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Regular Skype meetups

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arenson9
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Regular Skype meetups

I had a great time last night on Skype attempting to defeat Cosmic Omnitron with a couple other forum-goers.

 

I think it would be fun to arrange regular, Skype-based meetups, but I see two major challenges:

1) To have more than two people on a Skype call requires that someone pays for premium Skype.

2) If more than a handful show up, we'd need to organize in to multiple games.

 

Is there interest in this?

Thoughts on the best way to handle these challenges?

What would be the best times for the meetup?


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

Matchstickman
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arenson9 wrote:
1) To have more than two people on a Skype call requires that someone pays for premium Skype.

Er... no it doesn't.

I regularly play in RPGs over Skype (as in at least once a week) and they feature 4 or more people all using the free version.

I wouldn't mind expanding my Sentinels playing and joining a regular game via Skype.

 

EDIT: Ahhhhhhhhh! I think group video calls require a paid version of Skype, definately not neccessary for a card game.

SECOND EDIT: I really do recommend that people take a look at the Vassal module it's really very useful for online play.

I'll have to find a place to host the files I made to add in the other heroes (it's still not playable without owning a copy of the cards themselves).


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arenson9
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Want to share instructions for how the uninitiated would use a Vassal module? If so, I'll happily give it a try. If not, it might be a while before I make the effort to figure it out for myself.


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

Ronway
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If Skype meetups do become a regular thing, I would love to join in the fun. Though I did download the Vassal and I wasn't too thrilled with that, so the likely hood of me joining in on that is unlikely.

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Whoops! I appear to have not responded yet.

 

Ronway wrote:

If Skype meetups do become a regular thing, I would love to join in the fun. Though I did download the Vassal and I wasn't too thrilled with that, so the likely hood of me joining in on that is unlikely.

Buh?

It's just an electronic table to keep track of your cards, why would that stop you from playing over Skype?

 

 

arenson9 wrote:

Want to share instructions for how the uninitiated would use a Vassal module? If so, I'll happily give it a try. If not, it might be a while before I make the effort to figure it out for myself.

Sure.

...

I've just spent 20 minutes trying to think of how to put to gether instruction and without going needlesly complex I can't think of anything more than

1. Download Vassal

2. Download module

3. File->Open (select the sentinels mod, this step only needs to be done the first time you install each mod)

4. File->New game

5. Play!

 

I'm sure they'd be individual questions to answer over decks and such but it's be clearer/quicker to answer them 'in person' over Skype


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arenson9
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Thanks! I wish there was a way to mark a post as unread, so I would remember to come back to this when I have time!


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

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Is this still/ever was a thing?

Skype id: vvolf101

Google Hangout could work for this as well.


/.-, VVolf

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Oh yes, Google+ does have a video chat thingy, too, that allows more than two video conferences for free.


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Val
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Does it need to be video chat? Would voice chat be enough? If so, there's a free vocie chat one called RaidCall. I probably won't ever be able to attend due to time zone differences, even though I like the initiative, and would love to.

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I was wondering that - surely video-chat is unnecessary? I don't have a webcam anyway. Playing Sentinels over Skype could be...interesting. Would people type in the chat which cards they have out, or something, so people don't lose track? I suppose tracking bonuses and hp and stuff would at least be pretty easy as you could just type it in the chat window. I don't have a huge amount of space here in my room to get zillions of cards out but I could try ;).


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Val
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Ameena wrote:
Playing Sentinels over Skype could be...interesting. Would people type in the chat which cards they have out, or something, so people don't lose track? I suppose tracking bonuses and hp and stuff would at least be pretty easy as you could just type it in the chat window. I don't have a huge amount of space here in my room to get zillions of cards out but I could try ;).

No idea how this would work. Apparently, with this Vassal thingy you can keep track of cards and such. I don't have any room at my comp for laying out cards either, and I can't get Skype to work on my tablet anyway.

UXM266
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If you guys need a 3rd or 4th im in!


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Val
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According to this daily server status, people have been playing yesterday. It was probably past my bedtime, because when I was logged in, there was no one there. I would be playing from GMT+1 btw, in the evenings.

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I'm now GMT, as the clocks went back on Saturday. I don't really know what that Vassal thingy is so I don't know if I understand how it's used...is it basically an online version of Sentinels, or something? I didn't know one existed...


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EvanDan55
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I am fully capable of using Skype/Google+ and would love to be a part of these.


You're free to do whatever you want to.

UXM266
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i'm free for a Sunday Skype Meetup November 25


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This sounds like fun, but I may not be free until next month (last semester of college, you see).  Also I need to get a new computer.  I've been using my mother's for the past month or so after my hard drive fried.


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UXM266
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Reckless wrote:

This sounds like fun, but I may not be free until next month (last semester of college, you see).  Also I need to get a new computer.  I've been using my mother's for the past month or so after my hard drive fried.

