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Silvannos
Acolyte
Canada
6 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 21:01:42
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I never knew until today that play-by-email games existed and after reading Kaladorm's guide, I must say it sounds pretty cool. Seeing as the stickied topic on PbeM games doesn't seem to have been updated in years, I was wondering if there were games still being played. 
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 21:16:04
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At the moment I don't have a play be email game going since I have the one going over on roleplaying online, which is a play by post game. However, I've still been pondering a email game just cause I usually enjoy them and I tend to check my email more then the play by post site.
Besides, I've had one email game that I've been running for a single player and that game has been going on for almost eight years or so.
But the problem with email/online games is they tend to fizzle out after awhile. Or, at least mine do except for that one game. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 10 Jun 2011 21:23:22 |
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Silvannos
Acolyte
Canada
6 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 21:24:22
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As you can see, I'm pretty new so I haven't read anything about play by post games.  Would you mind explaining how it works or at least pointing me to a link that explains it? |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 22:41:33
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I'm not really sure how to answer the how to explain it part. :)
Uh, all I can say is that in my games, they tend to be written as stories based around my plots, and the plots of the PC's. Uh. I usually send out a reply every other day and have players send me emails based on their actions.
Usually at the end of the week, I combine all the posts into one long email, edit it a bit, and email it so people can reference the combined email/file instead of each individual email.
My email games, or even the play by post games, tend to focus more on RP then combat because combat takes a lot longer to complete unless people trust the DM to roll for them or if people send a bunch of dice rolls, allowing the rounds to be completed faster. I do this while my play by post game as well. However, even then combat could take a few days/week to complete because sometimes we only reply once a day, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by Silvannos
As you can see, I'm pretty new so I haven't read anything about play by post games. Would you mind explaining how it works or at least pointing me to a link that explains it?
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 11 Jun 2011 08:42:09 |
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Sill Alias
Senior Scribe
Kazakhstan
588 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 07:02:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I'm not really sure how to answer the how to explain it part. :)
Uh, all I can say is that in my games, they tend to be written as stories based around my plots, and the plots of the PC's. Uh. I usually send out a reply every other day and have players send me emails based on their actions.
Usually at the end of the week, I combine all the posts into one long email, edit it a bit, and email it so people can reference the combined email/file instead of each individual email.
My email, or even the play by post games, tend to focus more on RP then combat because combat takes a lot longer to complete unless people trust the DM to roll for them or if people send a bunch of dice rolls, allowing the rounds to be completed faster. I do this while my play by post game as well. However, even then combat could take a few days/week to complete because sometimes we only reply once a day, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by Silvannos
As you can see, I'm pretty new so I haven't read anything about play by post games. Would you mind explaining how it works or at least pointing me to a link that explains it?
I hear ya, comrade. Silv, if you ever want to see the example of the post-by-post, check the adventure our scribes took part in called Plots and schemes of Lords and Thieves . This great adventure had to end, but the result gave good ideas for me in the future which I used.
Edit: It is located in Candlekeep Inn.
Kuje, I do not mind taking part in it sometime. I really enjoy RPing.
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You can hear many tales from many mouths. The most difficult is to know which of them are not lies. - Sill Alias
"May your harp be unstrung, your dreams die and all your songs be unsung." - curse of the harper, The Code of the Harpers 2 ed.
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Edited by - Sill Alias on 11 Jun 2011 07:03:31 |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 07:44:43
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I'll ponder it a bit more but as I've experienced, my games tend to fizzle out after awhile due to people leaving, or real life gets in the way, etc.
And to Silv, some of my old games should be floating around as well.
I did manage to dig up my old thread from a game way back in 2005. However, after the first few posts the updates became to long, so they started to get cut off. But you can sort of see what I meant earlier when I said I tend to write my games as a story.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5510&SearchTerms=wyrms
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias
I hear ya, comrade. Silv, if you ever want to see the example of the post-by-post, check the adventure our scribes took part in called Plots and schemes of Lords and Thieves . This great adventure had to end, but the result gave good ideas for me in the future which I used.
Edit: It is located in Candlekeep Inn.
Kuje, I do not mind taking part in it sometime. I really enjoy RPing.
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 11 Jun 2011 07:46:50 |
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Sill Alias
Senior Scribe
Kazakhstan
588 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 08:09:45
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| From what I understood, you gather mail for some time then combine them to make a story? Cool! |
You can hear many tales from many mouths. The most difficult is to know which of them are not lies. - Sill Alias
"May your harp be unstrung, your dreams die and all your songs be unsung." - curse of the harper, The Code of the Harpers 2 ed.
