Fundamentally Different (Gaming Online)

If you say the phrase “Role-Playing Game”, most people get the picture of people gathered around a table with strangely shaped dice and figurines. (Some may get an entirely different picture in their head and that could be fun too!) The group of people thus gathered may or may not be a stereotype of adult male “nerds” depending on the person’s experience with gamers. Continue on with the phrase “Online Gaming” and they’ll most likely think you’re talking about a MMORPG like W.o.W or Spiral Knights. Mention that it’s actually a play-by-post game and you’ve more than likely lost them.

And maybe you are lost too.

Well, that’s where we explain the differences between classic table-top gaming and gaming online.

A Different Kind of Table (Forum Gaming)

Player’s Haven is a forum dedicated to playing a Role-Playing Game (RPG), usually based in the Haven system. Like any game location, there are specific rules for using Player’s Haven as found in the Site Rules section. These rules are fairly simple and are almost completely universal as common courtesy. But then there’s the process of playing on a forum. There are two facets to this process: group communication and playing by post.

When you game on a forum, you are telling a story as a group with the main controller of the Story’s path being the Storyteller. That sounds hard, right? Well, it’s actually not any harder than playing a table-top game. In both, you are intent on watching the adventure unfold and have control on how that story flows. But because you are writing down what your character does, it does help to be as descriptive as possible.

The way that game play flows in a play by post or forum setting is simple to anyone familiar with using forums. The Storyteller begins a thread (called an adventure thread) with a description of the scene, including the actions or appearance of any non-player characters (NPCs) that may be involved. The Storyteller then tells the players whose turn it is to post. Each player posts a description of the reaction of his character, both to the original post and any subsequent posts by hitting the “Post Reply” button below the most recent post. This pattern continues as the story unfolds.

For group communication, Player’s Haven provides the Chatbox. It is located at the bottom of the main page and requires a user to be logged in to use it. After you are logged into the site, you may choose to log into the Chatbox. If at any time you have not posted anything in this feature for five minutes, you are put into “Away” status. The Chatbox will disconnect all accounts in “Away” after they have been such for ten minutes. Posting a comment in the Chatbox at any time during this process resets the clock. If you are experiencing difficulties logging into the Chatbox, refreshing the page usually fixes it. This is particularly true after it has disconnected you due to inactivity.

The Chatbox is to facilitate the players and Storyteller meeting to communicate for game play. All games are for fun and part of the fun is hanging out with friends. The practical side of the Chatbox is letting the Storyteller know when you have posted, so that he can determine who goes next.

Individual Storytellers may prefer using other instant messengers. This is listed in their GM Profile.

Mixing Mechanics and Thematics

There will come a time when you have to use an ability or other system mechanic. The information about the mechanic always goes at the end of a post in order of resolution. It should be separated from the thematic description of the character’s action in some way, usually a line of “~”, “=”, or “-”. (Storytellers may express individual preferences.)

The mechanic needs to be announced right above any necessary numerical equations. Equation format may also be standardized by individual Storytellers. Secondary effects should be noted either in the mechanic announcement or after numerical equations, depending on where they best fit. (I.E. If it affects the mechanic, it goes after the announcement, but if it affects the mechanic’s effect, it goes after the equation.) Any ability activation that does not take an action, should be announced at the start of the turn (either defensive or offensive, as appropriate). Ability activations that take an action should be announced when they occur. (As a reminder, actions may only be taken during the offensive turn.) Movement announcements should be announced as they occur.

This is the standardization of posts to ease the ability to read and follow both the story and the mechanical flow of an adventure. You should never make a post that is mechanic information only.

Here is an example of what this format looks like:

”You shouldn’t be so reckless,” Leighas said, after a moment of ineffectual glaring at Rarock. With a huff of breath, she released the useless anger and crossed the distance between them. Her fingers lightly traced the slashes across his chest from the tiger that had attacked them. The light green of her skin contrasted with both the rich tan of his skin and the pure white of the healing energy already flowing over the wounds. She knew his natural healing ability would have taken care of it within minutes, but it gave her a ready-made excuse to touch him and reaffirm that he did survive such a crazy maneuver. “What in the name of Ozain were you thinking?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Leighas moves 15 feet. Leighas heals Rarock using Heal Hit Points Alpha. 11 (1/2 Magic [22]) +4 Healer = +15 Hit Points to Rarock ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here’s another example, a more combat oriented one:

