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Katana_Geldar
2011-03-22, 06:45 PM
So, I just think I lost a player in my PbP that I've been running since August. Not because they're too busy and disappeared from the boards, they just haven't let me know.

I hate to sound vindictive but I think we should start a list of players in the playground who drop out of games without warning.

This is the 5th player casualty.

Surrealistik
2011-03-22, 06:46 PM
So, I just think I lost a player in my PbP that I've been running since August. Not because they're too busy and disappeared from the boards, they just haven't let me know.

I hate to sound vindictive but I think we should start a list of players in the playground who drop out of games without warning.

This is the 5th player casualty.

Only if we compile a list of likewise DMs :P.

Croverus
2011-03-22, 06:49 PM
And as long as that list does not include people who have a reason for dropping the game, or games where everyone seems to lose interest at once. For example, if NONE of the players try moving things along by roleplaying with eachother without the DM prodding them every round its not entirely the DMs fault. Though eventually the DM should prod them along...

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-22, 07:02 PM
Only if we compile a list of likewise DMs :P.

Not a bad idea, as I've been proddign a game as a player and there's only so much i can do.

And I'm only talking about players who drop out if the game without warning but the game goes on. Games that die in the water through everyone going out are different.

Pink
2011-03-22, 07:13 PM
But who is to keep the accuracy of the list, to prevent players who left sufficient notice that they'd be dropping from a game, but got posted to the list anyway by a peeved DM? Is it to be a one strike and you're out, or a record of how many times? Are records to be kept for all time?

While this sounds an interesting idea, and perhaps a useful idea for pbp purposes, it doesn't sound like a good idea. Just an imo though.

Edit: Course, goodness knows I'm hardly innocent from this horrible crime :smalltongue:

Morph Bark
2011-03-22, 07:22 PM
While this sounds an interesting idea, and perhaps a useful idea for pbp purposes, it doesn't sound like a good idea. Just an imo though.

Edit: Course, goodness knows I'm hardly innocent from this horrible crime :smalltongue:

Said thread could also have tips up in it to help players with personal issues (or computer-related ones). If you suddenly no longer have access to the internet, it'd also be unfair to be put on such a list, but there are only few people who experience that (most could still access the Playground at school, work, or a relative's or friend's place).

Surrealistik
2011-03-22, 07:26 PM
Yeah, I can see the list and its maintenance/updating easily getting bogged down in disputes and appeals, and causing all sorts of drama, as much as I like the idea; I have a feeling most cases won't be clear cut. If you're set on doing the work Katana, all the more power to you though.

Boci
2011-03-22, 07:40 PM
As long as people understand that just because a poster is on the list does not automatically make them unrealible. Hell, a DM could ask them "Hey, X said you dropped out of their game without notice. What happened?" then decide based on the asnwer whether they want to them on. As long as multiple people do not mention your name, most GMs will understand this isn't an "avoid list".
Now whether its allowed by the word and spirit of the forume rules is an entierly different matter.

SurlySeraph
2011-03-22, 07:46 PM
I'm pretty sure this would cause a lot of unnecessary drama and not prove very helpful.

Though I admit I'd be on the list.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-22, 09:09 PM
I was being sarcastic about an actual list. :smallwink:

But people dropping out of games without ryme or reason annoys me, most people would never do this in real life.

Sometimes just a quick post in OOC to say "Yeah, I'm still here and playing" is all you have to do. Or even a "I'm going to be away and unable to post for the next few weeks".

At Christmas, I was out of all contact as I was on a cruise. Told the players this, and when I came I did a quick "around the table" to see they were there and we kept on, even starting an encounter in 4E without a map (the map was in my head)

Lost Demiurge
2011-03-24, 11:21 AM
And as long as that list does not include people who have a reason for dropping the game, or games where everyone seems to lose interest at once. For example, if NONE of the players try moving things along by roleplaying with eachother without the DM prodding them every round its not entirely the DMs fault. Though eventually the DM should prod them along...

With all due respect, I don't think we have to care if they have a reason or not for disappearing. They disappeared. Could have a good reason, or could have a bad reason. Doesn't matter. If you disappear for a month or more without taking five seconds to type in "Sorry, but something's come up and I must move on", or at the very least "Gonna have to drop because the game doesn't interest me anymore", then you deserve to go on the blacklist.

