I like creating tools to make PBeM, WhatsApp, or online gaming easier for players who live far apart. The days of being able to get together around a table on the regular have passed. Many of my friends and colleagues have families, live hundreds of miles away, or juggle different schedules.
Over the years, I have adapted to this situation since true diehard RPGers still want their stories told. For example, I have a Marvel Heroic Roleplaying story (formerly TSR) that has been running for almost 30 years! It has become quite the saga. Check it out for yourself at omegaforceblog. These faithful players live all over the world. Using systems I have created, we still manage a lively and engaging game.
I plan to do the same with Star Trek Adventures.
Here are three tools I use to make it possible:
- I use Rise Articulate to create an interactive, responsive app wherein players have the rules at their fingertips. This provides a quick reference for on-the-go players disguised as Silicon Valley tech geeks, Bay Area hospital workers, restauranteurs, and foreign-language interpreters who need to get their RPG fix.
- I use Google forms to create a sheet where people can post their play. I take the collected responses to keep the game moving. Now I can tabulate responses for each round of play. I will use text, email or WhatsApp if I need to clarify moves.
- WhatsApp is the perfect tool to allow gamers to create a dialog between their player characters, chat out-of-character (OOC), or ask the GM for more details before they post their moves. With WhatsApp, you get fast, simple, secure messaging and calling for free, available on phones all over the world.
As with the Marvel Heroic campaign, which uses similar tools, I hope that our Star Trek Adventures campaign becomes a thing of RPG legend. I will keep posting our epic adventures.
I would be interested to know what kind of tools you use to play from a distance. Just drop us a line here at Continuing Mission.
did you ever post the details of that echo? ive giot a player who created a hologram and am interested in how it worked out
Where can I send the player sheet to? Email?
Just posted on the site