Let's tool up.
This here blog is going to be dumping ground for my thoughts on running a PBEM game. Feel free to comment (constructively) on my thoughts!
I'm going to start by trying to describe the sort of game that I would like to see emerge. So that's going to include things like rules, setting and etiquette.
At the moment I think that the rule system should be very simple and that I'll make it up myself. I always got excited about coming up with my own rules: I used to create game after game. Very few of them got played for very long cos once we started using the rules I'd be thinking of so many improvements that I'd want to start over! Also, over the last couple of years I've become more aware of the string link between settings and rules (previously I'd been trying to invent rules that were totally generic). I see now the error of my ways, largely thanks to discussions at The Forge (where I post very occasionally) and the mind-blowing Dying Earth RPG. If you're an fan or fantasy and/or RPGs and you've never seen the latter, you owe it to yourself to investigate further.
Settings-wise then, the ones I'm most interested in at the moment are The Dying Earth, Glorantha or something completely made up by me! :) I feel very strongly that the rules should go hand-in-hand with the setting - the table-top Dying Earth mini-campaign I ran last year really benefitted from the quirky rules. (I did find I was unhappy with certain aspects of the rules though: the amount of book-keeping to keep track of Attribute Tallies during contests, for one.)
Taking this as inspiration, I feel that PBEM rules ought to match the setting. However, I think that they should also match the email medium. With that in mind player die-rolls are out I think (although there's nothing to stop each individual player using dice to determine private things about their character or to help drive decisions). However, I can't quite let go of the idea that each player should have at least some input when it comes to resolving actions. Some kind of optional spend could be involved, effectively allowing the player to attach weight to the outcome of an action. The currency they have available to spend should be based upon what their character is good at as well as how well they are role-playing the situation.
You may notice that I've not talked specifically about the roles of players and referee yet. More on that and more in the next post...
I'm going to start by trying to describe the sort of game that I would like to see emerge. So that's going to include things like rules, setting and etiquette.
At the moment I think that the rule system should be very simple and that I'll make it up myself. I always got excited about coming up with my own rules: I used to create game after game. Very few of them got played for very long cos once we started using the rules I'd be thinking of so many improvements that I'd want to start over! Also, over the last couple of years I've become more aware of the string link between settings and rules (previously I'd been trying to invent rules that were totally generic). I see now the error of my ways, largely thanks to discussions at The Forge (where I post very occasionally) and the mind-blowing Dying Earth RPG. If you're an fan or fantasy and/or RPGs and you've never seen the latter, you owe it to yourself to investigate further.
Settings-wise then, the ones I'm most interested in at the moment are The Dying Earth, Glorantha or something completely made up by me! :) I feel very strongly that the rules should go hand-in-hand with the setting - the table-top Dying Earth mini-campaign I ran last year really benefitted from the quirky rules. (I did find I was unhappy with certain aspects of the rules though: the amount of book-keeping to keep track of Attribute Tallies during contests, for one.)
Taking this as inspiration, I feel that PBEM rules ought to match the setting. However, I think that they should also match the email medium. With that in mind player die-rolls are out I think (although there's nothing to stop each individual player using dice to determine private things about their character or to help drive decisions). However, I can't quite let go of the idea that each player should have at least some input when it comes to resolving actions. Some kind of optional spend could be involved, effectively allowing the player to attach weight to the outcome of an action. The currency they have available to spend should be based upon what their character is good at as well as how well they are role-playing the situation.
You may notice that I've not talked specifically about the roles of players and referee yet. More on that and more in the next post...
posted by Ben M at 4:25 AM
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