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Sample Play-by-Email Guidelines

"If life doesn't offer a game worth playing, then invent a new one."--Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Introduction

These guidelines are not intended to be the one true way of running play-by-email (PBEM) campaigns. Different players and GMs have different methodologies suited to their own playstyles, and PBEM campaigns can vary highly in style, content, etc. Consider this a resource and/or starting-point based on my own playstyle preferences and experiences GMing games such as The Black Wall and Shazrad: City of Veils.

For the curious, my ground assumptions go something like this:

I recommend a website where possible, just so people don't have to dig through ridiculous numbers of message, and as insurance against individuals' computer crashes, but it's not strictly necessary.

Character Creation Ground Rules

NOTE: This is based on the premise of a cooperative campaign with a single group of characters who will generally remain in close contact, with a given opening scenario. Outside those parameters, some of these ground rules are unlikely to be relevant or useful.

Read character creation guidelines (whatever they may be) before submitting a concept or writeup. This should go without saying. If you have an idea you're not sure about, query the GM via private email (unless she specifies an alternate means of contact).

The character must have some way of weaseling his way into the opening scenario. (It is helpful if the GM gives a number of possible character concepts that fit into her scenario, to get the players started.)

Characters should have incentive for sticking together and not walking out of the campaign's boundaries. Note that this doesn't preclude temporary separations for various purposes, the key word being temporary. The more groups there are in a campaign, the more writing the GM has to do. Preexisting contacts or connections between characters are encouraged where reasonable.

Characters should not be antisocial. They don't need to be best friends, but they should be able to cooperative with others without the GM having to moderate attempted betrayals, backstabbings, and assassinations every other turn.

Character Writeup Ground Rules

NOTE: This applies most directly to freeform and will vary greatly depending on what's being emphasized in the campaign.

An initial character writeup should include the following:

Name(s). Nicknames and other monikers can be mentioned here, too.

Physical description and mannerisms. If you have artistic talents and the GM is amenable, you could include a picture.

Personality. What are the character's personal ethics? Likes and dislikes? Is she hot-tempered? What's her sense of humor like?

Skills and dis/advantages.

Personal history. Secretive characters may warrant a "public" history (if any) and a "private" history, the latter being shared only with the GM. Note that keeping large chunks of significant character background secret from the GM is bad form, which may be grounds for immediate veto, revision, or, in extreme cases, expulsion from the game. Of course, the GM should allow for players' naturally evolving conceptions of their characters. "By the way, she really likes extra-spicy curry" is reasonable. "By the way, my character is actually the heir to the Skreejee Empire, even if you said it's that other guy" is not.

Connections, friends, and acquaintances. Optional, but it helps round out the character and gives the GM additional plot hooks. The player should have a greater-than-average say in the doings of characters mentioned herein.

Blurb. If a stranger met your character, what would he notice? Probably best answered in a paragraph or so.

Quote. Just for fun, and to give others an idea of how the character speaks and/or views the world. (The Legend of the Five Rings CCG had some great quotes for its characters!)

Goals. This encompasses both the character's own goals and the player's goals for the character; the two need not be congruent. For example, Jane the Bane may have the goal of spurning all suitors who come her way, and slaying a dragon singlehandedly. But player's goal may be for Jane to fall desperately in love with one of the campaign's major villains and become an ally of dragonkind. (Who said dragons had to be evil?) This section is important as it helps the GM calibrate the game to the players' liking.

Ground Rules for Play

NOTE: These should be considered supplementary to any "system" rules being enforced (e.g. "Mages roll 1d3 per level for hit points vs. 1d7 per level for barbarians"). They concern social interactions rather than mechanics.

Give the GM feedback on things that are or aren't working for you. Be polite. It's easier to get a hearing that way. GMs are human, too, and although they may improve on their own, they'll improve faster if you help them along.

Bring OOC grievances to the GM in private. This is preferable to opening a squabble on the game's mailing list, and helps the GM moderate matters between players. Occasionally there will be disagreements, but inviting flamewars, in a medium where misunderstandings can easily crop up, is rarely a way to settle them.

