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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Jam The MF on September 06, 2022, 11:59:09 PM

Title: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Jam The MF on September 06, 2022, 11:59:09 PM
Let us know where you are coming from.

I love to roll dice, and find out what happens.  I don't decide the outcome, the dice do.  All the resources are close at hand.  All the gameplay is in real time.  All the dice rolls are out in the open; except for a few DM only things, such as random encounters.  It's the good ol' days, all over again!!!
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: PulpHerb on September 07, 2022, 12:16:25 AM
I'm an RPG fan which, without modifiers, should indicate pen & paper in-person gaming. That's the root version and thus the correct object for the unmodified term.

There was a Wizards ad in the 3.x era that I think captured what makes RPGs unique and while probably not that useful for a company the size of Hasbro (or even smaller...SJG makes it rent with Munchkin, not GURPS after all) that sums up the hobby for me and why I play in person, not online:

(http://dreadedmonkeygod.net/home/attachments/elf_dnd_ad.jpg)
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Ratman_tf on September 07, 2022, 03:00:29 AM
What do you mean by online RPG? Multiplayer computer RPGS? Playing over Roll20?
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: S'mon on September 07, 2022, 04:25:55 AM
I like both live tabletop RPGs, and playing/GMing RPGs online over Roll20 and Discord, both synchronous voice-chat and asynchronous play-by-post. Those three all have their different strengths. I'm not sure which is better overall, though I guess live tabletop play has the biggest social benefits. Roll20 + voice chat is remarkably good for dungeon crawls. Asychronous via Discord text-chat and dice rolling utility (Avrae) is good for high roleplay, low combat games, like my White Star campaign.

One thing: ALL my dice rolls are ALWAYS in the open and unfudged. That does not vary by medium.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Jam The MF on September 07, 2022, 05:40:07 AM
What do you mean by online RPG? Multiplayer computer RPGS? Playing over Roll20?

Electronic Gaming
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: jeff37923 on September 07, 2022, 05:46:47 AM
Pen and paper.

Tabletop RPGs are an in person social form of entertainment.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Ratman_tf on September 07, 2022, 05:49:49 AM
What do you mean by online RPG? Multiplayer computer RPGS? Playing over Roll20?

Electronic Gaming

I like them both for different reasons.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Cathode Ray on September 07, 2022, 06:45:36 AM
There is no "more of" in my case.  I'm purely paper & pen.  And I made one RPG, and one game with some RPG elements, where note-taking is minimized or eliminated, so no erasing required!
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Steven Mitchell on September 07, 2022, 08:03:51 AM
Playing electronic games largely replaces television in my time.  For me, it's mainly a mindless time passer. 

RPGs (in person, no electronics) do something different, a thing that isn't really filled any other way.  It is most closely associated in my mind with sitting on a front porch while it rained, probably doing something productive with hand crafts or food preparation, while people took turns telling stories.  That was still a thing when I was a child, if uncommon and beginning to die out.  Or looking at mythological books, with pictures, and stopping to imagine the story going of on a tangent, but one that still fit what had happened.  It wasn't a huge leap for me to blend the two into a game.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: FingerRod on September 07, 2022, 08:19:12 AM
Strongly prefer pencil and paper. My character sheet is almost always a piece of paper or a small craft reader.

For the most part I run games, and I do that by paper as well.

I went through a spell when I used iPad and digital, but it did not stick. Having said that, I’m not opposed to online. In fact, there have been several people I’ve had in my house that I decided I’d rather hang out with online.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Effete on September 07, 2022, 08:27:46 AM
I prefer face-to-face gameplay, but ever since I moved out into the woods, it's been hard to get a consistent table going. I'd either have to drive an hour out to the FLGS and hope people show up, or ask them to drive an hour out to my house (in the spooky woods). After a while I gave up and went almost completely online, doing play-by-post. I tried VTT but it just wasn't doing it for me. Too much crap to learn and/or download to get a decent game running. I've also come to like the freedom that PbP offers: no strict time-limits to keep, minimal rolling and more emphasis on narrative, etc.

As for video games, the last console I owned was an Xbox360. I used to play games a lot when I was younger, but now my free time is spent in other ways.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Formerly on September 07, 2022, 01:07:37 PM
I prefer to play in person

HOWEVER

There's no-one in my area that is willing to play and I'm poor as fuck so can't afford to move or commute somewhere people are playing and most of my contacts are in different countries so I'm only playing online at the moment
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Greentongue on September 07, 2022, 01:52:32 PM
Face to Face is a dream from my youth. Now "The RPG Engine" is the option when times can sync.
Play by Post mostly as consistent time sync is so rare.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: tenbones on September 07, 2022, 03:00:02 PM
In person. Face to face.

Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: the crypt keeper on September 07, 2022, 03:00:42 PM
I like playing table top rpg's in any form, whether online or face-to-face, over any video game. I don't like using virtual tables either. My online games are run just like I would run a game face-to-face at a table. Players get to roll their own dice. They draw their own maps if they want one. I throw up relevant pictures, diagrams, and maps when I've made them up for specific locations which are going to see much action.

Sample of my style can be found here; https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/QFlzHnpt8sb
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Starglyte on September 07, 2022, 03:10:22 PM
I love rolling dice, so I prefer in person. Sadly with gas prices, I will have to switch to online very soon.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: SHARK on September 07, 2022, 03:17:20 PM
Greetings!

Yes, definitely in-person, face to face gaming!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: the crypt keeper on September 07, 2022, 03:43:50 PM
I love rolling dice, so I prefer in person. Sadly with gas prices, I will have to switch to online very soon.

