This forum has been instrumental in my being able play TOR...

[Captain Curmudgeon]

...and I thank C7 for having it!

I live in an area where there are no gaming groups who are interested in TOR (or AIME), and so for me, play by post games are my only means of playing TOR, at least for now. I joined one game based on a "Players Wanted" ad here. Another game I am in owes its current success (in my opinion) to this forum. Initially I threw up a "LM Wanted" post on this other PbP website and an LM volunteered to run the game. Unfortunately we didn't have much success getting any other players. Then, the LM came over to this forum and put up a "Players Wanted" post, and in a very short period of time we had a full crew of players. We've been at it for over a month now and the game shows no signs of slowing down. Our players (including the LM) hail from all four time zones in the continental US, as well as from Norway, Germany, the UK, and New Zealand.

So I thank the C7 folks for not only producing the fine products that make up the TOR line, but also facilitating gamers finding each other through these forums.

[Matt Clark]

Hello there...

Presumably you are also Sigmund in the pbp forum?

Just wanted to echo your thoughts about being able to play this great RPG and through the recruitment thread posted in the forum a month or so ago. It's great to be able to play it when it's not easy to find a local group. I like this game a lot and haven't played an RPG for 20+ years. Then it was Merp but C7 really got things spot on in their game design that sponsors a focus on building a narrative around the game mechanics. Well done C7 and thanks for bringing me out of RPG retirement!

[Fenton Hardy]

I am the LM for that game, and I couldn't agree more with Captain Curmudgeon and Matt Clark. I had retired from RPGs many years ago, at least until my daughter and I read the Hobbit together. I went to investigate if any companies had picked up where MERP had left off and that's how I found TOR and this forum. Everyone in my area seems to play only D&D and Pathfinder, so the C7 forums and PbP have been my connection to the RPG world. I do not post often, but this site has been an invaluable resource and source of encouragement and inspiration. These forums have also brought me together with some of the best players I have had the privilege to game with. Thanks C7.

[Captain Curmudgeon]

Hello there...

Presumably you are also Sigmund in the pbp forum?

Indeed I am Sigmund the Barding

[farinal]

I used to play in a lot of these kind of RPG forums back in the day when forums were the most popular thing on the internet. But they were mostly free form kind of things. I would really like to see how do you guys play TOR as PBP. Is there a link or archive where I can read such games?

[Fenton Hardy]

I used to play in a lot of these kind of RPG forums back in the day when forums were the most popular thing on the internet. But they were mostly free form kind of things. I would really like to see how do you guys play TOR as PBP. Is there a link or archive where I can read such games?

Here is the https://www.tavern-keeper.com/campaign/2816/latest to the game Curmudgeon, Matt, and I have been playing. PbP allows the LM and players to take the time to craft each response, so the RP is denser than in face-to-face, at least in my experience. This game is a bit unusual in that it has maintained a faster pace than most, and all of the players have been extraordinarily committed to their characters and the shared story we are creating.

[Vladimir]

@ Farinal: I am the LM of the OP's other PbP game. We game at Myth-Weavers (https://www.myth-weavers.com/), but the game is currently private. If you anyway want to read the game, then please make an account there, send me a PM (my username is Vladim) and I will make you a reader. This should hopefully give you access to the private threads.

EDIT: Or alternatively, send me your username at Myth-Weavers here and I'll invite you.

[Matt Clark]

I used to play in a lot of these kind of RPG forums back in the day when forums were the most popular thing on the internet. But they were mostly free form kind of things. I would really like to see how do you guys play TOR as PBP. Is there a link or archive where I can read such games?

This is my first experience of pbp so at this early stage in the game it seems there is a balancing act or trade off to be made about the progression of the adventure phase narrative and how the companions work together to this end. Set against the inevitable time gaps between one post and the next. In our game this might be even further stretched in terms of 'gaps' between posts as the players behind the characters are spread across the length and breadth of the globe (as are the characters we play!). Given the commitment and frequency of player posts it doesn't seem to be a problem so far. On occasion a player will leave their character in the hands of the LM if they are due to be away for a few days and decisions need to be made.

So far though I would have to conclude that a week's worth of posting is probably about the same as a 2-3 hour face to face game session having also played the One Ring like that. I suppose even more 'adventure phase progression' might be made if players were closer together in terms of time zones but in no way would I want that to be seen as a criticism or major problem to either this gaming group or pbp generally. And as Fenton Hardy said - you have a lot of time to craft an interaction or conduct some research into canon or Middle earth history that might otherwise interrupt a face to face gaming session.