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For those who enjoy interactive storytelling more than anything else in role-playing, play-by-post RPGs are possibly the most accessible and convenient way of participating in it. How does it differ from TTRPGs and how easy is it to start playing? Read on!
Play-by-post RPGs are very closely related to TTRPGs, they rely heavily on the Gamemaster (GM) to do most in-game ruling and maintain the agreed upon atmosphere during the game and require players to play important roles within the story.
The games themselves are played via text and can be played on message boards, messengers and virtually any medium that allows multiple people to write to each other, even an email if they’re so inclined.
They are very, very accessible. Just having a phone with internet access is enough to join a game or a few at the same time.
While it’s easy to get access to PBP games, the start-up process requires a little bit of time and effort. It’s important for the player to introduce themselves to others (whether forum or a messenger).
There’s usually a specific location for newcomers to keep it organised. Things like previous RPG experience, favourite systems and settings etc.
Once complete, there’s a chance that someone might be looking for extra players and send a message with an invitation. Otherwise it’s a good idea to check out active games to check out playstyles of other people.
To start a game, there needs to be a GM to narrate and host the game. The players will often create posts that will mention who they’re looking for, the type of setting and system being used and some other basic rules and potentially links to extra resources.
For a first game, it’s best to pick settings in which players feel comfortable in terms of lore and worldbuilding. For those willing to experiment, keep in mind that there’s plenty of time between each action, so there’s a chance to research terms they’re not familiar with.
Once a game is found it’s time to introduce the character following the established rules and have some fun!
Depending on how the rules are set, most interactions are happening in-character, meaning anything game mechanics or player related should be discussed somewhere else.
That can vary and is usually addressed at the beginning of each campaign, most of the time a separate thread is created to keep the OOC (out of character) conversations flowing between participants and the GM.
This is especially important as the nature of PBP games is that it is asynchronous, meaning that it doesn’t require players to play at the same time or even interact with each other directly in real time.
It’s often a good idea to include some sort of messenger app to help with communication OOC, like mentioning going on a hiatus or addressing some issues.
While virtually anything that allows players to exchange messages works, there are some PBP forums that integrate character sheets for the players, dice rolls for resolving combat and skill checks or even an option to upload images for visual representation of the characters.
Places like RPOL.net, rpg.net, gamersplane.com are good places for anyone wishing to join PBP communities.
But as mentioned before, as long as there’s a forum, there’s an opportunity to start a PBP game.
TTRPGs and PBP share many ideas but aren’t the same. Both rely on the GM as the storyteller/arbitrator and focus on players' interactions within the game and themselves. Biggest differences come from how they’re played, asynchronous vs synchronous gameplay, reliance on game mechanics/combat and of course how all of it affects each individual game.
Despite sharing similarities, there’s plenty to distinguish themselves from each other.
Possibly one of the biggest reasons why PBP exists in the first place.
TTRPGs require players to meet up together, either online or in person, making them prone to cancellations, as absence of even a single player can severely affect the campaign, especially if the current storyline is focused on the missing player.
PBPs on the other hand can be posted at any time during the day (depending on how the game is decided), it’s specifically designed in such a way to allow players to participate whenever they’re available.
Both genres rely heavily on GMs as they’re responsible for the story and the rules. PBP games require a lot less work and preparation, since they rely a lot more on interactive storytelling by players, requiring a lot less ruling, focusing more on the overall experience and less on mechanical aspects and dice rolls.
TTRPG GM requires a lot of preparation before each session, Implementation of new NPCs, main storylines, items, locations and much, much more. There’s a lot more effort required but it’s also more enjoyable for players that enjoy interacting with the world via skill checks and abilities of their characters.
Due to the PBP’s asynchronous nature, players can take a very long time to announce their actions, meaning that combat encounters can take a very long time. This can be mitigated with integrated diceroll mechanics or simplifying combat encounters to rely less on dicerolls and more on general consensus from the players.
TTRPGs can face similar challenges but since they happen in real time, the process doesn’t suffer the problem of slow back and forth between the players and the GM as much though. This gives more opportunities to have more satisfying combat encounters and test out both the in-game characters and the players themselves, as there’s no delay in communication between them.
It’s quite a common theme for the GMs in TTRPGs to “gently” railroad players towards the story, since they spend a lot of time and effort on creating the stories. If done incorrectly, this can cause tensions and even hostility between players and the GM.
PBPs are a lot less prone to this, as there’s a lot of leeway for the GM when it comes to planning. Since there’s plenty of time between each action, the story can adapt on the fly.
Making these games feel a lot more immersive for the players.
Funnily enough, both games can take literal years to complete a campaign (sometimes they never do!). TTRPGs require a lot more in terms of resources and scheduling, which can change depending on each individual player. Each session can take literal hours, with just a few combat encounters and exploration. Which is great, cause it’s about the journey and not the destination!
PBP RPGS being asynchronous, don’t require as much time to plan things out, since each action can be spread out over a whole day.
That of course means that while the game can be “constantly” played, each action can take from a few minutes to a few hours or days if the group is especially lax. A vast majority of games tend to end before their conclusion.
Which, again, while not ideal, should offer plenty of enjoyable experience during it.
PBP RPGs have surprisingly low entry requirements for new players. It doesn’t need a lot of planning, it’s not time consuming and there's a need for scheduling.
If you’ve got a phone and internet connection, you’re ready to join. Furthermore, this allows players to participate in some more niche fandoms, since they don’t require complex game mechanics, as most are operating more on interactive storytelling than dice rolling and systems.
Overall, they’re surprisingly easy to join, so long as you’re into roleplaying in interesting settings with other people in a respectful manner.
Play-by-post is a text-based online RPG that can be played on any medium that allows communication, as long as there are players and a GM to narrate/arbitrate rules.
PBP RPGs are asynchronous and don’t require players to play in real-time, allowing huge amounts of flexibility and scheduling like the live-action RPGs do.
Absolutely, as long as you’ve got an internet connection you’re ready to join a PBP RPG.
Depending on the medium, either by DMing or having separate threads for out of character communication or simply using a messenger app that other players use.
Ability to communicate, creative imagination and of course, decent writing skills, since the game is primarily in text format.
