things I’d definitely get addicted to this game as a PC and want to join as many campaigns as possible.
Then outside of the game you probably should be able to walk around the “chat” area to talk to others in something that is somewhat reminiscent to Playstation Home, except maybe a bit larger. It would have a good system for listing open games, games that are looking for more people, players who need DMs, etc. Also it would just let people run around and talk in a “tavern” to friends etc. You also probably could practice with your PC in test encounters. There might even be an arena for PCs to duel, or for PCs to fight monsters. The key is that in this area there wouldn’t be consequences. In addition there probably would be a distinction between “test” characters and “game” characters (or simply disallow test characters, I dunno).
There definitely would be a need to change/reapply some of the rules as has been done to prior 3D games, but this would definitely be my “cool” game to play. Thoughts?
my 2¢: Paizo should work on is establishing a virtual presence for the pathfinder society. I am thinking some kind of chat server that allows people to interact in real time, talk DnD, network, and group for VTT games. There could be a calender of scheduled games, signups for those games, and chatrooms for people who are not currently interested in playing specific games to shoot the breeze.
Going one step further, it could even be presented in a way that mimics actual mmo experience in that the web interface might be represented as the grand lodge in Absalom, or even Absalom itself, with various functions being located in "sections" of the "city". If the characters' traits and possessions are all stored on the server, then its even possible to go to a "market" and hawk yer lootz from the last session, or purchase more potions of healing before heading into the next game. All the stuff you do in a capitol city in WoW you could probably do through a web interface. Venture captains might lead crews/guilds that like to work together. The lodge library might include the PFSRD along with other golarion specific knowledge tidbits.
Now setting this up would not be easy, but it would gads easier than setting up an actual mmo. Rather than an MMO it would be more like a fully functional social networking site for pathfinder, a kin to the forums on crack.
yeah but what attract many of is here is Goalrion, not just Pathfinder :P
And if it were set in the Twilight world you'd get even more interest, but there's this thing about wishes and horses... and Golarion is not open content. An open-content campaign setting would solve a thousand different problems, present and future.
Now, that's a very aggressive and condescending rant by some guy, but it is largely true nonetheless. Even with 2d graphics, there is little hope of cramming the giant rules-beast that is Pathfinder into something manageable as an MMO without a massive investment.
The long timeline for making a "real" MMO is mostly due to the fact that you need to generate vast quantities of content. When I said PnPMMO, I was referring to a gradually building base of content that was created by individual gaming groups and some form of committee to adjudicate content additions.
The fact is, you don't HAVE to code in all the rules - you could probably code in almost NONE of the rules, and leave that to the DM to deal with, as many virtual tabletop systems do. The only time you need to be exhaustive in your coding of the rules is when you're going to let the computer adjudicate rules-relevant things.
Thus, the PnPMMO concept is simply that people's characters are recorded within the system, and the XP/treasure rewards are standardized... but the actual gameplay is straight PnP roleplaying with a human DM, done via virtual tabletop. Hence, at its core, it is just internet-based, computer-facilitated organized play.
Shoot, I'd just like someone to do a Google Maps hack for a few areas in Varisia (starting with Sandpoint, puhleez? RotRL campaign newly underway). I've seen those done for things like Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto.
MapLib.net . Seriously, check out this map of Sharn.
Nobody has taken any bites what so ever, so the chewing is hardly a factor. At the moment the discussion is nothing more than what is possible and what is realistic.
Large-scale PnP systems don't have the potential to be "the next big thing" nomatter how they turn out - roleplaying is not as universally appealing as videos or social networking. It's more a question of what would facilitate PnP roleplaying (not everyone has an easy, regular group) and how can new technology be used to enhance old concepts.