| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I've been using Skype & Maptool to run PF games now for about 1 1/2 years. The software's solid and occasional technical hiccups aren't usually disruptive enough to keep us from gaming. For the most part, as far as networking & connecting, it all works pretty smoothly. Plus, the PF framework for Maptool is astounding ... just a flat-out fantastic game aid.
The problem as I see it, is keeping player enthusiasm up over a long enough period to actually cover decent ground. After a few months, attrition begins to take hold and the group dwindles. Replacing players that have dropped sounds nice, but it has yet to work for me. I find that replacement players have even less attachment than someone who recently dropped.
I really like playing online via VTTs a lot; it's biggest drawback, is the lack of non-verbal cues you get in a FTF game. But, in other ways, it makes up for this deficiency. If, I could just get the darn players to show up!
Speaking of which, if anyone is interested, we have a couple of open slots on Tuesday nights, from 7 to 10 pm EST each week. We're on book 2 of the Serpent's Skull.
|
As someone who has been running online games for just over a year I know where you are coming from. I myself have no issues with finding players and have players come and go like a revolving door. IMO it comes from the fact that people are looking for different things out of a game from what the GM may be offering. Some want more hack and slash and higher super powered point buys, or other may want low powered games and more roleplaying, so when they get the feel for the game after a few sessions if it is not to their liking they just drop out which is OK with me, players are a dime a dozen.
The second problem is the anonymity of playing online. There is no real accountability for people when playing online and they can come and go as they please.
Currently I run one game that has anywhere between 6 to 8 players. Most are personal friends that I have played with for 20+ years one is a player who joined my first online game over a year ago and has been with me ever since through the restarts and reboots and the other is a player who has been with me for a good 5 or 6 months or more. You will eventually find the people who will stick with you and those will be the ones you end up playing with. Until then it is like a crap shoot and you never know what you will get.
I would love to play in Serpent Skull but I currently run a game play in a game and am getting ready to start playing in 2 others so my plate is full, and the fact that I really do not like maptools.
I feel your pain. While I'm not having players drop out, I'm finding it very difficult to keep player's concentration when playing via VTT. It's maddening to be "Pete? Pete? It's your init? Pete?" during the game, but then see afterwards that he was updating Facebook at the time. And if the internet distractions aren't bad enough, playing by VTT has all sorts of at home disractions for the players - disappearing for 15 minutes because wife wants to talk, taking phone calls, having conversations with their kid without muting the mic, etc.
Last week, at the end of the session I announced "+1000 XP for anyone who is paying attention". Only 2 of my 6 players caught it.
As a *player* (with admittedly only one MapTool game under my belt), the biggest difficulty I have is with immersion.
I'm interacting with 4-5 people that I really don't know, and whose voices seem mostly interchangable to me...and so I find it difficult to really get 'into' the character.
It doesn't help that it seems to be the case for the others as well, so I don't get a good feel for personalities. the game feels much more 'tactical' and less 'RP' than a face-to-face game for me.
Is it so different from not knowing people personally like, say, at a con? Seems like it's always easier when you know the people, online or not.
As for attention span, it ends up being worse because no one even sees you doing something else. Sneaky! Not sure there's any solution... Either people are self-disciplined or they're not.
I might be interested in playing online. I'm rather new to Pathfinder. Would definitely like to talk to you more about it.
|
|
I feel your pain. While I'm not having players drop out, I'm finding it very difficult to keep player's concentration when playing via VTT. It's maddening to be "Pete? Pete? It's your init? Pete?" during the game, but then see afterwards that he was updating Facebook at the time. And if the internet distractions aren't bad enough, playing by VTT has all sorts of at home disractions for the players - disappearing for 15 minutes because wife wants to talk, taking phone calls, having conversations with their kid without muting the mic, etc.
Last week, at the end of the session I announced "+1000 XP for anyone who is paying attention". Only 2 of my 6 players caught it.
Yes, that is a huge issue.
|
Maybe you should start using web cams...
Sure you'll have to start paying to use Skype, but as far as I can remember, as long as at least one person is paying to use video (in this case, you), everyone else participating in that "video call" is free...
I have a player in one of my games that lives about 130 miles away, but he manages to join the game via web cam...
Web cams are not all that expensive. You can get a pretty good one for around $20...
It might also make your game loose that feeling of "anonymity"...
Just my thoughts...
-That One Digitalelf Fellow-
Hi Ziltmilt,
I've been trying to find a group to play pathfinder with for a while now (I used to play AD&D 2nd edition when I was a kid in the 90's). I may be a bit rusty but if you could send me an email or PM so that I can get into your group that would be awesome!
Thanks!
Sure thing ... on skype, I'm busterbluth2. that's the best way to contact me. i usually leave skype up all the time.