I'm planning an email rpg/skirmish game for 2 or 3 players and I wonder if you'd care to give an insight into how you are handling the mechanics of this game...?
I've done a competitive game via email with players struggling against each other but the one I'm planning now is a cooperative one. Do you get your players to decide on their actions between themselves by email and then notifying you as a group or do they all tell you their intentions directly? Or a mixture?
Doug
I'll try. For me, cooperative PBEM games are like writing a book with multiple authors, with everyone making a contribution. I act as the principal author and editor, with the others submitting their actions and dialogue appropriate to their character in response to the situation. I start by developing each players character, in conjunction with the player, so that they have 'ownership' of that character, their background and personality. Then I develop the Introduction, send it off and await responses.
Once there is an agreed action (or more likely a series of events) then I'll release the next 'Game Post', summarising what has actually happened since the last game post. If the players have split up into 2 or more groups, as is currently the case, then each group will follow a different plot line until they can meet up again in the game and compare experiences. Obviously this works best if the players only post via me so that I can limit the story arc to those characters in that arc & the others proceed along independently. That's not an issue if the players remain in 1 group though.
Otherwise I'm happy for the players to discuss thngs between themselves but the 'official' storyline stems from what they feed back to me. I prefer individual players to interact with me as well as with each other, as I can get a feel for what they're thinking. I can then write an 'agreed narrative' which is the final story. That also allows me to handle interactions with NPCs, outside events, add in clues and red herrings and either keep the player on track, or if necessary go right off the track!
Also if players miss a post or two then I can handle their character as a NPC.
Depending upon what is happening in the story the elapsed game time between Game Posts could be a few seconds (if there's a fight) or a week or more (research in a library). I try to put out GPs frequently, although that also depends both upon the real world and just how much work I need to put into each GP. Currently there are 4 story arcs so there's a lot for me to do!
Hope that helps. I make a lot of this up as I go along!
Chaps - post 6 belatedly went out today. Should be in your inboxes.
28 October 2011, 10:39:45 AM