Dungeon Master Forum

Internet RPGs I've been in have been on Yahoo! Groups (formerly eGroups, formerly ONElist). You join a group and post up character details in an OOC post (or a separate OOC group if that particular RPG has one), then just delve into the role playing by posting your character doing whatever.
I dunno about this dice roll thing. Why would we need it? You don't roll dice to decide who wins a fight in a normal story, you just write it how you like. Obviously you can't make someone else's character do something, but if you end up in a fight with someone, just post your character's reaction to what the other person does, then post what you want your character to do and leave it open for the other character to react. So like you would post "Bob swung his sword at Fred's head, trying to decapitate him in one fell blow.", then the other replies with "Fred nimbly ducked the swinging blade and brought his dagger around, aiming for Bob's stomach.". Rather than rolling a dice and going "Oh look, Bob's won.". Well I dunno if it works that way but...

The problem with your approach, Ameena, is that what you have just described goes on forever-- "Bob swiftly sidestepped the blade, instead trying to bash in Fred's head from above" "Fred's helmet absorbed the blow easily, and he laughed as he continued to slash at Bob" or whatever, and so forth and so on, and this conflict because interminable because they're both bent on winning.

In a game with a GM, I would say that the GM would just say who won, provided the two players couldn't come to an agreement on who was going to win before the fight started (which doesn't mean it won't have twists and turns and be interesting, but, also, it will eventually have an actual outcome)

This is exactly why I wasn't interested in a RPG story thread -- you're already all arguing over rules and it hasn't even started yet!

Still, no different from what's going on with the story thread...

But Gambit, the rules are there to regulate the fun!

The hypocrisy of the comment is not lost on me... hence my ironic rolling eyes smiley...

My characters don't get into fights anyway. But you couldn't have a fight going on forever anyway since they'd get tired and stuff - no god characters, remember?
With the diversity of characters that is possible in a Fantasy RPG, it may be unlikely that a pair of characters would be evenly-matched in a fight anyway, if it came to it. Depends what people go for, I suppose.
And if you do have a lengthy fight of two people somehow trying to beat the crap out of each other and not getting tired whilst doing so, you could surely then have the characters themselves becoming bored or whatever and deciding to call it a draw .

Remember, neither law nor chaos is truely balanced....both will end up with tears and crying and fireballs and screaming.... there might be some mocking laughter

I learned that from DM : )

It's unlikely they'd be evenly matched, but that doesn't mean that people won't disagree on which side would win. Each might think the mismatch is in their favor.

Some impartial and final means of conflict resolution, not just fights, but any sort of situation that cannot be negotiatied, is essential.

Something else for the DM/GM/whatever, I think.

Speaking of which, we should get to choosing one, if we're really going to do this, rather than bickering about the rules....

Sophia wrote:Speaking of which, we should get to choosing one, if we're really going to do this, rather than bickering about the rules....

Only names in the ring are you and me, and I don't really want the job (I just volunteered in case nobody else was going to).

Should we appoint Sophia as GM by acclamation?

Lol, this is quite funny...I'm going to post my story clip I mentioned earlier, it keeps seeming to have resonance...

http://www.dmjump.net/clipofclip.htm

I think it would get it started for everyone if she did it.

Ok, that's fine, if there are no objections-- and any objection had better also include the words "I volunteer"

Otherwise, let me know anything you emphatically do not want in the setting. So I don't come up with something stupid you all hate!

Ahh, you're actually creating the world for us to RP in, rather than it being made up as we go like in the other story? Okay well, suits me as long as it's Fantasy .

I wouldn't say exactly "creating," I'm not sure if it's going to be that much mental overhead-- probably simply setting parameters. There will be plenty of stuff to be made up as we go along, I'm sure.

Hehe well of course . I meant, like, you come up with the basic idea of umm what's going on or something, and the rest of us just jump in and add our own character histories and world lore and stuff.
Question about characters - are we gonna post up character profiles first or just plunge in and do it as we go? I mean...it adds to mystery and stuff and makes it more interesting (I think) if you don't reveal everythig about a character straight away, which is what would happen if we posted profiles first. Oh well, I think I've decided on my character anyway.

How about you forward possible character stuff by pm to the DM so they know roughly where you are/want to go, btu you reveal as much or little as you want while in character

Yes do that!

(Though maybe not YET, it'd probably work better if I posted the setting details first, and I'm just waiting for everyone who expressed some degree of interest to chime in on that one.)

Lol, depends when/how you are doing it (one thread that carries on for ages, or one evening) I could join in if it's the former. I have absolutely no caring about the setting!

Unless by some cosmic conflux (no, not that one, everyone come out from hiding!) everyone happens to be online at the same time, I suspect it'll be a post.

I do not have anything to add, right now, other than
that I am still interested and that I agree you being the DM.

Edited to make sense!
In the meantime I am thinking about the character I am playing..

When you've got a setting I'll post you my character ideas.