This is the internet. For the most part we can't verify things that happen to anonymous posters. So the only thing we care about is whether or not they keep their online commitments.

And hell, if someone has a seriously good reason that keeps them from being online for a month or two, then they've probably got other things to worry about than what a bunch of online people think about them.

Another_Poet
2011-03-24, 11:32 AM
I hate to sound vindictive but I think we should start a list of players in the playground who drop out of games without warning.


I've often thought of this. And yes, also with GMs who drop games out of nowhere.

However, I think a more productive approach would be to start a "good" list.

Do you know a GM who has run a PbP game to completion (either its intended end or an agreed-upon stopping point with advance agreement from the players)? Nominate them. Nominated GMs appear in a list. Next to each name is the number of nominations they've received. The higher the number, the more happy customers they've had.

Do you know a player who has participated in a PbP game to completion (either to the time when the GM ended it, or for 6+ months before resigning from the game--and they told the GM before they disappeared)? Nominate them. Nominated players appear in a list, with # of nominations. The higher the number, the more people have seen them stick out a long-term game.

I think this would be an effective recruiting tool, though it takes a lot of work to maintain. Ultimately, just recruiting from people you've already played with and respect is probably just as effective, with a lot less work involved.

Claudius Maximus
2011-03-24, 11:47 AM
I'm pretty sure blacklists are against the rules of the forum. At least public ones. You'd be basically defaming the person on the list, saying they're no good for PbP games. It may be true, but it is still a bit insulting.

Anyway, if you're getting so selective with players you could just check out their previous RP posts. If it looks good you can probably count on good RP from them. If it looks terrible then maybe not.

Overall though I believe people should be offered second chances.

Lost Demiurge
2011-03-24, 12:00 PM
Yeah, public blacklists are a bad idea.

Private ones, however, are good for long-term GM's. If they choose to employ such methods.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-24, 06:16 PM
With all due respect, I don't think we have to care if they have a reason or not for disappearing. They disappeared. Could have a good reason, or could have a bad reason. Doesn't matter. If you disappear for a month or more without taking five seconds to type in "Sorry, but something's come up and I must move on", or at the very least "Gonna have to drop because the game doesn't interest me anymore", then you deserve to go on the blacklist.

This is the internet. For the most part we can't verify things that happen to anonymous posters. So the only thing we care about is whether or not they keep their online commitments.

And hell, if someone has a seriously good reason that keeps them from being online for a month or two, then they've probably got other things to worry about than what a bunch of online people think about them.

Sometimes it's just about the fact that they are disappearing. People who disappear from a game without a trace keep the rest of the players in hiatus as they aren't sure if the player is returning or not.

But I've had players drop out of my game and I have seen them posting on the boards not long after. It makes me want to reach into the screen and choke them.

But a positive list is not a bad idea actually.

Amnestic
2011-03-24, 06:29 PM
With all due respect, I don't think we have to care if they have a reason or not for disappearing. They disappeared. Could have a good reason, or could have a bad reason. Doesn't matter.

"I got shot in the head and was in a coma for two months."

Comet
2011-03-24, 06:36 PM
"I got shot in the head and was in a coma for two months."

This is why you inform your loved ones to post a notice on any forums you frequent if your war with organized crime happens to go south.


But I've had players drop out of my game and I have seen them posting on the boards not long after. It makes me want to reach into the screen and choke them.

Wow. That's just... wow. Do they really think that if they ignore the game really hard it will go away? Scary.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-24, 06:43 PM
Wow. That's just... wow. Do they really think that if they ignore the game really hard it will go away? Scary.

And do they really think I'll forget who they are?

Tavar
2011-03-24, 06:59 PM
Never underestimate the self delusion that someone is able to put themselves in.

Or that people can be really, uh, I don't know, Lazy? And not put the thread in their subscription, and forget about it. I guess it can happen.

Mystic Muse
2011-03-25, 12:40 AM
I've done this once or twice as a DM and I feel really freaking lousy about it. I tried to start up another game that I was going to see through to completion so I could feel better, but it kind of died on its knees.

