A plea to many PbP DM's/GM's

[2D8HP]

FWLIW, less than one-in-nine of the PbP games that I've been privileged to play at this Forum have lasted more than two months (most less than that), and out of about 20, other than being required to play, only once has of any of the back-stories that I've written, have had any relevance, and it netted my PC the opposite of what I had hoped for the PC (the DM dropped out, and the game was short-lived).

My preference would be:

Instead of getting a "slush pile" of a bunch of nearly randon PC back-stories, GM's would start communicating what kinds of PC's would be appropriate.

When GM's request back-stories, they actually use them as something besides an "entrance exam essay".

They actually read the damn things instead of going by highest word count.

To pad out a "back-story", I actually included song lyrics.

In Latin.

The acceptance rate increased, which showed me that word count mattered more than content (I had decided to tests this after noticing which PC's were selected for a Lost Mine of Phandelver that flamed out very shortly after it started).

If I have to write a back-story in order to play, I'd like it to have more meaning than just seeing how much I may type.

Earlier this week there was a PbP recruitment in which the recruiting DM posted:

"I'd like you all to start at level 1, medium-power stat rolls (4d6b3), and with a backstory"

Since I was clueless as to what types of PC"s he wanted, I just sent him a couple of BS''s that other GM's liked, but today, inspired by GM's who posted in a thread that they actually bother to communicate with their players about what PC's are appropriate, I posted:

Now I can keep flinging "back-story" after "back-story" at you in the hope thaf one pleases you, and perhaps you'd enjoy reading them, but after a while I would find reading them almost as tedious as writing them, so here's an alternative idea:

Just say what kind of PC's you want.

How about that?

Or would you prefer some more Batman/Mad Max claptrap?

I can do that easy.

No?

Then just say what types of PC's you want.

Please.[/QUOTE]

(I probably shot myself in the foot, but I'm weary of the ritual)

Many of the GM's recruiting for players in this Forum, give clues about what sort of PC's are appropriate to their game, while many others just ask for "back-stories" and "sheets".

Why?

Is getting a bunch of submissions fun?

Is it hard to describe what sorts of PC's that you'll accept?

Have you even considered giving some clues?

[Spore]

I DM a short chapter of 5e CoS since July and it is going relatively well, since I am a complete newbie at DMing. I intentionally filled 6 slots (so invited everyone except the last guy who was simply too late) and I feel it is a LOT about pacing. No matter "whose" turn it is. A DM should not wait for anyone's submission. If they cannot post (and do not say they are out of town or something), they do nothing of value in the meantime. Can't have a game waiting for a single player for 4-6 days.

I am playing in another PF game since June where we are almost at level 2. Levelling is slow, and people should know beforehand. We use the fastest progression and we still took 4 months for a level. If that is too slow for you, you might prefer playing by voice chat than by posting.

I only join fully fledged threads, with big 16, where I can see the DM took some effort. I only join when the actual character building process appeals to me. And I know my limits. I play a voice chat group every to every other week. I have 2 PbP groups and DM a group and I am not sure I can keep enough output to DM my group past the chapter finale. I intentionally chaptered the game so that people can join and leave.

Things I hate - and even players I like do regularly is throwing their standard fantasy ideas into. every. damn. thread. Now, the usual DM doesn't recognize this but knowing the players here I see it (probs. because I spend entirely too much time in these forums). One player always wants to play a knight. The other player always plays an archer monk. It's tedious to see those high effort copypastes get picked over me.

Not because the characters suck but as they are played in what I assume are 2-3 games under other names.

[2D8HP]

....Things I hate - and even players I like do regularly is throwing their standard fantasy ideas into. every. damn. thread. Now, the usual DM doesn't recognize this but knowing the players here I see it (probs. because I spend entirely too much time in these forums). One player always wants to play a knight. The other player always plays an archer monk. It's tedious to see those high effort copypastes get picked over me.

Not because the characters suck but as they are played in what I assume are 2-3 games under other names.

I'm definitely guilty of "copy and paste" PC's.

I play one 5e D&D PbP game, and one Pendragon PbP game.

The 5e game is the longest lasting PbP that I've had the privilege to play, but the character itself was copied from two dead games.

I've found that the key to getting accepted to play is to submit a sheet fast, and to have a long word count back-story.

Only one DM has rejected a PC of mine because the backstory was a "poor fit" (which indicates that he actually bothered to read the damn thing), most just seem to go by counting letters.

