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Ponce
2007-12-15, 12:57 AM
Most of my DnD experience has been over IRC (Internet Relay Chat). It is an interesting experience, and having had my fair share of it and table top play, I find there are several pros and cons to playing by chat.

The Pros
1) Information. You can play wherever you like, so you can have all your bound material with you. Further, you can use your computer to access online resources and share necessary source information with your playmates.
2) Comfort. You can sit at your desk with your feet up and a cup of hot cocoa in front of you. Just don't spill it on yourself when the shadows start coming.
3) Dice. Need to roll a d24? Suffering a severe d8 drought? No problem. Assuming you are properly equipped with a dicebot, you can roll most any dice combination in seconds. I don't know when you'd need to roll 7d397, but you can if you have to!
4) The Characters. I've tried both methods of character development, and I have to say that your characters' personalities truly blooms when on the chat medium. Why? Perhaps being able to trim the details of everything your character says quick and easily allows you to develop them. This might not be true for everyone, but my tabletop characters tend to stay bland by comparison.

The Cons
1) The Distractions. Everyone is at their computer. Probability that one or more of the players is playing a computer game on the side? Very high. This can be frustrating, as it seems people do not feel obligated to answer right away when they are not face to face with you.
2) Speed. IRC games can move very slowly. Where 5 or 6 encounters per session might be the average for a tabletop group, this is lessened to only 2 or 3 for IRC. Turns take longer. This is particularly bad when a universal event occurs, that requires resolution from all players, such as requiring an initiative roll or saving throw from everyone. The game can't progress until everyone responds, which can be annoying if even one person isn't paying attention.
3) Maps. Probably the most annoying part of playing DnD via chat. Explaining through words the layout of an intricate dungeon is an art form, one I have not yet mastered. If you have a DM who has, GRAB THEM AND NEVER LET GO!

I, myself, have decided to run a World's Largest Dungeon campaign via IRC. I find myself having to quickly draw sketches of maps on paint during the session and upload them so the players can know what the layout is like.

What are your thoughts on chat play? Suggestions? Cries of anguish?

Sstoopidtallkid
2007-12-15, 01:29 AM
I don't have the link to mine, but there are a few programs out there that allow you to draw the map and reveal it to others on a list slowly. If you have one, it makes everything much easier.

Blasterfire
2007-12-15, 01:40 AM
I know how you feel, dnd over IRC (or similar) is fantastic. personally, I use openRPG, but i cant seem to find games outside of Living Greyhawk there.

Lolth
2007-12-15, 01:43 AM
At the risk of being obvious, our chat is a similar environment to IRC, but works off your browser. A bit more graphical, less in the way of commands to learn (none, just click navigation), but not dissimilar overall, pros and cons.

We use Forums to add things like maps, and setting information.

Set in the Underdark (not Forgotten Realms, rather more old-school) in a trading city allowing a wide variety of surface and underdark races.

Hope you'll give us a try!

valadil
2007-12-15, 01:48 AM
I'm perpetually working on an AJAX based website for handling this sort of gameplay. I've got an svg doc embedded for a map and can manipulate it with javascript. Chat isn't really implemented yet. I'll make a big post about it when its beta test ready.

Just out of curiosity, what IRC commands get used often in an RPG? /roll and /me for sure. I'm not really sure what else though. Maybe /tell, but I don't know if I want different chat rooms per game. Seems tedious. My target audience intends to chat on ventrillo anyway and use this just for dice and maps, so wasn't planning on going to overboard with chat features.

Kizara
2007-12-15, 01:48 AM
At the risk of being obvious, our chat is a similar environment to IRC, but works off your browser. A bit more graphical, less in the way of commands to learn (none, just click navigation), but not dissimilar overall, pros and cons.

We use Forums to add things like maps, and setting information.

Set in the Underdark (not Forgotten Realms, rather more old-school) in a trading city allowing a wide variety of surface and underdark races.

Hope you'll give us a try!

You really should include that it's not FR in your sig advertisement. I know that turned me off (thinking it was FR).

