by John Petelle

Created on: January 29, 2009

Few debates in the gaming world generate as much fervor and partisanship as the one over online roleplaying games versus tabletop roleplaying games. One reason is that when trying to determine which one is better', each gamer has a different definition of what better' means. Does better mean less expensive? Easier to learn? More socially engaging? The different possibilities here are part of what makes each individual gamer so adamant in the support of their favorite. As a uniquely personal choice then, I find that online roleplaying games are superior to their tabletop counterparts for three main reasons: play-time opportunities, replay capabilities and the ability to remove the distance barrier between friends.

Play-time opportunities are where the online games have an unquestioned advantage over any tabletop game for the simple reason that a gamers' online entertainment is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (minus the inevitable downtime for server maintenance or product upgrades). I can wake up at 3 am, log in, and be playing within minutes. Calling friends at 3 am is a great way to hear their current voicemail messages, but isn't likely to result in a quick gaming session. Additionally, as my circle of friends and I have gone through life, most of us have picked up jobs, families and other relationships that make coordinating group schedules difficult at best, and setting aside regular tabletop gaming times is nearly impossible at times. By comparison, online games can be played either solo, or with a pick-up group of whoever happens to be logged in at the time.

The replay capabilities of online games also compare quite favorably to the pen and paper varieties. Most online games feature a wide range of different character types or avatars that will play through the game quite differently, resulting in a completely new play experience. This is not to say that tabletop games do not have similar choices, but convincing your friends to run through an adventure three or four times because you want to sample different characters will likely be an uphill battle.

Finally, the nature of online games removes the distance barrier between friends who have moved to geographically different areas. There is always the opportunity to meet and engage with new friends online of course, but being able to log in and slay dragons with my long-time friend, even though his job moved him 1500 miles away is priceless. Integrated voice chat available through most games even allows our conversational banter to carry on as though we were in the same room.

Make no mistake tabletop games will always have a place, and for many people they represent a favored option. In my over-scheduled world though, the online roleplaying games represent a far better choice.

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