Forum Based RPG Problems

[Xian Saga]

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum, as you may have already noticed. I figured this particular kind of topic might belong in this forum, but if it's not, I apologize.

In any case, I came to this forum (after having known about it for a few months, but not actually registering until today) seeking some advice, I run a rather small phpBB forum based roleplaying game at www.calenine.com, known as The World of Calenine. It's been around since 2003 and has involved much change and evolution throughout it's lifetime. At one point, we had almost 400 users (which I know does not seem like a whole lot, but for us in particular, it is) up until my site's server crashed and was eliminated from the planet, thus putting the RPG on hiatus for about one year before I found a much more competent server and got it started up again. At this point, we have about 150 users, about 50 of them active, but the thing is, I want that number to increase. That is the root of the first problem. I want to know how to advertise and reach an audience that might possibly be potential roleplayers. If you own a forum based RPG and have had successful ad campaigns in the past, I would more than love to hear about it. I recently tried merchandising as a way of advertisement and have had some small success with that. Whatever the case, more users still equals more fun, at least that's the conclusion I have come to.

The second problem lies with this. Much of the userbase seems to be posting more out-of-character rather than in-character, and it's because of this that I believe new users who come to the RPG get bored with it after discovering there's relatively low IC activity.Therefore, I would like to find out ways to increase in-character activity in the forums, which in turn may keep the forum more active and give new users a reason to stay. After all, people join ROLEPLAYING forums to ROLEPLAY in, and when people are not doing that, well, there's not really any reason for new users to get excited about it, wouldn't you agree? The RPG is partially modded by staff members and partially modded by users as well (in terms of events that happen IC and whatnot, mods control supernatural and extreme events, users get to control small minor, insignificant ones. I know it's not well defined, but...If you want a more detailed explanation, I can provide you with one if you want.)

Anyway, some thoughts and suggestions would be nice. I would appreciate any kind of feedback.

[Frank Tarcikowski]

Hi there,

My experience with forum RPGs unfortunately equals yours, both with games limited to a smaller group of participants and focussed on some kind of plot, and also those with lots of users where the forum threads are the "places" of the world. They just die out at some point. At least all that I have known did. I have some ideas as to why that is so, but as that is not your question, I'll keep them to myself. Instead, I would like to hear a little more about your forum game. Specifically, what are the rules like? What is moderation / game mastering like? What kind of stories evolve from the game? What do you think is particularly great about this kind of forum based role-playing, as opposed to table-top role-playing?

- Frank

[zoom]

Hi Xian

I've played lots of Forum based RPG's in my time and I have seen what works and what doesn't. Here's some pointers....

1. Try to ensure you lay down some ground rules before letting people role play on your forum. Basic rules like, if you attack another player, your attack does nothing unless the other player acknowledges it. This might seem like a bit of s stupid rule at first but it promotes role playing and at the same time does not turn your brand new forum topic RPG campaign into a flame pit.

2. Inisist that rather than players talking about what there characters do, they have to refer to them in 3rd person.... This makes the thread run more smoothly and gives players a good standing point to "big up" their characters. Let me try to show you how this works...

A  normal rpg post might look like this...

"Right, my character wants to kick the orc in the head with his iron clad boot. I wanna jump up and use the wall as momentum and then leap down with a crushing blow... yeah!!"

Where as if you write it as 3rd person, it sounds far better...

"Odel squared the huge bulking figure of the Orc officer up and down. He judged his route and plan bit by bit, running through the actions and route he would take in his mind. Suddenly he lept into action. With great bounds he ran towards the wall at the Orcs right side and ran up it, sending flakes of stone as his iron clad boots climbed further up the stone, with his heel stretched outward Odel span off the side of the wall and brought his foot hard down on the Orcs head..... ect ect ect"

3. If people do want to talk out of character make them do it by posting a OOC prompt first and also try to create a seperate topic for people to talk out of character, this ensures that the main thread does not lose flow and is easy to read for those catching up on the story.

4. Get a Gimmick. The number one thing that attracted me to the RPG's I played out of the many I saw was that the game had a gimmick or idea that nobody else had. Without offence to your forum, I have seen hundreds of fantasy based RPG forums that all have very similiar stories. Try to come up with something people will want to try out. Something unique that will draw them in and that won't be being done elsewhere.

5. MOST importantly ensure that all games have a GM, who posts on a regular basis. He should be constantly making the story flow and should not be afraid to step back when the players are posting interactions between each other. I have seen some RPG forums where there are no GM's and just a basic "gladiator arena" type of play and it just doesn't work without the right rules.

As regards getting more people to play, well that will come naturally if you have a longstanding smoothly run rpg thread. People want to read a story to get an idea of what they could play, not a bunch of posts shouting at each other and saying how great they are (not saying your forum is like that by the way... just picking up on what I have seen before). Try joining a RPG ring, people do use them and if they stumble upon your site and find it easy to read and good role playing goin on, they might want to join.

