As previously posted, our attempts at getting a Shadowrun campaign have been overly hit and miss, due to numerous reasons. Unfortunately, it has been more miss than hit, and for that reason, along with challenges in the general format, we are going to be disbanding the effort. It may live on in another format (likely a live game), but for now, our efforts using Roll20 and virtual tabletop software are being paused.
Overall, I think it was a successful experiment – I am happy with the results of Roll20, and for the most part, the game itself ran well. The biggest problem was in our choice of Shadowrun, and my relative lack of experience (compared to other games I have run extensively). Shadowrun itself is a good system, and a setting I really enjoy – but there are a number of special mechanics which take practice and familiarity – they are not what I would consider intuitive and easy to learn. Couple that with the remote gaming format, and it turns into a frustrating experience – I simply cannot explain the rules to the level that it requires, and manage the player’s expectations.
Similarly, Roll20, although it is a very useful medium, has its challenges when you are playing a game system other than mainstream D&D or Pathfinder – the dice rolling mechanics in particular are rather abstract. Can it be done? Sure, and with the use of a macro, it isnt too bad. However, after several sessions, the group simply didn’t click with the format – there was no understanding, only the basic learning of repetition.
So fundamentally, the combination of a new play format along with a complex and new game system, saddled with challenging schedules doomed the effort from the start. Remove one of these factors, and I still think it can be very successful. Perhaps I will try again with a Pathfinder campaign, or perhaps we will try a live in-person version of the game. Either way, in the meantime, the content I prepared will be shelved and filed away for the next attempt in the future.
Indirectly, this does free up my every other Sunday, and I am hoping to play some lower-preparation games such as X-Wing, Armada, or Zombicide a bit more again.
