Recently, while perusing a very prominent networking website, I came across a link one of my good friends had posted on his page. Clicking said link took me to a website called Obsidian Portal (www.obsidianportal.com), wherein said friend has created a domain of his own reflective of a current Dungeons and Dragons campaign he has been running for the past couple of years. I decided to get to the bottom of this display of geekery, and so here is the content of MetaGaming #4: an interview with veteran gamer and GM James MacIvor about the gaming website Obsidian Portal.
Going on instinct about this type of website, I figured it was the type where a person using it can sort of make their own section within the website itself, not unlike a blog or wordpress-type situation. MacIvor confirmed my theory, likening it to a “Facebook for D&D since [users] can leave comments, send messages, friend other people and promote different campaigns to a ‘favorite’ status.” According to MacIvor, “The website is divided into several sections so [users] can search for specific content [they] might want. It is further subdivided when [users] are in a campaign section.”
Basically, Obsidian Portal is a place where gamers and GM’s can come together electronically to dish about their own campaigns and adventures, while simultaneously putting in their own content and ideas. MacIvor stated that he is new to the site, and that he is taking his time fleshing everything out so that it looks good and is easily accessible to his players and any other viewers. I know from personal experience with this guy that he will settle for nothing less than perfect when it comes to his campaign(s), and believe me, it shows! We were not only friends in college, but also roommates and fraternity brothers, so I have had the pleasure of playing in a number of his tabletop campaigns, and I can easily say that James MacIvor is one of the best GM’s I have ever had the pleasure of playing ad working with.
After asking him to elaborate on what he has set up on his page now versus what he eventually hopes/expects to do with it, MacIvor told me that he has “the home page, adventure log, wiki, forum, and comments” sections available, but “so far I have made use of only the home page and adventure log; however, I intend to make use of the wiki to provide information on various in-game entities, events, and people.” Expanding on what he hopes to do with the web space provided on his own page, MacIvor gave me some examples of in-game details for his campaign: “we have two semi-competing organizations of higher learning in our world. The players call them the University and the Academy. Each of them has their own approach to study in the world and both are represented in the main roleplaying group [of PC's]. Further, we have other organizations, such as the Acoti Rangers-who are a group of explorers and scouts (also represented in the group). We have various religious groups as well, although I imagine I’ll only flesh those out as they become relevant in the campaign.”
MacIvor said that he is only using the home page to create a dramatic feel for the world. “I’m including content that might have little to do with the campaign at the moment, but has lots to do with the world. I enjoy revealing information in excerpts from pretend essays and treatises, as well as letters and similar. However, I think this is dry and I’ll probably include a mini-story in the third person perspective.” Finally, he explained the use of the Adventure Log on the website, saying that it allows for the DM and the players to write narratives regarding the campaign. Sounds pretty in-depth and useful! Then again, I suppose it all depends on how much individual players want to immerse themselves in a campaign or campaign setting.
MacIvor said he originally heard about Obsidian Portal through Penny Arcade (www.penny-arcade.com), but was re-introduced to it through a mutual friend of ours. MacIvor was quick to add that Penny Arcade also provided links and suggestions to many other helpful D&D-related websites. By using Obsidian Portal, MacIvor commented that he hopes to add a new dimension to the game with content as well as providing a new venue for his players to participate. “Also,” he said, “I think it will be handy to keep track of information, like the names of NPCs and events, locations, all manner of information that sort of flows through the game.”
In no way a novice to tabeltop gaming, this is not MacIvor’s first use of electronic means (specifically computers and the internet) to game in a roleplaying setting. This was sort of a loaded question on my part, since I used to run an online D&D campaign by combining usage of AOL Instant Messenger and a Yahoogroup specifically created for the campaign in question. MacIvor answered in the affirmative of course, stating “I participated in an online game over chat. I thought the venue was particularly challenging since the combat had to be cinematic rather than grid. The advantage to that is that the game ran smoothly and quickly, but issues like a character’s speed were somewhat less important. I enjoyed it and I’ve heard rumors it will be starting again.” Yeah, yeah…I’m working on it, James!
MacIvor went on to make an excellent point: the problem with such a campaign was scheduling. As he put it, “I think it was difficult to draw people together and keep them focused for the hours necessary to complete a portion of a story. Although, our group of gamers did okay.” Indeed we did, for the most part. Of course, then we took a couple weeks off, which turned into a month, which snowballed into a semester, etc. I have faith that we can get it going again, though! Anyway, MacIvor went on to say that he also participated in an e-mail-based campaign a few year ago. “It was interesting in that the DM would email out a narrative and then we would email back our actions, dialogue, and similar,” he explained. “Also, the DM had us have pre-set tactics for our characters for combat. He ran the combat himself whilst playing all characters. It actually worked, which is weird.”