Even when I've presented two back-stories, and one was selected as "more" compelling, once the adventure was underway it was clear to me that the DM couldn't possible have read it given the "hooks".

I went back, counted, and say that indeed, it was the longer word count back-story that was accepted.

Another time, in a PbP game that hardly lasted at all, the DM said "no evil", this has resulted in an acceptance of a player that wrote a very long back-story, with a snazzy PC illustration, that had it actually been read by the GM, indicated an evil PC, he even put "Chaotic Neutral" in quotation marks!
Very shortly after play began the DM quit after what was mostly IC bickering amongst the PC's. Had the DM bothered to read the actual descriptions of the PC's, he could have foretold that!

This is all in mind, because I'm down to two PbP's the pace of which is slowing down, so I looked into the "Recruitment" thread, and I see the same pattern: requests for "back-stories" w/o much guidance of what kind of PC's would best fit, and then a mad scramble to submit, a deluge of text, and then PC's accepted based on selecting the five highest word count back-stories amongst the first seven or eight that submitted.

I've been around the block enough to have a "stable" of PC's to copy and paste, and I've previously written paded out long "back-stories" that I may quickly submit, and I've also sussed out that the b.s. doesn't matter, you figure out in-play who the character is, my beef is how this "system" effects new players, who haven't the experience to know that it's largely an empty ritual.

Aa for GM's?

They wind up with the players who can copy or type the fastest.

Judging by how quickly most PbP's flameout, this "system" doesn't work well.

I haven't been "around the block" long enough to see if an alternative system would work better, but it seems to me that longer lasting games may result if GM's and players worked together so that PC's fit the game. A start could be by GM's posting what kinds of PC'S fit, instead of the "first-past-the-post" deluge that is the dominant model now.

[Westhart]

As a DM I'd ask that you don't make too many generalizations mate . I can see what you are talking about, although I read all backgrounds submitted to me (yes, even when they are crossed out and a new one has been written) but then I tend not to run too many adventure modules, where it seems your problems lie. (yeah, I'll be running one... starting today, that is, but I read the backgrounds ). honestly i find that when I DM a huge backstory is kind of annoying because I DM with large groups (for example, I am starting one with ~8 players, and have another in the works with at least 10 players).

So, for what it's worth if you play 3.5e you can always jump into one of my games [/shameless advertising]

[Lazymancer]

Spoiler

Show

Many of the GM's recruiting for players in this Forum, give clues about what sort of PC's are appropriate to their game, while many others just ask for "back-stories" and "sheets".

Why?

Is getting a bunch of submissions fun?

Did you consider that this itself is already a role-playing game? After all, if story-telling is what role-playing is, then it already commences when people post their backstories.

Fodder for thought, yes.

Spoiler

Show

Snark aside, as an experiment you might want to consider radically changing your approach: agree to play only with GMs who'll accept only backstories of no more than two sentences.

No, I have no idea if this will work, but it might filter out story-tellers who aren't actually there to roleplay (in a narrow, old-school meaning of the word).

[dascarletm]

I tend to write short backstories myself, hardly ever past a paragraph or two. My thought is, I want to tell why this character is interesting/relevant, not their entire life history. If I were ever to DM a game, I'd probably pick based off how interesting a backstory is, not length.

[2D8HP]

As a DM I'd ask that you don't make too many generalizations mate .....

Good point.

I was feeling Dark o'clock in the morning cranky when I wrote the OP.



Hopefully besides bringing shame upon myself, someone was amused by it.

...So, for what it's worth if you play 3.5e you can always jump into one of my games [/shameless advertising]

Wow thanks!

Um... I know where all my OeD&D, 1e AD&D, and 5e D&D rules are, but what boxes my 3e PHB, and Pathfinder "Core" rulebook is, I have no idea, and I never did get a 3.5 PHB.

I'll go get it..

...Fodder for thought, yes.

Spoiler

Show

Snark aside, as an experiment you might want to consider radically changing your approach: agree to play only with GMs who'll accept only backstories of no more than two sentences.

No, I have no idea if this will work, but it might filter out story-tellers who aren't actually there to roleplay (in a narrow, old-school meaning of the word).

Perhaps I'll start submitting a clearly labeled two part "character concept", one part is a core of what kind of character I hope to play, the other a lengthy writing sample "backstory" that many GM's seem to favor, for some reason

For the record I've had two back-stories that I submitted that I've gotten feedback beyond "This one is compelling", and both of them are the ones that lasted longest among games I've applied to (one my PC was rejected as "a bad fit", the other my PC was accepted to).

