GM'S INSTRUCTIONS
This website is designed to provide the basic infrastructure necessary to play any real time pen and paper style roleplaying game. By pen and paper style we mean that it allows online play similar to what you are used to when your friends gather around a gaming table – the GM and players describe settings and actions to each other while rolling dice to determine random chance outcomes and moving miniatures around in a model or on a map.
The GM's and player' game screens include multi person text chat and voice chat features, a random number dice roller, means to create character sheets, and a large space to display maps, grids, hidden areas, graphical information, and character miniatures. They do not have monster tables, roll resolution calculators, encounter tables, and the like, since these vary from game to game. In order to play you need to have your usual rulebooks and manuals on hand. As GM you will be running your game from the GM’s game screen, which has all the functions described above plus others unique to your function as GM.
Make up a short name for your game and a single game password for all the players, and then email or otherwise provide that information to them. Also be sure that they know what your nickname is on the site. The players will look for your nickname and the game name on a list of currently running games when they show up. When they select your game from the list, they will have to submit the game password to get into the game. Once they submit the game password they will be taken to the player's screen, which contains all the functions necessary for them to play.
It is also necessary to decide how you are going to communicate among each other. If any of your players lack sound cards or microphones, you will have to use type chat to communicate via your keyboards, If you all have sound cards and microphones, you can use the onsite voice chat or one of the many commercial peer to peer voice chat programs that are available.
Registering:
In order to play in or run games at this site you must first register. To do that, click on the "Signup" link on the left side of the Home Page. All that we ask you to do is type in a name or "handle", a password, and an email address in the appropriate fields on that page. An automatic email will be sent to you with a link to verify your registration. We do not give your information to anyone. The email address is only used to email you information on things like planned server downtimes or major new things at the site, and we will take you name off the list if you tell us to later.
To find players for your game:
Go to the "Games seeking players" page. There you will find a list of other GMs and information about their games. At the bottom of the page you will find a fill out form asking for information about your game, your name or handle, and an email or IM address where people can contact you. Just fill it out and click "submit". Your information will then appear on the list above. Then all you have to do is wait for players to contact you. Feel free to post a short message on the bulletin board, too, telling people to look at the Games seeking players page.
Go to the "Players seeking games" page and see if there are any players looking for the type of game you want to run. If so, email them.
If you're in the mood to stat a game right away, do a quick check through the bulletin board to see if anyone might be interested in a pickup game.
You can also try posting notices on other bulletin boards you frequent, telling those who are interested to contact you. Mostof the major ones have a Gamers Seeking Gamers section where people looking for online as well as face to face groups can post.
Once you find players, settle on a mutually acceptable time and date to play. You will have to create and open your gameroom prior to this time.
Hint: Based on what we've heard from GMs posting on other online forums, one of the hardest parts about getting a game going is finding a good time for everyone. As a matter of fact, many games just never get started because of this. One strategy you can try is to work out a time with the first two players who express interest, forming a core group, then stick with that time and let potential players contact you or not according to their own availability at that time.
To start your game
Presumably, you will have arranged with players to meet at the site at a certain date and time. When it comes time to start your game:
1) Show up early.
2) Go to the GM Start page (use the link on the left side of the main page) and, in the fields provided, type in your name and your personal password, then the game title and the game password that you gave to the players (make sure that the password is typed correctly, otherwise the players won't be able to get in - note that you can see the letters you type in the box for checking purposes, we don't disguise them with asterisks for the GM). You can also type in a last minute message, like "Start delayed 5 minutes for a fridge run - stick around."
You must enable or disable lurking by clicking on the appropriate button next to the "Lurking allowed?" label:
Selecting "yes" means that anyone will be able to watch your game, even without your password, but they won't be able to interact with you or the players. If they select your game on the active games page and select "lurk" they will be transferred to a page containing only the chat window, the mapd display window, the player/character names and avatars, and the dice roll results field.
Selecting "no" means that no outsiders can view your game.
Important:Lurking is not available for voice chat. If you are planning to use voice chat, select "no" for lurking.
You will be able to change the lurking allowed status later via control buttons.
4) Click "start new game." A second page will ask you to review and confirm your listing, then click a button to select a screen. Click the button labeled "Full Page Map Screen". If there are other buttons there they are for older screens. We are getting rid of those and the buttons, if they are still there, may not even work by the time you read this.
5) Clicking the button will take you to a GM's screen. It will also place your game and related info (minus the password, of course) on the list of currently running games from which players will be able to select your game and enter it. This is a listing of games that are presumably running now. Your listing will be deleted when you log off, or after 3 1/2 days from start if you forget to. Your game will also be listed on the "current games" list, which is a list of ongoing games that have been active within the last month. Your listing, along with your game state, will be deleted automatically if you do not open your game during any one-month period.
If you want to know what the players will be doing when they show up at the site, see the player's instructions.
Click the following links to view instructions for using the GM's game screen:
One of the functions supported is the creation and management of character sheets for PCs as well as your own NPCs and certain monsters. You can view instructions related to character sheet functions by clicking the following link:
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