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Balain
2014-01-12, 02:23 AM
So we are starting a new campaign and a friend of ours moved away. We were going to try to play with him over Skype or something. I have heard Skype is getting bad. So Any ideas what would work best to try?

Balain
2014-01-12, 02:40 AM
Oops sorry all I thought I was in the Roleplaying section when I posted this

DaggerPen
2014-01-12, 02:42 AM
If you didn't know, you can use the report function (little triangle at the lower left of your post) to ask a mod to move this to the right forum.

Copperdragon
2014-01-12, 03:51 AM
Simply use Skype.

Also: I wish you the best of luck but experience tells me that friends who move out of town are soon not really friends anymore. They become aquaintances and sometimes even strangers. For the first year it works, then it starts to fade rather soon. You find new people who live locally and who become new friends. The seemingly brutal but clean solution would be to find someone who lives locally. That's how life goes, you cannot hold on to what is good now forever in this way, even we have a lot of technology today. But no matter what, it will never be the same. One of the group won't be there for the pre- and post-rpg chatter, won't bring the chips and he will never share the chatter about your other common friends etc. Still, good luck.

The Dark Fiddler
2014-01-12, 09:22 AM
So we are starting a new campaign and a friend of ours moved away. We were going to try to play with him over Skype or something. I have heard Skype is getting bad. So Any ideas what would work best to try?

As far as alternative services go, my roommate swears by Google Hangouts, but that requires a Google+ if I'm not mistaken and plenty of people are rallying against it at the moment. My friend preferred a service called Oovoo to Skype, though she never used it for gaming. To be honest, the one time I've used it and the two I've used Skype, Oovoo seems better. The other alternative I can think of is roll20.net, which not only has video and voice chatting, but is specifically made to play games over.

Anyway, I have to say that being the one person calling in for a session while everybody else is there in person is awkward. You can't hear everybody as well, nobody can really hear you, and it takes you out of the moment. I'm not saying you shouldn't try it, but don't be surprised if your friend doesn't show up for another session or expresses displeasure with the setup. It's kind of unavoidable.

Anxe
2014-01-12, 10:41 AM
Google Hangouts is the best service I've used. Skype gets a lot of dropped calls and doesn't carry very good image quality anyways. Oovoo has good image quality, but it has intense lag (sometimes up to a minute, which was kind of crazy fun, but also stupid). Hangouts has good image quality and no lag.

And while my group stuck together for a year or two of a few people video calling in, CopperDragon's And DarkFiddler's warnings are legitimate. You need to work really hard to make that absent person still feel included. They can't hear everything around the table and its difficult to hear them in return. The DM has to step up and make sure that person is integrated into the conversation.

EDIT: My group has since moved on to us all video calling each other on Roll20 which we love. Different beast than one person though.

skyth
2014-01-12, 12:01 PM
The game I run is done completely over Skype and using Maptools. I've never attempted to run a game that was partially Skype and partially in person. I'd suggest a speakerphone if possible.

Also, if you use a map/mini's, you'll want to have some way for the remote player to see what's going on.

Calen
2014-01-12, 02:52 PM
I DM for a group that uses Roll20 over Google Hangouts.

I am part of a group that uses VirtualDaivve and RazerComms (Used to use Ventrilo)

Both work reasonably well for an all digital group. Finding a way to give your physically present group the same map that your digital friend sees (and can move his character on) might be helpful.

I have personally wondered about a way to use a projector to place a map on a horizontal surface so that it feels like the normal place for a map. That would also allow you have your digital player on the same map without him needing to ask about token placements or distances.

nikolamat
2014-01-12, 02:52 PM
Me and my group talk over Teamspeak and play on roll20.net

Knaight
2014-01-12, 03:00 PM
Skype should be fine, particularly if you just use audio. I've been in a number of Skype games, and it consistently functions well. If you need a map or similar, it's also worth looking into Maptools.

skyth
2014-01-13, 02:52 PM
I have personally wondered about a way to use a projector to place a map on a horizontal surface so that it feels like the normal place for a map. That would also allow you have your digital player on the same map without him needing to ask about token placements or distances.

I've seen where people imbed a monitor into a table top so it works like that.

Dawgmoah
2014-01-13, 02:58 PM
Skype should be fine, particularly if you just use audio. I've been in a number of Skype games, and it consistently functions well. If you need a map or similar, it's also worth looking into Maptools.

As an alternative, if you have an extra computer or screen available, is to use Teamviewer and have players remote to it. On there you can show you maps, whiteboard, or whatever application you want.

Generally I have been using Skype for nine or so years and can say this: when it works it works well. When it does not want to work it sux. That being said if it is network congestion that will be true of anything you try to push. The worst is having players on various continents all playing together. It takes preseverance and patience.

I've run games in which everyone is local to the gaming table, a mix of local and remote players, and all remote players. Yes, for the most part players will find other things to do (other games, etc) once they move away. Sometimes though you can enjoy having them included in your games for years.

Best of luck!

Balain
2014-01-13, 10:12 PM
Thanks all. We know it could be awkward but we figured we would try it.

ElenionAncalima
2014-01-14, 09:29 AM
For one game I attend we use Skype for one player every week, and sometimes a second one too.

Obviously it is not as good as being in person. You have to take extra care to check in and listen to the Skyping player. Sometimes in the passion of discussion it is hard to hear them speaking. Also, we will often ask them what they think, only to find out that they couldn't hear anything we had previously said. There is also a diminished roleplaying capacity. If you use maps, that is another hassle. Also, if you don't trust the player to be honest about his rolls, you may want to work something out there.

That being said, if the option is to either use Skype or lose a good player, I would say it is worth it to suffer through Skype. Its a little awkward, but with time everyone will get used to it...and I will repeat that the key is to regularly check in with the Skyping player during the game. If you don't do this you will have to constantly backtrack for them and it is easy for them to get disconnected from the game.

Mutazoia
2014-01-15, 09:23 AM
I've seen where people imbed a monitor into a table top so it works like that.

You may be thinking of something like THIS (http://michaelgoyette.com/projects/gametable/images/table01_jpg.jpg) But I think he was referring to something more like THIS (http://public.sn2.df.livefilestore.com/y2p-9byMpT5h5IJLOPeyZi80vaTMcrk3NNT_dzI3xu3EXd4Gl-dTr__3g53Vk3ujqkk1TdNu3kupJ5Kk7elfXDdbGwz6pCVNFusa 7fP1CzDEdg/Game%20Table%202.JPG?rdrts=64419464). The latter would be much more forgiving of having mini's and dice dropped on it.

This idea isn't new. I was working on one a while back that used Klooge Werks (http://www.kloogeinc.com/) Host and client software to run the game. The projector was inside the table in an enclosed cabinet to block outside light and programmed for rear projection. Never got around to finishing it as I moved and didn't have the space for the table any more.

Incidentally, Klooge Werks was designed to be used for internet games...Roll20 is loosely based off of it.

ElenionAncalima
2014-01-15, 09:36 AM
So, to reiterate the always check in on the online player thing...

Yesterday a in different game we Skyped in a player. We checked in on him and he wasn't responding. I asked everyone to be quiet for a second. We all go silent and hear snoring.