Which leads me to conclude that inviting 2D8HP (me) to play is bad luck for a games longevity, and/or GM's that bother to read (instead of just seeing that it's long enough) and give feedback to their players about the PC concepts have longer games.

Unfortunately, such GM's seem to be a small minority.

And something that puzzles me is when I've posted similar whining, I get responses of "I'm a DM, and I don't like long back-stories", yet time after time the PC' s that I see accepted, it mostly seems to be by word count.

I've already mentioned that my throwing in useless filler ups my acceptance rate, so does my writing a parody of a back-story, such as:

Lokela Makani
Curses cruel fate:
CURSE YOU, CRUEL FATE!
His misanthropic nature is simply the outward manifestation of a deep-seated insecurity, resulting from the internalization of the notion that he is apart from others and always will be, that he somehow stands alone, and that no one will ever truly understand the incredible, titanic struggle within himself, nor will he ever truly be able to relate this to another person, no matter how close they become.

His behavior and affectations are, in large part, due to this deep-seated need for understanding and acceptance. And yet, who can truly claim to understand or know him? Of course, he does what he must do to survive, but there will always be that shadow of self-doubt. The kind that can usually only be expressed during brooding internal monologues while he crouches, hunched and ready to leap at a moment's notice, as the rain pours down his hooded and implacable face.

THERE WILL BE A RECKONING!

You gotta' have the rain. That makes the whole scene.

The scars run too deep in one such as Mournedge Dark Blade Lokela Makani

Spoiler: A totally tragic backstory

Show

Though he'd "lived", if you could call it "living" for years, growing soft begging for scraps outside the new village, Lokela remembered the forest.

Lokela loved the forest.

The sound of the wind, the river, the birds.
And foot steps.
He loved his family as well, but he always felt the call of the forest, where he could live without speaking, and be still.
And listen.
And wait.
For his prey.
He told himself he hunted to feed his family and neighbors, but deep inside he knew that wasn't true.
He needed the sounds of the woods, as well as the quiet.
And to watch
And to listen.

He heard the woods burning.

He had lived through forest-fires before, but this was different. There had been no lighting. And he heard screaming. His kin's screams!
In an instant from so still he would appear to be part of the woods, he became quick as a deer running from a couger, and he ran towards home.
Towards his family.
Towards everyone he knew.
He saw the burned bodies.
And the arrows.
And something else.

A scale.

A dragon's scale.

Lokela knew then that he would leave the woods.

He had a new prey

Yes that PC was accepted instead of outright rejected.

I've re-used that back-story at least three times (The last time I used it the PC thankfully died but I was allowed a new PC, and it's been the longest PbP game I've played so far).

?????

[Westhart]

Some 3.5 stuff can be found on the d20 srd, and for what it is worth I think the second background is lovely (I'm not a big fan of the long drawn out backgrounds )

[theasl]

The backstory that you write and submit doesn't have to be the only backstory that you come up with for the character. I prefer to keep mine fairly concise, but I generally have a bigger idea beyond what I actually write out. I don't seem to have trouble getting accepted with a comparatively tiny backstory either - I don't think there's been a game in the past...well, very long time that I've been rejected from, and the backstory I come up with ranges from 2-3 sentences to 4 short (3-4 sentence) paragraphs, depending on GM preference. No gimmicks, just boring ol' prose.

Then again, I generally play only Pathfinder APs, which presuppose a lot about the character, so I guess backstory isn't quite as important in those cases. And I'm very picky about GM style and which fellow players apply, so that could be a factor too.

[Lazymancer]

Hopefully besides bringing shame upon myself, someone was amused by it.

Well, I've had lot of very similar experiences (outside of giantitp) - which are partially responsible for my certainty that not all "role-playing" is actually "role-playing" (the rest is based on experiments with narrativism).

the other a lengthy writing sample "backstory" that many GM's seem to favor, for some reason

The question here is if the games those GMs hold are good (or are happening at all).

[2D8HP]

...The question here is if the games those GMs hold are good (or are happening at all).

Some were, some weren't, all but one were short lived.

"Beggars can't be choosers" so I really don't have the luxury of holding out for only the better games, but that doesn't stop my from whinging.

