So why are the AP's, which take so long as a pbp, so much more popular than the single modules/adventures? As much fun as they are, just the first chapter of an AP can take two or three years to play, while a one-off can be wrapped up in a year.
So where's the love?
I'm, not sure of the reasons of everyone else, but one reason I participate in PbP games is the unique opportunity to develop and grow your character concept, to a degree that is not possible in a traditional live setting, or even via a VTT. Since this is why I seek out PbP games, I'm automatically attracted to APs, rather than one-shot modules and similar content, because my character starts at low level and progress through their entire career.
A second reason is that PbP offers me an opportunity to play content I otherwise would be unable to experience. I can find live groups for one-shots and Society games easily enough, even if it means organizing such a group myself. However, I've not been able to find a live group willing to commit to the lengthy campaign that an AP represents. If I want to partake in such content, PbP is often my only option.
Which adventure were you wanting to play in?
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I'm, not sure of the reasons of everyone else, but one reason I participate in PbP games is the unique opportunity to develop and grow your character concept, to a degree that is not possible in a traditional live setting, or even via a VTT. Since this is why I seek out PbP games, I'm automatically attracted to APs, rather than one-shot modules and similar content, because my character starts at low level and progress through their entire career.
This.
How long games take to play also depends on the group. Im in a group going through Gosmouth Heresy right now. Weve been playing since Feb 1, and by my rough estimate(as Ive played through it IRL before) we are about halfway through, with over 1100 posts. Compare that to the CotCT game Im in which has suffered a DM replacement and currently a second player replacement, which very well might take 2 years to complete the first book, lol.
It doesnt matter what module you play, it matters how obsessed with playing the game the group is, and how frequent they can post to continue the game and keep it moving.
It's also been my experience that the modules fizzle out a lot faster. I've been playing pbp games since August/ September of '10 and thus far 3 one offs that I've been part of have died off, whereas only 1 AP has come to a premature end. I don't know if it's just that GMs are more committed to APs or what, but that's certainly made me more hesitant to apply for a spot in a one off game.
If you have the right DM/players combo, then it doesn't matter what you run - it's gonna last, whether it takes 6 months or 6 years.
It would seem that the longer AP's have a higher attrition rate than the single adventure modules. But if I'm being completely honest, I have joined a dozen or more AP's and single adventures over the years and not one, NOT ONE, have I been able to complete. Now, that doesn't mean they all died...but most of 'em did!
The ones I left were either because they were moving as slow as molasses (most of which later died out) or because they were no longer interesting to me.
I made a promise to myself last week that I would no longer join on for AP's. In a PbP environment, they have a lot of strikes against them to be completed, and I don't like to start something that will die in flames. :)
So, my preference for playing and for DMing is single adventures (like the one I'm running right now - Godsmouth Heresy). You'll see more of them when the new adventures are released...other than that, you'll see the AP's in the recruitment thread.
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If you have the right DM/players combo, then it doesn't matter what you run - it's gonna last, whether it takes 6 months or 6 years.
+1
I'm currently in four online games--2 PbP, 2 PbEM. Generalizing wildly from the small sample, I'd say it helps a huge amount if at least some of the players and the DM know each other outside of the game. (As long as they avoid cliquishness and are welcoming to any newcomers.)
It would seem that the longer AP's have a higher attrition rate than the single adventure modules. But if I'm being completely honest, I have joined a dozen or more AP's and single adventures over the years and not one, NOT ONE, have I been able to complete. Now, that doesn't mean they all died...but most of 'em did!
The ones I left were either because they were moving as slow as molasses (most of which later died out) or because they were no longer interesting to me.
I made a promise to myself last week that I would no longer join on for AP's. In a PbP environment, they have a lot of strikes against them to be completed, and I don't like to start something that will die in flames. :)
Someone with more time than I have should go through the Gamer Connection, Play-by-Post, and Discussion threads and extract some statistics on game longevity. My gut feeling is that the odds in favor of a "successful" (defined as "played to completion or ongoing for more than a year with no unannounced hiatus longer than 1 month") are not good. OTOH, we have existence proofs of successful APs (Alexander Kilcoyne, Megan Robertson, SdF, and more that I can't be bothered to look up right now)--if the only way you can play an AP has (let's say) a 10% chance of success, that's still better odds than none. So we keep trying, and perhaps the horse will sing.
