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Author Topic: Remote Gaming  (Read 2013 times)

Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Remote Gaming
« on: June 08, 2020, 05:52:28 AM »

It's not my old attic, but...

Summer is here and we've been cleaning out the garage the past few weekends. I just ordered a couple of folding tables to support my (slightly) larger gaming tables in the back portion of the garage. Not as nice as my old attic, but this will have to do. Hopefully the mice and other vermin will leave my game along.

So the idea is this... I will set up one of my campaign games. I'll keep track of the full battlefield via. overhead cam. But instead of playing solo I will invite/accept a limited number of players to put forth their input. as my opponents. As part of thaat I will try to keep things as open and accessible via my blog and the Google Meetings.



Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2020, 11:19:41 AM »
Even just being able to observe could be fun.  And it could be interesting to see how this is accomplished.

Been using Zoom as my current media for over the internet games.  I'm considering further experiments with other software for my gaming over the internet.  One friend of mine has been using multiple cameras with multiple Skype accounts.

And despite all the negativity I'm hearing from some regarding miniature gaming over the internet, not convinced we're going to see face-to-face returning as quickly as some might like or are saying.
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Offline Midaski

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2020, 12:29:43 PM »

I assume GP that you have a commercial Zoom account as mine only allows me 40 minutes at any one time?

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Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2020, 01:53:58 PM »
Yes, basic commercial account is 14.95/month.  All the upgrades above that seemed for business and classroom situations.

In the last 2 months I have had five games of Lion Rampant, two were one on one with nephew, two were GMing games between players on this site, and one was GMing a game between two local players I've looped into the hobby from meeting them via a church/recovery group.  None of these players had commercial accounts and they were able to stay on the software through the whole game without needing one.  I hosted the Greet and Paint for W-E members via my commercial account as well.

It isn't ideal, and I'm contemplating how I might get it to be better, but it is giving more gaming than I'd otherwise have opportunity for with the current public health issue.  Which is still ongoing from my perspective, despite the supposed reopening of businesses and less distancing that is happening, but I'll keep that garbage for thread on that topic. :icon_wink:
"Not all who wander are lost ... " Tolkien

"... my old suggestion is forget it, take two aspirins and go paint" steveb

"The beauty of curiosity and creativity is so much more useful than the passion of fear." me

"Until death it is all life." Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2020, 04:55:28 AM »
I think I mentioned some of my ideas on your Zoom thread. I've got a couple of different thoughts.

One would be "real time" gaming using Google Meet. I'd use multiple accounts/attendees to set utilize a couple of camera angles. I was thinking about suspending an old phone from the rafters above the ceiling for an "aerial view" of the battlefield. No SIM card, but it would be connected to the wifi and could probably be left there indefinitely and controlled remotely. Between my current phone and Chromebook, I could have one camera for my own "face to face" with players, as well as a spot for dice rolling. The phone would be good for zooming in on anything that players would request.

However, that's all asking a lot of the remote players for a game they're only seeing on a screen. (We're miniatures gamers -- we like pushing around toy soldiers and rolling dice!)

So an alternate plan is to ask for some players who will give general direction in a play-by-email fashion while still playing the bulk of the game "solo." For example, it's my turn, I make my moves, roll my dice, etc. and if there's any "action" required from the opposing side, I have them take the logical approach. Maybe apply some slight random factor based on a pre-determined leader characteristic (bold, cautious, rash, etc.) to add a bit of unpredictability. But then it's the enemy turn. I consult the enemy generals -- give them an update of my turn, photos/maps of the battlefield and ask them how their regiments, characters, etc. shall proceed. Then I play that out offline. Again, play it out to make sense. I could send a message if any major questions or points of concern come up. This means the game will drag out over a couple of weeks of small bursts of activity.

I'm leaning towards the latter approach. Or at least trying that first.


Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2020, 05:04:46 AM »
I'd say give the latter approach a go and lets see how it works.  With what seems like limited commitment from the other players, I might be willing to join in on the fun.t

- - -

In the meantime, your comments have me thinking that if I log into zoom on a phone, then that is how I could have close up shots of what is what.  And thus show the players what is happening more close up than the angle of the camera mounted on my laptop.  Also, if players have multiple cameras, computer and phone, they could use the phone for dice rolling and the computer for their faces.
"Not all who wander are lost ... " Tolkien

"... my old suggestion is forget it, take two aspirins and go paint" steveb

"The beauty of curiosity and creativity is so much more useful than the passion of fear." me

"Until death it is all life." Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Offline StealthKnightSteg

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2020, 06:55:55 AM »

I assume GP that you have a commercial Zoom account as mine only allows me 40 minutes at any one time?

45 minutes I think it was, but due to current Corona, you should be able to go beyond that at the moment. but don't know for how long still
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Offline phillyt

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2020, 08:57:37 AM »
I like this idea.  It pleases me.
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Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2020, 04:56:58 AM »

We've been clearing out the garage (which is a mess....)  I'm working on making enough space for a gaming table to leave up for remote/semi-solo gaming.



I'm contemplating going back to Shadowstorm as a possible solo/remote hybrid system. It's a Hail Caesar adaptation, which makes it (in my opinion) a direct decedent of Warmaster and a solid mass battles game.




Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2020, 10:28:23 AM »
I like the game boards.  Did you go with 2x6?  I'm not familiar with Shadowstorm, but will look it up.
"Not all who wander are lost ... " Tolkien

"... my old suggestion is forget it, take two aspirins and go paint" steveb

"The beauty of curiosity and creativity is so much more useful than the passion of fear." me

"Until death it is all life." Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2020, 10:32:08 AM »
Oh yah! 😺☝️
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Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2020, 08:59:37 PM »
I like the game boards.  Did you go with 2x6?  I'm not familiar with Shadowstorm, but will look it up.


The boards are two 2ft. Hollow core wood doors. So they're light, but durable and won't warp. So the total battlefield size is 4'-0" x 6'-8"

Shadowstorm is a fan made adaptation of Hail Caesar. There was a web site, but it looks like that disappeared. FB group link below. It sounds like there is a freestanding rulebook in the works.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1643545805919298/


Offline Padre

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2020, 09:07:49 PM »
...Hollow core wood doors. So they're light, but durable and won't warp.

I wish someone had told me this many years ago!
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2020, 09:19:38 PM »
...Hollow core wood doors. So they're light, but durable and won't warp.

I wish someone had told me this many years ago!

Hollow core doors!!!!

But of course. And budget wise
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Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2020, 03:58:00 AM »
Hollow core doors are magic! My desk is two steel file cabinets and a door that's been stained/varnished. I have a couple of doors I use for mounting the paper while I work on large watercolors.

Continuing to work on making Garagehammer work, I put a couple of lights above the table.


Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #15 on: August 14, 2020, 01:07:20 PM »
Hey 023 ... have you given a shot ot he remote gaming yet?

This past spring and into the summer I have had less than a half dozen games via Zoom, if I recall correctly 5 total.  Although recently I've been using Zoom for role playing with the nephews.  I need to clean off the gaming table with all the projects sitting on it and get some more gaming going!
"Not all who wander are lost ... " Tolkien

"... my old suggestion is forget it, take two aspirins and go paint" steveb

"The beauty of curiosity and creativity is so much more useful than the passion of fear." me

"Until death it is all life." Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Offline ZeroTwentythree

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Re: Remote Gaming
« Reply #16 on: August 21, 2020, 11:06:37 PM »
No I haven't. And currently my gaming table is covered with all my miniatures. I haven't varnished anything I've painted for a couple of years, so I'm catching up on that while the weather is mild (and safe for spraying!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDr3Rshn4_v/

I just finished the varnishing two days ago, but I need to figure out how to rearrange my miniatures storage in the house. I really want a bigger game of some sort, whether solo or remote, but just haven't worked out the details.


But I did "finish" my solo Sellswords campaign. Not as dramatic and "final" as I had hoped. I threw what I thought would be a few tough scenarios at them in hopes of killing them in a blaze of glory, but they managed to sort of limp through. Only 1/4 survivor from the start of the campaign, though. 2/4 survivors from the second game onward.

https://www.zerotwentythree.com/2020/08/back-to-sellswords-and-painted-some.html
https://www.zerotwentythree.com/2020/08/death-of-necromancer.html
https://www.zerotwentythree.com/2020/08/last-of-low-rollers.html