By Jim Johnson, Project Manager
Art by Jens Lindfors
Last week, I provided some tips and tricks and thoughts on playing Star Trek™ Adventures together in person. This week, let’s look at some tips and questions to consider if you’re going to play one of the games online (whether it’s first edition, second edition, or Captain’s Log). Here are five quick tips to help your online gaming experience break through subspace interference. (Note that many of the tips from last week are just as relevant and useful for online gaming!)
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ACCESS GRANTED: Whatever game platform you’re using (and there are a lot of options, in addition to play by post servers, online forums, emails, and Discord), does every player have or need an account to access it? Do they have character sheets built in or loaded up for their use? How about game reference cards or other gaming tools? Have you tested everyone’s access to ensure everyone can log in and play with a minimum of technical issues? Be sure to clear up any technical issues days or hours ahead of launch so that you have the most seamless, frustration-free experience possible.
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CHECK THE BIOFILTERS: One thing that might be tricky to do when playing online as compared to in person is when to schedule breaks for snacks or biology. Work with the group ahead of the game session to determine the best way for everyone to call for a break to refill drinks and snacks, or to take a much-needed bio-break. Perhaps you have a chat channel running on the side for people to note they’ll be right back, or need a break, or whatever. It’s useful to know how your group wants to handle this, especially if you’re recording the event for publishing later—breaks can be edited out of the final recording.
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KEEP ALL SENSORS OPEN: Once playing the game, whether you’re the gamemaster or a player, be sure to keep an eye and ear out for the other players and check in if anyone’s looking unhappy or being unusually quiet. Hone your active listening and observing skills and help ensure everyone’s enjoying the time together, including the gamemaster. Don’t wait for someone else to say something—ask for a pause and check in. This might be tricky when gaming online because sometimes you might not have a video or audio feed, or there might be audio or visual issues. Be familiar with your system set up and the platform’s system so you can tweak volume and vision settings to taste.
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LOAD UP THE PLATFORM: If you’re the gamemaster, be sure to prepare whatever gaming bits you need before the session. Some game platforms allow you to upload graphics, tokens, sound cues, music cues, and so forth. Do you have everything set up so you have it ready to go? Do you have Momentum and Threat counters in a place everyone can see them? How about a means to post and display scene traits as they are created, changed, or removed? If there are any character handouts or graphics, do you have them set up in an easy format for sharing? Can you easily email, text, or message the items to the relevant players with a minimum of time and difficulty?
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SESSION 0: Much like the Session 0 discussed for in-person gaming, be sure to chat with your group ahead of the start of the mission and lay out any group rules, safety tools, or other details so that everyone is on the same page and ready for the game. Are you recording the session? What’s your intention with the recording? Is everyone playing comfortable with being recorded on camera or audio, and are they comfortable with the recording being shared with others? Check in with each player to be sure you have consent before sharing your recording with the world.
I hope you’ve found these suggestions useful and that they help you and your group tell an amazing Star Trek Adventures story online. How do you prepare for online gaming? What tips or tricks do you have? Share your insights with your fellow players on Modiphius’s Discord server!
Star Trek Adventures 2e Collection:
Thanks for reading this article, and thank you for your interest and support of Star Trek Adventures! Keep frequencies open for news about other upcoming Star Trek Adventures product releases. Live long and prosper!
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