No doubt, I am testing the patience of my gentle readers. I am sorry about that, sincerely. I'm just trying to get my shit together. I am getting it together. This just happens to be what that looks like.
I spent yesterday in thought and much of today as well. While watching burgers sizzle and fries bubble, while watching calamari drain and ground duck meat thaw, there's not much else to do than think. The subject has been, what do I do next? Specifically, now that I'm admitting that my physical well-being demands rest on a Saturday; I'm working Friday night and Sunday is a complete loss as well. My players can't run during the week so once again, I'm stuck without a game.
But am I?
It's crazy and some readers will roll their eyes, but I'm willing to give online a try again. The campaign, that is. D&D. If anyone is interested.
No, it isn't going to cost anything. I know I talked about that months ago but I'm not going there.
And I am duty bound to give respect to those players who were in the online campaign when I drew it to a halt back in April, 2014. James who played Andrej still reads the blog now and then; Oddbit who played Lukas commented on my post yesterday, so I know he's still around. I'm not sure about the fellow behind Maximillien; we seemed to part ways on philosophy some time back, I haven't heard from him in ages. It's also been a long time since I heard from Butch, who played Ahmet.
I can make time to play. I feel that perhaps this is what's needed to give me a shakabuku; I could use one of those. I know that the moment I settled on this plan ~ about 140 minutes ago, while finishing this morning's shift ~ I felt a moment of legitimate happiness.
That proves this is a good idea.
Last time I asked for new players, I asked for a short statement expressing reasons for wanting to run. I strongly suggest that would-be participants be the sort that need to constantly check their phones/puters for updates.
My best times will be Wednesday through Fridays, most of the day; Friday after four I'm out, pretty much until Sunday evening. Then Monday and Tuesday evenings are fair. Still, if it goes like it has in the past, the game will run pretty much 24/7, as regards asking questions or making plans, particularly if the players are willing to talk to each other and act as a party rather than as individuals.
I may be open to running two campaigns, four persons per campaign. It really will depend on how willing players are to commit and give plenty of time. Willingness to write a lot is more than a plus, it is critical to making an online campaign work. This much I've learned from past experience.
So, anyone in?
I am interested. I think seeing the world as a player is sure to improve my DMing. It will acquaint me with the concerns of the players, firsthand, in a world run well enough that I know I'll be learning good lessons I can apply back to my own DMing. Plus I haven't played in forever and it's a different type of satisfaction than DMing.
ReplyDeleteAs for commitment: you've seen my work and my posts, and my comments here. Are those enough?
Availability: I'm more or less around 24/7. I have class and thesis deadlines as the semester comes to a close these next few weeks, but nothing I can't handle. I'll probably pick a time every day to check in for certain, then do additional checks when I can. That time can be adjusted as we go.
Dani if you're out there let's do this!
Oh, forgot to list my other commitments. My own games are on Sunday evenings (weird, right? who does that?). I work out three days a week (usually Tues/Thurs/Sat or Sun) but there's always time in the gaps.
ReplyDeleteLastly, I am on Pacific time.
Probably, Maxwell; you've been consistent commenter and having taken the classes, I'm inclined to approve you right off. I don't want to drive anyone away, however, so I won't make any declarations until Wednesday at the earliest.
ReplyDeleteIt may take three or four days for the old crew to stumble across this post, too.
Well a lot has changed since then, I'll have to see if I can dust everything off.
ReplyDeleteBut I guess partially it would depend on the expected amount of posts.
I'm a bit more busy during the day than when I first started.
I'll also spend some time tonight seeing if I can even log into the blogger account.
I'd also be interested. My experience as a player has been regrettably brief and I could always use more time on the "other end" of the table. I also have a bit more room in my schedule now so D&D feels like a reasonable commitment.
ReplyDeletePlus, ever since I started working on adding more to my games as a DM, I've hoped for a chance to explore a world that felt even richer. No pressure!
For my availability, I am on eastern standard time (UTC-5:00) and I have a few hours most weekday evenings. Weekends I am pretty much unreachable, unfortunately. Occasionally during the day I have little moments where I can check my phone and make updates.
Also, for the period of time that I was reading it, Tao's Campaign was on my phone's list of favourite links for easy access. Shouldn't be too hard to re-add, I'd think.
I would like to offer to join if possible.
ReplyDeleteMy D&D experience is about 20 years has mostly been on the GM side mostly in 2nd edition Planescape and 3.5/Pathfinder. I always ran under heavily modified rules.