Hmmm... I got to get my computer as well. Myabe my iPad or something...

I jsut realzied that I don't have a regualr group to play with. WHich makes me sad :(


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I have a regular person to play with - we'll be getting in a few games tomorrow evening, loads on Saturday, and quite a few on Sunday if this weekend is anything like the last load of weekends :D. My dad's seen us playing and has expressed an interest so we might actually have an extra player for at least one game over the weekend.

If the possibility of playing a game over Teh Internets ever comes up, I have a feeling timezones may be a problem for me, but if it happens that a game comes up when I'm available, I'm certainly interested :).


I am the Wordweaver...

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Reckless
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No Sentinel should ever be without a group.  We need to organize some Skype games.


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The Matriarch's Psychic damage is her forcing a gratuitous amount of Snapple facts about birds into a hero's brain.

lynkfox
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i would -totaly- be there for nov25...

 

if i had any decks :(


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We could also do Google + hangouts. Those easily allow for multiple videos, so it would work well. You can even schedule them ahead of time and just add links for people to follow, so you don't have to add people and arrange for sharing of IDs, etc.

Val
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I don't have a webcam, or otherwise I might try this some time. Also, time zone might be a problem. Like the idea though!

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I'd be happy to try a skype/G+ game this Sunday, Nov 25th. I'm likely available throughout the afternoon and evening, with some advance notice. If anyone is serious about arranging this, pick and advertise a time. I know how to use Skype, but not how to set up a G+ hangout, so someone will need to take responsibility for setting up and explaining to me how to use a G+ hangout if we go that route. I am in the EST timezone (eastern).


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

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I got to make sure my computer works, and if not, I can use Skype on my iPad. 


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If this is happening, as Arenson has mentioned it'd be good to know a time. And a timezone too, please, so I can check what time that'll be for me and therefore whether I'll be able to make it. I don't have a webcam but I don't see why one would be needed, so that's okay :). I have Skype, as mentioned. I have a Google account (which only gets any use because since they merged with YouTube it means both those accounts are the same thing, and I check my YouTube homepage every day to see if any of my subs have added anything new :D), but dunno whether that's the same as Google Plus.


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UXM266
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I never use my G+ page. But i can try,

Also, my timezone is EST

 


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I'm game for a game this sunday around the afternoon. Looks as though no one who is free during that time knows how to use google +. I'm sure it won't be too entirely hard to firgure out. Unless someone here has a Skype memebership thingie-ma-bobber? I'm available all the way up until 2 p.m. central time, which would be 3 est, right? So I may toy around with goole hangouts tomorrow and see how it works unless I pro pops up and says they got it covered.

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Is video really that important? A free Skype account can do a voice only group.

 

(And depending on timezone I wouldn't mind being in for some fun)


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Ronway
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A few people would need a camera on, mainly who ever is hosting the Villian/Environment decks, so that way it can easily be kept track of, rather than one person using their deck to play then anyone else digging in their decks to lay them out so they can remember what is in play.

 

I have been toying with Google + Hangouts and it isn't hard at all. So now to agree on a time and I think we can get this started. Like I said before I am available until 2 central, so anything before that is golden in my book.

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Well, those who can't/don't want to get their cards out can just keep a Word file open or something, with a list of cards (and descriptions if necessary). Video chat isn't necessary, and I don't really think voice chat is either - we can do everything in text, surely? Everyone just needs to make sure they announce everything that happens during their turn (and the villain and environment turns for whomever's playing as those). I'm on GMT so I think that means I'm about five or six hours ahead of most of you guys.


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Of course not necessary to have video and voice, but it would be useful. Seen that it does have a screensharing feature, so who ever doesn't have a webcam could type up the cards on word or such so that way everyone would be aware of what they have and current HP without making a note of it. I think the kinks will be worked out tomorrow though, see how things play and such.

 

Just to shoot out a time, tomorrow, Sunday the 25th of November at 11 or 12 central sound good for anyone?

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Nope, that sound too long to wait. Sunday the 24th is 2013.

But 11 or 12 tomorrow sounds OK (That's GMT-6 for us internationals).

 

And again I suggest people look at Vassal, it has the Sentinel cards already in there so you can see what everyone has, no need for lists or trying to keep track that way. 


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Sounds great! I'd love to get in on this too, just can't this weekend.  If u have the Sentinels Sidekick on your iPhone/iPad, that makes it easy to keep track of minions and hp...

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Hey folks. It's now 11:15 central (12:15 eastern). I'm going to go prep some food and bring it to the computer and hope that someone sets up something that I can join.


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

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Is anyone ready for a game? If so I got a group set up on Google + Hangouts so either post your e-mail or message me and i'll send an invite.