Again based on my limited experience, I think at least one of the pitfalls of PbP could be mitigated by having off-board ways of contacting the ref and the players. One of the games I'm in right now is currently handicapped by the disappearance of one player--hasn't posted anything for almost two months. If we knew the player dropped out intentionally we would have no problem picking up a replacement, but we don't know. It's a little frustrating, especially since the player in question was an excellent RPer and brought a lot to the game.
The other thing is that the ones that die may not be what I'd call complete wastes of time. I've had two PbP games fall apart on me, but despite their lack of completion they were still fun while they lasted. (The one that never started, though...not so much. An exercise in character creation.)
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It's also been my experience that the modules fizzle out a lot faster.
I've had multiple Crypts of the Everflame just fizzle out, one on the third encounter, one just after the second. It's easier, IMO, to get all worked up and enthusiastic about an AP that has some sort of 'big deal' going on (especially Kingmaker, where you know that if you stick around, you might be running a kingdom!), it seems.
I would have thought that running a short adventure to 'test the waters' of a play group before committing to a larger endeavor would have made sense, but it seems more likely to die aborning...
Don't forget the number of identity creations that are permanent after a number of posts(10). Added to Set's comment, there may be some that are trying to prevent creating a number of identities, most of them being for or from a game that fizzled.
I have noticed one thing, though. You don't see many people (DM or Player) advertise/submit for a game, that try to create immediate links between their character and another. In a lot of the games, you (ideally) have individuals linked by a common purpose, but what about individuals that are linked before the common purpose even comes into play.
Which adventure were you wanting to play in?
Oh, I'm not looking to play in anything in particular, just making an observation. As I said, AP's could take absolutely forever to play out in a pbp, which makes me wonder why the single adventures/modules, which are all shorter than just one issue of an AP, aren't more popular.\
I understand the idea of getting to watch a character grew - I've been playing in a RotRL and a CotCT pbps for over three years, but there is something to be said for playing a one-shot and having it wrapped up within a year rather than going on in perpetuity.
What would be nice is to find a way to move faster in a PbP AP. You get the advantages of a campaign, and the fast pace of a module...
I don't know, you might just have convinced me to run a module instead of a campaign, although I would like the modules to be presented as linked. A player sticking until the end would have a campaign feel.
*Goes back to his drawing board.*
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OTOH, we have existence proofs of successful APs (Alexander Kilcoyne, Megan Robertson, SdF, and more that I can't be bothered to look up right now)
Hooray i'm famous :D.
AP's are just more grandiose in scale than a module, and allow for far more organic growth. Sadly most PbP DM's grossly overestimate the amount of time they have to work on the game, or underestimate how much time they will need to put in. I didn't think it would take so much work to run then myself at first...
That said, I haven't seen a single AP into its 3rd chapter in the PbP forums (not sure how far in Aubrey's group is into RotRL)... They do tend to drop off eventually. I am determined to run KM all the way through though, and estimated about 3 years for its completion over PbP. We're about on schedule at present.
I have a group who have been running through linked modules since 2008 :) It's turned into a campaign. Still have three of the original players as well. They've just started on episode 6.
It evolved from a one shot and the pcs are now level 13 - which isn't bad going for a pbp.
Heh, I find this thread amusing, as the Serpent's Skull Pbp game I am in did not actually start officially until post 2500! So we had quite a bit of prologue which was needed to link another PbP to the AP one. Right now the thread is over 4000 posts and we just hit the third day of being marooned on the island. So, we have taken the opposite route of what is the conventional wisdom, he he.
Seriously, It all boils down to how dedicated both the players and the DM is. I am fortunate to be in several long running PbP games, and have some GREAT DMs. If you have a dedicated crew, then yes you can pull it off.
Heh, I find this thread amusing, as the Serpent's Skull Pbp game I am in did not actually start officially until post 2500! So we had quite a bit of prologue which was needed to link another PbP to the AP one. Right now the thread is over 4000 posts and we just hit the third day of being marooned on the island. So, we have taken the opposite route of what is the conventional wisdom, he he.
Seriously, It all boils down to how dedicated both the players and the DM is. I am fortunate to be in several long running PbP games, and have some GREAT DMs. If you have a dedicated crew, then yes you can pull it off.
Personally: I just want to play. If I can take a character and enjoy myself then if it ends it ends. All things end eventually.
I do prefer, in any case, linked events rather then single modules. Now, if you took a bunch of the modules and ordered them in such a way that it becomes an adventure path then that would prolly work best. At the end of each module people would have the perfect chance to change out.
Just my 2 copper