Online roleplaying experiences include a short forum campaign and extensive rp in Second Life.
As for availability I'm in PST (UTC-0800). I'm mostly able to post through the day as I work evenings.
So I will comment because you know I'm running around, catching on your last posts and being pedantic all over them, and I don't want you to think what to do with my silence, if I don't.
ReplyDeleteI would consider joining this time. However, I doubt my ability to make a commitment of time right now. Or ever. I don't know, I just feel like I'm juggling a couple hundred balls right now. Time for reading you? Yes, of course, provided I can use a time buffer of about a month. But being available all days, and for what could be long stretches of writing... I'd love to, yet I don't know if I can deliver. There is the question of the time zones, of course: I'm 8 hours ahead, so when I go to bed it's still afternoon for you.
Having said that, I'm available, not 24/7 but during a good chunk of the day. When I make a commitment I honor it. So I can make this proposition: If you want an additional player to round up a group, I will make my best to be available and give it a fair shot. You know I'm verbose enough, and dependable enough. But if you can make your groups without me, then I will gladly keep on the sidelines and maybe watch the adventure unfold. I'm sorry I can't give a more enthusiastic answer. Good luck.
I am interested. Very interested. I've been hoping for a chance to play in one of your games since I came across your blog, in fact. Your work has encouraged me to return to the DM's saddle in a serious way, and I've been running a campaign for nearly two years now because of and heavily inspired by it. I think I've read through all of your back catalog by now, as well as the entirety of the online campaigns, and I was sorely disappointed when I'd gotten to the end of it.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I'd love a spot in one of your games is that you have the most well-developed, thoughtful, and thoroughly interesting world I've ever seen in any format, be it film, novel, or D&D setting, and I'd love to have a chance to experience it firsthand.
I'm on a computer from roughly 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Central Monday-Friday and (aside from those days when I'm on an imminent deadline) fairly free to check blogs/email/whatever between or during work tasks.
(Damnit, the OpenID stubbornly refused to work (or appeared to), so I actually had to go dig for Google Account. I hope I didn't spam the same message a dozen times.)
ReplyDeleteHello all,
I came to the obvious conclusion that I would love to play after spending a whole night reading the adventure logs of Ahmet, Maximilian, Lukas and Andrej instead of sleeping, so I simply have to jump on this opportunity !
I had, in fact, already given thought to what kind of character I would like to incarnate, and came to the conclusion that I would play an adventurer on a lifelong quest to investigate the mutations of the divine, that is, how and why the godhood manifests itself so differently and yet according to recognizable (and hopefully quantifiable) patterns throughout the ages and the lands. He or she would go the way of the adventurer rather than "merely" the scholar because of the conviction that locales that need to be discovered, pondered and survived are in fact places of worship, caves of initiations.
(I should note that the character as I imagine her/him would be from a culture close to the indo-european root of mythology, either from Safavid Persia or Mughal India, which, I understand, is problematic with regards to the way I'd have to go about character creation.)
Mechanics-wise, I would like to try - as my rolled characteristics allow - to try a multi-classed character like a Zoroastrian mage-knight (those gnomes Ahmet encountered in Istanbul, who spoke of the great mage of Khwarezm struck a chord !) , or a monk delving into the parallels between spells and sutras (really like the post you made on the subject, too).
When it comes to availability, beyond the fact that I'm in Western Europe, the difficulty is that I'm currently looking for a new job, and it won't be the kind where I can switch between tabs. It ought to be in the morning however, so I ought to be able to read and participate from, say, 6 AM to 5 PM.
I love your enthusiasm, Frederick! I hope you are welcomed aboard.
ReplyDeleteI count seven.
ReplyDeleteI'd be intrigued to give it a chance. Been interested to really see how all these things I've read about on this blog/the wiki really work and come together.
ReplyDeleteThat, and a well developed world that will allow me to explore where ever I can convince the group to go. :)
You know how much I'd love to play, I'd probably at least consider mugging one of the other participants to free up a slot.
ReplyDeleteSo said, availability will always be my issue. I can do Thursday afternoons from 3 on guaranteed (and most often earlier). My Wednesdays and Fridays are shakier, as I usually work at least one of them. Such are the trials of a retail wage-drone.
I've posted a lot, usually annoying questions about edge-cases in your worldbuilding methods, but I got my start roleplaying in MUDs, so I don't have any issues with building a character through words and collaborating with my party.
