PDA

View Full Version : Tools for PnP RPGs online? Heeeaaaalp!



Weimann
2010-02-11, 07:07 PM
Agents are... GO!

No seriously now.

My problem is thus. I have an urge to role-play, but I have neither time nor connections to drum up a group. I study law, which requires a fair deal of dedicated time, and I'm therefore looking for some way to play a medium-length session once (or maybe twice) a week, without all the hassle around it. The net would be a perfect medium; switch on, game, switch off. Planned and orderly, and executed all from my own desk. Great.

So why not PbP, you ask? I have tried it, I have not been satisfied. It's not my manner of beast. Admittedly, it's the perfect time management. You need 10 minutes a day to compose a post, and it's utterly up to you when. It's just that 10 minutes a day makes for a very diluted experience. I have a hard time keeping my interest up. It just doesn't do it for me.

So what I want is a way to play in session-format, but with a simple and set time schedule. Naturally, this can be done over MSN or similar, but I've understood that there are dedicated programs for it, with abilities to render maps over areas and handle dice rolls. I know of MapTools, and what I've seen of it I like, but it's a bit too D&D centric for my taste (then again, I might be wrong and it's great for all systems).

There are surely other venues. In case it matters, I'm looking primarily for Exalted or nWoD games, but can also play D&D 3.5 or 4e (although I don't have that many books available to me for those last ones). I have just recently acquired a new computer (Yesterday! Weee!) running Windows 7. It has pretty good stats, I think (without being an expert).

What options do I have?

Overshee
2010-02-11, 08:04 PM
I like maptools a lot. Never used it online, just as tool to project maps with but it seemed robust.

I don't think it's too DnD centric... there are some more programs, fantasy grounds is one I think, but it's not free.

I'd recommend at least trying out maptools.

Dragoa
2010-02-11, 09:06 PM
Try OpenRPG, has a plug-in feature so you should be able to find your poison there, and has a grid-based map[may or may not work depending on the game, but eh]

Artanis
2010-02-11, 10:40 PM
Anything OpenRPG can do, Maptool can do better.

Well, with the exception that Maptool won't crash so much that your computer tries to commit suicide by setting itself on fire. OpenRPG pretty much has a monopoly on that one.

Gralamin
2010-02-11, 10:54 PM
Anything OpenRPG can do, Maptool can do better.

Well, with the exception that Maptool won't crash so much that your computer tries to commit suicide by setting itself on fire. OpenRPG pretty much has a monopoly on that one.

Maptool still has a load of technical side problems, especially with their initiative and netcode.

Break
2010-02-12, 12:17 AM
Maptool still has a load of technical side problems, especially with their initiative and netcode.

That said, though, it's still probably the best choice for most. I also used Fantasy Grounds for online play. Really clean interface, but it's harder to customize on the fly than MapTool.

And no, MapTool isn't particularly D&D-centric.

Weimann
2010-02-12, 04:32 AM
Thanks for all your input, folks :) It seems MapTools is the most recommended application so far. I had a feeling that'd be the case.
And no, MapTool isn't particularly D&D-centric.Well, I can't say I've used it extensively, but from what I see it's very "square-based" in terms of movement. Can it really properly handle movement that doens't always come in discrete chunks? I'm just asking to get to know :D

Break
2010-02-12, 04:43 AM
Well, I can't say I've used it extensively, but from what I see it's very "square-based" in terms of movement. Can it really properly handle movement that doens't always come in discrete chunks? I'm just asking to get to know :D

You can turn the gridsnap settings off in Preferences, if that's what you're worried about. This'll allow you to move tokens freely without it moving along the grid patterns in discrete units.

Zombimode
2010-02-12, 05:33 AM
Fantasy Grounds II is pretty good. It supports a large variety of systems.
My experience is focused on D&D 3.5 but that worked like a charm.

The drawback is you have to pay for it (once).