Character death shouldn't occur. This won't save a character from blatant stupidity ("I jump into that lava pit"); conversely, the GM should warn you if you are about to undertake something highly hazardous, and after that it's up to you whether you want to continue. Repeated suicidal characters is a fast way of inviting my exasperation when I GM, and may be grounds for removal from the game.

Moves are not set in stone. Occasionally the GM needs to make corrections when her brain is fried, or when she has badly misjudged the character's responses. A screwy move is not the end of the world. Likewise, in the case of contradictory cross-posts between players, the GM should attempt to work out a compromise acceptable to all players. This may necessitate the occasional rewrite on the players' part as well.

Use other characters only with their players' consent. (This is not aaplicable to certain types of games, where players are expected to borrow others' characters within reason.) Depending on the player and/or character, it may be safe for you to assume some form of assent when your character asks a question or makes a suggestion, but you should give the other player maneuvering room to destermine the form of that assent, or say, "Actually, he does this instead." It's perfectly acceptable to check with another player privately on some proposed action, or to write a co-post response collaboratively before sending it to the list. In the case of a player unable to post for whatever reason, the GM may step in to post on her behalf, following any guidelines the player has left for her. Note that the GM will occasionally make assumptions about characters in her posts to keep the story moving, and any transgressions against the player's conception of the character should be pointed out immediately so she can revise the move accordingly.

Firewall. In-character (IC) vs. out-of-character (OOC) knowledge should be kept distinct at all times, whether it concerns another character or some arcane facet of the gameworld. Minor lapses happen, as we're all human, but players and GM should be prepared to backtrack and revise moves in such cases. For some characters may have secrets lurking in their past, and it's not fair to take advantage of it in-game without your character having rightfully learned those secrets in-game. If you're afraid you'll transgress, avoid reading "non-public" information. (As a GM I try to tag this information in my posts and on the associated website.)

Participate. There wouldn't be a game without some form of interaction. Absences and delays happen, but advance notice and a "game plan" for the character in question should be sent to the GM whenever possible, so she can keep the game moving. This also means observing posting deadlines as far as possible. In the unfortunate case that you've received a move but feel there isn't anything for your character to do, you should inform the GM so that she doesn't keep everyone waiting on your response and can try to do better next time. Characters will be downgraded to nPC status upon two consecutive missed moves without warning (preferably) prior or upon unsubscribing from the mailing list without notice; players can petition to be reinstated.

The GM has the final word. Perhaps the cardinal rule of roleplaying; otherwise things can get out of hand. The GM will, for her part, attempt to be reasonable, to compromise with the players, and to explain her decisions, where appropriate.

Formatting Moves

NOTE: This is based on my own prejudices (against HTML email, for instance), preferences, and modalities (mailing lists). The rules of good writing apply, as always.

Write in 3rd person, past tense. I have seen games where the GM addresses everyone in 2nd person. This can work with smaller groups but rapidly becomes confusing. 3rd person, past tense also makes web-archives easier to create, and far more readable.

Mark anything "out-of-character" with [OOC]. This encompasses anything from bad jokes to player-GM clarifications of character intent. If an entire post is non-game-related, the subject header should be prefaced with [OOC].

Keep the message subject for moves. This helps the GM keep track of which message is a reply to what.

Place thoughts within tildes, other italics (emphases) within asterisks. ~Gee,~ he thought, ~these rules are *way* too wordy.~ This is for archiving convenience. Do not use HTML email even if your mail client is capable of it; others' are not. All messages should be in plain text.

Quote only as much as necessary. If you have a one-line response to the last paragraph of a post, for pity's sake don't quote the entirety of a five-page post. Conversely, do quote at least a paragraph so readers (including the GM) can tell where everything goes in the sequence of events and interactions.

Send all moves and responses to the mailing list. This way everyone has access to them. Anything that may contain "secret" information can be tagged [FIREWALL] as a warning to other players, who will then either bypass the move or the relevant sections, or be sure to firewall the information therein.

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