How do you run a play by post campaign over an internet forum? What translates well from the physical tabletop session, and what doesn't? Are there any interesting things one could do with phpbb code tags?
>>46510145
Combat is slow as shit. You need to house rule it if you want to see the end of 6 turns within your lifetime.
>>46510145
>play by post campaign
Don't
>>46512112
What are some guidelines to follow when making combat house rules?
>>46512150
I must. Don't try to stop me, it is too late.
>>46512307
MAKE IT AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE.
Also, do not do it turn-by-turn like in tabletop. Ask everyone what their sequence of actions will be in one post. Each PC describes all their actions for a turn in a post. Once all the PCs have a post, then describe the confusion as all combatants do stuff. PbP is actually better for describing the furious, simultaneous mass of battle than tabletop b/c it can be done all at once without the players having time to react to each other's plans and moves.
So in this case individual initiative is not needed.
>>46512307
this >>46512479
Also, FFXII style gambits. Should a player be unable to post within a reasonable amount of time, choose their action for them from a list with their personal preference for what they'd do in a situation.
Outside of combat, allow for players who can't keep up the chance to let their characters fade into the background through reasonable tasks like "I go to the gambling hall or go train in the pits."
Basically don't let the game suddenly screech to a grinding halt because one or two players just vanish inexplicably or are busy for a few days.
>>46512773
>Basically don't let the game suddenly screech to a grinding halt because one or two players just vanish inexplicably or are busy for a few days.
This will happen constantly, btw. You have to persevere.
>>46510145
Is this just a campaign on a forum, or are you asking for a combat system for roleplay forum that has no set campaign or DM? That really changes the answer, OP.
>>46512873
>a combat system for roleplay forum that has no set campaign or DM
I'm not sure what you're asking here, so I'll default to the former.
>>46512479
>>46512773
How would one order the turns of this mass battle? By post order? Ranked by initiative modifiers?
>>46513106
A combat system for freeform forum roleplay, essentially. I could go into more detail, since this is something I'm currently developing.
For door #1, the previous anons shared most of my thoughts.
>>46513158
It sounds interesting. What do you have so far, and what's the advantage over a tabletop system with some homebrew rules?
>>46513158
If you have something that works, I'd be interested in seeing it. Every combat system I've ever seen made for forum use has always been hot garbage.
>>46513193
>>46513381
>tfw this is just an idea and not put into action or playtested yet
>tfw never shared this to anyone yet
>tfw no clue how shitty or similar it is compared to other systems
H-here I go! I'm basing this system off of personal experience of total freeform roleplay that didn't have any rules. Feedback would be cool, but, p-please be gentle.
The advantage is that the website does all the work for you. All you have to do is tell it what you are attempting to do to another character and it will look at both your character and the other player's character's stats, make a decision based on those stats, and spit out an outcome for you. Your only job, then, is to describe what happens, and how it happens.
Interested in seeing an example of this play out? Again, I have not implemented or tested this system yet, so I can't promise what'll stay and what'll go. I think I've got a good concept, however.
>>46513611
You might have to explain the 'how the website does all the work for you' part.
>>46513611
It seems like you're making a script?
>>46513677
I am not the person to ask, hombre. I am not the website designer, I'm just the writer. My designer is currently at work, so his answer is not in-depth, but here's the essential breakdown from him:
>I mean, at some point, users will have to register their characters into the site, so their character info will be in a database.
>Users will be able to select which character they're attacking (and which character they're attacking with) and the site will generate the general outcomes you described.
>They then roleplay the specifics of what happened. The purpose of the combat system isn't to do the combat for the players, it's to be an impartial third party to decide that, when characters fight, there MUST be a winner and a loser, as opposed to roleplayers arguing about it until the end of time.
>>46513911
He said, in a sense.
>>46514050
Nice
>>46514050
Kinda like an auto-GM, or a video game RPG system. Cool.
I have a confession, teegee: I still do forum roleplay ongaia.
>>46514150
>>46514226
Yes! Precisely. A middle ground that marries the fun of freeform forum roleplay and battle roleplay. Hopefully no one takes this idea and steals it before I even have the ability to implement it.
Thanks for the positive feedback. It means a lot.
>>46513611
Yes, but how deeply do the stats effect this? What are the stats? What sort of power level is achievable?
>>46514321
That's a good question! The answer is... I don't know yet. That's at least months down the development pipeline. I only know what the stats themselves are and what they will be deciding on in battle. I have tons of ideas, of course, but they're just that, ideas.
Accuracy, Agility, Perception, Stealth, Strength, Vitality. How well you hit, how well you dodge, how well you can detect a character, how well you can go undetected, how hard you hit, how much you can endure. As of right now, each stat has 10 possible points, and you get 30 points to divvy up between the six stats. It is simple, but that's my intention.
>>46514528
>>46514310
For some reason, I just thought of Deadliest Warrior where they pick a winner based on averages and stats.
>>46514528
>>46514310
Could you theoretically create NPCs and enemies which will can also be attacked and whose fight is automatically resolved?
Never forum RPd till recently, started playing with the /tg/ crew on the forum and am having a blast. The biggest challenge I figure is probably finding and keeping players.
>>46515768
What forum if you don't mind, I'm kinda searching for a good/tolerable one to use.
>>46515810
It's an anime one, not sure if that counts as tolerable.
>>46515539
I've actually thought about that. I like the idea, I really do, but I'd have to figure out how it would logistically function in-roleplay. The current system is post-by-post, which for NPCs, does not work.
But yes, I'd love to have that feature, but I have no clue how I'd implement it.
>>46515849
Fine by me, as long as the people are cool.
>>46515849
Also interested, Anon.
>>46515768
I feel ya anon, I've recruited a bunch of people from /tg/ for my campaigns and while I've been able to find a lot of gems so to speak a lot of them don't stick it out and quit.
Speaking of which, I am looking for more players for my PbP campaign. Would anyone here be interested in a Sci-fi/Space Opera based on a homebrewed d20? If so check my forum out at Imperiumascension.yuku.com and I can answer any questions you guys might have here or on the board.
>>46515953
You can find it if you google Bon Voyage RP, its a One Piece thing.
>>46510145
Try RPOL.net
>>46510145
Don't. It's way harder to do, since you're not face to face, or make your own system. That's why freeform is mostly popular in forums.
>>46512479
>not always using superior group initiative
>>46510145
Knowing how to say "No" is a good start.
Lots of good OPs lose control of their campaign and it's tempo by running an open door policy and letting in unreliable or just plain old bad players. Even worse is that they then feel they can't ask them to leave and bend of backwards to accommodate them.
It's not easy of a public forum with names and reputations but if you want a good game then get to know No.
>>46515929
Well, assuming there's a GM involved, what if any targeting of NPCs for some action, be it conversation or skill checks or battle, sends an alert to the GM allowing the GM to respond in kind by taking control of the NPC?
So say a PC targets an NPC for conversation by tagging the NPC or whatever. The GM gets an alert and then responds as the NPC. Meanwhile some other PC has just failed a pickpocket attempt on a guard which alerts the GM so he can then roll to catch/attack the PC.
I once ran a MapTools game with Fire Emblem mechanics that reminds me of this. Players had access to automated macros that let them move and attack and resolve combat all on their own, while I as the GM moved the hostile and allied NPCs as a group.
