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View Full Version : Thoughts on Google Docs as a potential play-by-post platform?



Hyooz
2014-06-20, 08:09 PM
I had this idea today a bit randomly. I've used Docs so ubiquitously in gaming before, I'm actually a little surprised it took me this long to start considering it as a potential medium for games themselves.

Now, I doubt it would work effectively for crunch-heavy systems like DnD or what-have-you, but for more narrative focused games like FATE (Dresden Files specifically, in my case) it may have potential.

The way I'm seeing it is like this: create a Doc and give all the players editing and comment access. Then, in it's simplest form, players could simply post their actions into the Doc that then acts as a basic PBP that flows a little better than one broken up into individual posts. But I think the idea can be taken a little further than that.

Take, say, a basic conversation between two characters. This can get... awkward in standard PBP since it will either be two characters monologue at each other trying to address individual points in a logical and sensible way or boil down to short posts with a sentence or two of dialogue that really clutter up the page. With the Doc setup, it could end up looking like a dialogue would in a book.

And how easy it is to edit a free-flowing document makes things like catching up someone who missed a day or two much smoother. They don't need to have just... disappeared for that time. When he gets back, he can edit in a few lines here and there where appropriate to catch his character up.

I'm liking the idea in theory, but I could use more minds running possible pros/cons. Thoughts anyone?

NickChaisson
2014-06-20, 08:36 PM
The only problem I can think of is somebody changing something that the DM says. This isint really a problem though if you trust your players or keep a personal backup of the files that cannot be accessed or edited.

Hyooz
2014-06-21, 12:16 AM
Player trust is definitely a necessity. Comments, I've discovered after some experimentation, are an excellent method for including 'crunchy' bits into the text without breaking the flow.

JusticeZero
2014-06-22, 12:41 AM
Google Docs tracks changes. If someone tweaks the GM's words, check the log and lay the smack down.

Slipperychicken
2014-06-22, 11:27 AM
The way I'm seeing it is like this: create a Doc and give all the players editing and comment access. Then, in it's simplest form, players could simply post their actions into the Doc that then acts as a basic PBP that flows a little better than one broken up into individual posts. But I think the idea can be taken a little further than that.


If there's a way to lock specific segments of text, you could use that for your DM-stuff.

Ghost49X
2014-06-22, 11:40 AM
How would you resolve any dice rolling mechanics?

Orderic
2014-06-22, 02:41 PM
How would you resolve any dice rolling mechanics?

By not using a system that requires dice. Like Nobilis.

Or, if a system with dice is being played, I guess there are dice rollers, where you can roll and then post a link to the results. Or you could just let everyone roll the dice themselves, which, of course, would require a lot of trust. Then again, if you don't trust people, don't give them the ability to edit what other people are saying.


What else is there to say... Ah, yes. I am not all that familiar with Google Docs, but is it easy to see if and where a text has been edited and by whom? Otherwise some important text might be missed.

JusticeZero
2014-06-22, 04:20 PM
We did our die rolling in a room on rolz.org. I never had issues with people tweaking things; I had some oddness on the character sheets when someone didn't agree with the formula I had for HP; I noticed that it was listed in a tracked change and reverted it. They'd shorted themselves a couple HP calculating it by hand.

BritishBill
2014-06-22, 04:46 PM
I guess the good thing about using google docs, would be the ability to instantly save everything since its always connected to the web and it saves everything to the document as it goes. Would your whole group share an account? Ive always thought the best way to do an online game was through skype, but I haven't really done anything online for role playing games.

JusticeZero
2014-06-22, 07:37 PM
I used Ventrilo, because I have access to a server through a relative. Skype caps at 5 people. You make a directory for the game, then share it to the other players. You can even do things like make each one of them a subdirectory accessable by only them and the GM if you want.

Hyooz
2014-06-25, 12:53 AM
I guess the good thing about using google docs, would be the ability to instantly save everything since its always connected to the web and it saves everything to the document as it goes. Would your whole group share an account? Ive always thought the best way to do an online game was through skype, but I haven't really done anything online for role playing games.

You wouldn't need to share an account. By giving others the link and setting the privacy settings such that it is editable by whoever has the link, you're good to go on that front and, as others have mentioned, it does track changes so unique accounts are preferable.

And yeah, an outside die roller would be necessary, but the comments system Docs provides would be a great mechanism for reporting said rolls or requesting them.

Calen
2014-06-25, 03:48 AM
If you used the spreadsheet as your combat/mechanics page you could try its random function as your dice roller. Saves having to go to yet another page to check a dice roller but has its own limitations as well.

elliott20
2014-06-25, 01:00 PM
I get the feeling though that this sort of set up would be great for games with a more collaborative approach. i.e. this would work great with any number of Apocalypse World games.

valadil
2014-06-25, 02:49 PM
Saw this today: http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2014/06/suggested-edits-in-google-docs.html

The tl;dr is that as of today there's a permission for users to be able to make a comment, but not edit the main text. So players could write up a comment and the GM accepts the comment to make it a part of the game story's canon. I think it fits the declaration, roll, result model pretty well.

Hyooz
2014-06-27, 03:24 AM
I get the feeling though that this sort of set up would be great for games with a more collaborative approach. i.e. this would work great with any number of Apocalypse World games.

Yeah, as I mentioned in my OP, the idea originally started for a Dresden Files game, which is very steeped in collaboration and cooperative storytelling that makes traditional PbP a bit non-ideal.

elliott20
2014-06-27, 09:36 AM
I definitely think though, that with a bit of engineering, you can probably have some tools that automate rolls and book keeping, which would be a nice little help.

But my core problem with PbP games is always the same: participation. I'm not sure if a google doc could do anything to address that, but I am trying to think if there is a way it can.