How to PBEM?

[justindurkan]

I'm interested in running a PBEM for some friends who, these days, are scattered across the globe. I've no experience with this and I'm wondering are there any resources available that people could recommend regarding posting procedures, reply procedures, PBEM combat, communicating the big picture, communicating the little picture, encounters with 'flavour' NPC's, encounters with 'required' NPC's, etc.

I think the idea of round by round emails will not work. Is there another way that would make PBEM as exciting as table gaming?

As an example assume we are going to play the Kursis Charter from the Linkworlds source material. The players will have a fat trader and will own and crew it.

The players can possibly handle emails two or three times a day given timezones, etc. What I'd really like is something that can handle larger emails once or twice a week, rather than a plethora of mails every day.

What to do?
/Justin Durkan

 

[vutpakdi]

As exciting as table top gaming? No, it's not the same as sitting around the same table.

However, PBEM gaming can still be quite fun, and, in a way, it's easier/better since the format allows for more time to respond, particularly for the GM.

I'd recommend that you set up a Yahoo Group for your game. The Groups feature of Yahoo provides a place to put files as well as a mailing list server that can handle anything from short frequent messages to long missives. The messages are also stored and searchable.

If you're curious to see how a PBEM game is being run as a Yahoo group, please feel free to "join" our group and lurk:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Travellogue

I'm the current GM (Paul Smith was the original one). We've been having fun with the game. There are many different ways to do a PBEM (lots of role playing, almost none. long descriptions, short descriptions), and the key thing is to find something that works for you and your group).

Ron