Chat Room Gaming the Riddle

[Judd]

As my gaming buddies become more and more scattered around the globe we have begun to look into ways to continue gaming together.

I've downloaded the free software off of WebRPG.com and their dice rolling customization allows for dice pools with target #'s, perfect for the Riddle.

It would be nifty to have a game entirely as a textual event, happening in real time.  The back and forth pre-game stuff could be forum based but after that the actual game would be chat.

Has anyone done this?  How was it different from tabletop?  What concers were there to think about?

Feedback appreciated.

[Lance D. Allen]

I can't imagine doing serious roleplaying (as opposed to interactive story-writing) in forum. I'm even less capable of imagining a game as dynamic as Riddle being played in forum..

But then, I've never been able to get my head around PBeM, either, and that doesn't stop hundreds of people doing it.

I do not know WebRPG, but I believe that it is similar in function to OpenRPG, which, as I've mentioned, at least a few of us have used to run TRoS duels on several occasions. Once I've got something resembling a clear schedule, I wouldn't mind trying a game of TRoS in OpenRPG.

[Judd]

It isn't a forum format.  It is a chat, like instant mail with dice and mapping capabilities.

[Lance D. Allen]

I realize this.

My comment was directed more toward the bit about doing the prelim stuff in forum.. I was essentially agreeing with you. It was also partially directed at the group who is trying to get a game going on RPOL, which is a forum-based roleplaying website. I'm not saying forum-based RP is bad.. I just can't get my head around the concept. When it comes to RP online, give me realtime chat anyday.

As I said though, Web-RPG is a relative of OpenRPG. I believe someone once told me that Web-RPG was developed by some of the same people who later went on to develop OpenRPG. This is hearsay, and could in fact be misremembered, so don't quote me on it.

[Judd]

I realize this.

No disrespect meant, Mr. Wolfen (like in Pulp Fiction).

I don't get Forum play either.

[Mikaboshi]

Wolfen there are plenty of advantages of a forum based game. the biggest one is time constraints, if you want a game with people from all over the world there will be horrible time differences and then there is people lives to take into account, different players can be free different nights. the advantage to a forum game is that as long as someone does at least one post a day or every second day the game will still progress and people from vastly different times will get to play together.

sure it wont be as fast as a game around the table or a chat based game but another advantage that i like is the textual format. players have a bit more time to think about what their characters would do as opposed to what they would do. when you are all sitting around a table you dont want to wait 5 minutes so your friend can decide how his character would act under a situation so the players reacts as fast as possible and sometimes will react how he would have and not the character.

so with the extra time players have to make their posts they can add well thought out decisions and descriptive writings to the game which is very nice and helps the other players to role play better as well.

[Judd]

Okay, let's save the forum debate for another thread, please.

I was curious about chat room play, particularly with the Riddle but possibly with any system that could aid someone who would run the Riddle in the chat rooms that WebRPG offers at their site.  Their site has dice rolling programs that allow for pools to be rolled quickly with target #'s to boot.  TROS could be played there rather painlessly.

Thanks.