”One moves, two shall, too,” Tumult muttered. "I know better than to let the master's dog rush to help." Two steps--barely any movement at all--brought the child-warrior into range. Like the reaper his brother was often called, he slashed with his scythe. Then with a deft motion, he twisted it and brought it up. With a final sadistic grin, he swept the curved blade downwards through the journeyman’s yielding flesh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tumult uses Strong Attack (-9 Defense; +9 Attack). Tumult attacks Sebastian using Scythe. 16 Roll + 20 Roll + 22 Attack + 4 Scythe + 4 Enhance Weapon + 8 Magic Weapon + 1Spring Armor + 4 Death Messenger + 4 Fighter + 8 Fairy Circle + 9 Strong Attack = 100 (If damage is dealt, Bleeding Wound causes target to take -1 hit point per cycle until at least 1 hit point is healed.) (Target takes half again the damage total via Scythe (as augmented by Reaper’s Edge).) Tumult attacks Sebastian using Scythe. 19 Roll + 20 Roll + 22 Attack + 4 Scythe + 4 Enhance Weapon + 8 Magic Weapon + 1Spring Armor + 4 Death Messenger + 4 Fighter + 8 Fairy Circle + 9 Strong Attack -2 Multiple Attack = 101 (If damage is dealt, Bleeding Wound causes target to take -1 hit point per cycle until at least 1 hit point is healed.) (Target takes half again the damage total via Scythe (as augmented by Reaper’s Edge).) Tumult attacks Sebastian using Scythe. 10 Roll + 20 Roll + 22 Attack + 4 Scythe + 4 Enhance Weapon + 8 Magic Weapon + 1Spring Armor + 4 Death Messenger + 4 Fighter + 8 Fairy Circle + 9 Strong Attack -4 Multiple Attack = 90 (If damage is dealt, Bleeding Wound causes target to take -1 hit point per cycle until at least 1 hit point is healed.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's an example showing both a defensive turn and an offensive one:

"Oh, you, gather about like moths to a flame, yet do not remember that the moths burn up," Pud'rake said as he began to pulse with a pure white light that flared out from his core. "Beware what lies within the light, beware what brings the light, beware the masters creation, beware me his greatest work!" As the words sprang forth to echo about, so did the light flare from his core causing Pud to look like a bright white flame pulsing with purity's power. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Die Results: 15, 17, 5, 17, 4 Pud'rake defends against Fiend 8's Claws. (Difficulty Goal: 81) xx Roll +14 Defense +1 Dragon Scale Armor +4 Defender +4 Strong Defense +1 Toughen Armor = 24 + Roll ~~Cogent Attack automatically triggers targeting attacker. ~~~xx Roll +40 Magic +4 Cogent Attack +4 Blast Mage +4 Veneficus +4 Light Mage +4 Arcane Disciple +4 Elemental Disciple +2 Elemental Alignment (Fire) +4 Positive Alignment +2 Wand = 72 + roll (Cogent Attack deals an additional +10 damage if successful.) Pud'rake defends against Fiend 8's Claws. (Difficulty Goal: 83) xx Roll +14 Defense +1 Dragon Scale Armor +4 Defender +4 Strong Defense +1 Toughen Armor = 24 + Roll ~~Cogent Attack automatically triggers targeting attacker. ~~~xx Roll +40 Magic +4 Cogent Attack +4 Blast Mage +4 Veneficus +4 Light Mage +4 Arcane Disciple +4 Elemental Disciple +2 Elemental Alignment (Fire) +4 Positive Alignment +2 Wand = 72 + roll (Cogent Attack deals an additional +10 damage if successful.) Bestial Mending goes off. [+1 Hit Point] Hit Points (Damage) = Adjusted Total/Normal Total ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pud'rake uses Careless Caster. [-16 Resistance; +16 Magic] Pud’rake uses Enhance Magic (as enhanced by Magical Attack). [+4 Enhance Magic; +4 Magical Attack] Pud'rake activates Purity. (20’ Aura centered on Pud’rake; Active 2 Cycles) xx Roll +40 Magic +2 Purity +4 Light Mage +4 Arcane Disciple +2 Wand +16 Careless Caster +4 Enhance Magic +4 Magical Attack= 76 + roll (Save or take -10 for Demons, Undead, or Creatures of Darkness) Pud'rake moves 15' West to use Rayis Midori as living shield. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Um...Roll How?

Dice may be found below the option to send your post. The default is “--" for the die and “1” for the number of dice to be rolled. To roll, select a die from the drop down list and give a number of dice to be rolled. You must have at least one character in the text box in order to roll. Send the post. Your roll(s) will show up in a post by Fate immediately following the original post that you made. You may then choose to “edit” your original post with the updated information.

In the event that you did not roll enough dice, immediately let your Storyteller know. You then prepare another post with the minimum character requirement and follow the above instructions for rolling dice. Edit only the original post with the new information. Storytellers will consolidate dice rolls and delete excess posts as part of their thread clean up duties.

Should you need to roll multiple dice of different types, you would click on the little box labeled with a "+" located beside the quantity box. This gives you another dice line. This may also be used to separate dice counts between defensive rolls and offensive rolls or should you be rolling for multiple characters in the same post.

Dice should be used in order of being rolled.