Dear Game Master

What do you mean by "shiny multiplayer things"? That's rather vague.

You mean WoW and Evercrack and the other usual garbage? HATE.

Or do you mean Virtual Tabletop Software like MapTool and Fantasy Grounds?

Because I have undying LOVE for MapTool.

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Have you tried Masterplan? It's freaking awesome! It's not online, though, but with TightVNC, you could use it online with the player view and do a fair amount.

If you play 4E, check it out!

edg

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Right off the bat, I'm going to say that is indeed nifty, not going to deny it.

However, it's not something that meets my needs, as I'm already well served by MapTool.

A: The almighty text file does everything I need and more in regards to planning and outlining. I find any more complicated tool, to be too complicated to the point where the tool interferes with getting at the info.

B: Generators are OK, but I prefer the hand tweaked approach anyways.

C: Maps. This is where MapTool completely wins. I see you have a tile setup. MapTool can use tiles. Or it can use ANY image you have. As a tile, textre or brush. You can hand-draw, import complete maps, assemble from tiles, or most frequently all three in the same map.

And then you can add object images to the map... which can be moved. Such as the stack of barrels falling on the fighter, becoming difficult terrain. Or the crate the ogre threw at the cleric... and then became an obstacle in front of him.

Both things that happened last session :)

D: Combat manager. OK, those can be handy. But... MapTool can do it too. And more. The macro system is completely open ended, and thus you can make the combat management just the way you like it.

I've personally designed both a very simple barebones setup that tracks states and HP and not much else... and one that tracks states, HP, TempHP, surges, powers used, powers available, XP, level, potions used, specific attack bonuses for different powers, line of sight...

Others have ones even more complex than mine :)

Now we get to the big ones.

E: MapTool does it all online. I don't need VNC or to jury rig anything. It's designed to PLAY online

F: Remember how it's open ended? Yeah, it's system agnostic. I can use the same program (with different macros) to play D&D, Pathfinder, Shadowrun, Vampire, Savage Worlds, Risus, Cthulhutech (another one I made myself), GURPS, Hackmaster... even Heroclix.

http://www.rptools.net/
Worth checking out. It's FREE, and if you're into LFR, there are several games organized through the forums.

Speaking of forums, I'm personally going to go plug Masterplan there for you, because it may be just the thing for someone else.

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Well, I will have to check it out and see what it can do!

Thanks!

edg

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Okay, I looked at this. And remembered I have looked at it before.

I decided not to use it when I looked at it. I only remember a few reasons.

In any case, I would still "pimp" Masterplan so that people have choices. RPTools didn't work for me but maybe this might.

edg

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Basically it could be any or all. I'm not picky. :)

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Still hate MMOs...

If I want a computer game, I don't like other people intruding. Prattle annoys me. DRAMA annoys me.

If I want RP I prefer face to face.

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I love the good side of RP and the shinies, but also hate some of the drama that rears its ugly head, especially in the sorts of places where everyone eventually gets to know the more obvious suspects. :)

I do, however, find good sides to both face to face, and online...at least with what I play. (Smaller provided game within a larger and more varied service.)

But OH my yes, the DRAMA. It can kill even the best RP and render even crass combat downright annoying...

-Dira-

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I guess I'm in the minority here. I love MMORPGs, and I love RPing in them. It's a nice way to blow off steam and get some RP done without making a big thing about it. I make the character and fit it into the game setting, get my friends together to run a quest or an instance, come up with a premise (if one is not already provided by the game) and we RP. The game itself acts as the GM.

The plots usually follow the game's storyline, but it's open to a wide range of interpretation. We like to organize events where we can get together and have moments of character interaction. I RP in Final Fantasy 11. We try to keep the style very similar to the Final Fantasy games, except we're writing the story and dialogue as we go.

I've RP'd in WoW, but the setting strikes me as little more than a parody of Warhammer. Warhammer Online didn't impress me as a game, though, apart from the PVP. I can always just play Team Fortress 2 if I want to play Capture and Hold missions.

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I like MMORPGs, but to me, they satisfy a separate urge from tabletop gaming. I don't put a lot of creative energy into WoW...it's just there to hack stuff, get pixellated shinies, and hang out with friends when I don't feel like doing anything that really requires serious brainpower.

Then again, tabletop gaming is probably more a creative endeavor for me than it is for most people- Characters and plots over hack and slash, almost like interactive storytelling.

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I had fun with WoW, Guild Wars, DDO, LotRO and maybe a few more for about three months each. Then, as I got used to the game, it got old and boring for me.

Part of the problem is that I had one friend who played it and we needed more in our party and that was tough to find. It was very frustrating to wait forty minutes to get a party ready, then we have to do some old quests to catch people up. We finally start on the quest my friend and I wanted and do that for up to an hour. Then, the group disbands! WTF? Let's do the *next* quest! It did happen at times but usually the group broke up and then we were back to looking. So, that wasn't fun.

And that happened in most of the MMOs.

edg

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