Do pictures add anything to the game for people???

does it help them get a visual... or should it be left up to the imagination?

Why do you think the way that you think, please?

There have been a couple threads on the pros and cons of visual aides over in RPG theory. This being actual play, do you have a specific instatnce that you wish to discuss?

I remember the old illustration booklets in TSR modules like Tomb of Horrors; I think they were fairly effective at communicating a mood, or showing what a room looks like. That being said, one of the reasons I dislike miniatures-based games is that they drag people out of their imagination and make them think about the world as a 2d battlemap.

I think pictures are most effective in modern games. d20 Modern, Feng Shui, Spycraft - I've found that all of these benefit from photos of real-world sites and NPCs.

- Kevin Kulp

I find using pictures imensly valuable. When I DM I always have pictures for my NPCs (the important ones anyway). I find that it helps me keep track of the huge cast of NPCs I usually assemble. I spend hours and hours scouring the net for images to use. I have a stockpile of over 1300 images for my D&D campaign alone and a couple hundred for Kayfabe.

When it comes time to create a lot of NPCs or a villain I often look through my image library first. A picture is worth a thousand words and that's 1000 words I don't have to write myself.

I do the same thing with a lot of PCs if I'm particularly vexed on what kind of character I want to play. I will look through my images until I find one that makes me ask "I wonder what that guy is like". Then I'll go from there.

I'd use pictures for everything if I had a lick of artistic ability and could draw them myself.

.Matt G.

Hello,

Jack's right. This topic is far, far too general for Actual Play, and frankly, it's too vague for any forum at the Forge.

AV, please provide us with a real example from actual play, let us know what game you're talking about, and then we can continue.

Until that happens, folks, please don't reply.

Best,
Ron

*please delete*

Hi Pirate',

You're new to the Forge, so let's review a couple of points about posting here.

1. I'm the moderator for the main forums. When I say, "Don't reply," I mean, "Don't reply." We're waiting for AV to clarify this thread's topic, and until then, don't reply.

2. When you post to a thread, you are responding to the whole thing, not just to one person. You can specify to a particular point and to a person, sure, but you're expected to have read the entire thing.

3. If you make a fairly one-on-one inquiry, then send a private message. This would be my recommendation for a post like the one you just made to Matt.

There are a lot of new folks on the Forge recently. I strongly suggest that moderators and old-timers be friendly and firm about the proper etiquette here, and direct people's attention to the guidelines posted at the top of the Site Discussion forum. This site is not a socializing-center or a place to free-associate. Don't post just to be friendly - make sure you're contributing to the integrity of the ideas and topic at hand.

AV, we're waiting on you.

Best,
Ron

My apologies, Ron. I actually looked for a Moderator or Admin tag by your name, didn't see one, and made the wrong assumption.

how do you delete the thread???

Folks ...

Please, never delete the contents of any post. Also, threads and posts are not deleted by moderators.

I repeat: never edit posts to delete their contents. Moderating at the Forge has nothing to do with editing or removing posts. When I say, "No blood no foul," it means, "Leave everything the way it is, just change your behavior for next time.

There's a Forge etiquette sticky for everyone to read so they can understand this site better. Please check it out.

To repeat: everyone - never edit posts to remove their content. This is crucial to the whole purpose of dialogue at the Forge.

Best,
Ron