Facebook & Your RPG

Facebook is one of those things that can either do you a world of good or give you a massive headache.  For all the inane posts and memes you suffer through daily, there’s that friend across the country you’re keeping up with or that tidbit of information you just might not get from anywhere else.  My favorite thing about Facebook, however, remains groups.  What’s not to like about joining some like-minded folk to discuss your favorite obscure obsession? 

Recently, I created a group exclusively for the folks with whom I play games.  Besides the obvious socializing and sharing of links we do, we use it to schedule and reschedule gaming events.   The  group is a hodge-podge mostly, covering board games, rpgs, related books, comics , movies, novels, science and what have you.  So about a year ago, I  decided to go a step further.  Why not tailor a group to a specific rpg?  And why not integrate it into the actual rpg experience?  So I did.  And it worked fantastically.

Here’s what we do:

1. Meeting times & Announcements. The obvious use.  I set meeting times and places, make special announcements and such.  Here, sometimes, I even create an event for those in the group.  Anyway, everyone knows when everyone else is available, and since we’ve begun doing this, there’s hardly been any last minute cancelations.  We general discuss what’s best for the most people.  Attendance has also been great, since you can tag people with reminders a few days in advance, and it’s tons easier to do than playing phone tag up to the eleventh hour.
2. In-game information.  This application is the one I find the most fun.  I use posts to pass along world information.  In our Hollow Earth Expedition group, I’ve been using The Newspaper Clipping Generator to post actual and game-world headlines from the thirties.  The players can read about everything from presidential elections to the exploits of Doc Savage.  Some, but not all, will actually impact the game.  I’ve also tend to post the initial set up for the characters – describe the event that brings them together.  Players have used comments to describe actions in these situations and will message if they need to be sneaky. 
3. Game Documents.  When I first create the group, I immediately upload a pdf of the players manual and any documents that will assist the players in understanding the rules, character creation and the game-world.  I also post any important maps to which the players’ characters would have access. 

Facebook has been very helpful with my recent rpgs.  My players come to the game familiar with the rules and the world, which makes everything flow easier during those first meetings.  Another boon is they don’t have to rely on me constantly.  Several will bring the docs up during play (yes, I don’t mind computers and phones at the table just for this reason).  Facebook is a tool.  It can be good or bad, depending on how you want to use it.  As for myself, I’ve discovered it to be a wonderful means to help enhance the gaming experience for my players.