Do you think audio has a place in tabletop RPGs? That’s to say; should the GM be able to enhance the game by playing sound at the right point in time? Would that improve the atmosphere or does it ruin the sense of imagination?
There’s been some Kickstarter success. Wes Otis asked for $1,000 and raised an incredible $52,800. Now the Orange Country Gaming Group is trying for something different; they’re asking for $10,000 but if successful will have a site, a soundboard and will be able to provide their audio for free.
The Realmsound Project doesn’t just aim to provide looping backing tracks, like Otis’ project, but dialogue snippets and sound effects too.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/105982873/the-realmsound-project/
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I suspect the Realmsound Project has a bigger challenge on their hands; they’ve fewer low level tiers and the $10,000 looks like a task. Experience suggests gamers like to back projects that look like a sure-in.
That said, it’s worth watching the pitch as the video includes some examples of game play and the quality isn’t bad either. Here’s their dwarf temple.
There are more samples on the Kickstarter page.
I think for Realmsound to take off and earn the backing it deserves gamers need to recognise the role of the soundboard. The key here is that soundboard makes it easy for GMs to introduce music and sound effects without faffing around behind a laptop and dropping the flow of the game.
What do you think? Going to back the project?
