Google+ Gaming Thoughts

So, last Friday saw another expedition of backers of my Dwimmermount Kickstarter descend into the depths of my megadungeon. This time, the trio -- the expected fourth player didn't show -- explored Level 2A: The Laboratory, which is an area of the dungeon that my own players only very briefly visited. Considering that, once again, the party had no clerics amongst their number, I have to hand it to Keith, Josh, and Steve, for how far they managed to venture into the level before one of their number sustained sufficient wounds that they decided to retreat to the surface. Of particular note is the way that the magic-user, whose highest ability score was his Intelligence of 12, spent most of the evening stabbing orcs with his dagger. He successfully took down three orcs all by himself, which is why, by the end of the night, we were calling him "the Orcslayer."

Steve wrote a post on his blog where he recounts his experiences from his perspective. He also includes a rather nice little graphic that I've reproduced below, but do visit Steve's blog for a fuller explanation of what it all means.

With three Google+ gaming sessions under my belt now -- I'm still a tyro compared to guys like Jeff and Zak -- I have to say that I'm enjoying it a great deal. A big part of my enjoyment comes from introducing new people to Dwimmermount, people with whom I'd probably otherwise never get the chance to play. I'm having a blast seeing how different groups engage the monsters and obstacles I've placed in the dungeon.

I'm also pleased that, while lacking the immediate physical connection that comes from face-to-face gaming in my dining room or basement or at a con, Google+ still feels "real." We all roll dice and use pieces of paper to take notes and record information. About the only thing that we aren't using old fashioned methods for is mapping, mostly because I think it'd be tedious to do so via video chat. Luddite that I am, it makes me happy to know that we don't have to completely abandon the outward accoutrements I associate with roleplaying games even when playing with people separate by great distances. That alone means that I'm likely to continue doing this each week, even after the Kickstarter campaign has reached its end (and thank you again to everyone who's contributed).