What would you say are the biggest advantages of playing through the computer over playing in person?

What would you say are the biggest advantages of playing through the computer over playing in person?

The mute button, whether it's for your mic or theirs.

Smell doesn't travel through cyberspace.

Immersion.
It's easier to imagine other characters when you're on skype than in person.

Can split the party a lot easier.

You can permanently ban people from your group without facing jail time.

Distance is irrelevant.

Logs.

I do a lot of text based RP, and while I personally prefer it to voice (the slower pace lets you take more time to think), the biggest advantage IMO is having textlogs. During a session it's easy to skim back on what was said earlier, and if you forget a detail you can go back and check it. The utility of logs is something I really miss whenever I play IRL games.

Point, but timezones still are.

Nome that make it worth it.

Sure, you can mute people or whatever, but there's so much about being in the room with your friends that online just cannot replicate... Christ, I hate that we all moved apart.

If you don't shave or wear pants, no one will know!

This.

The only issue is the awkwardness of being in the phone. Video calls make it a little better because you see some body language, but voice only means your not so dependent on a quality internet connection.

>jail time
?

Murder is a permanent ban.

I am kind of ForeverGM for every single group I join, and I can say that playing by text over the computer makes immersion of the players just MUCH easier. Especially when it comes to female NPCs, NPCs with accents or any other voice that would be different than mine.

I mean, it's just not believable when the princess sounds like a 21 y/o guy with a baritone, and looks like a 21 y/o guy with a beard.

The capacity of saving logs is cool too. And of course, it's much easier to find people willing to try niche games.

>it's just not believable when the princess sounds like a 21 y/o guy with a baritone, and looks like a 21 y/o guy with a beard

Have you tried imagination?

Have you ever heard a man tell a story involving female characters?

farting

>Have you ever heard a man tell a story involving female characters?
Yes, and it sounds hilarious at best and gay at worst. Can't take it seriously.

Ghosts are a thing tho

>not warding against vengeful spirits all the time. >not wearing holy symbols, or wards protecting from there shenanigans, all the damn time.

You don't have to clean up your NEET cave.

I can browse Veeky Forums while nothing is happening (most of the time) and no one can see how bored I am.
My game's alright, overall, it's just the GM gives us these really sparse setups so we have nothing to work with and there are SO MANY pauses, dragging moments, etc. If it was real life I wouldn't drag my ass out the house because you can't really bring your own amusements for downtime without being an asshole (as long as nobody knows I'm doing it it's fine, is what I'm saying).

What's the point then?

this desu
playing irl you have to deal with slow, unengaging DMs and combat rounds that take way too long.
It's also hard to excuse myself from games when the group still wants to play after 6 hours of playing, because my house is where we play.

You waste less time on transporation, waiting for other players who are late, waiting for other players while they are faffing around during their turns etc.
I can work simultaneously while playing.
Better immersion.
You don't sit around the table with greasy neckbeards.
Less effort on looking like a human being, and more effort on actually playing.

ERP

I'd probobly have to say not having to physicaly interact with the people im playing and beaing able to play in a enviorement i find pleaseing. Still think phisically meeting is more fun

It helps get past social phobia.

Have you tried voice capturing software?
It's not great (really far from it in fact), but it's better than nothing, right?
It takes up a shitton of storage space, but a big-ass HDD can be used for multiple purposes so I consider it less of a con.

>all these people saying immersion

I don't get it. Surely having an actual conversation with a human being in the same room, who's using body language, mannerisms and speech patters to convey a character, is a lot better?

For me the main advantage of playing over the internet over playing IRL is the resources. It's way easier to pull out resources, reference images and etc while everyone in the group is on the computer than otherwise. Even if we need to check a rule on something it's way easier because everyone will have a copy of the pdf in each end, so...
Also it's easier to keep yourself entertained while not on your turn without disrupting the whole table, like that other user said.

not if they suck at all those things, I imagine is their point

Inter nationality,

80% of my roleplaying friends living in Europe. Two in england, two in Sweden, and one in Austria.

It doesn't hurt as bad when you fall in love with your DM

>Even if we need to check a rule on something it's way easier because everyone will have a copy of the pdf in each end, so...
People really stop the game to look up rules instead of going with a gut ruling and then lookingit up later?

bamp

Do people really do that? Crushing on the dude running the game?

I can't strangle my players when they take way too fucking long to cast a fucking fireball.
The worst con?
I can't strangle my players when they take way too fucking long to cast a fucking fireball.

It's easier to flake on the game because you don't feel as obligated to people online.

One of the major reasons I dislike online gaming, and sometimes I'm the flake, not trying I just forget.

kek