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04:16, 19th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

Posted by GreenTongue
Hunter
member, 1645 posts
Captain Oblivious!
Lurker
Sun 18 Apr 2021
at 20:58
  • msg #32

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to CabbageFox (msg # 30):

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head.  I recently went looking at other forum sites to expand my role playing experience.

The result?   Every forum wanted "literate" writers, i.e. people who post consistently in multiple paragraphs.

While I'm not really in favor of repeated one-liners, they do have a place.   And I know I'm going to catch flack for saying that.
donsr
member, 2238 posts
Sun 18 Apr 2021
at 21:04
  • msg #33

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

 I don't like one -liners, but i don't need a book  either. All they have to do is covey the persons actions  and emotions  along  with thier  words.

 of course OOC thread is a differant story
Piestar
member, 859 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Sun 18 Apr 2021
at 21:05
  • msg #34

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to CabbageFox (msg # 30):

I agree, in fact I was quite pleasantly surprised when I joined a game that said quite clearly that they preferred frequency to length, and that one sentence posts were welcome, though hopefully not all a player ever put out there.
evileeyore
member, 479 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined August 2015
Sun 18 Apr 2021
at 21:43
  • msg #35

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

CabbageFox:
Maybe I'm the only one who feels like there is a bias against short posts.

You're not off.  There is definitely a bias against short posts in the Freeform games, other games?  It varies, but being a pithy soul I've never had an issue leaving a short post in any game I've been in, but the key is to convey what your character is doing, saying, etc, as accurately as possible and sometimes that's not easy with a one liner.

But I can easily get my point across with 2-4 sentences, unless I'm playing an overly verbose character and am given leave to windbag it up.  In that case I can easily leave several paragraphs of nonsensical blatherskite (and quite often accurate if unuseful blatherskite, I rsometimes enjoy opining at length ICly about things that don't make a bit of difference in game).
facemaker329
member, 7337 posts
Gaming for over 40
years, and counting!
Mon 19 Apr 2021
at 03:02
  • msg #36

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In fairness, the bias against short posts in PbP games comes out of people who barely include enough in their post to indicate that they're aware that they're still involved in the game.  I don't think a post needs to be any longer or shorter than necessary to convey what the character is doing and present other characters with something to play off of.  It doesn't happen often in the games I'm now playing in, but it has happened in the past, where a player posts a single sentence that basically amounts to "My character walks in this room." I have seen actual posts that said little more than, "<insert character name> watched." Aside from acknowledging that the character is still in the room or location, there's nothing there to play off of, and that's what most people are talking about when they say they don't want players posting one-liners.

If you can keep your post brief, and still give something to play off of, I have yet to see a GM complain about it.  One line of dialog and one statement of a change of posture or attitude?  No problem, and it gives other players something to react to.  They don't necessarily want a novella out of every post...but they want the posts to do something to advance the story.
CabbageFox
member, 5 posts
Mon 19 Apr 2021
at 07:15
  • msg #37

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to facemaker329 (msg # 36):

I agree completely.

To return to the core of the topic, while I think PbP hasn't really changed to suit the times, I think Discord is, in a small way, encouraging some change and expanding the PbP audience.

There are many PbP games on Discord and I have no doubt many PbP players on Discord are new to PbP.  I wonder if people who discover PbP on Discord are likely to expand to other platforms or not, however.  Given the various built in, highly customizable features and immediate notifications of post activity, I bet Discord spoils a lot of people for places like RPoL.

So, maybe TV isn't killing the radio star, maybe it's just forcing the radio star to a broadcast online rather than over-the-air.
silentmouse
member, 32 posts
Mon 19 Apr 2021
at 07:40
  • msg #38

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to CabbageFox (msg # 37):

I look at my daughter and her role playing via Discord with friends all over the place and can agree with your statement. These are teens using a PbP method of role playing rather than any sort of video or getting together at the same time. The benefits of PbP is that people in various time zones don’t have to necessarily all be available at the exact same time, which is often difficult when time zones come into play.

So while it may be shrinking, I don’t think us introverts and busy people are going to give up PbP any time soon. Especially if there’s a new generation coming in as well. That said, it’ll be interesting to see how it all evolves.
This message was last edited by the user at 07:41, Mon 19 Apr 2021.
GreenTongue
member, 959 posts
Game Archaeologist
Mon 19 Apr 2021
at 11:02
  • msg #39

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

CabbageFox:
Given the various built in, highly customizable features and immediate notifications of post activity, I bet Discord spoils a lot of people for places like RPoL.

Shouldn't it also motivate some improvements to RPoL as well?
I know players in real life that need that "immediate notifications of post activity" to get their attention. So many distractions in life that more time than they thought would go by before they checked in to see if there were updates.

It would be nice if it drove some innovation here.
This message was last edited by the user at 16:02, Mon 19 Apr 2021.
donsr
member, 2239 posts
Mon 19 Apr 2021
at 11:26
  • msg #40

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In the end?  the discord  stuff is good, if you like it. But it might not  inspire loyalty  like RPOL  does?

 on our main page, everything  is 'right there'.. you can see new  activity  and  what it is ( posts, PMs, Both).

