Welcome to the Play-by-Post Gaming Forum. This FAQ is designed to help you understand how to play or run a play-by-post game. Rather than reinvent the wheel, many of the questions have been taken from other successful PbP boards and presented here.

[b]Q: What is "Play By Post" gaming, anyway?[/b]
A: It's roleplaying, just like you do with your "real life" friends when you sit around a table. The difference is that it's done on this board.

[b]Q: How does a game on the board work?[/b]
A: It's very similar to a face to face game. The gamemaster relates what the characters encounter, and the players respond in character.

[b]Q: So, what's the difference?[/b]
A: For one, you don't have to all be on the boards at the same time, like a chat-based game. The players all pop on and respond at their own pace.

[b]Q: How long does it take to resolve a round?[/b]
A: It depends on how often the players check the game. PbP games typically don't move as fast as live games. It can take a month or more to complete an adventure. Quite often the GameMaster will set a time limit of a certain number of days for everyone to post and then continue on with the game.

[b]Q: Then what would be a "fast" PbP game?[/b]
A: If a game has a post per player per day, then it's relatively fast. Some go faster than that, many go slower than that.

[b]Q: Why should I play a PbP game, then?[/b]
A: For one thing, because people have more time to think about things and compose their reply, characterization can be easier than live games. It's similar to how a book has more time for backstory and character development than a movie.

[b]Q: Is there another reason to play a PbP game?[/b]
A: A PbP game can bring together a group of individuals from all over the world to give you an experience broader than just playing with your friends. In addition, you don't need to set aside 4-8 hours in a block to get together with 4 or more people. It's much easier to schedule a few minutes online!

[b]Q: How are dice rolls determined?[/b]
A: Due to the internet format, most GMs will do all the dice rolling themselves or have you use an online dice roller.

[b]Q: How do I join a game?[/b]
A: The easiest way to find a game is look for threads with the words "recruiting" or "looking for players" in the title. These threads can be found in the [i]Recruitment Zone [/i]section of the PbP Games Forum.

[b]Q: If I want to start a game, what do I have to do to get it listed?[/b]
A: First off, you will need to post the fact that you want to set up a game in the Recruitment Zone and have at least three confirmed people who want to play. Once that has occurred, private message (PM) Ghostwind with the following information about the game:
* Title of Game (this can be anything, much like the title of a movie)
* Game System (such as d20, Conan OGL, Hero, World of Darkness, etc.)
* Name of GM (both real name and login/screen name)
* Number of players
* Short description (this is a short one paragraph description of the game)

Once the game is ready, a forum topic wil be created for your specific game.

As an example, consider the following:
* Whispers from the Edge of Shadows
* d20 Call of Cthulhu
* Steve Creech/Ghostwind
* 3 players
* Join the adventures of a team of intrepid relic hunters as they stumble into the existence of a very sinister and malevolent force that threatens the existence of the human race as we know it. Can they stop the evil and enlist the aid of others before it's too late?

[b]Q: How do I create a character?[/b]
A: Same as any other game. The GM will outline their character generation process in their recruitment post along with any other relevant details.

[b]Q: Do I post my PC online or send it to my GM?[/b]
A: For most games, characters are usually posted either to the recruitment thread or posted in the Explorer's Guild forum. Sometimes, GM's will prefer their players not to have access to each other's character sheets, and they'll ask you to send them your PC. They'll let you know in the recruitment post.

[b]Q: What's the maximum number of games someone can play in?[/b]
A: Honestly, there's no fixed limit. However, it is wise to make sure you don't take on more games than you can maintain. Take new games on gradually. Finally, if you're already in a lot of games and a newcomer wants to play in a game you're interested in, let them play. New blood is good!

[b]Q: How do I map combats for my games?[/b]
A: The most common method I've seen is using a spreadsheet program such as Excel to chart out the grid, walls and combatants, then taking a screenshot, cropping down to the relevant area, and attaching it to a post. Poke around a bit, and you'll likely find examples of this fairly quickly.

[b]Q: I want to take pictures of miniatures in the scene I am describing and then update the scene as it moves along - is it permissible to ask for players with broadband connections only?[/b]
A: If you make it clear upfront in your recruitment post what you plan to do and why you're asking for broadband connections only, that's absolutely fair. Just don't spring this on a poor dial-up player after the game's already started!

[b]Q: Is it okay to post right after I've just posted, or should I give someone else a chance to respond?[/b]
A: In general, it's best to post all your comments or character actions at once instead of a "reply" to each post. One possible exception to the "post and post again" suggestion is if you were the last person to post, and it's been a few days with no response - in that case, bumping the thread is usually acceptable if there is a lot of PbP activity on the boards.