If any players of my past games are reading this, I'm sorry.

Vladislav
2011-03-25, 12:48 AM
So, I just think I lost a player in my PbP that I've been running since August. Not because they're too busy and disappeared from the boards, they just haven't let me know.

I hate to sound vindictive but I think we should start a list of players in the playground who drop out of games without warning.

This is the 5th player casualty.You have a PbP that you're running since August and you're complaining? Do you know how rare it is for a PbP here to last that long? Most die in the first few weeks. Count your blessings!

Gorgondantess
2011-03-25, 01:07 AM
I've done this once or twice as a DM and I feel really freaking lousy about it. I tried to start up another game that I was going to see through to completion so I could feel better, but it kind of died on its knees.

If any players of my past games are reading this, I'm sorry.

Same here.

I dropped out of a few games without warning during my first year or so on this forum, mainly from lack of interest. I feel lousy about it. Nowadays, if I'm lacking interest I'll just take a little longer to reply, but I NEVER abandon a game so long as the DM is still interested. I've found most of the games with staying power tend to be those with very few players so they are more connected to the plot, those with very many players so that no player is crucial and their dropping out won't slow things down in the slightest. Though of course, the DM is the most important part.

Strawberries
2011-03-25, 01:35 AM
I really don't think lists of any kind are actually a good idea.

Anyway, after a while in the pbp subforum, you begin to get to know which people are reliable and which aren't. I know I have the names of DMs with whom I'll never play anymore clear in my head, as well as the names of the reliable ones, and I've only been here a year. Or you can check the longest running games and see who runs or plays in them. Or as people have mentioned, look at the posting history of your potential players, see if they are the kind to drop out without warning.

There are ways to know if you are playing with reliable people, without the need of any proscription list.

Oracle_Hunter
2011-03-25, 03:57 AM
If this is something that bothers you, I'd say do the following:

(1) On your recruitment post, make it clear that you dislike it when people drop out of your PbPs and that if anyone doesn't feel comfortable replying [insert schedule here] they shouldn't apply.

(2) When your actual players are assembled, tell them on the intro post that you understand that life throws people curve-balls so if they have to drop the game for any reason, let you know. As long as they tell you, you promise to hold them no ill-will.

(3) Furthermore, if anyone fails to reply within [insert time] of the deadline for their next post they will be considered dropped from the game and you will not accept them into any future PbP that you run.
By putting the procedures out front you should filter out most of the "bad apples" and make it easy to tell the "mushy apples" from the "good apples."

And hopefully that'll be enough to salve this particular ache :smallsmile:

Cespenar
2011-03-25, 04:15 AM
Just... check out my signature. And feel my RAGE! :smalltongue:

Jair Barik
2011-03-25, 04:35 AM
So long as players keep posting I continue GMing. The best way I have seen this handled is by BlueWizard. He has a strict policy of 'if you don't post without giving notice of absence your character will die spontaneously and hilariously.'

In the game I'm in that he is running we lost two party members very early on, one squished between two tree trunks the other eaten in his sleep by dragons. The funny thing? Neither complained about this in the OOC thread. Yeah... Says a lot if you ask me.

Thinking of trying this practice myself. Already did it to one character who was a replacement for a guy who had dropped but didn't make a single post even after I sent him several PM's telling him he had been introduced into the game and should start posting. Fasted PC death ever.
Depending on wether they actually start posting again or not one or more characters in a game I am running at the moment are looking to die suddenly too.

Yuki Akuma
2011-03-25, 08:17 AM
Yeah... I'd say I'm pretty guilty of dropping games myself. So I don't support the idea of black lists. :smalltongue:

Tyndmyr
2011-03-25, 09:25 AM
I'm pretty sure blacklists are against the rules of the forum. At least public ones. You'd be basically defaming the person on the list, saying they're no good for PbP games. It may be true, but it is still a bit insulting.

Honestly, I wouldn't be at all annoyed at being on someone's blacklist, so long as it's for something true. Not justified, just true. It could be "blacklist of posters who don't appreciate 4e enough". Since I don't play 4e, I'd consider it a fair cop.

After all, it's not defamation if it's true.

