PBP - Rules and Regulations - lock

PBP Rules and regulations

Disclaimer - Thread has been modified for use on KaW forums.

I. Rules
II. Characters
III. Setting
IV. Getting started
V. Advice for Game masters
VI. Advice for Players
VII. Other

Rules:


Unlike other forms of online role-playing games such as MUDs or MMORPGs, Players create their own characters and descriptions of events and their surroundings during play. Results of combat, which may include Player versus player encounters, may be determined by chance through dice rolls or software designed to provide a random result. The results of random chance may need to be provided to the players in order to avoid disputes that may be a result of cheating or favoritism.

Alternatively, a forum may be diceless and rely on cooperation between players to agree on outcomes of events and thus forgo the use of randomizers.

In the latter case, combat and other measures are handled by requiring players to avoid detailing the results of their actions, and thus leave an opening for a response by other involved players. Consider the following possible post from a character named Bob attacking Joe:

This post makes the assumption that Joe takes no further action to avoid the attack from Bob and that he will drop as a result. These types of actions are often called "autohits" as they "automatically hit" without allowing for a response by the affected character, and there may be rules against such actions (commonly referred to as the 'no power playing' rule). Alternatively, Bob may be required to write something like the following:

This allows Joe to respond to the action without contradicting the post.

Depending on the rules established on the forum, role-playing and story can be pushed forward through moderation by a gamemaster, specific rules (often existing role-playing game systems), or by mutual agreement between players.

Some games allow members of any writing proficiency to join, while others may require members to provide a sample of writing for review before allowing participation. In addition, a minimum word-count for each post may be required in order to encourage more detailed writing. Forums that cater to all levels of role-playing may have specific sections for various difficulty levels.


Characters:


In general, each player plays and develops his or her own character. Characters may be original creations of the player, or may be based on a character taken from canon if the setting and rules provide this option. Each game may have its own rules regarding the process of character creation and either allow characters to be liberally created and used with minimal review, or require characters to undergo a review process in which administrators examine the character application and decide whether to approve or reject the application.

In many cases, characters are regarded as belonging to the players who created them, and others are not allowed to make drastic changes to them without the creator's consent.

In addition to standard characters, games may also incorporate non-player characters (NPCs). Some NPCs have recurring roles, while others appear only briefly to aid in the writing of a scene.


Setting:


Games vary in the degree to which the setting is established; some go as far as to include a virtual "world" to roleplay in, while others allow players to improvise the setting as they progress. Settings may be derived from novels, TV shows or movies (often resulting in collaborative fan-fiction) or may be unique to the game.


Getting Started:


The GM should first establish what system the game will be in and what material is available in the game. Making this clear at the beginning keeps things running smoothly later. Also, a general description of the game type is should be included.

Collecting Players

Figure out how many players you want and include that in the post. Most GMs will require a backstory, selecting players from a pool of candidates based on quality of narration or premise. Backstory length and backstory quality do not necessarily correlate directly. Being clear and concise may be just as good, if not better. Above all, be creative.


Character Creation, and Posting Characters


As GM, you should establish the rules for character creation as soon as possible. Just use whatever variant you prefer from the game you're playing, though for d20 point buy or shared stats are preferred for fairness. More important is deciding how to post character stats.

Getting Ready to Play

Once players are chosen and characters created, and the posting frequency rules set, you should create new threads in the Out-Of-Character subforum, and Ongoing Games (In-Character) Channels with the title of the game and game type as the thread name. Make sure it’s clear which game is yours when you pick a name, and link back to the thread in the first post, and post a link to the IC thread in the OOC thread. Linking to characters in the first post is also a good idea. Read some of the ongoing games to get an idea of how things work.


Advice for game masters:


Scheduling, Timing, and Pacing.


One of the benefits and curses of PbP games is that there is no formal meeting time for games. Players post whenever they are available to check the boards. However, this also extends the time it takes to work through adventures quite a bit. It could take several hours, or even days, for every player to post to a single combat round.


Given this, a few suggestions can make the game run more smoothly. First, state how often you expect players (and yourself, as the GM, in particular) to post at a minimum - once a day, three times a week, whatever works best. If you have particularly prolific posters in your game, especially if the rest of the players don't post as often, establishing a maximum number of posts in a specific time period might be a good idea as well.


Additionally, establish limits for non-responsive players. For example, if a player doesn't post for two days, the GM will decide that PCs actions in order to keep the story moving. Another good thing is to establish a limit to how long a player can be gone (not posting at all), without providing an explanation, before their character is turned into an NPC or otherwise removed from the game. Two weeks is a typical limit.


A Leave of Absence?


The previous paragraph brings up another potential problem of the expanded time span of PbP - player absences. Players might have to leave for a week or more due to vacations, family concerns, work, school, or any of a myriad of reasons. Generally, if the player contacts the GM, that player should be able to return to the game when they get back, without penalty - though, if the absence is going to be especially long, it might be better for the player to leave altogether. Also, its often standard-practice for another player to handle an absent player's character while they are gone. This should only be done with the player's permission, and the GM should make sure the absent player's character doesn't get, well, screwed, while the player is gone.

If you as the GM are going to be away for a while, it’s a good idea to post to both the thread and let people know when you'll be back.


Dropping and Adding Players.


Players end up dropping out of games – whether standard tabletop or PbP – regularly due to outside concerns. This is problematic in PbP due to the extended time span the game progresses through. Ideally, having a few alternate players to call on should a regular drop is a good idea. Otherwise, adding a new character should proceed in the same manner as starting a game.