 Let's face it, if you are so busy you need   a notification  to  check your game, You are way too busy, or  you don't have interest, or both?

 I have been on scores of sites in my  PBP 'career' This is trhe best site going, the interactions  are good, and, my games  have a community of sorts..Would it be  nice to  interact  with folks in real time, hear thier voices?  you bet.  But..I live  in PA... I have at least 5 players over seas, and another  spread across the US.  we would be  damn lucky to get  3 people to be on line  at the same  time, at any given time.

So?  yeah..Like MMOs or open world Vid games, you can get a following  and have fun and really enjoy yoruself...but only with that small slice  of people
evileeyore
member, 480 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined August 2015
Mon 19 Apr 2021
at 13:58
  • msg #41

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

CabbageFox:
To return to the core of the topic, while I think PbP hasn't really changed to suit the times...

I don't see where PbP needs to "change to suit the times".  Those who prefer real-time interfacing have video-calling and chat services (and real face-to-face interaction).  Leave PbP to those of us who cannot schedule solid blocks of time and prefer to snatch moments of RP throughout the day.
pdboddy
supporter, 706 posts
EST/EDT [GMT-5/GMT-4]
Fri 16 Jul 2021
at 19:40
  • msg #42

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

Video can't kill the Radio star, as long as someone loves it.
Gaffer
member, 1698 posts
Ocoee FL
45 yrs of RPGs
Fri 16 Jul 2021
at 20:46
  • msg #43

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

silentmouse:
all be available at the exact same time, which is often difficult when time zones come into play

Even without time zone considerations, I have difficulty committing to role play for a four hour stretch the same time every day/week/month. That's why, after many years, my ftf groups faded, it just got too difficult to coordinate everyone.

Since those halcyon days, the people I gamed with moved to a half-dozen different states in the US, as did I. I found PbP and, eventually, Rpol. Here I can gather a group of people and we all post at our leisure, whenever we have a chance and the game rolls on. Sometimes its the same people game after game, sometimes its a whole new group. Sometimes people drop out (as they did in ftf), but the game goes on.
GreenTongue
member, 998 posts
Game Archaeologist
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 10:55
  • msg #44

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

I remember when news paper (remember those?) went from black and white to color. For a time they caught the eye and sold better it seemed.

Do people use their phones to log into RPoL? Is typing on a phone a barrier?
Would a good voice to text app make posting here easy?

Are there apps like Tic Toc that have swept all the eyes to it and away from this more "black & white" format?
Piestar
member, 934 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 12:17
  • msg #45

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to GreenTongue (msg # 44):

I used to type on the phone a lot, but some people seem to consider it a burden. It might be hard to color text, and add images, but for basic communication it was always fine for me.
Jarodemo
member, 944 posts
My hovercraft
is full of eels
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 12:50
  • msg #46

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to GreenTongue (msg # 44):

I tried logging into rpol on my phone once, it was a nightmare so i quickly gave up. I usually post on an ipad but sometimes on my Mac, much easier!
evileeyore
member, 518 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Joined 20150819
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 15:08
  • msg #47

Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

GreenTongue:
Do people use their phones to log into RPoL? Is typing on a phone a barrier?

Certianly for some, like myself, typing on the small touchpad is a barrier, for others it's intuitive.  But this is not the problem.

quote:
Would a good voice to text app make posting here easy?

Unlikely.

quote:
Are there apps like Tic Toc that have swept all the eyes to it and away from this more "black & white" format?

As has been mentioned above, the problem is really two fold.  Message boards as a whole have fallen by the wayside as people have turned to other social media connection styles to connect with groups.  Why join a 'car guy' message board when there are car guy Facebook pages and you're already on Facebook?  Ditto with the other social media platforms, like Discord, thousands of channels, why join a different platform just for "slower than a glacier" gaming when you can already engage happily on Discord?

And with the proliferation of video calling in the last twenty years, even face-t-face gaming has taken hits.  One gaming blog I follow went from FtF to using a VTT (I can't remember which they chose) due to COVID, and have stuck with it as it's easier on a few of the group for "showing up" purposes.  So they'll probably never go back to FtF gaming, the GMs loads and loads of miniatures will now languish in the closet never to see the light of day again...

So to sum up, message board gaming is "taking hits" from all the easy ways people have to connect virtually now, and the medium's advantages aren't one's most people need or especially tend to desire (longevity of 'notes', slow posting requirements) when they can have the what they do prefer (voice or video chat in real time and better visual representations).

I don't seeing it getting better especially not with the more 'videogamey' VTTs taking off now (like Tale Spire, which looks sooo good it might just overcome my complete dislike for Steam... and thanks for reading this post, it was a paid advertisement from Tale Spire, Tale Spire is a ne- [record scratch]  None of that now).
This message was last edited by the user at 15:10, Wed 11 Aug 2021.
GreenTongue
member, 999 posts
Game Archaeologist
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 17:20
  • msg #48

Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

I have a copy of TaleSpire too. What it is not, is persistent.
You have to log in when the host is on.

