EPTFirst up! my thoughts on the differences between running a tabletop game over the net and running it in person. How this changes the way the game is played, and what I've seen come of it.
The first big thing that really hit me when I came to running games over the net is that when you're using a program like roll20.net, or some other virtual tabletop you have to know the way to use the program. This sort of thing is never a problem on a real table, as, well, it's a table, you've got representation of a grid and some models and you're pretty much good to go! This doesn't take too long however and if you're a DM/GM who wants to get things done, you will. It's a few tutorials, some instructions, and you're probably in a good place.
The second biggest thing that hit me were the differences between available players, and people who are interested. Of course this only makes sense. The internet is a big place, where physical distance can't get in the way of your experiences together. This of course, means that instead of co-opting your group of 4-5 friends into trying out some Dungeons and Dragons with you you can easily come by several folks who are just as interested in your game as you are. This was a big deal for me, as many of my previous sessions, and previous campaigns, fell apart due to disinterest of scheduling conflict with those around me in my "Real life". Online this has yet to be a problem, people are just as interested in making it work as you are!
One of the drawbacks that I've found versus playing at a real table however, is that conflicts can be a little more heated. It's very much a factor of the anonymous internet thing I feel. Something things are taken out of context, sometimes people just butt heads. That's the way it seems to go. At the moment I'm running two sessions a week with 6 players per session, and that means that some of those people won't necessarily get along. Or perhaps people might not appreciate what I allow the "other group" to do. Or they feel my style doesn't work in a particular situation for some reason. These are the type of things that get brought up all the time. As a GM, most of what I want is to have players enjoy themselves, and these types of conflicts rankle me slightly. The games get played however, and overall I think they go well!
To give you an idea of what I mean by sessions falling apart in person versus over the net. I've had campaigns in person last maybe 5 sessions before it just.. peters out. I'm currently on 16 sessions per two groups online, so, 34 in total. And we've yet to slow down. It's just lovely.
Of course one of the biggest changes is that visceral, rolling the dice type feeling. When you roll a d20 in person, and it comes up with that natural 20, you feel, or at least I feel, just amazing. Online this doesn't work quite as well. Those big numbers cause some excitment, but it doesn't feel so cinematic.
Anyway, for a first rambling post, this is what I've got! Expect more to come, and a lot of it to be tabletop related. The campaigns I've mentioned are mostly Pathfinder, for those who are familiar with the system. Our big finale is coming up soon, and I'll be starting up 2 new ones in the same vein. I'm excited to finally be able to bring a campaign to a full close. To say, "We made it through the entire thing."
For those who are interested, I stream these tabletop adventures at www.twitch.tv/distractedelf and my group uses Roll20.net for our virtual table.
Later~
