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This Section Seems Desolate
So I thought why not liven it up?
Hello, nice to meet all of you.
I'm likely fairly young compared to most of the community and just as well my experience smaller. I started off not playing games due to lack of...well people. Then, one day it struck me that there's probably an online solution. Lo and behold I found one (roll20 if anybody else uses that). In their forums I found my way into my first group (that I still play with...well the core members in games now and then). They were playing FantasyCraft, which I would NOT rec. as a beginner's system. I mean I still don't really "know" the rules. I created a mouse person by the name of Wabont Belfgorn (still like the name), who took the backseat quite literally in that when a player playing a tree came along I just rode on them to sling at people.
It was an alright experience and from there forward I played Stars Without Number and that was an awesome time. Despite the fact that the first campaign suffered from some issues and the second one on a different timeslot while more interesting was focused on 2 PCs other than me. Can't say it wasn't fun watching what went down.
Moving onwards to DnD 5e. I spent sometime building my character and that really helped me pick up the system. The fruit of my labors was a fellow named Abacus. A sociopathic bard that became very good at infiltration, deception, and so on so forth. I will also note that 5e was my first DnD system. It's also the system where I decided I was comfortable enough to try DMng. I went along and mustered up 2 IRL people, 1 from my first group, and 3 from the internet. I must say that obviously life brings complications meaning the people in the group and its numbers have changed. I feel happy enough knowing that there was enough fun to be had that it carried on for a while (some degree of months-half a year?). Of course I found faults in my structuring of the campaign.
I played a lot of 5e past that initial game and the one I always was running up to now. The campaigns being a "treasure-hunting" game that devolved into one main characters, a fairly new RP focused game, and my first IRL group (new people) that's now temporarily digital. Due to time I've left the first one. I've currently got a halfling light cleric and an aarakocra way of the open hand monk. The latter to be introduced next session.
On the GM side I've had to speed up production for my next campaign, because it was originally planned to be planned at my leisure throughout my prior campaign. I've made some breakthroughs recently, but it still obviously requires work that I am of course willing to put in. Systemwise I looked around a bit and found FATE, which is far more suited to the sorts of things I like. Meaning I am running that instead of 5e. Which is great with the amount I've had that system lately. Settingwise it's still a toss in the air, but I'm not going rote medieval Europe. I have some core elements already and am structuring it to be run as a campaign once. Then, played again after some interim period in the same setting with possibly some time shift. For this I really want to capture the interest of the players to keep them engaged. That's where my discovery of Obsidian Portal is nice. I want to use it to further that kind of thing. It's meant to be RP heavy and fix some of the misaligned things I did the first time. Also, from the getgo I'm going to try and vet new players in a better manner than before as some replacements were depressingly flaky when I got them later. Part of that is the notion of a "trial" phase to see how it really fits for them or if they fit the type of game.
Thanks for reading my wall o' text. I hope to hear a response. One day. Well, OP is rising like a Phoenix from its ashes so soon?
Hello, nice to meet all of you.
I'm likely fairly young compared to most of the community and just as well my experience smaller. I started off not playing games due to lack of...well people. Then, one day it struck me that there's probably an online solution. Lo and behold I found one (roll20 if anybody else uses that). In their forums I found my way into my first group (that I still play with...well the core members in games now and then). They were playing FantasyCraft, which I would NOT rec. as a beginner's system. I mean I still don't really "know" the rules. I created a mouse person by the name of Wabont Belfgorn (still like the name), who took the backseat quite literally in that when a player playing a tree came along I just rode on them to sling at people.
It was an alright experience and from there forward I played Stars Without Number and that was an awesome time. Despite the fact that the first campaign suffered from some issues and the second one on a different timeslot while more interesting was focused on 2 PCs other than me. Can't say it wasn't fun watching what went down.
Moving onwards to DnD 5e. I spent sometime building my character and that really helped me pick up the system. The fruit of my labors was a fellow named Abacus. A sociopathic bard that became very good at infiltration, deception, and so on so forth. I will also note that 5e was my first DnD system. It's also the system where I decided I was comfortable enough to try DMng. I went along and mustered up 2 IRL people, 1 from my first group, and 3 from the internet. I must say that obviously life brings complications meaning the people in the group and its numbers have changed. I feel happy enough knowing that there was enough fun to be had that it carried on for a while (some degree of months-half a year?). Of course I found faults in my structuring of the campaign.
I played a lot of 5e past that initial game and the one I always was running up to now. The campaigns being a "treasure-hunting" game that devolved into one main characters, a fairly new RP focused game, and my first IRL group (new people) that's now temporarily digital. Due to time I've left the first one. I've currently got a halfling light cleric and an aarakocra way of the open hand monk. The latter to be introduced next session.
On the GM side I've had to speed up production for my next campaign, because it was originally planned to be planned at my leisure throughout my prior campaign. I've made some breakthroughs recently, but it still obviously requires work that I am of course willing to put in. Systemwise I looked around a bit and found FATE, which is far more suited to the sorts of things I like. Meaning I am running that instead of 5e. Which is great with the amount I've had that system lately. Settingwise it's still a toss in the air, but I'm not going rote medieval Europe. I have some core elements already and am structuring it to be run as a campaign once. Then, played again after some interim period in the same setting with possibly some time shift. For this I really want to capture the interest of the players to keep them engaged. That's where my discovery of Obsidian Portal is nice. I want to use it to further that kind of thing. It's meant to be RP heavy and fix some of the misaligned things I did the first time. Also, from the getgo I'm going to try and vet new players in a better manner than before as some replacements were depressingly flaky when I got them later. Part of that is the notion of a "trial" phase to see how it really fits for them or if they fit the type of game.
