running a game over vent/skype

[siriq]

My previous gaming group has mostly moved away and we are thinking about doing something over vent/skype.  I am looking for some pointers on how to manage the game and actually conducting it.  What are some problems that will arise and how to deal with them.

[Bronnen]

Running a game on vent alone is a little odd.

There's a few sites that can help to run an RPG online.

http://www.fantasygrounds.com/

http://www.rpgobjects.com/index.php?c=orpg

[Mckma]

Maptools is a great resource and works really well for DnD 4E at least (haven't tried other systems, but it works really well to serve as a table)...

[Type669]

I've gotta check these out sometime when I'm a little more awake.  Most of my group is nearly sent to the four winds, furthest being Taiwan, so I have to work some of this stuff out.  The dice rolls are my main concern for the most part.

Especially with the Maverick Hunters: C-Team Wushu game I'm planning.  Crappy Power-Stealing Reploids fighting Mavericks in a Porno Studio...  This one promises to be quite fun.

[Joven]

I've tried a few virtual tabletops, and I personally think Maptools is the best (certainly the best free one)

You can setup dice rolling macros (so once you setup the macros you can roll 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, etc etc etc with one button)
(for something like wushu where your not totalling it you can setup a macro like

Code: [Select]

[1d6] : [1d6] : [1d6] : [1d6]Which would show you each dice roll instead of adding them like just [4d6] would)

For games like Wushu where tactical movement isnt really a concern, you can just use the map area to show pictures setting up the scene.  And for games like DnD where tactical movement is a concern then you can use it as a map with fog of war, vision, light etc.

[Type669]

Duly noted, Joven.  Definitely duly noted.  We've talked about this since the great diaspora occurred, and now we're finally getting some headway towards it.

[Mckma]

Yeah, one of the coolest parts of Maptools is the fog of war stuff, especially people can't all see the same stuff.  It leads to some fun moments.  For example in the game I ran one session they were fighting underground so it was completely dark then they turned a corner and saw some guys.  They started fighting and one stuck behind in a corridor.  I sent an enemy from behind and he was the only one who could see it.  He started yelling about a guy that no one else could see and there was a lot of confusion until they realized where he was...

[Dogfish]

Maptools is the best by some distance, from it's ease of use as a player to the fantastic resource it is as a GM with lots of very clever bits and bobs to play with. I would say it's not without its flaws. Bugs happen occasionally. However it is far superior to Openrpg. Combine this with the use of Hamachi and you can connect directly to people without a hitch and start your gaming in peace and quiet.

[Type669]

Hmmm, I gotta really look up Maptools once I am free from work, haircut, BMV hell, and the oh so lovely Continuing Education credits for my Insurance License.

[Mckma]

So I know this has come up several places, but with summer bearing down on me like an oncoming train I wanted to ask again to see what comes up.

What free options work best for recording sessions over Skype (say for posting the game on the community AP site)?

[Type669]

I know not from any AP recordings, but I've found some good luck with Pamela.  Yeah, ya gotta plunk down $40 for the bad boy, but it makes it somewhat easy editing-wise.


The other method I've heard of people doing is having something like Audacity on every machine running skype, but I'm lazy and my audio editing skills have atrophied like the verniform appendix.  Since everyone would be recording their own channel, the person prepping the recording would need to actually time up each and every channel so they start at the same time like via a test tone or something or things can get really out of sync really quickly.

Pamela has a free 30 day trial, too.  But really, if you're going to be doing many recordings it'll be worth it in the time saved in post.

[Dogfish]

So I know this has come up several places, but with summer bearing down on me like an oncoming train I wanted to ask again to see what comes up.

What free options work best for recording sessions over Skype (say for posting the game on the community AP site)?

There isn't a single good free one. It's a shame but it's true. Someone in a 4th ed. game I play in was hoping to do this and must of tried upward of 10 programmes and none of them did it 'right'.

[Joven]

If you have a Mac then there's a free solution, you can use SoundFlower (which will create virtual audio devices for you to route audio with) and LineIn (which will allow you to send audio from one device to another) and record it in Garageband.

[Type669]

Interesting to know that Mac has such a program.  I'm afraid I'm not too Mac savvy, and now it's no wonder why it's said that Macs are nearly a necessity for audio production.  I understand lack of disposable income far too well, and I have far too many places to sink said disposable income. 

[Joven]

I'm sure theres free stuff like that for Windows too, I just haven't looked for it too much since I only needed it for Mac.

A quick search found PCWIN Speaker Record, and mp3mymp3

They seem to be pretty basic, just record audio that would play on your computer (so you'd probably have to also make sure that windows is set to send your mic input to the output, the downside to that is that youd hear yourself talk, which could get distracting)