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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Sep 2002 : 09:04:33
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ok, someone twisted my arm  I'll tell a bit more about the subject.
The best way to learn more about Play by e-Mail (PbeM) is to join a game as a lurker, and observe. That said, I'll try to explain a bit more.
A PbeM game is not fundamentally different from a table-top game. All the same elements are there: DM, players, a story and good fun.
The game follows the same base format using turns and rounds. A turn or round starts with a mail from the DM. This can be a very descriptive mail, allowing a good understanding of the situation. And setting a scene for the players to react to.
(I would encourage future PbeM DM's and players to be descriptive. It's an advantage of PbeM vs table-top as the time it takes to do so does not infringe upon the game; it's less fast paced as a table-top game.)
The players react on the DM's post by submitting a descriptive in character e-mail. This can be a direct reaction to the DM's post or a reaction on another character who's player had already reacted on the DM's post.
The DM processes all the e-mails and posts the result including the setting of the next round (again in a descriptive way) Though this might seem like a lot of administrative work, using a milaing list (like Yahoo) makes it relatively simple.
Personally I cut and paste all posts into a document, creating an ongoing story that way. The Twilight Dawn campaign has run for over a year now and has generated over 300 pages (letter-size) of text. And that's only three days of in-game time. But, as a side note, the story goes into detail with lots of character-character interaction.
That last comment brings me to te advantages and disadvantages of the PbeM. I'll list the ones I can think of at this moment.
Disadvantages:
- Time, as opposed to a table-top game, a PbeM game takes time. Depending on the availability of the members of the gaming group, I would say that on average a round takes a week of real-time posting. Some groups manage to go faster and can produce two rounds a week. It depends on the size of the group and again the availability of the memembers.
- I can't really think of any others at this moment...
Advantages:
- Greater ability for the DM and players to enhance the game with detailed descriptions. No need for impromptu on the spot actions from the player that might not reflect the real character's actions. There is ample time (from the player's and DM's perspective) to review the situation and to create a good action/reaction for the characters/NPC's.
- More roleplaying. The nature of the game allows for an almost pure roleplaying game. It is very story-driven and allows for a type of game that resembles an interactive novel.
- Ability to have characters leave the main group for a while and 'adventure on their own'. In a table-top game this can be frustrating, the DM can't split himslef/herself to devote the attention simultaneously. The time-delay in the PbeM allows for such sidesteps and adds a level roleplaying freedom to the game.
Anyone interested on lurking on the Twilight Dawn game can send an e-mail to: TwilightDawn-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2002 : 08:52:57
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quote:
Originally posted by kahonen
How does combat work in your PBEM, Mumadar?
In a more or less simplified way:
The DM sets the scene in a post and asks the player to post their intentions, preferrably as described as possible. And, not necessarily with an indication of the follow-up action.
The DM rolls initiative and then works out the combat sequence behind the scenes. He posts the round describing the combat that takes place based on the player's submissions and the reactions of the opponents and ends the post with setting the scene for the next round.
This process repeats untill the encounter is over. |
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kahonen
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
358 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2002 : 10:17:31
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Are you saying that the DM rolls all of the dice or do players include their dice rolls as part of their post.  |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2002 : 10:24:41
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In the games I'm playing and the one I'm DM-ing, the DM rolls the dice. And I even use an excel spreadsheet for that. The 'dice' are just a tool to determine the result.
Not rolling the dice is not missed in the game, it only enhances the feel of the game IMO. |
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kahonen
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
358 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2002 : 12:15:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Not rolling the dice is not missed in the game, it only enhances the feel of the game IMO.
I can understand that. Dice are a game mechanism and nothing else - anything done to reduce the amount o dice rolling during a game is good news as far as I'm concerned. This is one of the reasons I produce DM software tools which allow me to get rid of a lot of dice rolling during the session.
I normally have my players roll multiple D20s before a session starts. I make a list of these and use them for saving throws in the order they were rolled as the session progresses. This means that if the party encounters a new creature they don't know they're making a saving throw unless they fail it and feel the effects. My players prefer to throw dice in combat but prefer my method of doing saving throws.
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 02 Oct 2002 : 12:38:20
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| If you're interested I can send you a copy of the spreadsheet. It contains also random name generators for Calimshan, Western Heartlands, Tethyr and Dwarves. |
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DragonTouched
Acolyte
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - 03 Oct 2002 : 07:06:48
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| Thanks for the info! |
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Ditalidas
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
127 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2002 : 12:01:56
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As a player of Tilight Dawn I can say that playing by E-mail is much fun. For the first time in my roleplaying career I can give the depth to my character I always wanted. I can play subtilities that would go lost at a table top game.