This site may not look pretty but, it does allow asynchronous play.
Other thing about text based. Very low system requirements and small storage space.

URLs are text so linking to other content can be an option.

Does seem that read / writing more than 128 characters is more then many can handle.
NowhereMan
member, 448 posts
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 17:43
  • msg #49

Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

quote:
Does seem that read / writing more than 128 characters is more then many can handle.

Why use many word when few word do trick? :P

Forum games will always serve an audience that few other mediums can. Those with limited time. Whether that time is limited because they're an adult with a full-time job, or because there's no feasible way to play in their eighteen games in a live format, RPoL's glacier-like pace offers a solution.

Plus, as I believe I've mentioned here before, there are some games that just won't work in any format other than text. Or at least wouldn't work as well. Take a game that "splits the party" a lot. In a live format, that means a lot of sitting around waiting on the other guys to finish their section so you can play through yours, whereas on a forum, each individual player can have an active thread going without anyone slowing anything down. And it becomes a heck of a lot easier to separate out player knowledge. Here, you don't have to worry about Jeff knowing what happened while Alex was in the next room, unless you want him to know.
facemaker329
member, 7355 posts
Gaming for over 40
years, and counting!
Wed 11 Aug 2021
at 17:53
  • msg #50

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

GreenTongue:
Do people use their phones to log into RPoL? Is typing on a phone a barrier?
Would a good voice to text app make posting here easy?


My phone is actually my primary form of access.  I don't have a home internet connection, thanks to frustrations with Comcast and no real viable substitutes in the area, but most of the stuff I used to do on my computer at home, I can do on my phone.  It's a bit laborious and has definitely slowed down my typing speed, and increased my typo rate, but it's convenient.  I can check up on my games and post between shows at work, at home, when staying with friends out of town, etc.

What I can't do very effectively on my phone is copy and paste (it can be done, it's just a laborious process) or edit character sheets (again, possible, but highly labor-intensive).  I also work at a movie theater that's only about a five minute walk from my apartment and I have a laptop there that I use when I need to compose a major post or edit character sheets, etc.

I've got a schedule that rarely meshes well with others...I work a lot of afternoons and evenings, if I'm involved with a show I have rehearsals or performances, etc during hours that most people would prefer to do either FTF or VTT gaming.  RPOL is how I scratch that itch, and I have yet to see any of the "shiny new toys" that would do the job as well for me.  That's why I'm not worried that 'the radio star' may be dead, or even dying...a lot of RPOL users are here because they can't consistently devote significant blocks of time for real-time interaction for gaming.  It's not like RPOL relies on user numbers to somehow sustain itself...it's not using a subscription model and doesn't sell advertising, so if user numbers dwindle a bit, it basically means they could just shift to a smaller, cheaper server, but otherwise isn't likely to impact the site in any operational way.
The Stray
member, 128 posts
When the Cat's a Stray
the Mice will Pray
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 02:21
  • msg #51

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

NowhereMan:
Why use many word when few word do trick? :P


Because I like writing. I like the ability to add more description, depth, and personality to my posts.

I also like playing around with formatting, and it's difficult as fruit to do that with a phone.

The asynchronous nature of this format is also a plus for me.
Piestar
member, 935 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 02:49
  • msg #52

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

The Stray:
Because I like writing. I like the ability to add more description, depth, and personality to my posts.


I concur, that is the main allure of the on-line game for me (aside from the fact that it is the only gaming option I have available to me.)

It would be nice if people would actually read my writing, but I can't get that from players in my worlds on a regular basis, much less fellow players in other games.

That said, even if you can't do everything you want on the phone, it is, IMHO, better than not posting at all.
GreenTongue
member, 1000 posts
Game Archaeologist
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 10:42
  • msg #53

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

I would have thought that with people in lockdown, there would be more gaming at sites like this. I understand that the Community Chat isn't a very good barometer to determine but, it sure hasn't been unusually busy.

New books, new movies, has the source of game inspiration changed?
Piestar
member, 939 posts
once upon a time...
...there was a little pie
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 11:03
  • msg #54

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to GreenTongue (msg # 53):

For me there is a tension between enjoying the role playing, and the niggling concern in the back of my mind about all the things that are going on in the world. It's like trying to listen to good music, with bad static.
Jarodemo
member, 945 posts
My hovercraft
is full of eels
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 11:09
  • msg #55

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to GreenTongue (msg # 53):

Maybe more people have discovered online platforms for playing live with friends rather than via messageboard platforms like rpol. I haven't yet gone down that route, but maybe some have and like it as a medium.
GreenTongue
member, 1001 posts
Game Archaeologist
Thu 12 Aug 2021
at 17:16
  • msg #56

Re: Has TV Killed the Radio Star?

In reply to Piestar (msg # 54):

For some of those old favorites, the static is part of the esthetic.  ;)

I feel that phone based is the trend and anything that provides hurdle to that is going to be passed over for something that doesn't.

Of course I could be wrong but, I have seen many "perfectly good" things passed over for the slightest inconvenience.
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