All,

I thought I'd post something in the campaign space as a way to reach players that are looking to play mods but are limited in some way. Using Roll20.net especially with Google Hangouts has been a great experience. At this point I have either run or played in more than 20 online sessions.

Let me address some common questions / concerns.

1. Online games take longer - in my experience this is not the case. With the audio / video available, non-combat sections run as smoothly as they would at a table. In some cases they can even run a bit faster as character actions and side conversations can be handled by private messages and chat postings. For my main, I've crafted a description I share with folks that I post so they know what he looks like and they can refer back to it later if they like.

2. Combats take longer - again in my experience this is not the case. Macros significantly speed up attack and damage rolls. I've played through 2 BIs now online and we've been able to stay pretty much exactly to time for each round without a noticeable impact on playability. The GM can even set up maps and opponents in advance quickly moving into an out of a combat.

3. Using Roll20 is complicated - in this case it may depend on how comfortable you are with technology, but I don't see this as an inherent barrier. The help section they have is very helpful and easy to understand. It's possible to get in and play with the system for an upcoming game before starting. This means that the macros that you want to make your life easier you can set up, verify and play with before you use them.

4. The games I want to play aren't posted in the Online Play section or aren't at convenient times - My recommendation is to post the game that you want. You can even post the days/times that are good for you to give others the opportunity to find ones that match for all of you. If you post and there aren't enough players or you can't get a GM, you're no worse off than if you didn't ask.

For anyone willing and interested in GMing online there are several of us that would be happy to provide tips and suggestions to make your life easier and your experience smoother. Myself, my wife Nicole, Cody Bergman, Akira Carrier and John Bellando at a minimum have all run games and provide tips. There's even a thread over in the Online Play section for tips for players and GMs.

I was very reluctant to sign up to play initially. I'd previously heard that online games took at least half again as long as normal ones and I just didn't have that kind of time. Having been on both sides of the online table, I can assure you that's not the case. If you have time limits make sure the GM knows and treat it as a convention slot. Certs will be sent out after the mod is over, so there's little paperwork time needed then and there.

If you haven't done an online game but are looking to play, I hope you give it a try.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

I don't play a lot of online games, but I've played a few and I've found that the people were fantastic and the events them selves were just about the same as anywhere else or even better in some cases where the box text was given to us, and thus available for reference

In addition to what Paul wrote, if you are interested in trying an Arcanis game on Roll20 it doesn't cost anything to make an account. There are perks for paid accounts, but the free ones are fully functional. In fact, the vast majority of the paid perks only really matter if you are GMing a game.

Paul is a great GM too, Amanda and I enjoy playing in his games. Give it a try!

I haven't played a lot on Roll20 but it has worked well.

The only thing I've seen that would potentially help a player that is restricted to paid accounts is tablet support (Android and iPad tablets are supported if you are Mentor or Supporter paid levels (but not free)).

I play a weekly Savage Worlds/Shaintar campaign on Roll20 as well as run some Arcanis Soft Point playtests here and there and I find it doesn't slow down the play experience at all. For GMs, it just requires a little more prep for creating the various maps and there are plenty of counters, landscapes, etc at ones disposal...even with a free account.

Quick tangent - Savage Worlds/Shaintar is currently my other favorite fantasy game (along with Arcanis). I've also been toying with the idea of doing a Savage Worlds/Arcanis conversion (the magic system would be the most difficult part by far).