Hey, there

Yes, Wanda would like to play.

Unfortunately, adult real life seriously interferes with gaming, so after several years of not playing at all, I decided to try playing on a forum. Hope it goes well, because this is my last resort :)

Welcome, Wanda!

If you want to see how GP functions, here are links to the New GP Member Guide, the forum rules, this video introduction made by user Qralloq and a little helpful formatting guide made by user Adam. You might also be interested in looking through some public games as well to get a feel for the site.
If you have any questions about how to use the site, you can put them into our Questions and Help subforum.

To join a game, keep your eyes on the Games Tavern, where GMs advertise their games and look for players.

You're also invited to join us on the Discord server for some friendly conversation, about the site, RPGs in general or anything else!

If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to contact any of the following moderators:

bowlofspinach
CancerMan
Dramasailor
Len
Naatkinson
Qralloq
Keleth (site owner)

Happy gaming!

Welcome to GP, WandaPlays!

Welcome!

Hi Wanda, and welcome! What sorts of games, or genres of games, are you most interested in?

Hello, all.

Sure, I'll look around, thanks a ton for those useful links.

A gaming preferences sample:
- cluster1: contemporary occult / ConspiracyX, Witchcraft, Delta Green, nWoD mundanes /
- cluster2: sci-fi / Aliens, Cold & Dark, The Void, cyberpunk, Stars Without Number (setting), Traveller TNE (setting) /
- cluster3: low-magic fantasy / Westeros, The Wheel of Time, Witcher /
- mechanics: strongly leaning towards class-less and level-less / nWoD, Delta Green, Unisystem, Fate, WR&M, Aliens, Savage Worlds /
- game style: either personal or big-picture; story, mood and atmosphere are important; social/action/investigation balanced

Welcome Aboard!

I think most of your game requests are fairly common on GamersPlane. You shouldn't have too difficult a time finding something fun to play!

I highly recommend jumping into the GamersPlane DISCORD channel, if you haven't already. We don't play over there but we have pretty lively discussions and it's a great way to get to know the community.

Welcome to Gamers Plane, Wanda. You shouldn't have any difficulty finding a game or three here.

Welcome to the site! You'll find that a lot of the gamers on here have tough adult schedules and can empathize with you.

Welcome to GP!

Welcome to the community, Wanda! We've all been there! Hope you find some great games to join!

I have a question because I'm addicted to logically assessing everything.

What's the single greatest challenge / obstruction / threat to running a forum-based game (is there a handy abbreviation for that)?

We call it PBP (Play by Post).

The greatest challenge is to get a group that sticks together and sticks to the posting rate. A lot of games fall apart early on, so you'll have to be prepared for some disappointments, unfortunately. But once you do find a good game with players who stick together, it's definitely worth it.

PbP games move way slower so you'll have to adjust your expectations that games take much longer. A lot of people join the site and then leave or lost interest and you never hear from them again. Other people might like a game in person but find it doesn't translate well to PbP (high combat games suffer this more than most I find). And some people have different gaming styles and personalities which take more time to judge when you don't see them face to face. But its worth it if you stick it out.

One of the big obstacles is the lack of a sense of community on most PbP sites. It's easy to just drift away because you don't connect with the other players/site members. GamersPlane has a great sense of community so that's not as big a hurdle to cross here.

Other than that, it might take some getting used to as far as the pace. Forum play is, by it's nature, not a particularly fast method of communication but sometimes games can have a blur of activity and make you feel left out if you didn't catch it while that was going on. You just have to manage your expectations, realize that we're all here to have fun and enjoy playing RPGs together.

Welcome :)

I'd like to second what bowlofspinach wrote. I've only been here since March, but I've already seen that, particularly among new people to GP.

Fortunately, I've met some great people here already and really enjoy it. When I came here, I was in a gaming funk (my games were Play by EMail though), but since coming aboard, I've had my love of RPGs renewed.

Now that I'm a bit more familiar with how GP works, I'm preparing to GM my first GP game. If you're running a game that not too many people play, you might not find character sheets you can use and you might have to prepare an explanation of the rules (there are some great how-to guides that explain how GP works and setting up a game here), but it's really about the people. Getting the right crowd is the main thing.

Welcome to gamersplane.com!

Welcome

* a lot of games fall apart
* pbp is slow
* no feeling of community
Sounds tough. Still, I'll try and see what comes of it.

@Psybermagi
I'm going to accept that invitation. It's very nice of you!

