Message Board Gaming

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Baphnedia
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Message Board Gaming

Post by Baphnedia »

Does anyone already take part in message board gaming by any chance? Before I just thrust my own forum out there to get gamed on or something, I'd like to take a look at a few setups to see what's out there.

Anyhow, were I to start a game, would anyone be interested in playing?
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Post by Vuldari »

...that depends on what you are talking about.

Do you mean like text RP'ing, such as:

*Vuldari walks into room. He is in human form and looks disgrutled*

*smirks at Baphnedia* "So...I hear you are looking for a traveling companion...someone of the "Lycanthric" variety, who could back you up if things get a little...Rough. I might be interested in providing that service...if the price is right."

*nods towards a box of "premium" Black Market duckies on the desk.*

...etc, etc...


...or am I way off?

What exactly IS "Mesage board gaming"? Image
Baphnedia wrote:Does anyone already take part in message board gaming by any chance?
...ummm...I guess I don't, since I don't know what you mean.

I should just sit down and be quiet then hunh? ...sorry...Image
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Post by Vilkacis »

I'm going to assume you're talking about role-playing.

I might be interested in playing, depending. Something like this should be well-organized from the get-go, and the rules clearly laid out from the beginning--lest it degenerate into chaos.

As for message board game set-ups, I have only really observed one, but it seemed to work fairly well:

It was entirely story-based, there were no game-mechanics at all. Essentially, the person in charge set the storyline in motion and played the mysterious character around whom the story was oriented. He also took charge of any non-player characters (some of the important ones were later delegated to other people) and moving the story along, if necessary. Anyone who wanted to join the game was permitted to do so at any time it made sense, without prior character confirmation; however, over-powered characters were looked down upon by everyone. Logic and consistency were the ruling factors, and things were often discussed until a large majority came to agree one way or another. Message board-wise, the game was split into two threads. The primary one was for the in-character role-playing, while the other was dedicated to out-of-character discussion.

If I were to place importance on anything, it would be that last point. Out-of-character discussion should be clearly separated from the in-character play.

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Post by Figarou »

Vuldari wrote:..
*nods towards a box of "premium" Black Market duckies on the desk.*

??


Must get paws on premium Black Market duckies!!

*sneaks by desk and places one under hat* Image
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Post by Baphnedia »

Indeed Vuldari, I was meaning text RP, and it should be completely organized from the get-go. I participated in some games in the past that fell flat on their faces as god-like characters couldn't be kept under control and logic flew out a window.

Some time down the road, I will figure out how to take the dice-bots that I can make in MS Excel and do the same thing in Java/HTML. But that's for the distant future.

I'll look around and post some rules or something in the next few days, since I've had some trouble getting a steady group together in Augusta (thanks to my changing hours). I work on a were-schedule. It changes between phases of the moon.
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Post by Vilkacis »

Baphnedia wrote:Some time down the road, I will figure out how to take the dice-bots that I can make in MS Excel and do the same thing in Java/HTML. But that's for the distant future.
I'm not sure how much functionality you're looking for, but chances are somebody out there has already done a decent one and posted it freely on the Internet.

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Post by Vuldari »

Baphnedia wrote:Indeed Vuldari, I was meaning text RP, and it should be completely organized from the get-go. I participated in some games in the past that fell flat on their faces as god-like characters couldn't be kept under control and logic flew out a window.
A good example of a RP game gone completely out of controll is our own Duckie Madness thread. The trouble with most of these kinds of RP games are that NO ONE is willing to Lose.

Those who begin to loose the game, start saying things like "...ha, HA!!!...you missed me. I had my indestrucatable force field turned on...", or "...the Chaos God I worship has raised me from the dead, more powerful than I was before...Now I have all her godly powers...HA, ha, ha, ha, ha.....", or "...I transported away just before the Atomic bomb hit, so I am just fine, and am in the cockpit of my Super BattleShip now.", ...etc, etc...

...all when no one should have been launching Nukes in the first place...

Rule #1-"Keep it Simple"

Rule #2-...if you loose...be a good sport and surrender.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I was very young, I used to L.A.R.P. games like this with my neighbor freinds, but the game got old fast when I was the only one who would ever go down when hit, because everyone else had "indestructable battle armor", or something of that nature, or if they got blasted at point blanc, they would just keep running, claiming "you missed me...you missed me...".

