Google & Campaign Communication
Posted by Stupid Ranger at 8:00 AM
Our current gaming group has been meeting about every other week. To maintain communication with our group members, we're using a handful of Google products.
Scheduling with a Google Calendar -- We have a calendar for our group on which we mark the next scheduled session. It's working fairly well for us.
Email Communication with a Google Group -- We created a Google Group and included everyone's email, so with one quick address, everyone is included in the email communications.
Campaign Notes with a Google Site -- Thanks to a post from a fellow blogger a few months back, I discovered how easy and how useful Google Sites can be when keeping track of campaign information. We have a page with the group calendar, as well as a page set up with a list of PCs and NPCs (perfect for keeping track of that one guy whose name you can't remember). One of the best features of our site is our Files & Journals page, where we keep in-character journals (many are linked Google Docs), our session notes file that everyone can update, and a party fund file where we keep track of the loot we've accumulated.
With a smallish group (five of us total), it isn't usually too hard to keep everyone informed, but these tools have certainly made it easy.
Labels: rpgbloggers, Stupid Ranger, tools
5 Comments:
I've used the Google Calendar in the past for group scheduling and I fully recommend it.
I like the idea of using a Google Group, but most of my players are not into using a mailing list.
If you don't run your own webserver or have a hosting provider, Google Sites is an excellent tool. Hell, I use a private one as tool to help be run my Blog. For a GM a private one could be a good universal place to keep information. So, I'm agree it's a great tool.
Some people are afraid of putting information on Google's servers. Since I don't put anything I would consider IP, I don't consider that a constraint.
Check out Obsidian Portal. It's specifically designed for managing a tabletop campaign. Game organization and communication is baked right in!
I also use google calendar, now if I could only get all my players to remember to check it (and I even have it emailing a reminder 2 days before every game lol).
I also use a mailing list to get information to them. I have a php forum setup on my own website, but nobody reads the bloody thing, so is getting discouraging to keep posting things there.
I just signed up for Obsidian Portal yesterday, am hoping to use the wiki aspects to help organize information, maybe I can interest my players in actually reading that lol
I've been using Google Groups for two campaigns; one of which is played by using the discussion message part and it works well.
Also been using Google Doc's more and more; very easy to use.
I have no doubt that Google will one day rule the world.
Excellent post. Question, does anyone use a laptop or pc during the sessions and if so, in what aspect?
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