[Dr.Samurai]

I was feeling Dark o'clock in the morning cranky when I wrote the OP.

Lol, I was thinking as I read your responses "Hmm... 2D8 seems less pleasant than usual...".

It is a strange OP though. Almost like daring you to submit a character that you think is realistic, without any other parameters set. No campaign setting information, no Big 16, no indication about what is "realistic".

That said, I like my games a little more realistic, so I'll give it a shot.

[Hemnon]

I know that feeling 2D8HP.

Although i do hope as a GM of the Pendragon Game you're in, im at least doing a relatively alright job keeping you interested.

I also think that, since DnD is a game where you do not craft a backstory (compared to Pendragon, where you literally create the backstory of your Great Grandfather, Grandfather AND father), you end up with characters that people want to play, but no real good way to 'fit them in'. often i see wildly mismatched team-ups that ends up dying off quickly, gamewise.
What i see at least quite a few GMs forget all about is: 'why are the player characters together'. How long have they been travelling together? why are they adventuring?
To give a good reasoning right here, and it's a funny hook to explain why people go adventuring:
Adventure Guilds! Great guilds in all major towns and cities, where Adventures are ranked by skill and ability (with chance to improve their rank via tests and trials). It's literally a way to make adventure parties feel 'explainable and casual' enough for the world itself.
Yes i shamelessly took this concept RIGHT from the Overlord Anime/Light Novel/Manga. But it works!

[theasl]

Lol, I was thinking as I read your responses "Hmm... 2D8 seems less pleasant than usual...".

It is a strange OP though. Almost like daring you to submit a character that you think is realistic, without any other parameters set. No campaign setting information, no Big 16, no indication about what is "realistic".

That said, I like my games a little more realistic, so I'll give it a shot.

This...isn't a recruitment thread for a game.

[Ichneumon]

When I first started to DM in online games, I used to ask for long backstories or short scenes written, mostly because I wanted to get a feeling for who the people were I'd be playing with. This is years ago though and I now my thoughts have changed. I think a long selection proces is unfair for potential players who don't get chosen, without there being something objectively wrong with their characters.

In future games, if I might start another game as a DM, I might just ask players to write a 150-word character background, max, and recruit on a first-come, first serve type deal. Maybe that's just more fair and fun for everyone.

Also, it's very important to have an agreement on posting frequency and behaviour, if you want to keep the game going.

[2D8HP]

I know that feeling 2D8HP.

Although i do hope as a GM of the Pendragon Game you're in, im at least doing a relatively alright job keeping you interested.

Most definitely @Hemnon, Thanks!

---

This...isn't a recruitment thread for a game.

I'm guessing that @Dr.Samurai found the Recruitment thread that inspired my latest whining outburst.

No I won't link to it, I'd rather not single it out, as it's the ongoing pattern, not just one DM that's got me bugged.

Besides, presumably other methods have been tried and found wanting, so while the model bugs me, it may still be the best way.

Any GM's try other ways?

[Thanqol]

I personally don't get why people ask for character submissions at all. That's, like... like the worst way to do it. You're asking a bunch of people to character into a void, unable to build meaningful relationships with the other potential players because you don't know which of them are making the cut. You can't play someone's brother in this system, or two characters in a co-dependent relationship, or the bitter younger sister, or so many other things. You can't adjust on the fly or respond to other people. You're forced to make an entirely self-contained character and then awkwardly tie it into a bunch of other characters after the fact.

And for all that process you've learned nothing of value about the people responsible and if they can hold down a game mid-long term!

When I recruit, I do it like this. None of this solipsistic character writing stuff, I try to start a conversation and ask some meaningful questions that give me an idea of who the people I'm talking to actually are. As a result, and because of gaming primarily with people I trust and have vetted, my games tend to last a minimum of 6 months. I'm in at least three that are over a year old at this point and are kicking ass.

The variable in a PBP is the player. Characters aren't isolated pillars, sitting pure and untouched in waiting silos. Gameplay is in the dynamic and the interplay of the characters, in people influencing and feeding into each other. My advice to all these failed games, these endless two-month start-stop PBPs that burn people out, is stop asking for characters. It's objectively the worst way to recruit. You gain no useful information with regards to the player's mental stability, ability to work with others, long term commitment or self awareness. You only gain a glimpse into someone's writing skill and system mastery and those are the least important qualities in a PBPer in my opinion.