You'd probably have less drama as a practical matter on a positive mention list, though. Also, probably less updating. So, it's likely more doable all round.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not terribly great with Pbp games. Ones I start usually suffer death from players fading away. It happens. Likewise, I've played in games where interest fades at some point, or things slow down, and eventually I just stop checking it. I'm pretty excited about the one I'm playing in now, since it seems interest is actually pretty consistent, and things keep happening, but that's rare.

Playing from August till now is, in my experience, well above par though. I wouldn't feel bad about that at all.

Mad Wizard
2011-03-25, 12:44 PM
While I haven't done any PbP myself, I could imagine myself simply forgetting to post for extended periods of time, then feeling awkward about coming back from a long absence. Have you tried simply reminding them?

Sipex
2011-03-25, 01:49 PM
Anyway, if you're getting so selective with players you could just check out their previous RP posts. If it looks good you can probably count on good RP from them. If it looks terrible then maybe not.

This is what I do, if you apply for a game I check your posting history.

If you're frequently gone for periods at a time or have been shown to drop out of other PbP games I know.

Hear that? If you're in my PbP game I stalked your posts.

edit: I will add that post stalking on delayed posters help too. If you find a poster is frequently becoming less responsive you check their posts. Are they posting a lot through the rest of the forum? Yes? Maybe you need to prod them or prepare a backup just in case?

Strawberries
2011-03-25, 01:54 PM
While I haven't done any PbP myself, I could imagine myself simply forgetting to post for extended periods of time,

That's what usually happens to me when I don't post for a couple of days in a thread. I see it updating in the subscriptions, check out the last post, think "I'm too busy/tired/pressed for time now to write something in decent English, I'll post later" and then it doesn't show as updated anymore and I forget.

Also, this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10161017&postcount=32) seems relevant (my humble take on why games tend to die out and how to prevent it).

EDIT

This is what I do, if you apply for a game I check your posting history.

[....]

Hear that? If you're in my PbP game I stalked your posts.


That's fine. If you are one of my DMs I did the same thing to you. :smalltongue:I know you aren't. Just saying.:smalltongue:

Erom
2011-03-25, 02:07 PM
One thing I do think REALLY helps keep PbP moving is to not have a seperate IC and OOC thread. Much better to get everything posted in a single thread to keep the activity level up. Just use a formatting norm that makes clear what is IC and what is OOC. OOC natter is default text, game related is bold (My character walks across the room and says) and bold with a color is character speech (Halt evildoers!).

It's also important to pick the right system. 4e, as much as I love it, is terrible for PbP because there are all these ways to interrupt each others turns - even 3e is pretty bad for that. The grognard editions are best if you're stuck with DnD. Some other systems work even better.

Tyndmyr
2011-03-25, 02:08 PM
This is what I do, if you apply for a game I check your posting history.

If you're frequently gone for periods at a time or have been shown to drop out of other PbP games I know.

Hear that? If you're in my PbP game I stalked your posts.

edit: I will add that post stalking on delayed posters help too. If you find a poster is frequently becoming less responsive you check their posts. Are they posting a lot through the rest of the forum? Yes? Maybe you need to prod them or prepare a backup just in case?

Legit. I have no qualms about someone going back over my posts. And if I've spaced out about posting for a bit, a little reminder is welcome.

I would agree that reducing the # of threads to keep track of can be helpful.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-26, 05:17 PM
One thing I do think REALLY helps keep PbP moving is to not have a seperate IC and OOC thread. Much better to get everything posted in a single thread to keep the activity level up. Just use a formatting norm that makes clear what is IC and what is OOC. OOC natter is default text, game related is bold (My character walks across the room and says) and bold with a color is character speech (Halt evildoers!).

It's also important to pick the right system. 4e, as much as I love it, is terrible for PbP because there are all these ways to interrupt each others turns - even 3e is pretty bad for that. The grognard editions are best if you're stuck with DnD. Some other systems work even better.

I disagree with both these statements.