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 08:35:38
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Yup, pretty much that exactly.
quote:
Originally posted by Sill Alias
From what I understood, you gather mail for some time then combine them to make a story? Cool!
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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MalariaMoon
Learned Scribe
324 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 11:48:45
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Incidentally, I just posted an add on the main forum. I've not had any responses yet. My campaign's a play by chat affair - as I find playing this way advances the story a little faster than play by email or post. I'll repost it below - let me know if you're interested!
Harper Single Player Campaign
Hi All,
I’m wondering whether any Candlekeep Scribes would be interested in joining me for a one-on-one Forgotten Realms campaign, playing a Harper agent on a series of exciting missions across the length and breadth of Faerun.
I want to set this up as a Play by Chat game, specifically using Yahoo messenger. I live in South East Asia, GMT +7 hours, but thanks to the nature of my job I’m online semi-regularly at all different hours of the day, so there’s some flexibility with play.
I’m looking for a player who’s interested in role-playing above monster-killing and loot gathering, and has a feeling for the spirit of the Forgotten Realms – although intricate knowledge of Realmslore is not essential.
The campaign will begin in 1367 DR. Waterdeep is likely as a main base of operations but the aim to take the character all over the Realms in a series of stand-alone adventures, the first of which will take place in Ruathym. We’ll be using D&D 3.5 rules with a couple of very minor homebrew tweaks, and we’ll try to stick to ‘canon’ Realms as much as possible.
Your character is the Harper agent Cael Crownfisher. Cael is 8th level and is human or half-elf (not half-drow). You can make him any class, although remember that the majority of Harpers are rangers, bards or wizards. Prestige classes are also allowable, as long as the requirements are met and Cael doesn’t exceed eight total levels.
Anyone interested should send me a private message at the Candlekeep site for more information and a couple of extra character creation guidelines.
Thanks!
MalariaMoon
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Silvannos
Acolyte
Canada
6 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2011 : 15:54:47
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| Thanks for all of your answers. I checked out Plots and schemes of Lords and Thieves as you suggested and it was interesting. Also, your play by chat campaign looks fun but I don't really think it would work for me... I never played a game of D&D before and I think playing a single player campaign for my first time would be really difficult. =/ |
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Sill Alias
Senior Scribe
Kazakhstan
588 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2011 : 07:31:14
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Also, in PbP DMs give special info for making entry post and you can consult about mechanic or RP problems. So there are many unsaid things in this adventure. |
You can hear many tales from many mouths. The most difficult is to know which of them are not lies. - Sill Alias
"May your harp be unstrung, your dreams die and all your songs be unsung." - curse of the harper, The Code of the Harpers 2 ed.
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TheHermit
Seeker
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2011 : 04:59:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
I did manage to dig up my old thread from a game way back in 2005. However, after the first few posts the updates became to long, so they started to get cut off. But you can sort of see what I meant earlier when I said I tend to write my games as a story.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5510&SearchTerms=wyrms
Good times. I feel bad I lost my Internets while that story was going on. |
- "Glitz & Klax's Potions & Elixirs"/"The Sandmen", Inside Ravens Bluff, The Living City; 1990; TSR, Inc.
- "The Far Guardians' Traveler's Mission", Port of Ravens Bluff; 1991, TSR, Inc.
- "Signs Painted", Polyhedron #70; April, 1992; TSR, Inc.
- Communications Director, Coliseum of Comics, Orlando, FL - http://coliseumofcomics.com/ |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2011 : 17:54:23
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Yea, that was shaping up to be a good game. :( Pity it fell apart. I think I still have all the char sheets, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by TheHermit
Good times. I feel bad I lost my Internets while that story was going on.
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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TheHermit
Seeker
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2011 : 22:03:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
Yea, that was shaping up to be a good game. :( Pity it fell apart. I think I still have all the char sheets, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by TheHermit
Good times. I feel bad I lost my Internets while that story was going on.
Well, if you wanna try getting the band back together, I'm game.  |
- "Glitz & Klax's Potions & Elixirs"/"The Sandmen", Inside Ravens Bluff, The Living City; 1990; TSR, Inc.
- "The Far Guardians' Traveler's Mission", Port of Ravens Bluff; 1991, TSR, Inc.
