[TML] If A PBEM...

[Richard Aiken]

On Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 9:08 PM, Eris Reddoch <erisred at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Richard Aiken wrote:
>
>>> Perhaps if a PBEM was to come along....
>>
>> I'd run one, if I knew how to set it up.
>
> Richard, I'm running three right now. What do you want to know
> about setting one up?

Well . . . where do I start?  I mean, I'm only partially
internet-literate.  I've heard that a good thing to do is to set up a
wiki - which seems to be a website that the GM posts "common
knowledge" on to begin with, then the players "correct" this to
reflect what they learn during play.  I would imagine that a party
journal of some sort - kept on such a site - would also be useful.  I
don't know how to set up such a thing, however.

I suppose I could just put out an ad that says: "Make up some
Traveller characters and email them to me.  Include as much or as
little detail as you want about them and their backgrounds.  Also
include ideas for a campaign theme.  I'll look them over and see if I
can figure out how to make a game from the entries."  Then go from
there.

My only experience at this is as a player, though.  I'm currently
playing in a Play-by-Post game on a site called "PbPHouse."  That game
has been going for over two real time years now and is just now edging
up on 48 hours elapsed game time.  A simple conversation between the
PCs can take a week or more, while combat takes FOREVER.  I'm also
playing in a game that is played one week via chat and then the
alternate week via email (due to restrictions of a player's work
schedule).  But it doesn't seem to matter which method is used - both
are very little faster than the PbP game.

Not that they aren't fun, each in their own way.  I really enjoy
playing my characters in these games, particularly the PbP one (which
is a Firefly/Serenity game, but using a completely different cast and
beginning situation).  Still, there has *got* to be a way to make
things go faster.  Both games have cycled through numerous players
during their lives.  Only two players - one per game - were there at
the beginning.  Folk (quite understandably) get bored with waiting on
Slow Player or Sleepy GM to post.  It seems that keeping an email game
alive is a lot harder than keeping a face-to-face game alive.

-- 
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident." Robert A. Heinlein