(I don't neccesarily think that "combat" need be involved. Games like that become sadly short if everyone KILLS each other.) We were just not very creative back then. The game we played back then, we refered to as simply, "GUNS".

Curiously, this was Pre-FPS games, and yet, we had alot of "deathmatch"-like rules (which no one followed but me), including Spawn times=how long you had to lay down after being shot before you can get up and play again...and Spawn points=where you had to start from after you got up again.

..."Capture the Flag"..."King of the Hill"...(classic camp/picnic party games)...but with imaginary and plastic rifles, grenades and rocket launchers.

Oh how I miss those good old days...Image
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I might be interested in playing such a game again (A Text RP,I mean, not LARP deathmatch Image)...providing there are some reasonable rules set down...and people actually follow them.
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Post by Baphnedia »

Aye to that. I used to LARP, but the storyteller and narrators kept a firm grip on the BS. It turned out to be rather good and the game continues without me somewhere in the Northwest.

I've started brainstorming some rules, and stuff. The storyline is probably the easy part. My 60+ hours a week of work is probably the hard part.

As for setting and whatnot, I have something already in mind, though it may be more appropriate for me to run the game on my own website - unless Figarou wants to help run the game or be able to edit out any unecessary profanities or other stuff.

I'm still mulling over control of chararcter inventories (to prevent the super-duper ultra-destructo lasers and invincible armors. I'll edge this campaign far away from combat (as a combat round could literally take days).

So - should I run the game here, or on Paradice Net (where there is some information lurking around about the game world and other stuff)?
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Post by Vilkacis »

Baphnedia wrote:My 60+ hours a week of work is probably the hard part.
I don't know about others, but at the moment I would actually prefer a game that proceeds at a slower pace. Part in due to the particularly brutal workload I have had this quarter.
Baphnedia wrote:unless Figarou wants to help run the game or be able to edit out any unecessary profanities or other stuff.
As long as it's werewolf-based, perhaps he wouldn't mind making a new section for it and setting you up as moderator there.
Baphnedia wrote:I'm still mulling over control of chararcter inventories (to prevent the super-duper ultra-destructo lasers and invincible armors. I'll edge this campaign far away from combat (as a combat round could literally take days).
I'm somewhat more interested in the story than combat, anyway.
Baphnedia wrote:So - should I run the game here, or on Paradice Net (where there is some information lurking around about the game world and other stuff)?
I suppose it would depend. Personally, I couldn't care less either way. But, you might consider that an active thread here is more visible to those who might be interested in joining in or watching. On the other hand, the game might be more stable if we were to round up the initial players and not worry about people joining at random intervals. But that leaves us in a bad position if someone is unable to continue. Either way.

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Post by Figarou »

Vilkacis wrote:
Baphnedia wrote:unless Figarou wants to help run the game or be able to edit out any unecessary profanities or other stuff.
As long as it's werewolf-based, perhaps he wouldn't mind making a new section for it and setting you up as moderator there.

That can be done. But what about the MUCK? I thought that was for roleplaying?


I'm not sure if anyone will use the message board game if no one bothers to use the MUCK. Every time I go in there, its empty. :(
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Post by Vuldari »

Figarou wrote:That can be done. But what about the MUCK? I thought that was for roleplaying?

I'm not sure if anyone will use the message board game if no one bothers to use the MUCK. Every time I go in there, its empty. :(
The MUCK environment/system is foreign to most people here. We just don't know what to do and how to use it.

It remains empty and unused because is is too much trouble to learn how it works (in our minds at least...though it probobly is simpler than we/I think).

Also...I think the MUCK requires at least a few participating members to be online simultaniously, to interact in "real-time" in the text environment...which does not work well here, since we are rarely all here at the same time.

A simpler, slower paced RP like the one Baphnedia is suggesting might be more warmly welcomed and used...since we would be able to post our actions/responses and then let the game remain on hold for minutes or days untill the next participating member can respond, as if they only took seconds to make their move in the game world, versus the indeterminable time it actually took in reality.

There just are not enough members willing, or ABLE to get online simultaniously to make the MUCK work. (...assuming that is how a MUCK works...since I don't really know...I've never "MUCK"ed before.)


