Perfect system for PbP

[-Sentinel-]

It's obvious that not all game systems are good for play-by-post gaming. For example, PbP players will always prefer the 2nd edition of WFRP over the 3rd, simply because the 3rd, being halfway between a board game and a narrative game, is hard to play on a forum.

I'm wondering what qualities would have, in theory, a game system meant to be played on message boards. Here are my ideas:


Little or no physical components. Games that require boards, cards, tokens, maps, etc are a lot of trouble in PbP. The players and GM should need but three things: the rulebook, the character sheets and the dice. All three of those things can be found and used online.

Simple, fast-paced combat system. In virtually every RPG you care to name, combat is the most complicated part of the rules. This is why, even when you play in person, a combat can last for hours: lots of choices to make, stats to check, dice to roll, character sheets to edit, etc. In PbP, this is even worse, since not all players can post regularly. Creating a complex system is tempting, but combat in a game made for PbP should be kept simple and most of all fast-paced. If it takes 8 rounds for a knight to kill a goblin, it's a bad system.

Abstract movement and distance. In the spirit of limiting the need for boards and maps, movement and distance do not need to be very precise. For example, a bow can have merely a "Long Range" instead of a "75-yard effective range and 150-yard maximum range". This allows more narrative freedom and also simplifies combat (see above). Let the GM decide how abstract notions translate in terms of rules.


Any other suggestions?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

--A stunt system: Something needs to reward good characterization and good descriptive writing in a game almost entirely run on written work.

[Deathdarken]

It's obvious that not all game systems are good for play-by-post gaming. For example, PbP players will always prefer the 2nd edition of WFRP over the 3rd, simply because the 3rd, being halfway between a board game and a narrative game, is hard to play on a forum.

I'm wondering what qualities would have, in theory, a game system meant to be played on message boards. Here are my ideas:


Little or no physical components. Games that require boards, cards, tokens, maps, etc are a lot of trouble in PbP. The players and GM should need but three things: the rulebook, the character sheets and the dice. All three of those things can be found and used online.

Simple, fast-paced combat system. In virtually every RPG you care to name, combat is the most complicated part of the rules. This is why, even when you play in person, a combat can last for hours: lots of choices to make, stats to check, dice to roll, character sheets to edit, etc. In PbP, this is even worse, since not all players can post regularly. Creating a complex system is tempting, but combat in a game made for PbP should be kept simple and most of all fast-paced. If it takes 8 rounds for a knight to kill a goblin, it's a bad system.

Abstract movement and distance. In the spirit of limiting the need for boards and maps, movement and distance do not need to be very precise. For example, a bow can have merely a "Long Range" instead of a "75-yard effective range and 150-yard maximum range". This allows more narrative freedom and also simplifies combat (see above). Let the GM decide how abstract notions translate in terms of rules.


Any other suggestions?
if you like final fantasy you can always use dusty finalfantasy d6 system, which can be found and viewed on this forum site

[CarpeGuitarrem]

You know, something I've wondered about, and something that I'll be looking into writing up a system for, is that much of what bogs down PbP RPGs is specific character interaction. Conversations, in order not to bog down the flow of play, have to turn into interacting speeches, basically, where you give point-by-point responses to their point-by-point talking. Which doesn't always work, especially when you're trying to have multiple characters interacting.

Playing with a system called FactionRPG (http://www.myth-weavers.com/wiki/index.php/FactionRPG), I've been intrigued by the possibility of playing a game where you control multiple characters on a more abstract scale. That seems really cool to me, and it has lots of possibilities. Factions in a political struggle? Teams of competing Runners? Cells of Hunters with conflicting interests? Bands of adventurers trying to get to the same ancient treasure?

It could be a great fit for PBP gameplay.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

If the fights are large-scale you will want HP to be relatively low, the skill-list to be short, and conditions (dazed, slowed, ongoing damage, ect.) to be simple. You will also want to deflate the numbers (5 HP and 2 damage instead of 50 HP and 20 damage).