Playing on line does not prevent one from rolling dice. Where is this coming from?
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: GhostNinja on September 09, 2022, 10:12:56 AM
Love to play in person (and I currently am) but in a pinch will play online
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: zircher on September 09, 2022, 12:17:38 PM
I've migrated from face-to-face play, to online play, to solo play.  So, I have also drifted from purely analog to a mostly digital style.  I still like my dice and cards, but most of my books and game play journals are now digital.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: 3catcircus on September 09, 2022, 07:19:42 PM
As a player, I prefer a person CRPG. As a DM, I prefer table top pen and paper, but have done online via Skype voice and video.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Omega on September 09, 2022, 10:00:11 PM
For me. Both.

I much prefer face-to-dace gaming. But my local group drifted apart due to life and medical reasons.

I've been online RPing since discovered it back in the 90s. And long before that was doing it via mail with friends cross country or continent.

What alot of you morons seem to conveniently forget is that long before the internet. People were playing TTRPGs via good ol snail-mail.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: zircher on September 09, 2022, 11:20:10 PM
I did play one PBM game by scooter.  I would write up my orders and deliver them by hand, it was faster than the postal service.   ;D
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Murphy78 on September 10, 2022, 08:28:54 PM
As a kid, I used to play face to face.

Now, I've come back to the hobby in the last two years, I only play online through Discord (or Google Meet or Youtube/Streamyard). Exception is at conventions.

We turn the camera on and everybody rolls his physical dices.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Angry Goblin on September 11, 2022, 09:23:37 AM
Face to face/analog experience preference here. I have had my fair share of Roll20 and to be honest, I cannot keep up with
the game for my mind wanders and leads inevitably to internet surfing while "gaming". It seems to be
that many people are able to do it, however I rather pass the offer and not game than play over Roll20 or similar again,
it is not fair for the other players and the GM for me to be there but still not quite present ::)
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Lee on September 11, 2022, 10:49:49 AM
I live wayyyyy back in the middle of nowhere, in a part of the country with a population density of like 2.5/sqmi.  It's been online-only for me for some time.

In a way it is annoying.  But on the other hand, there is a wider choice of players since you're not limited geographically.  I've gotten used to it, and there are some things that I prefer.  Map sharing with fog-of-war is awfully convenient.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Omega on September 11, 2022, 11:11:50 AM
I live wayyyyy back in the middle of nowhere, in a part of the country with a population density of like 2.5/sqmi.  It's been online-only for me for some time.

In a way it is annoying.  But on the other hand, there is a wider choice of players since you're not limited geographically.  I've gotten used to it, and there are some things that I prefer.  Map sharing with fog-of-war is awfully convenient.

Welcome to the club circa 1995. Lil postage stamp town in the literal middle of nowhere. I happened to come across MUDs and later MUCKs at a convention and opened up the possibilities of online RPGing.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Brooding Paladin on September 11, 2022, 04:33:43 PM
I love/prefer face to face but my current game group now lives in three different time zones.  We’ve made online gaming work (not with Roll20, but with overhead cameras and the like) and it’s been fun but I yearn to get back to everyone being in the same room!
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: The Spaniard on September 11, 2022, 04:41:52 PM
Pen and Paper for sure, although my face to face games are limited to when my son is home from college.  I also play in a virtual group.  I never really got into online gaming like LOTR or World of Warcraft.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Rob Necronomicon on September 11, 2022, 11:01:46 PM
I prefer face-to-face. But for years I couldn't find a group because I lived out in the stix. So online was great. But we essentially tried to play it as a face-to-face game. We all rolled our own dice and we didn't bother with any of that VTT krud.

So it was good and far better than not playing.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Wisithir on September 11, 2022, 11:25:25 PM
This seems more like a two axis question. Pen and Paper with theater of the mind to Table Top Miniatures wargaming on one and Remote to In Person on the other. I prefer my experience pen and paper sans table top and face to face, although remote face to face, as in my screen is filled with faces and not a grid simulation, is acceptable.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: danskmacabre on September 12, 2022, 02:23:17 AM
I like 'em all.

Top of the line is person to person in RL.
But for these games, people tend to be unreliable, cancelling at the last moment etc.
So I rarely play this anymore.

Second up is Via VTTs like Roll20, using Discord voice chat etc.
People are more reliable for this, but it doesn't feel quite as social as face to face.
Lots of fun though.

MMORPGs.  These are lots of fun and and I occasionally play with other Random people.
But there not chat really.
Lots of fun in it's own way and you can just play whenever you want.

Offline RPGs
These games are designed and centred on you, so the right Offline computer RPGs can be really fun with storyline, plot, game mechanics etc..

Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Abraxus on September 12, 2022, 10:44:19 AM
What Dansjmwcwbre said .
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: Lurkndog on September 24, 2022, 01:17:29 PM
My roots are in tabletop play, and it's still a lot of fun when I get to do it, but it has gotten harder to get people together as we all have families and other obligations now.

Before Covid, I was in one actual tabletop game that met in a game store once a month. That game is now online, and likely to remain so.

My circle of friends used to get together and game on weekends when we were younger. Now we play tabletop RPGs online most Fridays, it is much easier for those with families and children.

Before Covid we were getting together about 4 times a year, but we don't game on those occasions, unless you count tedious German boardgames.

I do play JRPGs and other video games, but no MMORPGs.
Title: Re: Are you more of a Pen & Paper RPG fan, or an Online RPG fan?
Post by: KindaMeh on September 24, 2022, 02:09:23 PM
Pen and paper is my preference, ideally in person. That said, some of my friends and group members have scattered to the four corners of the earth so to speak, and so we typically do online pen and paper nowadays.

I do like digital rpgs/computer games too, when I have the time and especially if they are based on pen and paper rpgs.