...so...ummm...yeah...I think that's all I had to say.
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Post by Figarou »

OIC

So, does the gaming continue as the pages grow, or does it get deleted
and a new roleplaying story begins?

Sorry, I never participated in one.
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Post by Vilkacis »

As a person who was quite familiar with MUDs once upon a time, I can say that this particular MUCK isn't very user-friendly at all--especially to new users. In particular, it wasn't even clear how to make a new account. Really, it's no wonder that it's not used by anyone.

And Vuldari is right: the MUCK is made for real-time communication, which is often inconvenient. A Message Board has the advantage of allowing interation asynchroneously.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean the game will be at all successful.

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Post by Vilkacis »

Figarou wrote:So, does the gaming continue as the pages grow, or does it get deleted and a new roleplaying story begins?
Well, I have limited experience with such things, but I imagine the thread would persist until the game reached a conclusion, if any, and beyond. Even when a new game is started, I don't imagine the old one should be deleted unless there is a problem with space on the server.

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Post by Baphnedia »

Generally the thread will continue to grow.

I have an appropriate setting, and enough storyline to get started... now I'm faced with just a few questions:

Shall we go ahead here, or shall I set things up on my own site? The only major bug on my website is that avatar uploading is a pain, so linking to off-site avatars is about the only way to go at the moment.

Aside from that, it's a much more peaceful corner of the web.
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Post by Vilkacis »

I guess it would be less of a hassle if we just hosted it over at your place. Not a big deal either way, I think.

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Post by Baphnedia »

I'll do it then... I'll be starting up the game sometime closer to the weekend, as I make sure all the rules I've written (and not yet posted) make sense and all that.

So, for all of you who'd like to play, feel free to come on over and join us (I may be posting rules and stuff as early as AFTER I WAKE UP) and get the game going.

See you all there! (easiest way is to follow the link to Paradice Net that appears in my signature...)
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Post by Vilkacis »

Baphnedia wrote:So, for all of you who'd like to play, feel free to come on over and join us
Okay, I just made an account over there (Vilkacis still), but I don't have time just right now to look around.
Baphnedia wrote:(I may be posting rules and stuff as early as AFTER I WAKE UP)
I should hope you don't post them BEFORE you wake up.
:lol:

(Why am I not finishing my homework? *sigh* 11:30pm *grumble, grumble* Stupid 4-page, single-space, 10-pt font, 1-inch margin Ethics paper)

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Post by Figarou »

Vilkacis wrote: (Why am I not finishing my homework? *sigh* 11:30pm *grumble, grumble* Stupid 4-page, single-space, 10-pt font, 1-inch margin Ethics paper)

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Well, turn off your PC, sit at another location, and finish your 4 page Ethics paper. :D
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Post by Vilkacis »

Figarou wrote:Well, turn off your PC, sit at another location, and finish your 4 page Ethics paper. :D
And just how am I supposed to type it with the computer off?
:lol:

Anyway, got 'er done.

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Post by Figarou »

Vilkacis wrote:
Figarou wrote:Well, turn off your PC, sit at another location, and finish your 4 page Ethics paper. :D
And just how am I supposed to type it with the computer off?
:lol:

Anyway, got 'er done.

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Oh!!!


*unplugs internet connection*

There, you can use your PC now. :D
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Post by Vilkacis »

Figarou wrote:*unplugs internet connection*

There, you can use your PC now. :D
*gasp* No Internet!?

But, but, but, but, but....

How am I supposed to find authoritative, scholarly and peer-reviewed sources? (My paper uses 29, by the way)

Certainly not the library! NooooooOoooOoo *eyeroll*
:lol:


Bah. Let me procrastinate in peace.

"Never do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow" --that's what I always say!

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Post by Raina The Werewolf Queen »

I love to role play in chat rooms, Its so muuch more fun and quicker.
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Post by Baphnedia »

It's definitly quicker if everyone is here at the same time. Usually, all the players visit at least once per day, but aside from that, it's really hard to get us together as a group. Hence the board games ensue.
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Post by Searif »

I love text rping, its so... creative :lol:

im currently roleplaying here http://www.gaiaonline.com/index.php

you can find me as searif bogard
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