In reply to AchillesIV (msg # 804):

I've wondered the same thing, actually, and I've looked for ways to increase posting rates. I can't claim much success yet.

If you'd like to talk shop, please feel free to PM me.

In reply to engine (msg # 805):

Cool I think I will. I like PbP because it does have that flexibility and allows for a lot of different game pacing, but sometimes I'd like if it even had an integrated chat function for groups that can get together and knock out an hour or two of rapid-session playing (in the same game as their PbP.)

I know the site's busy enough as it is, so that's kind of a pipe dream. Seems like you either have PbP forum gameplay at a snails pace or Roll20-style voice chat sessions for hours and hours at once.

For back-and-forth posting, a chat-based game is better than PbP. PbP's advantage is to only need to check once or maybe twice a day. Not to sit there constantly hitting refresh; just in case something needs responding to.

In reply to willvr (msg # 807):

Guilty lol. When I do have free time, I'm an obsessive F5'er, even though I know the point of PbP is for people to post at their own pace.

It's bit me in the ass before though because I've taken a more relaxed approach to posting then forgot to log in and missed like a week.

I'm a moderator at another site where each game has its own chat room.  There have been a few GMs who have tried to run a chat based game, but they invariably fail, or revert to play by post.  The idea seems to appeal but the reality has all the disadvantages of FTF, like trying to get a group together at one time, only now some may be in (very) different time zones, without the added incentives such as getting to see friends - and the GM knowing where you live if he really wants to find you!

In reply to Brianna (msg # 809):

I do play on a game on another site where they mix up the chat and PbP. We usually do PbP usually aiming for a post about 2-3 days. About once a month we do a chat-game; but it's mainly because we're playing a huge epic-quest module. It's been working okay - but that's because at heart, it's a PbP game; but with an occasional, scheduled, chat-game. I wouldn't be able to do it the other way around.

Unfortunately, after an initial burst of energy when they're brand new, games tend to settle down to the posting rate of the slowest player in the group.

Even if the GM sits there wielding a big stick and making threats every day, there's a limit to what s/he can do, apart from sacking slowcoaches - and unless you're lucky enough to be gaming in a genre that has a surfeit of players, you really don't want to be doing that - otherwise your game will not only slow down, it'll come to a full stop.

If there are six people in a game, and each of them has a RL problem once every six weeks, chances are that somebody will have a RL problem every week, and your game will have a hiatus every week.

Just eliminate Real Life, then we can game all day every day. :)

Then the others slow down for the slowest, and the slowest gets even slower so h/he can be the 'winning" slowest. Possible cure: Rule that, if a player doesn't post within X days, said player is NPCed. If player continues to be slow, seek a replacement. I believe RPOL has many more players than GMs.

Hear, hear!  Reality is for people who can't handle a high posting rate! :P

As I said above, OceanLake, it depends on your genre. If you're playing dungeoneers, vampires, god wars or sex, sure, you get so many applicants you don't even bother to reply to the RTJs.

But if you're playing a game of intrigue in the court of Henry VIII, you'll be lucky if you can find five players in the whole of Rpol. If one of those five is slow, your choice is to play slow, or to play with four. If two of them are slow, you're scuppered.

Just as much as genre, it can even depend on system. Getting replacements for older editions for DnD; whilst still not as difficult as some, is not nearly as easy as it is to get replacements for Pathfinder or fifth edition.

Having said that, it's in no way a five players in all of RPoL issue; but it is enough that I'm wary of booting someone for being slow. I'm also quite lenient if someone comes in saying 'well, I'll be slow, because I'm studying part-time, and can only get on with any regularity on the weekends'. What irks me is more the person who suddenly slows down with no explanation as to why. Or the person who logs in but doesn't post at least OOC 'sorry; I've had RL kick me in the ass at the moment'.

GMs, just remember that sometimes while you're worried about losing 1 player who's not posting, you may be losing 2 more that get tired of waiting if they're not part of the 'how long do we wait' decision making process.  :-)

I have a set 10 day wait period with a note that it can be extended Only if you tell me your going to be gone for X amount of time. Saves worry and baldness from the hair being pulled out.

Found an annoying little problem - concerning SSI - all kinds of information on how to get On it, but unless you get a job - Nothing on how to get Off it (with out going over the set limits on it and having to pay the Government X amount of money, usually the last months pay.)

Oh yeah, life is bad - Just been told I have a little under 3 weeks to Sell my old car before I can get a New car because my step dad is scared that SSI will punish me (take money from me) if I still have the old car when I get the new one (never mind the old car is worth around $600 and it would not push me over my limit on how much equity I am allowed to have.)
In essence I have to live with out any form of transportation for an unknown amount of time (as we have to go to Fla to get the new car). That is of course if I can Sell the car in the 3 week window I now have. From my experience it's not that easy to sell a car, especially an older make and model.

WHO PUTS A CAST IRON SKILLET IN THE DISH WASHER!?!?

*screams*

In reply to GammaBear (msg # 820):

People who don't know any better - I did it Once cause no one bothered to tell me why I should not. I also used soap to clean said skillets a few times cause all anyone told me was 'don't do that' but not Why. Once I knew Why I should not do either thing, I have not done them since.
This message was last edited by the user at 00:34, Fri 07 Apr 2017.

I just inherited a new car (only has 9000 miles on it). But my step-father put a limit on me that I have to sell my old car before I can take possession of the new car. (note I am on Disability, which in the US means you have a resource limit of $2000, the more expensive car is not counted against that limit but the old car would be. Thing is the old car is a 1999 Buick and only worth at the outside $500 (according to the taxes I pay on it from last year), no where near enough to push me over the limit.)
Till that time the new car will sit in his driveway.

I've caught hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

AGAIN.

I got it last year, who knows from where. Could've been from one of my kids ('cause God knows how many diapers I have to change), or one of them could've sneezed on me, or someone else's kid sneezed on something I handled. I may have caught it last week, or a month ago.

I'm going to have red sores and blisters all over my palms and the soles of my feet. It's painful to walk, and doing almost anything with my hands hurts. (Even typing this.) I'm tired, my appetite's down, I'm irritable. If this goes like last time, the pain in my extremities is going to last about a week.

AND THEN.

I get the fun of having the skin on my palms and soles PEEL for a month or more. There's a good chance that some of my nails will fall out (at least they grow back). I think I might even lose some hair (like I need that).
This message was last updated by the user at 04:30, Thu 04 May 2017.

In reply to LonePaladin (msg # 823):

Oh ouch, I feel for you man. Till you mentioned this I had not heard of this condition. I just now read up on it and I started getting sympathetic pains. I hope it clears up fast.

It would be nice if we could get some belated April showers to clear the dust out so I can breathe easily once again.

Heh, I was glad for the April showers to stop in my area, because I couldn't even think about putting in bedding plants until the ground was something other than mud!

Also, my lawn guy that usually does spring clean-up on my yard, despite me calling ahead to book an appointment almost a month ago, has yet to touch my yard.  I mowed it once just to get things tamed, but despite repeated promises, he didn't show up again today.  I have out of town guests coming who I haven't seen in years.  I will not have a hayfield half-buried in leaves greet them!  So instead of relaxing tomorrow I get to do yardwork.  Yay.

In reply to LadyMer (msg # 825):

Wish we could send you some - make that lots!  A town not far from here is apparently underwater, and ours is at serious risk of same.  Boards already taken out of dam at pond, ground is saturated, and we're supposed to have several more days of rain!

Testing. I have seen no activity on this site in several hours, and that's rather odd for a Tuesday.

Finals week for anyone in college.  Well, in my area at least.