E: Also while I'm ranting, I don't get why coloured speech text is a thing. It makes you look like a four year old and half the time it's illegible to boot. Black on white has been the standard for all of written history for a damn good reason.

[Hemnon]

Well i actually forgot to give a good idea on how to make recruitment work and make the game actually function post-recruitment.

here's a short list of things I personally do when being a GM for whatever-game:

1) Outline the world beyond just saying 'Forgotten Realms', or 'It is Shadowrun 5e'. the Big 16 is a good consolidating tool, but it shouldn't be used to just outline the recruitment with no other info before it.

2) Ask for enough backstory to get a feel that the submitted characters feel alive, not to the point that they are giving a life-story or so short that all you know is that they are an elf ranger that likes to Fish. Make sure the PCs ALL mesh well into the campaign and with each other as well. A party that is awkward tends to kill the game FAST, since no one know s what to do or where to go or what to talk bout.

3) Look over the recruitment and make sure to comment and respond often and regularly to questions and concepts tossed out. A lot of players already got in mind what they want to play, even before posting interest or reading the thread, and if they aren't willing to budge or discuss ideas with other players, then it makes it very hard to make the group mesh, along with fit the world the game it gonna be set in.

4) If you're unsure if a request or concept would fit your idea: Better to tell the player to detail their concept a bit further, and if still unsure, say no. Better the concept feels comfortably functional and fitting for the game and setting, rather than saying yes for the sake of making a player happy and willing to stick around and play in the game.

5) If a concept surprises you and a prior rule you said as 'this is not allowed' would halt that as being part of the game: mention it to the recruitment as a whole that you're making an exception (cuz, duh, you're the Game Master and can do that). If people get miffed, explain to them why you did what you did. if they ask why you allow this and not that, then tell them that the concept or idea was fitting enough and interesting enough to be allowed.

6) If you're a new GM: stick to the rules. follow the guideline (at least for the most part) and do not try to be overtly artistic. Rather that the game get going and is a bit heavy-handed with rolls and waiving of specific rulings if it feels that it's still a bit complicated to deal with all the rules.

7) Also, if you make a mistake as a GM, then admit it and retcon what was in error if it recently happened in-game. if not, then just call it a fluke and get onward and maybe let said character that got unfairly wounded find a potion to heal him/her, or, hell, divine intervention of a death occured that was not meant to happen due to a faulty rolls or damage modifier. Or send a Devil to resurrect the dead person and do not explain why, only having the devil leave with an evil grin and a snicker before vanishing in a rush of hellfire.
Why did the devil do it? who knows, what is the price, if any? who knows! but it lets the error be fixed IN-game and it fits the lore In-game that such a thing CAN happen and that even if it's a correction, a price might be needed to be paid, or it was just done to balance the planar realities.

8) For players: be wary of recruitments set up by another PLAYER who wants a certain type of game and seeks a GM and other players. This means the up-coming GM will be taking on someone else's campaign idea without having set up their own world and ideas. It works once in a while, a lot of the time it never gets past recruitment or more than a few pages of IC events.


------------------

And that's it. All my experiences are pretty much up there and thus why it's a guideline i personally follow.

[Westhart]

E: Also while I'm ranting, I don't get why coloured speech text is a thing. It makes you look like a four year old and half the time it's illegible to boot. Black on white has been the standard for all of written history for a damn good reason.

I feel that it is to make text stand out... which encourages skimming IMO. I also think it is one of those "everyone does it" things, and I do as a DM because my players prefer it and sometimes a player will just jump in without a "said X, exclaimed X etc" so it isn't 100% its supposed to be dialogue (a mistake I've made with a couple of players ) so I can see its uses, although I usually just highlight what's being said so I can read it

[Hemnon]

I feel that it is to make text stand out... which encourages skimming IMO. I also think it is one of those "everyone does it" things, and I do as a DM because my players prefer it and sometimes a player will just jump in without a "said X, exclaimed X etc" so it isn't 100% its supposed to be dialogue (a mistake I've made with a couple of players ) so I can see its uses, although I usually just highlight what's being said so I can read it

It also personalizes the color as 'that character' and gives a feeling that the Dark Blue color means that our Waterbending Monk is talking. Makes each speech unique to the character that uses that specific color. Rather than a mash of text that's Black... black... more black.

[Westhart]

It also personalizes the color as 'that character' and gives a feeling that the Dark Blue color means that our Waterbending Monk is talking. Makes each speech unique to the character that uses that specific color. Rather than a mash of text that's Black... black... more black.

