D&D Via Skype

[Archfiend Damio]

Hello everyone,

I was just wondering who all has Skype here in the guild?

I feel Skype would be most appropriate for playing D&D via an IM service. First of all its free so plus there and you can make group calls via it and everyone can be on a mic in the same call. This allows people to almost have the I am there listing to the DM feel of a real game while giving the acute role play interactions that online play seems to favor.

Inaddition maps and scamatics and other neat things can be sent via file sharing. And finally for those that want the full experience there is always Mulitiple video chating practicly placing you at the same Desk as your DM and fellow players.

I feel Skype is great because even if you don't talk its till an IM service and you can type. In addition while in a 'call' the DM can IM person or secret info to individual players.

Anyway I feel like a spokes person for Skype. I was just wanting to see who has it and who agrees with me.

Thank all.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

How much did they pay you to advertise Skype?

I'm kidding. But I do dislike Skype, it's so clunky. I'd rather play in OpenRPG. While using Skype for the chatting and stuff is nice, I don't think I'd be happy listening to the DM speak in falsetto voices when speaking on behalf of female characters or high pitched characters or anything.  

[Rain Yupa]

I do not have Skype, so my opportunities here are limited. AIM chat is the best I can do, I think.  

[Archfiend Damio]

keith: I guess that means you have never really played in real life. Because playing D&D is about setting and atmospher and mood for the players to actually feel as the character they play. That is what D&D is all about. So the DM doing cheezy voices should be the problem infact he/she shouldn't be the only one to do so. The players are encuraged to do the same. Its far more fun if people act and believe they are the character they also care more if it dies and that means they will want to play the character longer.  

[Archfiend Damio]

Rain: well its free I don't see any reason not to have it.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

The Jester of Equilibrium

keith: I guess that means you have never really played in real life. Because playing D&D is about setting and atmospher and mood for the players to actually feel as the character they play. That is what D&D is all about. So the DM doing cheezy voices should be the problem infact he/she shouldn't be the only one to do so. The players are encuraged to do the same. Its far more fun if people act and believe they are the character they also care more if it dies and that means they will want to play the character longer.

I've played IRL, sire. But you can build even more atmosphere online, because the DM can go crazy with describing stuff, much more if it was a IRL game, thanks to copy/pasting info, pictures that are more readily available, music, etc.

Now don't get me wrong, I can impersonate quite a few accents, but describing actions works just as well. Really, my dislike is with Skype itself. I just said the whole falsetto thing as a joke.

You should see my DM in my OpenRPG campaign. Dude's insane with his descriptions.  

[Arc Vembris]

I stopped using OpenRPG simply because real-time games became inconvenient for me. Skype has the same issues.  

[Keith Valken Lionheart]

Arc Vembris

I stopped using OpenRPG simply because real-time games became inconvenient for me. Skype has the same issues.

Yeah, I can see what you mean. But seeing as the campaigns I'm on have stalled, I got time for my ORPG campaign.  

[Alzzak]

I have to go with Keith and Arc on this one. All of my real life games have died and I am finding online ones more interesting for the fact that people aren't in a fixed time limit to make a statement. Imagination can fill in for voices and the odd things but the games are a little more in dept and normally more entertaining for me.  

[Deadusernamelol]

I find I enjoy IRL games far more than online. While online you do get the descriptions, I much enjoy the personal side of it. Plus my friends and I get way into the game when it becomes more about the game rather than the whole description. My friends and I love to stand up and pretend to perform the actions we do and we often speak in different voices to give it more of personality thing when we talk. I've been practicing a thick russian accent with my Dwarf.

But I'm sure that's not what this conversation is about.  

[Archfiend Damio]

Well it is and it isn't Carth see I was merely wanted to see who had skype and the tools to play a game that was a little more like a real life game.

With the use of web cams the same can be achieved as that IRL for the most part.

I also like that if I wanted to send a message to a player secretly I could. Maybe they notice something others don't or they have a disease others failed to see.

Not to mention this can be done not just with your friends that you live next to but your friends a crossed the states or a crossed the ocean. It would be a way of a more real life role play for those that like that. Just with a wider playing field. Your not limited to who is in your town, city, or state. but rather who you can find in the world.  

[Dusk001]

I think Skype is a versatile and great tool, and is certainly a good alternative to OpenRPG. That being said, I've only ever used Skype so far for serious games. Last time I used OpenRPG I spent a good hour making dice rolls to put bread on the heads of innocent townsfolk.  

[Lord of the Vine]

Google Wave.

'Nuff said.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

I have skype. I've been using it for DnD purposes for quite awhile now. Few years maybe.  

[Mongooseh]

You know I have skype yet to see if playing d&d on it works well.