I've done a bit of play-by-post and play-by-email in my time, but I've never been very satisfied by it. The burden it places on interaction between the DM and the players is simply too heavy: as I put it in a G+ post recently, in a face-to-face game the simplest tasks (a player asking a DM for clarification; a DM asking a player to quickly roll a d6; scrawling a quick map to show where everybody is at a given moment in time) can take not seconds as they should, but days. This has the effect of making all such tasks so idiotically time consuming in comparison to their pay-off that you're simply better off not doing them. (Play by chat, on the other hand, is just about do-able, although I suppose there's not much market for that any more now that Google hangouts exist.)
For this reason I very much doubt I'll either run or play in such a game again, if the attempt is to emulate what goes on in a 'real life' game.
Nonetheless, I do think that there is a space for play-by-post games in specific contexts. A one-on-one game is such an example, where the player and DM can just interact as normal without having to worry about the fact that everything is taking ages longer than it should.
Microscope is another option, and a play-by-post game might be where that game could really shine the most: each player would have the space to get as creative as they like, and a blog or wiki would be an easy way to keep track of everything that had taken place.
However, my thoughts turn most towards domain management games - particularly ACK and Birthright. I never had much of a chance to play or run Birthright back in the day, but it strikes me that it would be exceedingly easy to run as a PBP game, assuming that the PCs start off as minor regents, each with their own small domain. The way I envision it, at least, this game would run something along the lines of a turn-based version of the Paradox Interactive games like Crusader Kings or Europa Universalis II. Each domain turn the players would decide on what they wanted to do and send it privately to the DM, and the DM would do the necessary. Then, as and when was required, the action could "zoom in" on and individual PCs could go off on adventures one-on-one with the DM in separate threads, or in groups. Or, fuck it, you could just do the adventuring bits as weekly hangouts and the domain turns in between. Simples.
I'm afraid I have no nostalgia for play by mail games, despite having given Flying Buffalo twenty hard earned dollars once. I think email can work as a supplement, it's great for giving everyone an updated map or paying off on the "IOU 1 t-map" post-its you gave out late at night. Unlike during play time, it gets people to actually look at handouts for clues. You can bookkeep by mail, but I don't think you can play outside of that rather sad "play chess by mail" way.
ReplyDeleteTalking to one of my co-workers about such things has revitalized my on-again, off-again contemplation of a Birthright play-by-post or PBEM. I'll probably never get around to it, though.
ReplyDeleteI have always liked the idea of a naturally growing backstory to the world wherein the adventure takes place. It always seemed like a great idea to have someone play it out, maybe using a slower media like you describe.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I'm going to make it happen. The development of 2300AD was done that way, and I like the outcome of that.
Somebody commented on the blog once linking to a group who had set up a campaign world with Microscope and then run games in it through D&D. That could definitely work.
DeleteOne of these days, I plan to run a PbP game of domain management using the Companion Set dominion management rules and war machine. One of these days.
ReplyDeleteYou do realise I'm now going to have to dig out my Companion set now and do a comparison with Birthright and ACKS?
DeleteLook forward to reading it! I quite like the Companion set system, it worked really well for me back in the 90's.
DeleteStill don't have ACKS so can't say how they compare myself. And I've been too lazy to dig into the Birthright stuff, even though I have some of it on .pdf. You could save me lots of trouble! :D
I've been running a PBeM D&D 3rd edition (started as 2nd) since late 1996. Some players have moved on but several have been in from the start. It is a different pace for sure but it does give a chance for characters to grow.
ReplyDeleteI ran a PBEM game for about 3 years, and was a player in another one for about 3 years from I think 2004ish to 2007. That game is still going - I am friends with the DM and check in from time to time. I agree that it allows the chance for characters to grow, but I think it ends up being more interactive fiction than a game - it has to be quite rail-roady by definition. I don't mind that if it's what the players enjoy but I guess it's just not what I'm into any more.
DeleteI've had limited success (on my side of the table more than just player issues) with PbP. It just becomes a "chore" or "routine" instead of an enjoyable "game". Now with that said; I have also run recently some Domain Game level activities in this manner, and while I've had administrative issues on my own part, all in all, they were "do-able". I do recommend at least in some initial playtesting, that you keep it to One on One action. It is just that many less people involved to potentially delay "turns". Birthright would be a great example. ACKS related games (which is what I ran by any by). Anyhow, I digress. Good article. What posting style I HAVE had good success on, in particular in a g+ atmosphere is "inter-session" posting of doing "class-centric" activities. It has really broadened the attachment of the player to the setting from my recent experiences. In effect, they are playing by post, but ONLY for inter-session personal activities. And only posting once, and it is limited in overall "amount" of post involved.
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