Firstly, the OOC thread is extremely useful. It's where 'tabletalk' happens, like instructions from GM to player, questions for the GM, players' strategies (like when they plan on taking their turn) and messages are passed on around the group. The last is particularly vital, as players can say they're unavailable. A good example is my intermitent Internet connection, resolved recently but there are many, many times where I have had to post "No map update, my Internet isn't working".
OOC is also where I crack my whip to keep my game going. I have a lot of posts that are "What are you going to do now?", "Where is everyone?", "Waiting for a response/decision from you guys." and in encounters "Waiting on x to post" and later "If x does not post within the next y hours, his turn will be skipped".
It would have to be a combination of my whip cracking and the fact I love this dungeon that has kept it going.

As for your second point, I think 4E lends itself very well to PbP if you do the following:
1. Get map MapTool or an equivalent. This may seem obvious but I have seen ASCII maps used.
2. Do not use Initiative, ever. Group Initiative, where each player posts when they want to and the DM ends the round with their post. There were a few complaints in my game but this is nothing compared to the lag on waiting for a player to post when it happens to be theit turn. Anything that enhances Initative whatsoever is a waste of time. I think the players like to go when they want, and I'd use this in my regular games if it wasn't for the utter chaos that would happen.
3. A 24 hour break after the DMs post where players can come in with interrupts. It doesn't have to be 24 hours, if I see no one's going to post or everyone says they have no interrupts then In signal the start of new round. I admitm it can get tricky if I need to come in with an interrupt after a player's turn, though players who come in do understand that my interrupt takes precedence, as it's usually something important. Like if a player triggered a trap or a monster has an effect that a certain action sets off.
4. Roll attack of opportunities for your players. They usually come up on the DM's turn anyway when the monsters do things to trigger attack of ops. I usually do clear them with players if 1) I get it wrong or there is more than one thing they can do.

I'm going to blog about this now...

PairO'Dice Lost
2011-03-26, 08:27 PM
So far, I actually have a fairly good track record with the PbPs I've been DMing; one of my current games has been running for over a year as of last week. The few games of mine that have died have mostly been due to having one player just disappear from the forum or get banned and then either (A) the others delay waiting for him and get busy with other stuff in the interim or (B) that one player leaving drops the game to 2 or 3 people and the group can't keep up the previous pace. Sadly, the games I'm a player in haven't been so successful.

Tengu_temp
2011-03-27, 08:04 AM
From my experience, you can never entirely get rid of players dropping off. Making sure you only get invested players by going with a strong, unique premise and writing in the recruitment thread that you only want people who can post often helps, but it won't fix the problem completely - one or two of your players might still disappear, you will just have a more dedicated rest of the group. Which is good, but doesn't stop the problem.

Dropping off from a game, either as a DM or player, without letting the others know is one of the rudest things you can do in PbP. I think a public blacklist would be a great idea.

Blackjackg
2011-03-27, 08:30 AM
I can definitely understand where the OP is coming from. As a player and a DM, I've definitely been annoyed by DMs and players dropping out of games. It sucks. Then again, I've also been known to drop out of games myself, either because I had less free time than I thought I would or (more often) because the game wasn't as much fun as I hoped it would be. I consider myself a pretty nice guy, but I'm not going to stick it out for months in a game I'm not enjoying just because I made a commitment to it. I try to avoid it whenever possible, which is why I join so few PbP games in the first place.

That being said, I've learned to accept a pretty consistent rule about PbP gaming, and that is that people leave. I expect it from strangers on the internet-- they have no investment in my friendship or my feelings, why would they stick around if something more interesting pops up? When I want a consistent, long-term game, I game with people I know personally to be reliable. When I run or join a PbP game, I figure the convenience outweighs the low chance of player retention. The OP is saying she has run this game since August and had only five player dropouts, and I think that's a pretty amazing record. Truly and without sarcasm, congratulations. You've outlasted and outretained a vast majority of PbP games.

On the question of a player/DM blacklist... personally, I'm against it. People (myself included) leave games for lots of reasons and may want to have a real chance to come back-- they mature, or their life circumstances have changed such that they can make PbP games a relative priority. Everyone deserves a second chance. Heck, if you ask me, everyone deserves as many chances as they like. I'd rather have a dozen games fold due to lack of player interest than to turn someone away because their player credit rating was too low.

That's just my humble, tho.

