Hey Girls and Guys of the internet,

I'm a new GM wondering what programs, tips and tricks I can use to make my online game more immersive? FYI my game is on roll20 and googlehangout. Also I love writing description but I don't do it well on the fly.

Let me know what you think I would love some ideas as I have a great group and want to give them the best experience possible.

Thanks in advance,

CM.

How would you define 'immersive'? I have an idea, but I don't know how well it would work over roll20 and/or googlehangout...I'm not too familiar with those programs. It would also take some set up time, too...

Put lots of passion on everything you do and always remember that you are building an story together with your players, NOT against them

A good sountrack always help a lot to put some good ambientation.You can use the offcial SW themes or the ones do you prefer and, don't fear to spend 2 or 3 secons to change the track at every scene or event. Is a lot more immersive.

If looking also for some sound effects you can try this https://syrinscape.com/or even a simplier one like http://www.starwars.com/games-apps/star-wars-soundboard

Off course, you can always do TIE sounds with your own voice XD I love it. Speak Alien, no matter if you don't know what are you saying XD If do you consider that characters doesn't understand a language, just speak alien. Use some sentences that you heard from shows, movies and games and invent the rest. Speak Ryl in just 2 sessions! XD

You don't need to be a loremaster but, knowledge about the SW universe can help you to bring the game like it was alive, but be aware that more than 90% of the should be created by you (or other people from the net).

Ambientation and "power level" (your players will be simple minor smugglers or you will let them be an encarnation of the Force?) should be arranged before the game. Know player what the want and espect and share your feeling with them too. Remember, you are NOT against them, you are like a partner on his games, but NOT a player.

Good supporting NPC's (non-playable characters). Coherent and fully alive. Give them a basic background (mininal coherence) and ust them as a hook for the main plot. They will support characters but they AREN'T the heroes, so put them always in a "second row".

Use main characters from the saga ad "guest stars" if needed, but don't abuse.

Use Destiny Point to put some extra facts and emotion to your gaming session. Don't fear them and be creative. Also determine if do you prefer a super estructured game, a sandbox or a mix between them. I use to prefer the 1-5-10. Set the beginning, a middle plot point and a possible "ending". The rest is just the story flow.

Try to give each player its own "special moment" like in Clone Wars or Rebels but generally, try to mantain a balanced focus of attention on all of them. Don't focus just on combatants.

Maybe a miss a few things but the most important of them is: Enjoy and have a great time!

You and your mates aren't playing to achieve "Rank 5 or level 20" or get de +20 flaming sword of fire. You are constructing an story and having fun. Don't turn this into a competition.

Prepare your dices (use the official ones, the official digital app or this alternative one http://game2.ca/eote/)and have a GREAT TIME!

PS: This forums and other good pages are full of info and great and awesome ideas that other players created. Use them and share your ones too

Also use the story to push the characters together. get players to need the skills and knowledge of the other players for their own goals,

IE in our games case. Make the non rebels need the resources of the rebels to survive. Make the rebels need the other characters to survive.

Try to keep the story moving along, but don't overload the players with information. As a player it's very hard to take in a flurry of details. What seems obvious to the GM can sometimes not be clear at all to a player.

Describe the sounds, smells and feel of a scene as well as what it looks like.

Give the players opportunity to describe what happens as a result of their (attempted) actions. They might not want to, but some players like this.

You'll probably forget some things or make some mistakes. Everyone does this.

Ask the other players for feedback on what they liked, what they didn't like and how they feel the sessions could be improved.

Cheert Guys this is really great stuff! Going to use what you said

Put lots of passion on everything you do and always remember that you are building an story together with your players, NOT against them

A good sountrack always help a lot to put some good ambientation.You can use the offcial SW themes or the ones do you prefer and, don't fear to spend 2 or 3 secons to change the track at every scene or event. Is a lot more immersive.

If looking also for some sound effects you can try this https://syrinscape.com/or even a simplier one like http://www.starwars.com/games-apps/star-wars-soundboard

Off course, you can always do TIE sounds with your own voice XD I love it. Speak Alien, no matter if you don't know what are you saying XD If do you consider that characters doesn't understand a language, just speak alien. Use some sentences that you heard from shows, movies and games and invent the rest. Speak Ryl in just 2 sessions! XD

You don't need to be a loremaster but, knowledge about the SW universe can help you to bring the game like it was alive, but be aware that more than 90% of the should be created by you (or other people from the net).

Ambientation and "power level" (your players will be simple minor smugglers or you will let them be an encarnation of the Force?) should be arranged before the game. Know player what the want and espect and share your feeling with them too. Remember, you are NOT against them, you are like a partner on his games, but NOT a player.

Good supporting NPC's (non-playable characters). Coherent and fully alive. Give them a basic background (mininal coherence) and ust them as a hook for the main plot. They will support characters but they AREN'T the heroes, so put them always in a "second row".