Definitely give it a shot. With the pitfalls listed out like this, it sounds terrible, but I enjoy it immensely. Games falling apart is an unfortunate part of the hobby, that's true. The pace of games can be very different. I am in some games that only post maybe once or twice a week and in some where there are multiple posts per day. But it is slower than live gaming, that is undeniable.
And as for no feeling of community, I don't think that is the case on GP. If you hang around the public forums and especially if you join the Discord, you'll soon start to recognize names. This site definitely feels like a community to me.

Aye, there are also things PbP games do better than any other form of the hobby! It's good to have your eyes open about the spots that can be rough, but there are dozens or hundreds of us here who find the payoff well worth it!

Welcome Wanda!

Good to hear that. What are those things in your opinion?

I can take time to think through my actions and take the one that matches best. I don't get overwhelmed by anxiety that makes me sit silent through most of the game. Players can get more descriptive than they would in speaking. You can read back through old threads and relive the memories of the game (or search for a bit of info you're not sure on). You can fit more gaming into your schedule than you could with live play.

I'm sure there's more. I just really enjoy this hobby.

As a GM, if players "go off the map", it gives you time to prepare for their excursion, either letting them explore this new terrain or finding a way to reel them back in. In-person, if I didn't have those contingencies covered, I was screwed.

I ran/run very "open world" Traveller campaigns, letting the players steer the course of play. Once we switched from in-person to PbEM, things really took off. Knowing that they could freely travel just about anywhere they wanted, really made the game enjoyable for them (and me). PbEM and PbP, while not the same, have enough in common that I feel comfortable offering that as an example.

Oh my -- there's so much! I've recorded a couple of podcasts on this subject over the years, but off the top of my head...

🔸 Play at your pace and schedule -- obviously helps to be on the same wavelength as the rest of the group, but PbP games are *way* easier to schedule than live ones are because they are generally asynchronous.
🔸 Play *loads* of different games -- virtually anything you've ever wanted to try, you'll find being run, or players willing to try.
🔸 Play virtually anywhere -- on you phone, a few minutes at a time, etc.
🔸 I firmly believe the format allows for deeper characterization and richer storytelling.
🔸 For many, it's easier to roleplay character they are writing, vs. being at the table and doing it.
🔸 It can be easier for everyone to maintain tone and mood. Crack jokes in the OOC or Discord, leave the game to be the fiction you're all creating.
🔸 The GM (and players) have more time to look up rules, to set scenes, to come up with that perfect bit of dialog -- or the cost that accompanies a partial or conditional success, or what that spectacular success or failure looks like.
🔸 Easy linking to images, videos, sounds, etc.

There are indeed lots of cons and it's not for everyone -- speed, games that die on the vine, etc. -- but some of us would actually give up live play before giving up PbP play. I'm one of them.

Welcome to GP!

🔸 Play at your pace and schedule -- obviously helps to be on the same wavelength as the rest of the group, but PbP games are *way* easier to schedule than live ones are because they are generally asynchronous.
🔸 Play *loads* of different games -- virtually anything you've ever wanted to try, you'll find being run, or players willing to try.
🔸 Play virtually anywhere -- on you phone, a few minutes at a time, etc.
🔸 I firmly believe the format allows for deeper characterization and richer storytelling.
🔸 For many, it's easier to roleplay character they are writing, vs. being at the table and doing it.
🔸 It can be easier for everyone to maintain tone and mood. Crack jokes in the OOC or Discord, leave the game to be the fiction you're all creating.
🔸 The GM (and players) have more time to look up rules, to set scenes, to come up with that perfect bit of dialog -- or the cost that accompanies a partial or conditional success, or what that spectacular success or failure looks like.
🔸 Easy linking to images, videos, sounds, etc.

🔸 a lot of games fall apart
🔸 pbp is slow
🔸 no feeling of community

That's not a bad balance!

I also don't think 'a lot of games fall apart' is a fair criticism of PbP itself, that is more a problem with 'online games' and 'games with strangers'. Whether they be played by text or using video and voice, it is mainly the anonymity that results in game death.

As mentioned (as a good thing) there is a lot more possibility for finding and trying games, and just the seer numbers may make the problem seem more disproportionately common than it really is.

I would also argue that GP *does* have a good sense of community, especially if you're also on the Discord. There are other cons, but why focus on those? ;)

I tend to keep away from instant messengers in general, but this thread itself is nice and friendly enough to see the connection of the members of GP.

Fair enough -- and I missed your blurb on gaming preferences somehow. You'll find loads of others here with similar preferences. Mine are a close match -- Delta Green, harder and darker sci-fi, cyberpunk, low fantasy... these are a few of my favorite things!