Next I broached the subject that I know many people have problems with: advantages and/or disadvantages in using electronic means for the purposes of a gaming system which has classically been played in a face-to-face setting. MacIvor jumped in feet first, agreeing, but eloquently. Ever the diplomat, this guy. As he said, “the game is designed to be played face to face. I think that technology is starting to bridge those barriers, [but] the biggest drawbacks for electronic gaming are wrapped up in the following: pace, focus, and theater. The DM has a tougher job over an electronic medium since tone is difficult to convey and body language is all but impossible. I rely on tone and body language in my storytelling a lot, so I’ve avoided challenging myself to run a game exclusively over an electronic medium.” I can certainly respect that; there are many pitfalls associated with a totally electronic-based tabletop campaign, but when constrained by time and distance, as a GM who wants a selective group of players, one has to roll with what he’s got.
Asking for details about MacIvor’s own campaign and plotline, he explained that in the time he has been running this campaign, the five regular players haven’t really ventured too far outside of their starting setting: a border town named Shavenfell. MacIvor was quick to add that although they have yet to go too far from Shavenfell, they have been personally responsible for clearing away nearby threats to keep the village safe (such as orc slavers and necromancers), and they also helped to develop a strong local economy for Shavenfell. He said now that the players have had time to develop their characters a bit, he expects them to begin expanding their influence and gameplay beyond their village borders.
Indicating that persistence is key to interest within the campaign, MacIvor is pleased that it has run smoothly for going on a year now. Playing every Sunday evening, MacIvor honestly admitted that his players have up and down nights, and so does he as the GM. “I’m always open to feedback in case [the players] are getting bored.” I think most veteran GM’s would agree with me that this is smart of MacIvor; happy players are continuing players. Although campaigns should not be meant to cater to individuals, it is important to keep them interested, entertained, and wanting more. There is nothing wrong with steering the campaign a certain direction once in awhile to make it fit the backstory of one player or another, provided that everything comes out equal for the other players at some point.
MacIvor told me that he originally got into gaming in college, although the inclination and interest were there even in high school. He said the only problem was that there failed to be other players and/or consistency among his friends in high school years. After asking him what he felt was his greatest achievement to date via roleplaying (leaving it open to GMing, a specific character, personal experience, etc.), he mentioned a very in-depth Call of Cthulhu campaign he ran in college (of which yours truly was a player), and let me tell you, that was a GREAT campaign. MacIvor did acknowledge the fact that this particular campaign ended in a bit of a fizzle, unfortunately. But the rest of the campaign was strong. I had to respect his final answer, however, as MacIvor pointed out that he feels as though each new campaign he runs is better than the last “I think it’s because I build on the lessons learned from each successive attempt. My goal is to create a campaign where my players love it so much they can’t wait until the next session; where they are able to create an identity that they like, the game has continuity and it is challenging,” says MacIvor.
Concluding our interview, I asked MacIvor two questions which I feel are especially pertinent to his success as a GM, his career as a veteran RPG gamer, and to the spirit of this series of MetaGaming articles. The first question I asked was if he could assign himself a character level reflective of his experience as a GM, what would it be? MacIvor is a very modest individual, so I had to threaten him with me assigning him a level if I felt his own assessment was too low, but I was pleased with his response: “I’ve been running games since 2002, I think, so that’s 8 years of experience, roughly. I’ve been running or participating in a game almost nonstop since then. However, there are DMs out there that have much more experience and have mastered levels of detail that I’ve only scratched the surface of…guys who publish their own adventures in novel form, or who write the adventures for Wizards or Pathfinder. I’d say I’m a level 9 or 10 since I’m not there yet and I have a long way to go. I’ve mastered the easy stuff though.” Good personal assessment, buddy!
The other question I asked MacIvor was, as a veteran tabletop gamer and GM, was there any advice or tips he would like to give new gamers or GM’s out there? He gave a great response to this question too. “Stick with it! Don’t let early failures deter you from future successes. Learn the books and rules and demonstrate your knowledge to your players. It’s important to establish yourself as an authority on the rules early on. However, be fair. Allow players to look up a rule but don’t let them get stuck on it. If you’re wrong, let it be known that you’ll abide by the correct rule ‘next time’. Also, know the capabilities of your player’s characters. It can make a big difference to a new player when you remind them they have an ability that could really help them in a particular situation. Finally, remember to let the players develop their character, keep a continuity of plot and NPCs and keep the game challenging. Good luck!”
Thanks for participating in this interview, James! You, sir, are a wealth of information, as well as a gentleman and a scholar. James’s Obsidian Portal profile can be reached here.
Until next time, have fun . . . and play nice!
