A question about pbp games

[YamItheonly1]

I have always wanted to join a pbp game, but I don't know how they work. I have done IM games before, and even a game by text (which i am assuming is close to how a pbp game would work)
I just want to know how a pbp game is put together and how it is played out.

Yami signing out

[greyarea]

Perhaps the best way to discover how they work is by reading some of them here.

PbP games are typically very slow compared to other methods because of their asynchronous nature: moves can take days. Often DMs will do all of the rolling (it's just easier, speaking from a DM's perspective) so players have less "control" even if they are still dictating actions.

That said, they are very fun (speaking as both a DM and a player, here) and can be a good option if you can't set aside a block of time for a tabletop or even IM game.

I've never played a game by text before. Seems like it could be interesting.

[YamItheonly1]

The game by text was quite interesting, we had bunches of fun trying to determine if the thief (the player whom was texting) would ever check that 3rd door for a trap (like a 10 minute wait my other players broke out RISK while waiting)

[kjc]

Hello! I "lurk" in almost all the pbp games here and have very recently taken the plunge and joined one. It has been alot of fun! Greyarea said it very well with his previous post.

Don't tell the other guys in the game I am in...but I have followed most of their exploits for so long that I sort of consider them pbp rock stars and it has been great interacting with them...except connivingsumo...

(Actually connivingsumo should be voted Mr. Congeniality around here, he will probably stop by to welcome you!)

[tumblingdice]

Hi! Welcome. Greyarea did sum it up well. They are slow, but they are fun, and give you plenty of time to craft your responses. I hope you consider joining next time one comes up.

[badams30]

Welcome!
All sound and accurate advice. I was a lurker for a while and then joined, and now I'm running a PbP into the ground....

Words of wisdom: Don't touch large 10' tall statues that look like angry lizardmen who shoot lava from their guts, and don't cast a sleep spell on your colleagues. Both don't work very well... otherwise, as Tumblingdice says, hop aboard a game, and you soon find you are probably in 10 of them...

[greyarea]

No no no... touch as many statues as you can. If they turn out to be lava spewing villains of the land, then you know for next time. And statues can be destroyed you know.

[badams30]

The Lave lizard of doom, one of my more memorable gaffes, but not quite as memorable as one gaming session from a few years back, we were running late, and everyone was trying to wrap up an encounter so we could go home, we were dealing with some annoying elves, and I grew tired of listening to them, so my wizard tried to cast sleep on them. The DM was like "uh... you try to cast what on them?" Tired, I wasn't getting the message. I was like "SLEEP! sleep. I cast sleep on them."
Of course it didnt' work, and the elves got very angry with us and hit us a whole bunch of times for trying to put them to sleep.

Always beware the clueless guy in the group. In all my PbP's, it just happens to be me...

[gray mouser]

Words of wisdom: Don't touch large 10' tall statues that look like angry lizardmen who shoot lava from their guts, and don't cast a sleep spell on your colleagues. Both don't work very well...

I hope you're not limiting this advice to pbp games!

Of course, I hog tied a fellow PC in a face to face game once. Yeah, in retrospect that wasn't a great idea

[Blood axe]

Join a game ASAP! Its fun. You just need to check the thread & post every other day or so , in most cases. The DM usually rolls the dice to speed things up. You just control your character. You get to play with a bunch of really cool people you never met, that live far away!
I'm sure if you check around, there is a game with an opening right now!