tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post2372233123776735083..comments2024-03-29T06:16:21.012+08:00Comments on Monsters and Manuals: The Problem of Play-By-PostUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-66436774797519696402016-01-21T14:00:25.924+08:002016-01-21T14:00:25.924+08:00The political dimension can really shine in a Birt...The political dimension can really shine in a Birthright-style game, especially if the players aren't automatically assumed to be friends. For long-form strategy games, I'd almost say play by post is the best way to play. Better than spending eight hours playing some sort of absurd war-game, and also better than binge-playing some kind of strategy video game.<br /><br />I run a sort of strategy game distantly derived from the old Birthright rules, and I think there's a sort of magic to only processing turns every week of two. It's like how you're supposed to wait a day before reading each chapter of The Watchmen. People have time to plot and wonder and interact.<br /><br />I think trying to play by post with d&d is a) using a fundamentally ill-suited rules set for that medium, and b) using a fundamentally ill-suited medium for that kind of game. It's putting shoes on your hands and gloves on your feet.Pity Crithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07888455956188882829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-16315004257943359582016-01-12T10:15:15.654+08:002016-01-12T10:15:15.654+08:00I remember looking at old copies of Dragon Magazin...I remember looking at old copies of Dragon Magazine, and seeing ads for StarWeb which was a play by mail game that kept popping up in the 60's, others tried to restore it in the 70's but it never seemed to have the same following, groups would play for a few months and then would suddenly die. <br /><br />It is an interesting time for the hobby, and one that isn't generally well known. The funny thing is that now that we can play games like War of Empires and StarWeb for free, the desire to play them are considerably less.RipperXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506064393275174920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-26746076548763381662016-01-12T05:21:57.295+08:002016-01-12T05:21:57.295+08:00Yep. The problem is that if you're running a &...Yep. The problem is that if you're running a "normal" RPG it always just feels like a poor man's version of real-time gaming.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-81358593778137209392016-01-12T03:34:19.465+08:002016-01-12T03:34:19.465+08:00Personally, I find it depends more on the system a...Personally, I find it depends more on the system and (in combination) how much latitude is given to the person (GM) running the game. A system like the old Story Engine works well with PBP/PBEM works well, because 1) conflict is resolved on a scene-by-scene basis (instead of task-by-task), and 2) outcomes of scene resolutions are narrated by a single party (the GM) rather than negotiated (as is the case with similar systems). With D&D (and similar systems) the more players involved, the faster the system breaks down, in my experience...but even with few (or single) players, the game usually proves unsatisfying. At least, if one has any experience with real time participation.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.com