Tengu_temp
2011-03-27, 08:48 AM
The blacklist should only be for people who disappear without saying anything. If you tell the others that you have to leave, and maybe explain why, it's okay. But not letting anyone know? Mighty rude. If you can't even be bothered to write "sorry, I'm leaving the game, I just don't find it fun" then why should others bother to let you into their games?

I know that a public blacklist will probably not happen on these boards, but I have a private one. And it's pretty long. On the bright side, my private whitelist (people who I know will be great and reliable players/DMs) is pretty long too.

Shyftir
2011-03-27, 04:10 PM
Another thing you have to ask is when the whole game just kinda dies, who gets listed. I've never been able to finish a PBP game here. Usually the game dies because of somebody slipping into inactivity.

I'm in two games with characters I'm excited to play, one looked like it was going to die but a bit of encouragement and prodding has kept it alive. The other is new but its going well. I'm (probably) about to be in another game and I'm excited for it because the premise is strong.

The DM has to keep up the activity level and the players have to invest in it.

I suggest taking the "Ninja Solution" if your players are floundering and not posting, throw a Random Encounter at them. This kicks up the excitement level and encourages people to get on with it as it were.

Hazzardevil
2011-03-27, 04:25 PM
So long as players keep posting I continue GMing. The best way I have seen this handled is by BlueWizard. He has a strict policy of 'if you don't post without giving notice of absence your character will die spontaneously and hilariously.'

In the game I'm in that he is running we lost two party members very early on, one squished between two tree trunks the other eaten in his sleep by dragons. The funny thing? Neither complained about this in the OOC thread. Yeah... Says a lot if you ask me.

Thinking of trying this practice myself. Already did it to one character who was a replacement for a guy who had dropped but didn't make a single post even after I sent him several PM's telling him he had been introduced into the game and should start posting. Fasted PC death ever.
Depending on wether they actually start posting again or not one or more characters in a game I am running at the moment are looking to die suddenly too.

I'm actually in this guys latest game and he just killed me after I had said I was having issues by updating my sig. he also killed another player when they also had computer problems. I didn't actually complain but I was a bit peeved and I am unsure if he is actually letting me have a new PC or is just pulling me along.

In my very first game it died in a fortnight.
I had 4 or 5 players to begin with and after the game started I messaged players twice, 2 replied and said they were no longer interested after teh game started and 1 never responded. I then struggled to carry the game on, partly because these two players had just ruined my whole plot idea because the boss would now annialate the unbalanced party.

My complaint is just how I can't think of the word... Unresponsive some people on this forum are when you clearly state that the game has started and they then say they are no longer interested or just dissappear all together.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-27, 05:16 PM
I started with eight players for my game to match my real life group, then I lost four of them. I had to recruit two more to fix gaping holes in the party (needed a controller and a striker). Six isn't a bad number, actually.

Do you think if you recruit more you can end up with the unresponsive players melting away? I think this is why people have backup players.

As for the game petering out, I just refuse to let mine die as long as people are playing it. And it's lasted.

Surrealistik
2011-03-27, 08:29 PM
Too many players can just as easily cause a game to fade and die, as everyone takes too damn long to post and act, thus totally bogging down the game, and DM attention is spread inadequately thin.

Oh, and the odds of arguments/dissent in the party both happening, and lasting an unacceptably long time during which the game completely mires increases exponentially.

Mordokai
2011-03-28, 12:52 AM
I suggest taking the "Ninja Solution" if your players are floundering and not posting, throw a Random Encounter at them. This kicks up the excitement level and encourages people to get on with it as it were.

Actually, I found out that most drops out happen right during the combat rounds, because they tend to be overtly long and complicated. Thus, throwing more encounters at your players is usually a bad idea.

Cespenar
2011-03-28, 01:47 AM
I know that a public blacklist will probably not happen on these boards, but I have a private one. And it's pretty long. On the bright side, my private whitelist (people who I know will be great and reliable players/DMs) is pretty long too.

Probably every long time PbP'er does this anyway, if only at a subconscious level.

Amiria
2011-03-28, 02:47 AM
As a player I have seen many games die too soon. But about who to blame, it is about 50/50 the players and the GM. It is not that I'm completely innocent, although I don't think that I really ever dropped out without a word.