If my scheduling would be an issue, I understand and will cheer on the campaigners who get their shot. But if I can be part of that merry band, then I'll make every effort to ensure you guys don't regret it.
Thanks, Maxwell. That's my un-scratched itch talking.
ReplyDeleteAnd I notice I'm the only one who didn't mention experience, so I'll rectify the oversight : I've playing, DMing and game-designing for about, I would say, 10 years. Mostly D&D 3.5, a homebrewed version of Earthdawn, Legend of the Five Rings, and a few other games, when other DMs visited our little group of friends in Paris.
Montagne,
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that you'd want to play at all. At various times in the past, you and I have butted heads and it has been apparent that we do not share the same philosophy about gaming in many different ways. I can go back into the past record of comments on the blog and find places where you've been very clear in your opposition about my attitudes and my methods.
Are we burying those hatchets? Because I don't want to find that you're more interested in expressing your theory on play than you are in actually playing.
Help put my concerns to rest, please.
Alexis,
ReplyDeleteI do disagree with you on a number of things, but your gaming philosophy isn't actually among them. As I remember it, those locking of horns were about discrete points of methodology, or general ideology.
I concede that your concern is legitimate, especially given the sloppy deception, but I am actually interested in playing, not in seeking redress for grievances, and - as I think you've sensed, given that we are talking at all - what I wrote in my first comment is quite genuine.
Timing might be a bit off-key for a first comment from a longtime reader, but no time like as the saying goes.
ReplyDeleteAs a player that has been on nought but a short couple of fourth edition railway trips I'm looking to polish up skills with a view to more entertaining gaming and better Refereeing. I've read a lot since then but I cannot be sure that I've learned all that much. This comes across as a golden opportunity.
I'll state upfront that I am a rank neophyte on all things online; I'm not familiar with your house-rules or setting; I'm not a native english speaker and I'm on GMT time.
In short, I have little to recommend me except for my availability, my being unburdened by rule vices and my willingness to learn.
I don't like to gush and I don't always find myself agreeing with you so I'll pare it down to two things, the ones that matter: You have an admirable work ethic and you're someone I know I can trust with my die rolls. That's all there is to it.
I am busier now than when we last played, Alexis, but will make time for any game you run online if you'll have me back. I was just thinking this past weekend that I'd really like to get into a game as a player and viola, this post was waiting for me.
ReplyDeleteTo be as accommodating as possible to your intent, I have no expectation that we'll pick up the old game. I am content to join a new group if that's the deal but would be more than happy to return to Andrej and the old game if Oddbit and Butch are also returning and you prefer picking things up where we left them.
There are a few things I'd appreciate more than the opportunity to participate in an extended game with you at the helm, Alexis. Your approach to your game has consistently inspired or encouraged me; even in circumstances where I haven't agreed with a rule or strategy you've suggested on the first impression the fact that you've dedicated so much time and effort into continuous improvement for so long gives me confidence that you know what you're doing. You may already have enough players for both groups, by my count, but I'd be sad to have not put myself forward even so - letting the chance go by without raising my hand would be sad. I think the thing that attracts me most is the fact that your runnings emphasize player agency and follow-through on the consequences of it - that the players are responsible for setting their own course and that you make an effort to be sure that the world responds in a sensible way.
ReplyDelete(That and, I should say, the chance to explore your rule-set in actual play.)
In terms of availability, my time is limited on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at present but otherwise flexible and carving out enough time to participate in an online setting shouldn't be an issue.
I do understand if you've already pinned down the player list; if so, I'd be glad if you keep me in mind if there's an opening.
I would also very much like to play. I grew up playing Neverwinter Nights (which is an excellent example of how to play some terrible D&D) and stumbling across your blog fourish years ago helped break me from that rut. I've run games for five years, aspiring to run them as you do. I would love the opportunity to play in your world.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of commitment, you've my (albeit few) comments here and the work on my blog. While posts have slowed as I adjust to graduate school, work continues behind the scenes.
Right now, I have very little to do on Thursdays except work on term papers :), but I'm almost always at or near a computer.
I wish I could commit the time but I have to admit that I could not. I look forward to seeing where these campaigns go. Your world always leads to interesting adventures, and I always learn something about gaming.
ReplyDeleteAch! I am very sorry that I got so behind in reading your blog as I only see this post now.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved (still do) to play in your campaign however I presume that it is way too late to apply. Anyway, I will go and read the new campaign blog posts.