Thanks for reading my wall o' text. I hope to hear a response. One day. Well, OP is rising like a Phoenix from its ashes so soon?
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Comments
I have already commented on your initial input in the recent Management Update post, but I always like to welcome newcomers when they pop in to say hello in this catergory as well. You are right to note that it has seemed desolate of late but, as in all things, there are highs and lows, and perhaps we shall see a few more new people popping in here to say hello.
I think you will have a great time here on OP and it should be an excellent augmentation to your online games and to the Roll20 online system, which I have also used, although most of my gaming is OLDSKOOL table top. The one bit of advice I want to give you as both an older player/ GM and an older OP member, and that is the following:
I note you have great plans and commend your enthusiasm. I think all your future schemes should work out pretty well, but I just want to warn you not to get too despondent if you do not get the desired level of OP interaction or engagement from all of your players. Not all players are as enthusiastic as us GMs and they sometimes do not contribute as much as one would hope. I would imagine this is less so within online games, but I know from being on these boards for many years that it happens within online games as well. Hopefully you may not encounter this, but IF YOU DO, then don't worry too much about it. The most important thing is that you and your players get on with enjoying the actual game; and Obsidian Portal is an incredible tool in that regard.
I look forward to speaking to you more in the future.
twiggyleaf
CURRENT CAMPAIGN: "Mysteria":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/mysteria - set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.
Previous CotM Aug 2012: "Shimring":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shimring
P.S: For all reading this who have not been aware of new developments on this forum, please have a read of the "Obsidian Portal Management Team Update":http://forums.obsidianportal.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=4019&page=1#Item_43 and make your voice heard on this most important development. (Aug 2015)
"I met a traveller from an antique land....."
CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.
Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign
Inner Council Member
add a bonus points system that the characters get for every little thing that the player does on the OP site. In my experience the more generous the reward, the more player involvement you get - but be aware that 'fate point' type rewards can seriously change the flow of tour game if you hadn't originally planned it that way. and not everyone will do things on the OP site. not everyone wants to engage with the game that way (and thats OK :) )
here is an old thread about encouraging player participation
http://forums.obsidianportal.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=1852&page=1#Item_22
twigs
"I met a traveller from an antique land....."
CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.
Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign
Inner Council Member
Note: I didn't see a response to the "trial" sorta phase thing to. Any thoughts on that/has anyone done this sorta thing to make sure the player and campaign fit?
As for the trial phase, I wouldn't say I have done that directly before. On the flip side of the coin, I have evoked my right as a GM to request that a player not return to a campaign for various reasons (usually it has been due to players want to be more of a disruption than active participant). Before I come to that, I will reach out to the player multiple times and try to address the situation in a mature and orderly fashion. It is the same kind of premise, really, so I don't think it is a bad idea.
We have a 3 session trial for all new players. As far as system, we vote before we start a new game, true democracy style. We have done Fate, Pathfinder, and are currently in our 5th year of a Palladium Fantasy game.
The rewards systems I highly endorse! With our reward system, we have over 675 logs, the great majority from the players!
killervp
"A God...Rebuilt":https://a-god-rebuilt.obsidianportal.com
"OP's COTM April 2012":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/a-god-rebuilt-aprils-cotm/
Over 350 Fans, and Looking for More!
Just trying to help out.
Take a lok around and pay no attention to the crazies
Keelah Se'lai,
Keryth
"Shadows Over New York":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shadows-over-new-york
"2013 Campaign of The Year":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/2013-coty-shadows-over-new-york/
"Campaign of the Month July 2013":http://blog.obsidianportal.com/shadows-over-new-york-julys-campaign-of-the-month/
I have been looking to put together a campaign and have looked at quite a few pages and several use this guy's page for their reward system.
"Player Reward Points":https://metzger.obsidianportal.com/wikis/player-reward-points
I found a lot of stuff on the Manifestation of Chaos campaign and Crimson Skies campaign that I'd like to use. I have sent both the GMs e-mails but have heard nothing back; what are the rules for using other people's stuff?
"Player rewards":https://the-great-pendragon.obsidianportal.com/wikis/in-game-rewards
twigs
"I met a traveller from an antique land....."
CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.
Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign
Inner Council Member
@Keryth Crazies? Well...
@Killer That seems reasonable and the logs are impressive.
@Alex Nudging is always a nice way to ease people in. On the trial period I've considered also looking for players through one-shots as was posited to me the other day. Might try to do that in some way, which is interesting as I actually did do some haphazard thing to test people at the start of my last campaign. Just not an explicit prepared one-shot, but a spur of the moment thing with the same intention of making sure a campaign and players all mesh well together. Another person made a good point about longer campaigns and the like are better suited for trial periods, whereas when a campaign is new one can just test out people ahead of time. Now I'll stop keeping you from that upcoming update you've teased ;).
At least one blog post will be coming out tomorrow (well, today I suppose since it is past midnight) for sure, and I am lining up a second one as well that will likely come out same day. I got some more information late this evening that has bearing on my announcements so I need to sure those up here and get them out. But, it is also 3am here now, so I also need to get to bed for tonight. More to come, been a long day.