Kizara
2007-12-15, 01:57 AM
I'm perpetually working on an AJAX based website for handling this sort of gameplay. I've got an svg doc embedded for a map and can manipulate it with javascript. Chat isn't really implemented yet. I'll make a big post about it when its beta test ready.

Just out of curiosity, what IRC commands get used often in an RPG? /roll and /me for sure. I'm not really sure what else though. Maybe /tell, but I don't know if I want different chat rooms per game. Seems tedious. My target audience intends to chat on ventrillo anyway and use this just for dice and maps, so wasn't planning on going to overboard with chat features.

Side note: Skype is better then vent for this sort of thing. Although if you have a deadicated server anyways, it works too.

Extra_Crispy
2007-12-15, 02:00 AM
I have never played via IRC, never wanted to. I can see how it would be fun as you would get to play with more and varried people. The social interaction would be nice with new people BUT I like the table top playing MUCH more. I like being able to talk in an accent to represent different people. I like being able to play the bad guy or the one with the information (but that does not want to give it to the PC's) Sitting there at the table listening to the PC's say something to the NPC then at a key moment raising a eye brow or coughing thus letting the PC's catch clues with out a "roll gather information/spot/sense motive, OK you notice that he seemed (some emotion here) about that info. I let my players catch stuff like that no matter what skill level they may have

I guess what I am saying is that over IRC it would seem more Roll play then Role play and I love to Role play and sometimes act out what I/NPC's are doing.

Sstoopidtallkid
2007-12-15, 02:03 AM
I run the chat for OoC stuff and talk in character, but that is just because we have access to half a dozen vent/ts/skype-esque things.

ocato
2007-12-15, 02:07 AM
I've been cut off from any groups to play with, so I'd be willing to try D&D via IRC.

As for roleplay, it seems to me that it'd be easier to get in character if you were typing, just because my extensive RP chat background (Yahoo RP chat, about 7-8 years ago? Those were the days).

Ponce
2007-12-15, 02:30 AM
Hmm... some interesting responses. Nice to see a wide variety of experiences at play.

I also forgot to mention the perpetual torment that is time zones.

Chronicled
2007-12-15, 03:09 AM
You really should include that it's not FR in your sig advertisement. I know that turned me off (thinking it was FR).

Quoted for truth.

Daracaex
2007-12-15, 03:46 AM
I have never played via IRC, never wanted to. I can see how it would be fun as you would get to play with more and varried people. The social interaction would be nice with new people BUT I like the table top playing MUCH more. I like being able to talk in an accent to represent different people. I like being able to play the bad guy or the one with the information (but that does not want to give it to the PC's) Sitting there at the table listening to the PC's say something to the NPC then at a key moment raising a eye brow or coughing thus letting the PC's catch clues with out a "roll gather information/spot/sense motive, OK you notice that he seemed (some emotion here) about that info. I let my players catch stuff like that no matter what skill level they may have

I guess what I am saying is that over IRC it would seem more Roll play then Role play and I love to Role play and sometimes act out what I/NPC's are doing.

I've actually found that to not be the case. You can get into some really great RP moments through an IRC. I use Gametable (http://gametable.galactanet.com/). Also, another benefit you can add is that it's a lot easier to play vastly different characters over chat. Playing an opposite-gendered character, for example. It doesn't draw attention when, every time your female character says something, everybody hears a guy's voice.

Lolth
2007-12-15, 07:32 PM
OK, .sig updated, thanks for the clue, and thanks to those of you who have checked us out!

Reinboom
2007-12-15, 07:56 PM
I use MapTools:
http://rptools.net/doku.php

and OpenRPG.

I now prefer MapTools, since it is much more pretty and faster overall than OpenRPG - and more important, doesn't error.

MapTools is in constant development, and constantly adding new features - while staying dependable and stable.

Ravyn
2007-12-16, 02:09 AM
I've played in several systems by IRC, and run Exalted by AIM--and actually find it more conducive to roleplay than physically tabletopping. Why?

