Discord Thoughts - An OSR Online Con - Dare I Say? TenKon!

So, this kept me up late on Friday night. At the moment we are nearing 90 members of the Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord Server. That got me thinking. I've toyed with the idea of an Online OSR Convention for the last 2 years. I just never saw all of the pieces in place to allow such to happen without major planning and software and associated costs

Discord plus Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds 2 is a viable solution.

So, here are the questions, not just for the Tenkar's Tavern Community but the OSR at large:

- Would you play a game session in an Online OSR Convention?

- Would you run a game session in an Online OSR Convention?

- Would you attend a panel discussion in an Online OSR Convention?

The cost to attend would be ZERO. The Tavern would offer some random gifts to attendees with perhaps further gifts offered from publishers.

I'm toying with the idea of calling such a potential convention TenKon but as all things that is subject to change ;)

What say you?

Spread the word on this post, because if there is enough interest we'll get the ball running.

Total side note - if you are a member of the Tenkar's Tavern Live Discord Server, drop into the swords - wizardry - light channel. The Swords & Wizardry Continual Light Beta Rules are linked there for your enjoyment. Not sure how long I'll leave them up there, so grab them soon. Work commences on laying out the SWCL rules via InDesign and with edits, corrections and clarifications this week and continues until completion.

A Look at the Poll Results Thus Far for a "Online Swords & Wizardry Gaming Convention"

Let's see. 139 total votes. 94% of those votes would be interested in gaming and / or "Hangouts" with some of the creative side of Swords & Wizardry. (I suspect few that aren't interested bothered to vote, so the percentages are surely skewed. Still a nice number of responses, even with some multiple votes)

I think there is enough interest here to start with the broad strokes on how to organize this. I think the key here is not trying to replicate a "real space con" with a "cyber space con". The last attempt at that was an abysmal failure and that is not something anyone has a desire to repeat.

The strength of an online gathering / convention is the ability to get people together for gaming purposes from across the world and still allow them to game from their own homes. An online gaming con is simply about gaming, not vendors and publishers and the like.

It's needs about gaming - playing games and talking about games. Anything that gets on the way of that needs to be left behind.

Earliest we would be looking at this is mid to late September, so lots of time for thoughts, ideas, brainstorms and brainfarts ;)

As always, for this to be successful, it needs to be for the community by the community. W do have a most awesome community in the corner Swords & Wizardry calls home.

Checking Interest in a Swords & Wizardry Online Convention / Gathering

I tried running this poll or survey about a month or so ago, and Blogger's plug in for it was so frigging buggy I had to stop it, so here we go again ;)

The poll is on the right side of the page. I think it maxes out at 200 votes, but if we reach that we should have a pretty good idea if there is enough interest in this or not.

We'd probably be looking at a weekend in September, sometime after Labor Day here in the States. If it does have legs, I expect this to be mostly community driven, much like the Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day was.

I would assume that most of the gaming would revolve around G+ Hangouts / Roll20, but it does't need to. There are other viable Virtual Table Tops out there: Maptools, Fantasy Grounds, EpicTableTop, ScreenMonkey and other. Add in Skype (or not) and you are good to go.

Heck, we could even get a panel or two going, interviews, maybe even a workshop - like Quick Adventure Design Hints or 10 minute Dungeon Maps.

So, what are you waiting for? Vote!

What Do Y'all Think About a Rotating Game Nite?

I know I want to run Adventurer Conqueror King System as my main game, but I've also been thinking about running a secondary game.

I've also been accused more than once of having Gamer's ADD or something similar, as I express interest in many different systems.  What can I say?  I like RPGs.  Heh.

So, what I was thinking was I'd have a steady game (ACKS) and run a second game nite of one shots or short story arcs, using other systems.

Probably looking at Savage Worlds, QUERP, Ancient Odysseys, Tunnels & Trolls and the like for the side games.  For the most part, games that are easy to explain, yet aren't D&D or one of it's numerous clones.

ACKS would be a steady group, the side games would allow people to drop in and out.

G+ Hangout with possibly a VTT on the side.  All I really need is a whiteboard.

