Call of Cthulu RPG by Web Cam Idea

[Alfrik]

Im cross posting this to this board from the Pulp board. Not sure what board to throw this on so chose this one. Here is an Idea Ive had knocking around for several years to aid in rpg games in general. Can a free Standing Web cam be put on a long cable and moved around a game board to show on line players what their character can see etc? Also using Ventrilo or Teamspeak etc to have voice communications players can speak and be heard. Granted you would not have more than a few players on the Web side of the game, and probably split them between the opposing sides. When its their turn, the cam gets moved to where they generally indicate they want to see and then give insturctions as to how to move their couple of figures and or shoot, cast etc.

Now I readily admit I am so not a Techno Geek that I am probably classable as an AntiGeek... But the out lying web player or 2 that might otherwise be the only player in his town that he knows of could get in some games now and then?

Play would be slow but I have always held to my 3 rules of gaming of what make gaming fun are:

1. Lots of Dice rolling
2. Consume drinks and junk snack food
3. BS about the rules, the game and gaming in general
4. If you dont like the way the game plays, set up and run a better one!

So, inclusion of players via moveable web cam and voice chat, workable? 

[Alien Dave]

Alfrik,

Can't really answer your technical questions, but have a look round this Yahoo Group:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/webcamwargaming/

This should give you a few ideas.

Dave W

[halforc80]

Most webcams are just USB devices, so a decent USB extension would be able to handle the distance so long as you got one with minimal data loss.

[Alfrik]

Wandered down to a Best Buy store to check out web cams, my but the prices have fallen over the last few years, they do need a MSN or AOL or SKYPE account to stream but thats not to complicated. Also the cameras have built in microphones. Didnt have time enough to check into wireless, have to do that another day. So I am pushing forward on it.