[Orzel]

There's this little game my younger cousins ad I created where you stats created your roll based on a formula. All actions were also automatic. Therefore you always knew what would happen if you did nothing.
The key to the game with preparation, time, and equipment. Only with the right supplies, gear, and the time to gather would ever succeed.

That was the hard part.

[Eldan]

Playing with a system called FactionRPG (http://www.myth-weavers.com/wiki/index.php/FactionRPG), I've been intrigued by the possibility of playing a game where you control multiple characters on a more abstract scale. That seems really cool to me, and it has lots of possibilities. Factions in a political struggle? Teams of competing Runners? Cells of Hunters with conflicting interests? Bands of adventurers trying to get to the same ancient treasure?

It could be a great fit for PBP gameplay.

Well, i haven't heard or tried this specific game, but Nation Games are a long-standing tradition on this forum. Specifically, everyone plays an entire nation in a global (interplanetary, continental, and so on, depending on the era) struggle. Important characters are still played, i.e. ministers, emperors and so on. Works much better, since most talking is done in press releases, speeches and private PMs. Political factions and smaller scale games have also been done.

[YPU]

The FATE system, especially the newest edition used in the dresden files RPG is perfect of forum games.
Damage tracks are somewhere between 2 and 4 boxes,
Character sheets Mainly consist of tag-lines as those give you your bonuses.

It encourages players to perform cool actions and get rewarded for it.

there is also a mechanic for allowing players minor control over the environment, so instead of waiting for the GM to respond to your question if there is a chandelier to swing from, you can just say there is one.

The maps are very simplistic, perhaps 3 or 4 squares each with one or two words in it, thats it.

And it freaking awesome, but that's my opinion I suppose.

[Dust]

if you like final fantasy you can always use dusty finalfantasy d6 system, which can be found and viewed on this forum site
Such a blatant plug, though I'll agree that it's been used to some success, primarily due to fast combats that don't require maps.

If you ask me, though - and hey, YOU DID! - one of the few perks that pbp has over 'real-time' gaming is the time you can spend pondering a situation before responding to it. Characters never seem to struggle to find the words for heroic speeches, and pulp-detective games run rather more smoothly. Therefore, I submit:

-- Investigative Elements

[Orzel]

Such a blatant plug, though I'll agree that it's been used to some success, primarily due to fast combats that don't require maps.

If you ask me, though - and hey, YOU DID! - one of the few perks that pbp has over 'real-time' gaming is the time you can spend pondering a situation before responding to it. Characters never seem to struggle to find the words for heroic speeches, and pulp-detective games run rather more smoothly. Therefore, I submit:

-- Investigative Elements


I would even expand that and add:
---Preparation Elements

Because thing that usually get fast forwarded through like gathering materials and crafting items can be cranked up and made more complex because time is a more passive factor in pbp. Shrinking the variable elements and putting more focus on investigation, travel, and preparation would be a distinguishing element of pbp.

[Thieves]

Then again, what distinguishes "Preparation Elements" from "Head-On Chinatown Action" is that for a lot of people they would be not really interesting and sometimes redundant.

Haven't taken a deeper look into it yet, but Mouseguard seems appropriately vague for a PbP. You do not resolve singular attacks or defences, but roll against "Can I take down these guys by doing A, B, C and D?". However it works, I think success rates (not just a to-hit DC) would be much more prevalent and would determine how you have to describe what you do.

[-Sentinel-]

Well, i haven't heard or tried this specific game, but Nation Games are a long-standing tradition on this forum. Specifically, everyone plays an entire nation in a global (interplanetary, continental, and so on, depending on the era) struggle. Important characters are still played, i.e. ministers, emperors and so on. Works much better, since most talking is done in press releases, speeches and private PMs. Political factions and smaller scale games have also been done.

Oh, interesting. Are there well-known game systems in this category, or are they usually homebrewed?

[Eldan]

Homebrewed, usually. I've made a few attempts at system brewing for this myself. Your best bet would be Total War, which has grown quite large on here, then got it's own forum, which is just called Total War forum.