Well yeah, there's that too

[Lazymancer]

The variable in a PBP is the player. ... My advice to all these failed games, these endless two-month start-stop PBPs that burn people out, is stop asking for characters.

This I can get behind. Get a group first, decide on characters later.

The problem is, of course, the decision-making process of choosing players. Asking for backstories is easy.

[Thanqol]

and I do as a DM because my players prefer it and sometimes a player will just jump in without a "said X, exclaimed X etc" so it isn't 100% its supposed to be dialogue (a mistake I've made with a couple of players )

But that's surely fixed by being a slightly better writer? Using coloured text instead of proper quotation marks and attribution is a crutch that sticks you in a novice rut forever. When you're writing in black on white your writing is what it is and has nowhere to hide; if it sucks then your only solution is to get better, and from my perspective that's why I'm PBP'ing in the first place.

so I can see its uses, although I usually just highlight what's being said so I can read it

I personally am not super keen on reading white text on neon blue highlights! That seems unnecessary and time consuming, which is doubly wasteful if someone is going through all the effort of BB coding every single sentence. In the past when I was doing it that could double the time it took to post something if the dialogue was particularly complex and it didn't add anything for the reader.

I also think it is one of those "everyone does it" things,

And this is what's nuts to me! It's a weird mass habit that adds nothing and eventually gets codified as ritual. Down this path lies the Adeptus Mechanicus.

[Thanqol]

It also personalizes the color as 'that character' and gives a feeling that the Dark Blue color means that our Waterbending Monk is talking. Makes each speech unique to the character that uses that specific color. Rather than a mash of text that's Black... black... more black.

Oh yea, because when Sir Terry Pratchett was writing all I could think of 'man, this is a big mash of black... black... more black'. Granny Weatherwax would have been so much more compelling as a character if she was writing in hot fuchsia. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between Sam Vimes and Rincewind half the time until I went through all my books with a highlighter!

This I can get behind. Get a group first, decide on characters later.

The problem is, of course, the decision-making process of choosing players. Asking for backstories is easy.

I find asking weird and meaningful questions is a super cool technique. Test for people's independence of thought, self awareness and tastes.

[Suicune]

Well, guilty as charged, I guess. I just dumped a whole bunch of backstory in a thread after posting interest, and I can’t even post my sheet since I don’t have permission to link things. Either way, yeah, I did this.

I actually enjoy writing long backstories. I don’t believe it’s necessary, or even good practice - conciseness is definitely better, especially for someone who may just have to parse - but I enjoy showing how a character got where they are. Picking based on this is - in my mind - a bit arbitrary, but also necessary. Now, it would be nice if a DM could pick regardless of the person’s writing, but I think that’s idealistic at best.

Seeing a backstory and character sheet automatically tells you if the person knows how to write and if they’ve been reading your setting and trying to connect to it. Basically, it lets you know if the person is trying to shove their character into the setting as opposed to making their character to the setting. But if you pick excusively based on the person applying? Well, since I’m new, whether I was picked or not would be due completely to chance, or maybe not at all - no one knows you, no one has a benchmark of how well you can write and play. A well-written character immediately indicates you know what you’re doing.

In any case, I’m new to GiTP PbPs, so I don’t know what to expect, but I’ve played a few (even GMing one) and that’s what I’ve seen.

[Hemnon]

Well, guilty as charged, I guess. I just dumped a whole bunch of backstory in a thread after posting interest, and I can’t even post my sheet since I don’t have permission to link things. Either way, yeah, I did this.

I actually enjoy writing long backstories. I don’t believe it’s necessary, or even good practice - conciseness is definitely better, especially for someone who may just have to parse - but I enjoy showing how a character got where they are. Picking based on this is - in my mind - a bit arbitrary, but also necessary. Now, it would be nice if a DM could pick regardless of the person’s writing, but I think that’s idealistic at best.

Seeing a backstory and character sheet automatically tells you if the person knows how to write and if they’ve been reading your setting and trying to connect to it. Basically, it lets you know if the person is trying to shove their character into the setting as opposed to making their character to the setting. But if you pick excusively based on the person applying? Well, since I’m new, whether I was picked or not would be due completely to chance, or maybe not at all - no one knows you, no one has a benchmark of how well you can write and play. A well-written character immediately indicates you know what you’re doing.