On the other hand Pbem can be really frustrating. When something is about to happen and you feel it coming you'll have to wait almost a week before you know what follows and then again a week for the post after that. Although that's frustrating it also adds to the excitement. I can go for weeks trying to figure out what is to happen and why that what is happening is happening. (you still follow me there? )
A large disadvantage I think is that my character did something yesterday and would probably not forget what she did yesterday... or said. But I wrote de post half a year ago. I might forget what I made Ditalidas say. Like what Mumadar said, the document is 300 pages big, my personal is already 140 (or something like it) and finding that one sentence you think you ever posted is not easy.
But that won't stop me from loving the game. I played tabletop with Mumadar and believe he is more a DM of Pbem than tabletop.
I would really advise you to Lurk and if you love it, just submit a character and you'll never now when there's room in the game and you can hop in. Besides there are hundreds (maybe eventhousands) of games running... choose your pick
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'All that is' is also 'All that is not' for the one cannot exist without the other.
Sweet Water and Light Laughter |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2002 : 12:06:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Ditalidas
But that won't stop me from loving the game. I played tabletop with Mumadar and believe he is more a DM of Pbem than tabletop.
Hmmm... do I read that as a compliment...? |
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Ditalidas
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
127 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2002 : 12:09:46
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Sure you do! You are a wonderful DM! I couldn't wish for a better one!
(and I actually mean that... that is the terrible part of it I guess) |
'All that is' is also 'All that is not' for the one cannot exist without the other.
Sweet Water and Light Laughter |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2002 : 15:13:15
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Though not exactly related to PbeM, I came across the following item:
quote:
Setting Sun Games is ready for PRIME TIME!
Setting Sun Games www.settingsungames.com is an online message board system designed for the express purpose of playing on-line roleplaying games. Anyone interested in starting a message board game can sign up. All games and all players are welcome.
The site was designed to be self-sufficient, with minimal maintenance from your system operators, and to be game "independent", so you can run any game you want.
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Edited by - Mumadar Ibn Huzal on 09 Oct 2002 15:15:03 |
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Frey
Learned Scribe
130 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2002 : 19:24:19
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Disadvantages:
...
- I can't really think of any others at this moment...
other advantages (imHo):
- one can play with a worldwide group (and therefor e-meet new people/players)
- each player can play in his/her own way, which includes choosing when to play your bit (what day of the week, what hour of that day)
- can do it at home
- a bigger party can be split up (temporarily), making several simultanious threads possible (and interesting gameplay) en re-meet again later
- especially for newbies like myself: I can deliberate with others (especially the DM) while playing, no-one has to notice this but it improves things sometimes
- time to consider and reconsider
- time to lookup things (like using a map, the Campaign Settings, PHB and -for us non-english- dictionaries)
- exitement (as Ditalidas stated)
other disadvantages (...)
- every advantage has it's disadvantage (to qoute a Dutch famous ex-soccer-player). One can't see the non-poker-faces of other players, you possibly won't even meet them. There's no need to do yourbit today... and so on, just be imaginative 
really it is great fun and the combined effort brings forward a nice story.
I think our DM should 'publish' his result of cutting and pasting to us do *you* do that in your game?
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2B perfectly honest ... haven't even played tabletop ... yet |
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Ditalidas
Learned Scribe
Netherlands
127 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2002 : 12:32:41
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Thank you for this add-on Frey. I totally agree with you.
I was wondering if there are still questions from other members of this forum about this topic. Here you have the oppertunity to ask them.
I'll be glad to answer all your questions regarding this subject (as far as I have the answers of course) And I'm sure that Mumadar will too.
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'All that is' is also 'All that is not' for the one cannot exist without the other.
Sweet Water and Light Laughter |
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Frey
Learned Scribe
130 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2002 : 20:48:58
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One picture tells you more than a thousand wordsWell it's a saying somewhere. My favorite addition to that is 'and probably costs as much storage as tenthousand'.
What I'm aiming at is this: to understand PBeM one should just follow the development of a story for some time (at least a few weeks?) to comprohent the idea, the rythm and the (lack of?) wealth in it.
And the slow speed, the imagination needed to picture the (N)PC's and so on.
I did the above and was addicted at once.
I think Mumadar Ibn Huzal will be kind enough to show you some addresses to watch a play being played.
