EugeneZ
October 14th, 2008, 19:45
Hi folks,
My group and I just finished playing the first adventure in the Scales of War 4e Adventure Path in Fantasy Grounds and I'd like to ask the fellow DMs here (and players for that matter) about one particular issue that keeps cropping up.
In between battles, where there is no intiative order, the dialogue can get a bit... busy. Everyone starts typing at the same time and my NPC is hit with 2-4 questions at once. I pick one to reply to, and we get into a whole conversation about that particular topic, and the other questions or comments are lost to the wind. The same thing happens to follow-up questions.
This problem doesn't exist in tabletop DnD because obviously people speak much faster than they can type, and if players are playing their character correctly, their natural voice volume and strength of character will drown out the others, who then shut up. In other words, when not using chat, the dialogue becomes a lot more realistic.
I've considered several solutions to this problem but don't want to foist them on my players unless other groups can tell me these strategies work and enhance the RP.
1) Use initiative for RPing, too. Sounds strange at first but it would be nice because it would resolve the problem of who gets to talk, while at the same time nudging players who don't RP as much to spend more time at it and making sure everyone gets a fair chance. On the OTHER hand, I feel like it could be annoying, especially if one character is trying to carry on a dialogue with an NPC... the rest might not want to say anything for a time. Plus, it's a game mechanic where none should be needed.
2) Tell my players to keep an eye on the icons above the portraits that indicate someone is typing. This would be the most "realistic" way to handle it. If someone else is talking, you don't say anything until they're done and gotten their reply. But I get the feeling this could slow down RPing, which I really don't want to do... RPing is the last thing that needs to be stifled.
How do you folks handle this, if at all? Or should I keep everything the same (no rules) and just tell players they should get used to occassionally being ignored, and do my best to respond to as many people as possible?
My group and I just finished playing the first adventure in the Scales of War 4e Adventure Path in Fantasy Grounds and I'd like to ask the fellow DMs here (and players for that matter) about one particular issue that keeps cropping up.
In between battles, where there is no intiative order, the dialogue can get a bit... busy. Everyone starts typing at the same time and my NPC is hit with 2-4 questions at once. I pick one to reply to, and we get into a whole conversation about that particular topic, and the other questions or comments are lost to the wind. The same thing happens to follow-up questions.
This problem doesn't exist in tabletop DnD because obviously people speak much faster than they can type, and if players are playing their character correctly, their natural voice volume and strength of character will drown out the others, who then shut up. In other words, when not using chat, the dialogue becomes a lot more realistic.
I've considered several solutions to this problem but don't want to foist them on my players unless other groups can tell me these strategies work and enhance the RP.
1) Use initiative for RPing, too. Sounds strange at first but it would be nice because it would resolve the problem of who gets to talk, while at the same time nudging players who don't RP as much to spend more time at it and making sure everyone gets a fair chance. On the OTHER hand, I feel like it could be annoying, especially if one character is trying to carry on a dialogue with an NPC... the rest might not want to say anything for a time. Plus, it's a game mechanic where none should be needed.
2) Tell my players to keep an eye on the icons above the portraits that indicate someone is typing. This would be the most "realistic" way to handle it. If someone else is talking, you don't say anything until they're done and gotten their reply. But I get the feeling this could slow down RPing, which I really don't want to do... RPing is the last thing that needs to be stifled.
How do you folks handle this, if at all? Or should I keep everything the same (no rules) and just tell players they should get used to occassionally being ignored, and do my best to respond to as many people as possible?