In any case, I’m new to GiTP PbPs, so I don’t know what to expect, but I’ve played a few (even GMing one) and that’s what I’ve seen.

When i do a GMing for a game i prefer to go for a round of 'Concepts' before anything is rolled, statted or otherwise written down on a charactersheet.

This way the current interests can voice out what they would like to play, everyone can be a part of the event and if something doesn't fit, it can be voiced out in a civil and constructive manner.

THEN comes the rolls/PB/other, along with choosing the race and class conceptualized earlier. And if something feels off for a player, they can easily say so and ask what would fit better.
One should not make a Wizard, cuz no one did and the party feels they need a Wizard. If you would rather play a Fighter going minor Magic buffs for themselves, well then someone else can make a wizard if they want a wizard in the group. If no one want to make and play a wizard, then no need for a wizard was there to begin with.


Finally, you can do the character-selection, and ask the chosen players to give a 'why do i travel with this group and what do i think/feel about the party members'. It helps avoid the 'you were all called to the king by your various guilds/colleges/divine patrons/etc./etc. They group is already together and they are possibly already at the doorstep of the Dungeon/Zombie-fied Village/etc.

[dascarletm]

Oh yea, because when Sir Terry Pratchett was writing all I could think of 'man, this is a big mash of black... black... more black'. Granny Weatherwax would have been so much more compelling as a character if she was writing in hot fuchsia. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between Sam Vimes and Rincewind half the time until I went through all my books with a highlighter!



I find asking weird and meaningful questions is a super cool technique. Test for people's independence of thought, self awareness and tastes.

I enjoy how you find players. I think I will adopt that style should I DM a game on here. Though, comparing novice writers on the message board to Sir Terry Pratchett is a bit silly. The standards for gaming enthusiasts on a message board and a professional writer should be different.

[2D8HP]

This I can get behind. Get a group first, decide on characters later.

The problem is, of course, the decision-making process of choosing players. Asking for backstories is easy.

FWLIW, while I don't much care for the homework of writing the B. S. (Back-story), especially when they don't seem to involve much in-game use by the GM, for two out of three of the longest lasting PbP's that I've played, the GM's had communicated with the players about the B. S. and C. C.'s (character concept) before play started, but in the short-lived games (by far most of them), the pre-game communication didn't have much beyond, "Submit your PC's back-stories", and "These are who have been selected".

I'm guessing that the real key is some pre-game communication and the B. S.'s may provide a basis for that.

Mind you, I've only played about 20 PbP games (depending on how long merits being called playing), over the last two years (and none before), so my sample size. is limited.

[Suicune]

When i do a GMing for a game i prefer to go for a round of 'Concepts' before anything is rolled, statted or otherwise written down on a charactersheet.

This way the current interests can voice out what they would like to play, everyone can be a part of the event and if something doesn't fit, it can be voiced out in a civil and constructive manner.

THEN comes the rolls/PB/other, along with choosing the race and class conceptualized earlier. And if something feels off for a player, they can easily say so and ask what would fit better.
One should not make a Wizard, cuz no one did and the party feels they need a Wizard. If you would rather play a Fighter going minor Magic buffs for themselves, well then someone else can make a wizard if they want a wizard in the group. If no one want to make and play a wizard, then no need for a wizard was there to begin with.


Finally, you can do the character-selection, and ask the chosen players to give a 'why do i travel with this group and what do i think/feel about the party members'. It helps avoid the 'you were all called to the king by your various guilds/colleges/divine patrons/etc./etc. They group is already together and they are possibly already at the doorstep of the Dungeon/Zombie-fied Village/etc.

I agree, but again, it isn’t always feasible. I’d love to play in such a campaign, but in a PbP game it’s way more difficult to coordinate everything.

Would be cool if that became a standard, though.

[Thanqol]

I enjoy how you find players. I think I will adopt that style should I DM a game on here.

Cool and good!

Though, comparing novice writers on the message board to Sir Terry Pratchett is a bit silly. The standards for gaming enthusiasts on a message board and a professional writer should be different.

My entire philosophy is derived from the concept 'Be the best version of yourself'. If you're not capable of differentiating between different characters' speaking patterns in a compelling way without resorting to formatting tricks... learn how to do that. What better place is there to practice your writing skills than a play by post on an obscure gaming message board?

Identify your flaws and work on them. If you're not capable of writing at Sir Terry Pratchett's level that shouldn't be for lack of trying.