Modes of Gaming, Pros and Cons

I have played a number of different games over the years, in a number of "environments".  I would like to share some of my thoughts and experiences with other people - comments or feedback would be appreciated, and most readers should know how to reach me :)

TABLETOP GAMING
(aka "What we did in college")

This is the experience of roleplaying as it was originally conceived - two, three or preferably more people gathered in some physical place, playing out some campaign using a set of rules.  Miniatures may or may not be involved.

• TIME ISSUES: Such a game could last anywhere from 2 to 10 hours, depending on the stamina of the participants.
• PROS: Highly rewarding when done well; a full adventure, from discovery to finale, can be played out in an afternoon.
• CONS: Difficult to gather interested players in a single place and overcome scheduling difficulties.

PLAY BY EMAIL/PBEM

This style of gaming relies on players, and a Gamemaster, to communicate via e-mail.  Going back as far as the old days of the single-modem BBS, it continues today in various forms, and for various campaigns.

• TIME ISSUES: Doggedly slow unless the players are shackled to their computers.  However, the game never really ends, you only take a break from it for a few hours to a few days.
• PROS: A good approach for the novelists out there, as long pages worth of deathless prose are easy to read in email.  Gamer selection from around the world is possible.
• CONS: Almost devoid of "in your face" immediacy.  Action is difficult to maintain, and rules considerations - if rules come into play at all - can be debated for literal hours.  Advancement in slow; players in level- or experience-based games can be expected to fight kobolds for months.

IRC/INSTANT MESSAGE/MUD-HOSTED GAMING

This is a more recent innovation.  Players gather "online", using either some sort of Instant Messenging or other communication software, and game in something similar to the tabletop mode.  Various enhancements to the environment are possible to make it convenient for gamers, e.g. automatic dice rolling and "logging" facilities to record sessions.

• TIME ISSUES: Slow, but not terribly so - perhaps 3-5 times slower than your average tabletop game.
• PROS: Fairly easy to find gamers; mixes the advantages of prosy writing and immediacy of action.
• CONS: Even with an online world to choose from, games are at the mercy of players' schedules, as with tabletop.  Advancement can be slow.

MUX/MUSH/MUCK RP
(aka "is your 20-line pose done yet?")

This is roleplaying without the "gaming" element, or with it in a reduced capacity.  Players create characters in a virtual environment and encounter each other on a "grid" of the world, created by the admins and sometimes extensible by the players too.  If gamemasters exist at all, they function in a much-reduced capacity; players drive almost all of the plotting.

• TIME ISSUES: "Scenes" can last several hours, depending on interest, typing speed and complexity of the scene.
• PROS: Interesting to those who would rather be GMs but don't want the hassle of managing a playgroup.  Variety of settings online guarantees that any character you can think of can be applied for somewhere.
• CONS: Disappointing to people who enjoy a truly self-consistent world managed by a single mastermind, or to people who enjoy matching wits against a large number of NPCs instead of a small number of other players.  Activity limited to the typing speed of one person at a time, generally.

Some people may have experienced one or more of these play styles.  For those who consider roleplaying a real hobby, I highly recommend trying out as many of these modes as possible - expanding your understanding of the hobby will only make you better at it.