I'm planning to GM a group that will have one player who can only participate via video-chat. I think I saw a few posts of people who have similar group constellations. So I was wondering if anyone could share some experiences and maybe have some advice on how to do it properly so it doesn't become a nuisance for the other players (and me).

I thought about just putting a laptop with a webcam on the table, but I am unsure whether he (the online player) would be able to see everything (and everybody) and how the interaction between him and the physically present people would work out.

I haven't experienced this arrangement myself, but my initial instincts are that it would be difficult to get the balance right.

So much of the fun in an RPG interaction comes from the chemistry of the people around the room, being able to look at and hear each other, including the subtle clues about body language and so on.

In an all-online game, I think the balance is different because everyone's engaging the same way. It might be a challenge for the one remote player to feel as engaged in the game as the others. Especially if you use tabletop aids like maps, miniatures, etc.

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but personally I'd anticipate challenges.

I'm planning to GM a group that will have one player who can only participate via video-chat. I think I saw a few posts of people who have similar group constellations. So I was wondering if anyone could share some experiences and maybe have some advice on how to do it properly so it doesn't become a nuisance for the other players (and me).

I thought about just putting a laptop with a webcam on the table, but I am unsure whether he (the online player) would be able to see everything (and everybody) and how the interaction between him and the physically present people would work out.

I frequently work remotely for my job, and I’ve tried gaming online. I find that I need the social interaction in both environments, and that the video chat method works very poorly for me. But I think that this is something that is different for different people.

There are video chat systems that work hard to make it look and feel like the people are actually sitting at the same table, but they’re pretty expensive. At the very least, having an extra camera or two that the video chat player could switch to would help them better understand what is going on.

There are also some remote presence solutions that you could use, which might be based around an iPhone, iPad, or some other portable electronic device with a built-in camera, so that the person at the other end could control where the camera is aimed and where the 'bot is located.

However, I find that our game is frequently pretty distracting even when it is played in person, what with various other people who are not involved in the current situation talking about their latest finds on Tinder, or other games that they enjoy playing or are currently being played elsewhere in the FLGS, etc…. I can’t imagine what it would be like if you were trying to play remotely with all that going on.

I've had challenges with it in the past. It may have been the placement of the camera and more importantly the microphone. The person online kept asking me or other players to speak up, or repeat ourselves. I think it detracted from too many others in order to accommodate 2 more. I'd either go all online or all in-person. I much prefer in-person.

Works fine for me. We're a group that has been gaming since high school. One of our friends lives in Vancouver and the only way to include him is through Skype. I set it up so my computer overlooks the room so he can see everybody. He's on a 27" monitor, so his head is bigger than ours

The only real issue is that sometimes when everyone is talking excitedly he can't really hear what is being said. I position myself so I'm across from him so I can see whether this is an issue or if he's trying to get my attention. Then it's just a matter of having people say their piece one at a time.

The only other issue is that sometimes I need to quickly sketch out a location the players decide to visit on the fly, and that's more difficult to share. But so far we've made it work pretty well.

Works fine for me. We're a group that has been gaming since high school. One of our friends lives in Vancouver and the only way to include him is through Skype. I set it up so my computer overlooks the room so he can see everybody. He's on a 27" monitor, so his head is bigger than ours

Yeah, if you can put them up on a big monitor, that can help.

The only real issue is that sometimes when everyone is talking excitedly he can't really hear what is being said. I position myself so I'm across from him so I can see whether this is an issue or if he's trying to get my attention. Then it's just a matter of having people say their piece one at a time.

Plantronics makes some really good conference phones, and if you’re using them or decent headphones, then that’s about as good as you’re going to get on audio.

I do like the idea that the GM is sitting furthest away from the remote player, so if the GM is having problems then that becomes real obvious real quick.

The only other issue is that sometimes I need to quickly sketch out a location the players decide to visit on the fly, and that's more difficult to share. But so far we've made it work pretty well.

You can take a picture of it with your phone and send it via SMS or e-mail. I hadn’t considered that use in this context, but it does work.

The only other issue is that sometimes I need to quickly sketch out a location the players decide to visit on the fly, and that's more difficult to share. But so far we've made it work pretty well.

You can take a picture of it with your phone and send it via SMS or e-mail. I hadn’t considered that use in this context, but it does work.

I have done that, but the camera on the iPhone 3GS leaves a little be desired, plus it's hard to get the right lighting. Considering an upgrade to iPhone 6 Plus, the camera on that thing is supposed to be fantastic.