Roleplaying


The nature of PbP tends to promote heavy RP games. The players have longer to compose their thoughts and responses, and heavy “roll” games tend to go quite slowly, so extra RP helps keep things interesting. Of course, what this means will vary from game to game. If everyone is having fun, then you're at the right degree of RP for your game - whether it's more or less than another PbP is a non-issue. As a GM, you should explain how much RP and detail you expect, and set an example by providing that level of RP and detail in your own posts.


Private Messages.


Generally, with PbP games, you just have to trust players not to metagame. As a player, you shouldn't take advantage of this trust. However, every once in a while it’s easiest for a GM to send a private message to a player to supply information or ask questions. In this case, I suggest two things: try to stay in character for PMs, make the PM's subject clear that it is in regards to the PbP game, and mention that you've PMed the player in the IC thread.

Metagaming

Metagaming is any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed rule set, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. Another definition refers to the game universe outside of the game itself.

In simple terms, it is the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect one's in-game decisions


Maintaining a Game over Play by Post.


It isn’t enough to just start your game and expect it to take off. Indeed if that happens, congratulate yourself, because you’ve either written a very compelling campaign, or you’ve happened upon some very dedicated players. It takes work to keep your game flowing and interesting. The fluid and noncommittal nature of forums leads to many games dying out.


First and foremost, keep your players interested. If players lose interest, they’ll stop posting, and if one person stops posting, then everything grinds to a halt. Whenever possible, encourage your players to keep posting, even if it’s just one-liners. Anything is better than nothing. It may be worth making clear at the very beginning that if someone has to stop posting, arrange for a “heads-up” so to speak. Clear communication between all players (and the GM) is a definite must. Some possible ways of rescuing your game might be to set a maximum period of inactivity before the GM may godmode/railroad (or smite) said character to further the game.


So you, or your players aren’t posting, because nobody knows what to do, or because it wouldn’t be in character for someone to speak. First, you need to let your fellow players know, either in character, or in the out of character thread, that you’re still here and participating. At the very least, somebody should be maintaining the “action” whether it be in game or out of game. Feel free to discuss in the out of character thread. As long as everyone is there and checking in, it shouldn’t really matter that you’ve spent the past month trying to solve this one riddle (as long as it’s really good). If your character is stumped, somebody else might have the answer (out of character) that they can just tell you, and things will go on their merry way.


Feedback is a core component of roleplaying in general (not just play by post). As a GM, you should seek feedback and constructive criticism to make sure that everybody is having fun. Other people can’t see your face, and you can’t see theirs. Therefore, it is up to you to find out whether people are legitimately enjoying themselves. If you think something is stupid, say so, but do so nicely, and firmly, lest your thread get derailed.


Other:

Many players reserve colors for character speech, either for consistency between games/characters, or for personal reasons. When picking a color, pick one different from the other players and stick to that specific color. If the GM reserves a color, don’t use that one. Red is acceptable for character speech, though it is preferred that you do not.

Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation (barring unusual speech patterns or accents as part of a character's defining traits) are a must, since confusion resulting from a run-on sentence could lead to mistakes, possibly even character death. Running a post through a spelling and grammar checker before posting is a good idea. If you are unsure of your post clarity, run it by your GM prior to posting


If you want to join a new game, check the Finding Players (Recruitment) forum and see which games are looking for players. Do not post to a thread in an IC channel asking to join. This just annoys the GM and other players. You might also wish to create a player profile in the Player Registry, or if you wish to run a game, create a profile in the Dungeon Master Registry. Please keep in mind that the GM should start all game threads, unless he/she gives express and specific instructions for someone else to start the thread.


Advice for players:


Character Creation


The GM will list all relevant guidelines for character creation. The standard method here is to use some form of point buy appropriate for the system being used (many systems use point buy as a default), and then let people know how many points they have to play with. Note that specific rules for how to use a systems point buy will be found in the appropriate rulebooks, and is generally copyrighted and thus cannot be posted publicly on the forum. Where to post the character stats/sheets will also be explained by the GM. See below for more detail on this.


Regarding Other Characters.


In PbP, there is a temptation to include the actions or reactions of other characters, PC or NPC, in your own post, in order to move things along in the story. Do not do this. It's known as “godmodding” “railroading,” and quite frankly is rather rude. It may take a while longer, but waiting for another player to compose their own characters response is generally worth the wait, and the slight acceleration of the plot is not worth the trouble. Also, let the GM resolve anything that needs an opposed die roll. In order to speed things up, its usually okay to post probable actions your character will take depending on what happens next - a sort of “if, then” statement. Don't go overboard with this.

The exception to this rule is if you have permission from the GM and/or another player to control another character's actions, or if a GM has taken control of a character from an absent player.


Mechanics, and Resolving Dice Rolls, Checks, and So Forth.


The GM of a particular thread will designate a method to be used for dice rolls, generally reserving the right to make the rolls for all checks, or at least opposed checks. Generally, as a player you will post what checks you think you're making and your relevant modifiers in the OOC section after your main post, and then the GM will actually roll the checks and usually post your results. Sometimes, a GM will allow players to make their own rules using an online dice roller. Regardless, check the game's main thread to determine what methods are being used, and follow the GM's guidelines.

It's always a good idea to include the relevant statistics for any sort of skill check you're making in the OOC section. For example, in combat listing AC, attack bonuses, weapon damage, and current HP is a good idea. If you cast a spell, list caster level, save DC, etc. When making a skill check, list the relevant bonuses (for example, “Survival +6, +8 aboveground, +8 when tracking goblins, +10 when tracking goblins aboveground”). The GM does have access to the character sheets, but its good form to give quick reference information when possible.


http://www.myth-weavers.com/forumhome.php

 

Re: PBP - Rules and Regulations

Weblinks


Characters - http://www.myth-weavers.com/forumhome.php

 

Re: PBP - Rules and Regulations

Reserved

 

Re: PBP - Rules and Regulations

Lock requested.