How to do folks handle social encounters in PBP? Of all the modes of play, dialogue seems to have the fewest procedures, which makes sense since conversations don’t really follow procedures. My PBP experience relies heavily on procedure to help translate the game into something more post-able. But things kinda break down when we start talking to NPCs. Usually only a couple PCs do much talking (which is fine since not everyone’s character is prone to talking) so it seems strange to enforce the procedure of turning taking. Other PCs can take other actions during the dialogue but those actions don’t usually happen at the same pace of conversation (I.e. searching a room takes a dungeon turn which could be the length of an entire conversation). So things usually become kinda chaotic for a couple of IRL days while the conversation happens and then we kinda reboot the turn taking procedure once it’s over. This fine but I’m curious how other folks approach conversations in PBP.
I just let it continue until the conversation takes a reasonable turn. I think what you’re doing is fine.
Do you ever struggle with keeping PCs engage if they aren’t talking? Do you still call for a post at least once a day from folks who aren’t talking or do you just let it slide until the chat is done?
Oh, obviously you gotta let it slide in that case. But I also try to get conversations done in one day.
Generally my players end up taking turns in the conversation until it ends. We have strict turn-taking, in which whoever’s turn it is basically runs things for the whole party.
Sometimes someone just ends the whole thing by doing something else, and that either ends the conversation abruptly or someone else resurrects it or makes a retroactive moment of conversation.
They tend to come up with things to talk about. 