Any thoughts?  Suggestions?  Desire to make fun of my Gamer's ADD? ;)

Picking a System For Online Play

I've been playing online table top gaming for a few years now.  I started with Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy, moved on to Castles & Crusades, did a single Savage Worlds session (all via Fantasy Grounds 2) and I'm currently playing in a slightly stripped down D20 game using Google+ Hangout.  All the previous, I was a player.

The was my only gaming for years until recently, as I've been going to the Games That Can Not Be Named sessions on Wednesday nites as time permits, and time has permitted.  I've played numerous different systems over the last few weeks.  It's all gotten me thinking.  Dangerous, I know.

Level based systems are easy to get a session up and running.  As are very simple, relatively abstract systems.  Skill based, such as Dark Heresy, Savage Worlds, BRP and the like can take a full session to get characters up and running.  They also can require the GM to do some heavy lifting do to the sometimes overly comprehensive rules during game sessions, and generating NPCs can be a major PITA.

The thing is, skill based doesn't have the same inherent breakdown at higher levels as level based games (your mileage may vary).  Maybe skill based is too specific a term.  Non-level based RPGs - that works.

For a pick up game, whether in person or via a VTT or hangout, you want easy character generation.  Even D20 based games can chew up time, and in your 40s, time is a precious commodity.  Additionally, game play itself eats up time.  What I mean by that is that combat, or any kind of rolled resolution, can take up much of the gameplay time at the table depending on the amount of charts and tables that need to be referenced.  4e may be an extreme example of this, but it is a feature / fault of many systems.

Which is why I'm looking for something that's easy yet with some depth.  Something that a group can pick up easily, run with fairly instinctively, with no fear of the leveling tree moving the game to more tedious realms of play while still allowing for character advancement.  The closest thing I've found so far is QUERP.  That wouldn't have been my choice going into this search, and it may not be the final answer I find, but at the moment it seems like a good option.

Online play in general slows things down, and you generally want to keep a faster pace to keep your players engages.  That is what I'm looking for.  The search continues, but I have definitely found a possible answer already.

I Get To Play In a Sandbox!

I'll be playing in a new campaign starting this coming Saturday. We'll be using Google+ Hangout.

Our GM has given us a quick overview of the starting area, and we even get to chose our starting location out of a handful that are detailed. Which means we are in a sandbox right from the start. Should be fun and an Old School feel.

Of course, the actual rules system has yet to be nailed down. As long as it includes dice rolls, some numerical stats and a spell list, I should be able to adapt ;)

Eh, who am I kidding. It's going to be a D&D game, we just need the DM to nail down the system. I'd vote for Crypts & Things, but I think the setting is more standard fantasy, so it probably wouldn't be a good fit.

Game On! (Tunnels & Trolls)

Last nite was the first session of the online, chat based, Tunnels & Trolls game being run by Scott over at the blog HUGE RUINED PILE. It's in my blog list to the left (links are a PITA with the iPad). Scott has a nice write up of last night's session, so I won't bore you with a retread. Suffice to say it was a most excellent gaming session.

My son, he who is to shortly turn 18, stopped at my desk three times to comment:

"I thought you said you were playing a game? All I see is chat. You call this a game?"

Three times. I actually think he is interested. Fantasy Grounds he understood as a game interface, and he dismissed it as boring. Entirely chat based he found intriguing enough to stop at least 3 times to read the chat and comment about the game (or lack there of).

I think I may be able to draw him to the Darkside ;)

All Dressed Up With Nowhere to Go...

I was all set for the first session of a new Tunnels & Trolls Campaign (via Google chat) that a couple of fellow bloggers are involved in when the GM had to cancel for real life issues. Alright, I wasn't all set as I hadn't even bought weapons for my Wizard and I barely made it home in time, but I was close to being set ;)

It was all for the best. I need to flesh out my Wizzie and allergies have been kicking my ass this week. I doubt I would have made it to the planned end of the session at midnite. I was lights out last nite at 1015, which was probably for the best.

Still, I am psyched. I miss the C&C via FG2 campaign that is currently on indefinite hiatus. This should be a blast when it gets up and running.