... if not I can think of another
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- Imagine ... there's no imagination. -
(remember Frey is just a PC) |
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Darwin Tenderfoot
Seeker
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - 14 Oct 2002 : 02:16:13
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Can someone please be so kind as to tell me how I can get involved with this. My family wont play anymore. This game is very fun. Thank you.
Darwin
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 14 Oct 2002 : 07:37:04
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A good start can be found on yahoo!:
http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Games/Role_Playing_Games/Individual_Games/Dungeons_and_Dragons/Forgotten_Realms?show_groups=1
Last time I checked there were well over 300 groups. Not all of these are PbeM groups, but most are. The groups typically have a summary what the game is about. Pick one you like and ask the DM if you can lurk. Not all games are looking for players, but there is allways some turnover and positions will open. Make known to the DM that you'd like to join as a player and he'll put you on a waiting list, if not immediately in the game.
I would still advise to lurk in a game before actively joining. This way one gets a feeling of the flow of the game and how the group is interacting wiith eachother. |
Edited by - Mumadar Ibn Huzal on 14 Oct 2002 07:38:21 |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 13 Nov 2002 : 12:09:50
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DM's advice in Running the Realms (specific topis: PbeM)
From the DM's List on Yahoo! groups:
[Old]
Do you have any advice on running pbems - keeping players (I know that seems to be a big problem for many pbems), adventure pacing, handling combat, PC-NPC interaction/conversations, etc. - or DMing in general? Lacking that, any new and interesting sites are always welcome.
[Mumadar - New]
In regards to keeping players in the game, that’s a tough point and not easy to answer. I have close to two years of PbeM experience, and have seen people go for various reasons.
One category is The Newcomers, those completely new to the type of game (PbeM). They don’t always know what to expect and can be disappointed in the speed at which a PbeM tends to flow. Also the nature of the game can be a point for those people to leave. Someone looking for an experience similar to a table top game (which IMO involves more combat and dice-rolling then role playing), they like the ‘hectic’ which sometimes occurs at the table, and which is difficult to emulate in a PbeM. This is a category of people that will be hard to keep interested in a PbeM. Providing information upfront about what to expect makes it easier for them to decide whether or not it is their cup-a-tea.
Another category is Real Life constraints. Once a person is hooked on PbeM, he will most likely stay. Things that can discourage this type of player are generally Real Life issues; moving, workload, marriage, etc. Difficult to deal with, the game is after all a past-time and other things in life take priority. Sometimes reducing the frequency of the posts can keep such a player in the game. It can happen that the constraint will go away, keeping the option open to return to the game, makes it less difficult for people to commit to a game.
I recently had a player return to the game after almost a year of absence. He was thrilled to re-join, and I have shown the others that I’m willing to accommodate that, making it a little easier to keep players.
The general advice I can give to keep departing players from ruining the game is to make the story character independent. Sure, side-plots etc. keep the characters on a personal level involved, but the main storyline should be independent of specific characters.
Adventure pacing... Hmmm... I tend, as ex-pilots are wont to say, to fly by the seat of my pants. The type of game I run is very interactive, reactions of PCs on situations often spark small side-threads which weave around the main story giving the whole thing a personal feel for the player. I have a general storyline in mind, but that is only a very rough draft. Only one or two steps ahead of the players I have things detailed a bit more. This allows me to give the group as a whole as much freedom as possible, with only subtle and minor ‘guidance’ from the DM.
When it comes down to combat, I keep a stricter regime when it comes down to time elapsing in posts and the number of posts I expect from the players. Typically I’ll ask them to post their actions and provide me with some guidance if their intended action doesn’t go through. The posts are 1-round time increments, i.e. roughly six seconds. Writing an elaborate battle plan on how to strike the enemy in one round won’t do. But telling me how to follow up if a strike should miss is a valid and welcome addition. All dice rolling is done by me (or my computer to be more precise) including initiative. I use initiative rolls very round, and don’t inform the players of what their initiative is. The provide me the post and I’ll cut and paste the action in the initiative sequence.
As my games tend to involve a lot of role playing, there are numerous PC – NPC interactions. I keep a list of NPCs and their behavior. At the start these NPCs are not very detailed, but they grow over time and become fixtures in the game. Any kind of reactions/relations possible in real life, I try to offer as well for the PCs. Romance, strife, business, etc. |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 18 Nov 2002 : 13:50:54
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For those who have tried to visit the Twilight Dawn website and found that it was not working: There's a new link in my signature. Though the pages are not yet fully in the right order, most information can be accessed.
Here's the link: http://twilight-dawn.dark-splendors.com
Please have patience, the site is being worked on to run more smoothly. |
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Play by e-Mail
