Chat Room?

[tombowings]

Could be fun, but the time zone difference with the US makes it impossible for me join in.

[Deleted]

Isn't our Discord server basically an open chat room?

[tkdco2]

We have a Discord server?

[Finarvyn]

I don't even know what a Discord server is, or where it is, or how you get into it.

I will hunt around the Admin section here to see if Proboards has a chat room. I can't recall seeing one in any of the boards where I hang out, but who knows.

[Zenopus]

Yes, there is a Discord server that @rafael set up, called the Vulgar Unicorn (named after the tavern in Thieves World).

Go to this post to find a newly generated invite:

odd74.proboards.com/post/238483/thread

It's in a thread that Rafael started when he made the channel. I've moved that thread over to "OD&D General" so that the invite is only visible to registered members here.

You can use Discord either as a stand-alone application, or through your browser. We use Discord for audio/visual in one of my regular RPG games and I often just use the browser-based version. For this use it's very similar to Zoom. But you can also chat via type, so it can be used for chat rooms.

[dicebro]

Yes let’s chat

[tkdco2]

Is this channel for voice chat only? I have joined a few channels, but they are mainly text messages.

[Zenopus]

Malchor also started a Discord channel last year called "OD&D Chat", which was for his scheduled chats. His thread about is here:

odd74.proboards.com/thread/14125/experiment-virtual-odd74-meetup

[Zenopus]

Feb 7, 2021 13:59:15 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

Is this channel for voice chat only? I have joined a few channels, but they are mainly text messages.

I believe The Vulgar Unicorn is mostly for text chat, but like most Discord has audio/visual channels as well.

If you go to #general section of the VU, that is where the main continuous conversation is ongoing. There is discussion of TSR POD going on right now. @rafael, @ampleframework, Falconer and I have made comments.

[Zenopus]

I almost forgot, I created a Holmes Basic channel a while back. I haven't advertised it, so only 3 members right now.

See this post for a newly generated invite:

odd74.proboards.com/post/238483/thread

[Deleted]

Hey, guys!

Yeah, the Discord is there, and it's yours for the taking! I've never really looked after it, but if there's a renewed interest in this, we will find ways to make it work.

Generally, voice and video chats are possible, and we have channels there to provide you with the kind. Happy to spend one of my next coffee breaks ranting with some of you about, uugh, whether Terry Brooks is the best, or the VERY best fantasy author ever.

From a technical point of view, Discord is flat out the best chat, group talk, or video talk option there is for "non-professional" users, at least from my experience. So, in general, it's smart choice to head there for chats of all kind. - Now, mind you, this a program optimized for forum use, and not a substitute for the forum. These should not evolve into separate things, but the VU server should compliment and expand on the possibilities you create through this place.

I've been using Discord for my online games (on different servers), both videocall-based and PBP-based, and it's been - pretty amazing, actually, especially with the mobile connectivity the app offers. (As opposed to the pretty terrible app that Proboards released a few years ago.) So, this might be something you might want to consider for yourselves, as well, at a later point.

Right now, though, the server needs the usual pioneer work all relatively fresh projects like that need: Mainly, that people use it - and come to an agreement (mainly of the unspoken kind) on what they want to use it for.

[Deleted]

I have always found, for my personal tastes, that all chat rooms in general have a "sweet spot" for participation volume. Too small/sparse is no good, but the really massive and strictly moderated ones like the OSR one or *shudder* the mainstream D&D ones aren't to my liking either. The Vulgar Unicorn is still on the smallish side but approaching what I really think is ideal. As for what we use it for, the pbp format with general chat seems to really embrace the spirit of OD&D, doesn't it? On the forum, we mostly discuss, and play a little. Maybe the chat should be the inverse - we mostly play there, and chat a little?

[Zenopus]

See this post for a newly generated invite:

odd74.proboards.com/post/238483/thread

It's in a thread that Rafael started when he made the channel. I've moved that thread over to "OD&D General" so that the invite is only visible to registered members here.

[tetramorph]

Piper, you can't chat on Friday nights, remember? You're supposed to be gaming with me at my table!

[Malchor]

Feb 7, 2021 4:27:58 GMT -6 Piper said:

Are there any obstacles to setting up a chat room for a weekly chat, maybe Friday or Saturday evenings?

Just curious if (a) it's possible and (b) if there's any interest.

Can make you a mod for the discord server if you want.

[Malchor]

The Lean Coffe thing kind of worked and mostly didn't. There were plans to try something else, and then life got a bit nutty.

A weekly thing might work.

One question is, keep the ODD Chat or fold into The Vulgar Unicorn?

[tkdco2]

Does our discord server allow voice chat, or is it text messages only?

If we do a live chat, which day would work best for everyone? Also, which time? We're not all in the same time zone.

[Malchor]

Feb 23, 2021 20:34:44 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

Does our discord server allow voice chat, or is it text messages only?

If we do a live chat, which day would work best for everyone? Also, which time? We're not all in the same time zone.

Both ODD Chat and The Vulgar Unicorn can do both—I have control on ODD Chat, so can spin up voice channels as needed.



Times and day was the challenge last time. Maybe something that alternates between as evenings and a morning to give people a chance at one or the other.

[tkdco2]

Thanks. I'm usually free on the weekends, and I'm on Pacific Time.

[Deleted]

Wait, so to be clear, there are in fact two different ODD discord servers?

[Zenopus]

Yes, sort of:

---The Vulgar Unicorn is the "official unofficial" server for this forum; the mods here are admins there.
The thread for it - which is only accessible if you are logged in - is here now:

odd74.proboards.com/thread/12566/discord-channel-chat-vulgar-unicorn


---Malchor also independently started a server for his "Lean Coffee" OD&D chats. There is a link to it upthread.

[Zenopus]

Feb 23, 2021 18:30:47 GMT -6 Malchor said:

One question is, keep the ODD Chat or fold into The Vulgar Unicorn?

We can certainly add another channel to the Vulgar Unicorn if you decide you want to fold it in.

[Malchor]

Feb 25, 2021 12:15:21 GMT -6 Zenopus said:

Yes, sort of:

---The Vulgar Unicorn is the "official unofficial" server for this forum; the mods here are admins there.
The thread for it - which is only accessible if you are logged in - is here now:

odd74.proboards.com/thread/12566/discord-channel-chat-vulgar-unicorn


---Malchor also independently started a server for his "Lean Coffee" OD&D chats. There is a link to it upthread.

Independent, but sanctioned.

I have my own Discord server for gaming and the NYC ODD group, therefore perfectly fine with folding ODD Chat in The Vulgar Unicorn as it is the "official unofficial" server and will cause less confusion.

[Zenopus]

In the Vulgar Unicorn, we had an audio channel that was simply called "Audio Chat", which I've now renamed this as "OD&D Chat" after Malchor's OD&D Chat server that he is folding into our server.

The "OD&D Chat" audio channel is intended for anyone who wants to organize a live audio chat. If anyone organizes a regularly scheduled audio chat we can always split that off into its own channel. We also have a "Game Room" audio channel if you need a quick space for a game.