The characters. I don't think I've run a single session in which I haven't had at least two NPCs, oftentimes talking at the same time. Chatgaming allows me to color-code by character--I even have a complicated little system of text style and colors that allows the group to narrow down who or what a character is by whether the text is bold, underlined, italic, what color I'm using.... and many of the NPCs have colors all their own. (Heck, there's one random automaton they ran into last session that has its own theme music.) Even when I'm PCing, sometimes the color averts people getting my characters mixed; my live DM can never keep the two I've played in his games, whereas the online ones almost never get them mixed up.

The characterization. Over the internet, you can edit your text. Face to face with people, I'm inarticulate, but when I can see my own words, I'm at least as loquacious as anyone I know, and apparently manage to play a rabble-rouser visionary type with the gift of rhetoric spot-on. While I can't actually physically do the body language I could face to face, I can write it into the text I post--in that respect, texting over the internet is actually superior to gaming by Skype or Vent, at least in my opinion. (Tried attending a live session by Skype. Was disorienting. Would not do again.) AIM is very good for both getting characterization and being able to read over previous logs to get in character; in fact, my online group tends to run so deep that one of my players spent an entire semester writing up psychological profiles of different PCs as compared to their players for a psych class and was able to include sufficient depth to impress the professor.

The descriptions. Prep time means the ability to create scenes ahead of time, and text means that the players can either read carefully through them (generally recommended in my games, as I'm a detail junkie) or just skim over them and concentrate on the important stuff without spending ten minutes listening to me tripping over my own tongue.

The fluidity (though I suppose viscosity is a more accurate term). While the pacing is slower due to typing lag, that does mean that I can sprint to the restroom between posts, and not only does it not interrupt the game, but half the time nobody even notices I'm gone.

Very importantly, the logs. I keep all of them. Every conversation, IC or OOC. Every session, even the OOC chat in the other window. Lost count of how many times I've needed to reference them--and as an added bonus, I can read through them on long slow days when I have no internet access and am out of books. I once maintained to one of my GMs who was playing with the idea of IC by voice and OOC in chat that it should be the other way around, so even if he couldn't remember his NPCs' names (not unheard of) log junkies like me could reference them and help him out.

Moofaa
2007-12-16, 07:46 PM
I've used both IRC and OpenRPG (I'll check out that maptools thing that was mentioned above).

Mainly you already hit spot on the advantages/disadvantages.

I live in a hick town, and most people don't know how to read let alone understand the concept of playing games that aren't on an Xbox.

But with the ability to play online I can host/play in games easily with people that share the interest.

I'm sure openRPG has gotten a lot better under the hood but I will never trust it to store any game information. In fact the only features we use are the map area where you can link images/maps and draw on them (very useful) and of course the dice roller/alias tool.

Which is about all you need. Vista Aero helps when you GM like me and have 15+ word documents open, in addition to openrpg, AIM, Xfire, Firefox, etc.

Last time I played I counted 19 different windows. Its nice using the 3-d thingy to toggle between them.

Oh, and like Rayvn said. I can put FAR more thought and detail into text then I can in RL situations. When I describe say, a roomful of orcs in a face-to-face game I do it with FAR less detail.

"You enter the room, its about 20 by 20 and there are three orcs gambling at the table."

vs

"You fling open the door and stride inside boldly, suprising three orcs that stand up from a worn table, grabbing for their weapons they scatter pieces of their dice game across the floor. Drool flies from the mouth of the largest one as it screams "The intruders are here! Get them!"

Goober4473
2007-12-16, 09:22 PM
I play over private AIM chatrooms all the time, and I enjoy it a lot. The only serious problem I have is getting everyone together at the same time. Since I play with a lot of highschool types, they're parents often don't seem to understand that a commitment to an online game is the same as going to play, but without the ride, and as a result, they tend to get pulled away from their computers a lot. But once we're all in one place, I love it. Roleplaying tends to be easier when you're already removed from yourself. Other players read your character's lines, instead of hearing your voice speak them, and you can pick your words more carefully.