Use main characters from the saga ad "guest stars" if needed, but don't abuse.

Use Destiny Point to put some extra facts and emotion to your gaming session. Don't fear them and be creative. Also determine if do you prefer a super estructured game, a sandbox or a mix between them. I use to prefer the 1-5-10. Set the beginning, a middle plot point and a possible "ending". The rest is just the story flow.

Try to give each player its own "special moment" like in Clone Wars or Rebels but generally, try to mantain a balanced focus of attention on all of them. Don't focus just on combatants.

Maybe a miss a few things but the most important of them is: Enjoy and have a great time!

You and your mates aren't playing to achieve "Rank 5 or level 20" or get de +20 flaming sword of fire. You are constructing an story and having fun. Don't turn this into a competition.

Prepare your dices (use the official ones, the official digital app or this alternative one http://game2.ca/eote/)and have a GREAT TIME!

PS: This forums and other good pages are full of info and great and awesome ideas that other players created. Use them and share your ones too

Will Syrinscape work via roll20 or google hangout?

Cheers Guys this is all great stuff!

Give your NPC's some kind of hook or quirk. The players will get bored having to talk to NPC #1138 again...but if that NPC had a quirk, it would be memorable. "You mean we have to talk to that tyroidian again? The one that made a pass at our pilot? Gawd, that guy is so slimy..."

Give the players something to DO. A while back, for a different game system, my players had to hack into a database and download some files. I took a spare USB drive, and made up a fake mainframe for them to explore with various files and documents to sort through...kind of a high tech choose-your-own-adventure. I set it all up, plunked down the laptop, picked up a stopwatch and told the players "You have 5 minutes before security detects the intrusion...GO!". No dice were rolled...the players did it all on their own, and they were sweating bullets by the time they finally found the data they had been sent to steal. I don't know if you can set up something similar with your online gaming parlors, but it may be worth a shot....make that slicer EARN his paycheck!

Soundtracks can add just the right amount of flavor, but don't have one for every single situation. Picture the PC's trying to make an escape or getaway with a fast paced theme or tune in the background can add a little urgency. Is your groups force user/jedi squaring off for some Thrilling Heroics? Play the tune from luke and vaders duel in episode VI. Heck, at the end of a session, play the first bit of 'The Real Folk Blues'...

I agree wholeheartedly regarding the addition of sound. Here are a few clips from the campaign I run:

My group plays our games over Google Hangouts. Here are some things I do to make them more immersive:

Every session begins with an opening crawl. I use starwordz.com but there are other options out there, including one on the official starwars.com website. I use the screenshare option to let everyone see it. I usually inject a little bit of humor into them as well. It quickly became a staple of our games. One time I skipped it because we were playing on two consecutive days (instead of the week or more we usually have between sessions) and everyone asked why it wasn't there.

I try to always have one of the many star wars soundboard sites pulled up. When they speak to Jabba I'll occasionally play one of his movie quotes. During combat I'll throw in blaster sounds.

I use Maptool to put up maps. When there's nothing specific going on I'll just throw up a map of the party's ship. Sometimes I'll have maps of the spaceport or station they are on. Even though it's more narrative than D&D (which we were playing previously) so maps aren't as important, my players seem to like having a visual reference.

I occasionally share something interesting that the players come across. It can be an image of a planet, an Imperial recruiting poster, or a bounty notice. These little things add to the immersion in the game world even if they don't have any significant effect on the players' actions. Depending on how fine the print is I will either use the screenshare function or I'll just send the file to the players through Facebook chat.

Like others have suggested, I play soundtracks in the background. They don't always have to be from Star Wars, either. When they were on a backwater world with a western feel to it, I played music from Firefly instead.

I also make tie-ins to major characters and events. The players get some of their work from Jabba the Hutt. The effects of the destruction Alderaan and the Death Star are still felt throughout the galaxy. Depending on how things go, I plan to have the players participate in the Battle of Hoth. One time at a space station they passed by Boba Fett in a corridor. There was no conversation with him, no combat, no real interaction of any sort, but it reminds them that they are in the same world as the movies.

It's also fun to have scenes that replicate scenes from the movies. Have them maneuver through an asteroid field with TIE Fighters on their tail, break out of the detention block of a Star Destroyer or Imperial garrison, or race through a forest on speeder bikes. Scenes like that automatically give the players very clear images in their minds without a lot of description on your part.

As with all of my games I try to avoid cookie-cutter villains. Everyone has a motive. Many Imperials feel that they are doing their duty by bringing order to the galaxy. Some places actually benefit from Imperial rule while others are obviously oppressed. Some rebels try to maintain morality in a difficult fight while others believe that the end justifies the means and are willing to do things like kill civilians and employ biological weapons.