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PM sent


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

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I overslept guys. Is there a google + group for SotM?


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Lol, this was at about 6am or something for me :P. I somehow don't think I'm ever gonna be able to get into a game with you guys, ;).


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arenson9
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Game played! Terrible loss. As Richard said, you'd hardly believe we were all experienced players given how bad we lost.


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

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I blame our loss on it being the first time we had all played via google+/vassal, curse this technology that lets people from around the world play together!


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It was still fun at least. Maybe we can work out a regular group or times for more online gaming.

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I'm excited that you guys even pulled it off.  That gives me hope to play a game or two with some forumites when I'm free from school work!


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Ronway
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It may take a few more games to work out the best way to play with multiple people, but eventually things should be smooth sailing.

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Did one person get declared "Head Sentinel" and control the Villain and Environment decks while everyone else played heroes?  Or did one person control the V & E decks with a Hero as well?  Were seven people each manning a deck in a full game?  Gah, the possibilities are so numerous!!!


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The Matriarch's Psychic damage is her forcing a gratuitous amount of Snapple facts about birds into a hero's brain.

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We used Vassal, which meant that we could all see and control any of the decks. There isn't enough space on a monitor to see everything, so there's a certain amount of shifting back and forth between views, which I didn't like as much as being able to see all of the cards in play at a glance.

The file we used for Vassal allowed one to draw from a deck, shuffle a deck, and put cards into a hand, into a play area, or into the trash. It also allowed for manually adjusting hit points.

We nominally had one person in charge of manipulating the villain and environment decks, though I was impatient enough to break that when doing damage to villain targets.

One of the things I've noted is that it would be convenient if the players that played first and last did _NOT_ control the villain and environment, giving them, instead, more of a chance to think of their own actions and cards immediately before/after their turn. At a table, that's sometimes problematic, since the people playing the first and last hero are often the people sitting next to the villain or environment, but with Vassal it's not an issue.

As something of a tangent, I have found it very useful to have each player talk through what they are doing as they play, so all of the other players have a better chance of keeping up on what is going on (as well as alerting the person playing if they are doing something wrong).


Hi. My name's Andy. Feel free to call me Andy, since, ya know, that's my name. (he/him/his)

If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If not now, when? If I am for myself alone, what am I? -- Hillel

Matchstickman
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One of the things that was mentioned as a problem was the card size, they were taking up a signifigant portion of the screen... if only I had remembered that vassal has a zoom in/out option it wouldn't have been an issue!


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I can't believe I missed all this! I feel so stupid! Okay, I'll make sure to check back here frequently for any other times this happens! I've been waiting to play with all you forum-goers online for a while, and I missed it! I need to pay more attention to this thread!

EDIT: So this Vassal program, I need to download it, yes? Is it Mac friendly?


You're free to do whatever you want to.

Ronway
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Well you could download the vassal thing. There may be a time we try it out again, but I do want to try using the actual decks next time around, especially with the limited selection of the heroes, villians, and environment were on there. Granted someone could use Vassal for their hero while someone else used own deck at home, the Vassal user would just have to use the ScreenShare so that way everyone else could see it. I think I may be available all day Tuesday (I say I think because I know I don't have work but my wife may have plans for us) so anyone wanting to try then would be fine by me.

Ameena
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Wow, I just realised I was looking at the wrong time when I checked to see when this game had happened - I was looking at the time under the "joined date" of the person posting before me, not the time the post was made, which was around 5pm my time. So had I not been busy, I would have actually been around for this, lol. All my forums lay stuff out differently, so I have to look in different places on each one to see stuff such as the time a post was made.

As for talking through what you're doing when you play...well, I do that anyway - how else are the other players (or, single other player in my case) supposed to know what you're doing? Or what the villain/environment is doing, comes to that. Playing a game online, I'd probably just get out the decks that people are using, plus the villain and environment decks, so I can look at the cards but would probably also have an on-screen list somewhere to track hp more easily since I can't really fit loads of cards and my dice on the desk I'm using. As long as every card is announced as it's played, as is every instance of damage/healing, I think it'd be pretty easy to keep track of things.

Then again, I'd actually need to be online at the right time to catch people for a game. What happens if more than five people turn up? Split into groups?


I am the Wordweaver...

Basically, I like writing stuff ;)

UXM266
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Sorry I missed it after instingating it. I had compouter problems, and woke up late. Instead I discovered a gaming night at a cafe in Montreal. Tought 3 francophones (one who wasn't too good with English) the game! I had to translate (with a little help form the newbies) and had a blast. We decimated omnitron (We had inspiring prescence out first turn, and Expatriette got her pride and prejudice out turn 3). Essentially we decimated omnitron. Second time Plague rat ate us like turkey dinner. 


I THOUGHT I was the the last Scion but it's actually .....

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