I'm only in one PbP game now, it's been running since January '07, started here but migrated to Myth-Weavers. Post frequency isn't very high but it is alive and I am the only one left from the original players.

Shyftir
2011-03-28, 05:59 PM
Actually, I found out that most drops out happen right during the combat rounds, because they tend to be overtly long and complicated. Thus, throwing more encounters at your players is usually a bad idea.

Hmm, I usually end up dropping out when people refuse to post in RP situations.
Then again I was a freeformer long before I started picking up rules-based RPGs. (and long before I came to this forum, as far as that goes)

I find the combat part engaging because it encourages a definite "It's your turn now" situation, but I guess tastes vary wildly.

Katana_Geldar
2011-03-28, 06:02 PM
Combat moves comparatively faster than the rp times though. Sometimes Ihave managed to get a round over with in 24 hours, and that's fast for me.

Vladislav
2011-03-29, 12:51 PM
I'm a veteran of almost a dozen dead games :smallannoyed: and less than half of them died during combat.

Sipex
2011-03-29, 01:14 PM
Combat's main problems are initiative and static away rules.

If you have a set initiative where everyone acts as per usual on their turn you can end up holding the entire group up if the fastest PC dissapears. The best way to solve this (and I can't remember if it's been mentioned before) is to run group initiative. The PCs go as a group which allows those who might have a small window now to post to get their turns done and over without waiting for the delayed PC.

In addition, you need to restrict the 'away time' in battle on a far harsher level than during RP. I find that if a PC is away for 24 hours from the start of his/her turn then it's alright to have someone take it for them. This should be agreed upon with the group beforehand though.

Tengu_temp
2011-03-30, 09:14 AM
The best way to handle initiative is to move all enemies at once, on one initiative turn. That way all the players can move at once too, those that beat the enemy initiative just get an extra turn.

Serpentine
2011-03-31, 01:43 AM
2. Do not use Initiative, ever. Group Initiative, where each player posts when they want to and the DM ends the round with their post. There were a few complaints in my game but this is nothing compared to the lag on waiting for a player to post when it happens to be theit turn. Anything that enhances Initative whatsoever is a waste of time. I think the players like to go when they want, and I'd use this in my regular games if it wasn't for the utter chaos that would happen.
In my vast PBP experience*, I like an "If X, then Y" approach. I like everyone to say what their character intends to do in that round, with qualifiers based on possible unforseen events - so, say, a Cleric might say "I want to blast enemy A, but if ally M is injured by enemy B then I'll cast Cure on them instead". Then once the players have posted what their characters intend to do, the DM gathers them all up in a way that makes sense.

I think a sort of rating system would be better than a blacklist per se, but it'd take way too much effort.


*I DMed a game I couldn't continue and died as soon as I handed the reins over to someone else, played a game that was going reasonably well until the DM got banned, might be just starting as a player again now.

Tyndmyr
2011-03-31, 05:45 AM
In my vast PBP experience*, I like an "If X, then Y" approach. I like everyone to say what their character intends to do in that round, with qualifiers based on possible unforseen events - so, say, a Cleric might say "I want to blast enemy A, but if ally M is injured by enemy B then I'll cast Cure on them instead". Then once the players have posted what their characters intend to do, the DM gathers them all up in a way that makes sense.

This seems to be a pretty common tactic. I like it myself...several posts to get through a single round of actions can be needlessly slow, and I like to avoid it whenever possible.

big teej
2011-03-31, 02:09 PM
at the risk of being off topic,

may I enquire after the nature of the game?

Anonomuss
2011-04-01, 04:21 AM
I think a sort of rating system would be better than a blacklist per se, but it'd take way too much effort.


I'd be inclined to agree with this, although I might be slightly biased. I think the cicumstances surrounding drop outs differ by games, and by circumstance.

I was one of the players who left Katana's game, but I did it after consulting with Katana, and letting her know why I wanted to leave, she suggested I hang on for a little longer, so I did, but it didn't change what was wrong (In the case in question, it was the manner in which my character operated mechanically, and the way the other players reacted to it) and so I left. Whereas, in another game, I'm currently playing in, a character disappeared without any warning at all. As I said, I'm a bit biased in this sense, but I'm not sure we should be treated the same.