Hope this helps

zoom

[Ron Edwards]

I'd like to know more about an actual experience of playing at your forum. I don't mean describing it favorably in some kind of advertising way, but rather an experience of yours which indicates, to you, what may not be working well. Saying "we don't have enough sustained users" isn't telling me anything; I'd like to know what you did or experienced on-line which says, to you, "Hey, this just isn't what I want to be doing."

Best, Ron

[Christian Liberg]

I agree with zoom, there needs to be a gimmick, something that puts your game aside from most others.

I once played in a vastly succesful game, with a very established system, but the storytellers's kept twisting what happened in the game, causing several outburst of laughter, and cries of despair around the world, in front of peoples computers. This included a large fierce demon, who loved to play with pokemon cards. There was nothing funny about him though, it was simply just something he did.

The fact that you once had 400 players, sound as if you had a good base then. Did the players still do alot of OOC back then? or is that something new?

Chris

[Xian Saga]

Hay guise.

Okay, so, we have a reference guide here which details our rules and whatnot pretty thoroughly if you want to take a look.It has stuff like plot points, roleplaying guidelines, stat systems and everything. An example of a typical mod made quest can be found here and user quests can be along the same sort of lines so long as they do not use supernatural or extreme events (and they don't get EXP or SP either).

Your suggestions thusfar are very insightful. I thank you for it.

[zoom]

Hi Xian

I had a good look at your forum and I've got a few good points and bad points to mention.

First of all let me start by saying that the forum and it's rules are rich in content. If I was to start Role Playing on your forum I would have no problems imagining my character walking through a world with real living cities and a history to match. You can immediately tell from reading that the forum has been play tested over and over again and improvements have been made.

This however leads me onto my main bad point. Because it has all been play tested and because you have made changes as and when the game has needed it, it is a little too large and daunting for any new players. If I have 10 forums to look at and I wanted to play a Fantasy Based RPG I would look at yours and all the information you have and I would immediately find it all too much to take in.

What I do admire is that the players you do have are commited and for lack of a better term "hardcore". They know what they like and they love your gaming system. Their knowledge of the gaming system is also apparent and again this could cause you problems if you are trying to attract new people.

I do think that your GM's however need to be more descriptive in what they do. There is as you say too much out of character comments and I think that if your GM's tried to change the style in which you write it will become far more interesting for everybody involved. The first 6 posts of your forum you have put a link to are about two females walking through a bamboo forest. All the dialogue between them can be said in a far more attractive way if the posts were a little more imaganitive .

For example

Neia - ::Neia walks through the bamboo stoping here and there to look at its beauty::
Mia- "Neia where are we going?" Follows Neia wondering what they are doing here.
Neia - ::looks at Mia::" I dunno I just felt like walking here today..But I didnt want to go alone, Sooooo... I draged you along with me"
Mia - "I guess thats a good enough reason." Smiles at Neia.

Now this just looks uninteresting to me as a new person to your forum..... so lets change it a little.

Neia - Neia's hand stretched out and stroked the leaves of the bamboo shoots as she wandered almost in a daze through the forest. The light of the sun caught her hair like the early morning dawn and she was happy to be away from the din of battle and politics.

Mia - Mia walked a little way behind Neia and whilst alert of signs of danger she too was glad to be taking time away from the concerns of the others. She looked over to Neia "Where are going?"

Neia - Neia looked back with the look of totall peacefulness on her face. She smiled and responded "I dunno I just felt like walking here today..But I didnt want to go alone, Sooooo... I draged you along with me"

Mia - Mia laughed at the response and equally amused  "I guess thats a good enough reason."

Now this might look a bit more long winded but the story flows much more and any new people wanting to join the forum get  a better idea of the role play involved in the story.

Try to be less formal in the games and you will find that whilst rules exist you need to be creative in how the game is played otherwise you might as well play forum based board games...lol :-)

I still however think that your forum is not going to get the sort of numbers you did have unless you are presenting something that isn't done elsewhere. Your world may be rich in content but so are 20 or so other forum based rpg's out there, you have to have something that will draw them in. Have the star ship enterprise crash into the planet and suddenly technology is available or something like that :-)

I wish you all the luck Xian and I applaud you and your players for all the hard work you have put into the forum.

Thanks

Zoom

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Xian Saga, this thread will be closed unless you provide the information I asked for in my previous post. Here it is again:

an experience of yours which indicates, to you, what may not be working well. Saying "we don't have enough sustained users" isn't telling me anything; I'd like to know what you did or experienced on-line which says, to you, "Hey, this just isn't what I want to be doing."

Everyone else, do not post to the thread again until XS has done this. You are being forced to guess what he or she needs, rather than addressing it.

It's great that you're helping and giving feedback about the site, but that conversation can be taken to email or any other means away from the Forge.

Best, Ron