- "Signs Painted", Polyhedron #70; April, 1992; TSR, Inc.
- Communications Director, Coliseum of Comics, Orlando, FL - http://coliseumofcomics.com/ |
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Bakra
Senior Scribe
628 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2011 : 15:31:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
Yea, that was shaping up to be a good game. :( Pity it fell apart. I think I still have all the char sheets, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by TheHermit
Good times. I feel bad I lost my Internets while that story was going on.
It didn't fall apart, we put on hold! And I'm ready to pick up where we left off!  |
I hope Candlekeep continues to be the friendly forum of fellow Realms-lovers that it has always been, as we all go through this together. If you don’t want to move to the “new” Realms, that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with either you or the “old” Realms. Goodness knows Candlekeep, and the hearts of its scribes, are both big enough to accommodate both. If we want them to be.
(Strikes dramatic pose, raises sword to gleam in the sunset, and hopes breeches won’t fall down.)
Enough for now. The Realms lives! I have spoken! Ale and light wines half price, served by a smiling Storm Silverhand fetchingly clad in thigh-high boots and naught else! Ahem . .
So saith Ed. <snip>
love to all,
THO
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2011 : 19:23:22
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Hermit and Bakra,
We could try but not even sure if everyone is still around after six years. :) I know Kes is still busy with her classes. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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TheHermit
Seeker
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 01:08:08
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| Well, in the end, of course, it's up to you, but I had a good time just staying up way too late reading those old logs and *then* digging through my old e-mail account to refresh myself on some of the details the casual reader wasn't privy to. I'd be more than happy to rumble some folksy wisdom back into Addoc Gondsmarked if you want to give it a shot. |
- "Glitz & Klax's Potions & Elixirs"/"The Sandmen", Inside Ravens Bluff, The Living City; 1990; TSR, Inc.
- "The Far Guardians' Traveler's Mission", Port of Ravens Bluff; 1991, TSR, Inc.
- "Signs Painted", Polyhedron #70; April, 1992; TSR, Inc.
- Communications Director, Coliseum of Comics, Orlando, FL - http://coliseumofcomics.com/ |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2011 : 03:45:47
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I've been thinking about a email game, as I said, so maybe digging out the old chars and adding in some new ones, to replace those who don't have the time, might work. Let me ponder it a bit more.
quote:
Originally posted by TheHermit
Well, in the end, of course, it's up to you, but I had a good time just staying up way too late reading those old logs and *then* digging through my old e-mail account to refresh myself on some of the details the casual reader wasn't privy to. I'd be more than happy to rumble some folksy wisdom back into Addoc Gondsmarked if you want to give it a shot.
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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TheHermit
Seeker
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2011 : 09:06:09
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| So as to add something to this thread other than browbeating Kuje, here's a question to you PBeM DMs - Is it easier to run a dungeon-based, city-based, or traveling campaign when using electronic formats? |
- "Glitz & Klax's Potions & Elixirs"/"The Sandmen", Inside Ravens Bluff, The Living City; 1990; TSR, Inc.
- "The Far Guardians' Traveler's Mission", Port of Ravens Bluff; 1991, TSR, Inc.
- "Signs Painted", Polyhedron #70; April, 1992; TSR, Inc.
- Communications Director, Coliseum of Comics, Orlando, FL - http://coliseumofcomics.com/ |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2011 : 15:36:17
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Grin, yeah, stop pestering me. :) Kidding.
And as for the question, I really never experienced a difference. All three have their pros and cons.
quote:
Originally posted by TheHermit
So as to add something to this thread other than browbeating Kuje, here's a question to you PBeM DMs - Is it easier to run a dungeon-based, city-based, or traveling campaign when using electronic formats?
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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TheHermit
Seeker
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2011 : 01:25:42
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| Interesting post on this topic over at 20 by 20 Room - http://www.20by20room.com/2011/08/the-secret-of-pbem-is/ |
- "Glitz & Klax's Potions & Elixirs"/"The Sandmen", Inside Ravens Bluff, The Living City; 1990; TSR, Inc.
- "The Far Guardians' Traveler's Mission", Port of Ravens Bluff; 1991, TSR, Inc.
- "Signs Painted", Polyhedron #70; April, 1992; TSR, Inc.
- Communications Director, Coliseum of Comics, Orlando, FL - http://coliseumofcomics.com/ |
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Play-by-email games
