If you're like me, you find it hard sometimes to get Dice Masters on the table.  There are many reasons for this - work, family, finding someone else to actually play, managing the bustling lunar real estate market - all these factors can contribute.  So what's your best chance at getting a game in?  Well, I recommend harnessing the vast and immeasurable power of teh internetz to play someone online.  This could be your best bet to reliably get some plays in from the comfort of your own home.  The good news is this: playing Dice Masters online is relatively easy to do and pretty inexpensive, even if you're starting from square one.

If you're interested in giving the online game a go and you need help, buckle in, my friend!  This handy-dandy quick start guide should give you an easy base to work off of in your online playing endeavors.  I've used a very simple but tried-and-true method of rating each element in the remainder of this article: Good, Better, Best.  Revolutionary, I know.  Look for these labels to help decide what you must have versus what you could have.  Good is the standard - anything much less is not going to  work so hot.  Better is a step above and really a nice, reliable pick.  Best is...well, the best.  And you know what being the best is like?  Of course you do.

Hardware
The first thing you need to iron out is the physical equipment you actually need to bring the virtual Dice Masters gaming world to your desk or tabletop.  We're going to assume that you have a PC or laptop of some variety witch which you are accessing the world wide web - and I wouldn't presume to give you advice on what to buy there, anyhow.  So what else do you need?

Webcam
The first step is to make sure that your opponent can visually see what's going on on your side of the fence, and this requires a webcam.  Webcams come in two standard varieties: built-in and peripheral. Computers have many, many varieties of built-in webcams so, there again, you have to decide if you're built-in cam is good enough.  Keep in mind that if you are playing on a laptop and you intend to use your built-in camera, you're going to have to tilt it down to show your opponent your board and that can create a difficult time for you to see what's going on on their side.  It's still doable, but not ideal.

What do I recommend?  A solid webcam.  This is the webcam I use - it retails for $20 and I picked it up for 5$ on Craigslist from a guy that I'm certain immediately turned that 5$ into weed, but whatever.  I would call my camera ok - if you've seen any of my live-play videos that's what you're going to get out of it.  If you really want to up your game on hardware, go with something bigger and badder.  This guy is leaner, meaner and the picture is cleaner (see how I did that?).  If you can afford it, go for it.

Good: Built-in laptop or computer camera
Better: Cheap Webcam
Best: Expensive Webcam

Microphone
If your opponent can see you, great...but can they hear you?  Here again we have a few basic options, but I want to make a note here: headphones are a must.  Make sure you're wearing some kind of headphone or ear buds and set your settings so that all volume output from your computer is coming through your headset.  Why?  If you don't you'll be feeding back into your speakers and creating annoying echo and delay effects that will make the match audibly unenjoyable.  And you don't want that.

If your computer or laptop has a built in audio input and it's decent, that'll probably be good enough.  If you're not producing your video to reshow it for some sort of publication reason (like The Reserve Pool or another blog) you just need to make sure you can be heard clearly.  If you'd like to increase your quality a bit but don't have a lot of $ to spend you could pick up a USB microphone for pretty cheap.  You could pick up one of these bad boys for over double the price - and they're pretty nice for casual audio.  Keep in mind: you need a USB mic that will plug in directly to your computer.  Otherwise you'll have to get some kind of preamp or mixer to run audio through a normal XLR output microphone.

Good: Built-in laptop or computer microphone
Better: Cheap USB Mic
Best: Blue Snowball USB Mic

Software
Ok, so you've got the A/V side of things covered - now it's time to figure out what platform to play over.  At this point, you've got two major options.  The first is face-to-face over some kind of internet video chat platform.  This mimics the way it feels to sit down at the table across from someone.  The other way is through the Vassal Engine.  Vassal is an unofficial and unlicensed board game simulator - it's a platform to play board games on a virtual table that users program with content and behaviors. If you're familiar with Vassal then go for it.  If not, you'll have to find some tutorials on how to use it because I can't really advise you there.  I don't use Vassal very much and don't have much experience with it.  Here's a link to the Dice Masters modules anyhow.

Videochat Platform
So what do I suggest?  Well, I've played several games online and I've used a couple different formats.  First, you can use some sort of dedicated integrated video chat service, like FaceTime.   This can definitely do the job but is usually suited for just 2 players to enjoy.  If you want to invite others you can do better than FaceTime.

Skype or MSN or something similar can fill a spot for you.  You can invite more than one person to the chat and essentially create an audience for your game.  In my experience, the best software to use for running a Dice Masters game online is Google+ Hangouts.  I like Hangouts the best for two main reasons.  One, it's super easy and intuitive and you don't need an additional login for it.  Most folks have a Google account of some sort.  Second, you can easily record your matches without needing to outsource your capturing, since it integrates directly into YouTube.


Good: Some built-in video chat, like FaceTime
Better: Skype
Best: Google+ Hangouts

Where Can I Find Players?
Well...that's a great question!  There are a pretty good deal of Dice Masters' players who play online but there may not be just one location good location (yet...) to congregate and find online games.  The easiest resource is through your own personal connections.  You might be thinking, "why would I not just meet up with a friend and play?"  Again, it goes back to our reasons for not having the time for a physical game and how easy it is to connect from the comfort and schedule of being in your own home.

As it stands, there is a Dice Masters Online Facebook group and a Google + Community dedicated to connecting players together online.  There is a large pool to draw from and it's easy to post that you're looking to either play or spectate a game.  If you're not a part of this community and you want to play lots of online games, then you should join up.

Good: Hang out on a street corner and pass out your Google+ Hangouts link
Better: Hook up with friends who play that you know personally
Best: Find a game on  or Google+

Well, that's it for this guide!  Hopefully this answers a few questions and can get you up and running. Experiment a little with this stuff to make sure you've got the handle on it before you throw in 'gung-ho," or just make sure you're playing with someone who's happy to help out a new person and has patience with the process.

In Part 2 we'll talk about issues of etiquette and other nuances of playing Dice Masters online.  Look for that article in the coming week.

Until next time!

- Chris