AW as an online text-based game

Hey guys,
sorry for putting so many threads up, but I have been thinking about them for a long time and finally got to posting them.

I am considering running a text-based RPG using Skype (or forums), and want to know if anyone has tried this? Is it possible to have a good time when everything's text?

If not, could you direct me to a game that lends itself well to textbased games.

Thank you.

Rich Rogers seems to be enjoying his PbP Apocalypse World game and discusses it here

AW really shines when the narration is good.  Text-based media (PBP/PBF) give you the chance to polish your narration.  Things will proceed more slowly in pace, but you can make the details very rich and engaging, which is cool.

Thanks for the input, guys.

Just one question: when you say play per mail, do you mean e-mails, on a board or something else that isn't in real time?

I was thinking that chatting in real time would give the best results.

I don't think anyone said play by mail, though Rich's game is play by post on a forum.

I don't think anyone said play by mail, though Rich's game is play by post on a forum.

Yep, my bad. I'll look into the forum way of playing AW. Thanks.
rrrrrrrrrrgg

Hello all,

I've been running and playing in forum play of AW and its hacks for a couple years now. In my experience it's the best suited for online forum play, in mart due to the limited number of rolls required and how important each roll is (plus the fact that there's little back and forth in combat... nobody's rolling initiative, damage, etc) And how well-crafted narration really makes the game, as Munin described.

Love it!

The majority of my AW sessions were held online, over IRC. Depending on the kind of channel you're on, this has the advantage of having built-in dicebots, so you can have rolls basically as a regular part of conversation.

<Damson> I stick my gun into his face and very politely ask him for the keys to the trunk.
<MC> Haha! Great, so that's going aggro. Roll it!
<Damson> 2d6+2
<=Roll=> <Results for Damson [2d6+2]: 10>
<MC> Alright, since you have him at gunpoint, he rustles in his pockets and hands you over the keys. Looks like he has a few choice words for you, but he swallows them with a gulp.
<Damson> I bet he does. Now, lets see if I'm right about this trunk...

It's a very natural, and since the basic roll mechanic is consistent and dirt-simple, you spend no time with rule clarifications.

So long as you have easy access to an automated dicebot of sorts (would be surprised if Skype didn't have some sort of widget equivalent), I can pretty much guarantee the game will go as smoothly as a face to face one.

I just discovered roll20.net, which is a chat system designed specifically for RPGs -- it has text, voice, and video chat, and a shared playfield display (plus, of course, dice rolling). I haven't used it yet but it looks very promising.

Playing text-based AW sounds like a lot of fun!

Does anyone need a new player, or is someone interested in starting a new game?

Contact me if you are! ;)