Question about general use of video

Hello fellow gamers! First of all, apologies if this post is in the wrong forum but this seemed the best fit. As I browse open games to join, more and more lately I see games that are marked "Video & Voice."  Many of these have further reinforcements the likes of "must have webcam" and so forth. My question asked to the general populace here is:  what drives your need/desire for video instead of just audio? I haven't yet seen any that explain why this is their requirement.  Personally, I haven't owned a webcam for my desktop since around the year 2000, and I'm not particularly interested in purchasing one.  I love to play tabletop games with friends live and in person, so I could understand that draw to some extent... That said, I have an aversion to being on a video feed or video recording.  I'm cool with audio, but my imagination is lacking as to what value is added by looking at other people at their computers/devices. Your input is appreciated! Happy gaming, MJ

I personally miss looking at other players facial expressions while role-playing in real life. As a DM, I roll20 I see who's is talking and how they react to different situations the characters could be facing. I like this feature of roll20 offers. 

As a DM I love running with video. I've done both, and I greatly miss having body language to react to. So much of the game is interacting with other people, and not having those visual clues is something I greatly miss when I run without video.

As both a GM and a player, I revile video. I never request it from my players, and I disable it in all campaigns. It takes away from the comfort of the player, in my experience. I want my players to lose themselves in their characters, and that's much easier if both they and their fellow players envision them as their character.

Put me down in the absolutely prefer video camp. We had one player who had no webcam, and it was much more difficult to interact with in the absence of body language, and unless he spoke up, those of us on video found it difficult to remember he was there. Now that he is on video, all is better with the world. I'd never demand it of anyone, though.

I only use video in my Cthulu Confidential/Gumshoe one2one games. They are single player games with the intensity ramped up to 11, watching them squirm and using expressions to convey mood.

"Require" is personal preference of the group. In our group, "video only" is optional, with TeamSpeak3 for voice. We can't play without voice, that's why it's outside roll20 proper. Video does add to the sense of playing with a person, makes it easier for me to parse what's going on compared to only having voice. It also makes it a bit harder for the player to multi-task between roll20 and some other distraction.

I've spent the last 5yrs running and playing text only games. Depending on your needs and wants, the video and audio (from whatever option) is what makes your game function. Many people feel that the audio/video brings the feel of sitting at a table with friends to the game as you see and hear them react. Others feel that the audio is good enough as it provides the needed communication while allowing the imagination and creativity to explode.

Thank you all for your replies! It definitely helps me understand now, that it seems the main draw to using video is to replace the missing body language/facial expression cues one would have in a tabletop game in person.  The telepresence aspect can also satisfy the desire to play in person for those who are otherwise remote, or in areas where tabletop gaming may not be as popular and good groups are difficult or impossible to find. KeithCurtis, I appreciate that you don't make it an absolute requirement of your players!  I am more aligned with Shaemus - I am rather uncomfortable being on video and it will have the opposite effect of using just text or audio, for me.  I've done so much better imagining and portraying a character in the fiction when using audio or text only formats. Text more than audio, to Pat S's point.  (Pat, I'm joining your text only group!!)  Honestly, I don't even like watching other players on video feeds, due generally to the lighting and the "screen glow" face. I can get more into character when I'm not being stared at - a phenomenon I've observed both personally and anecdotally through other gamers I know.  Playing with some of the same players both in person and later on roll20, there is a definite and significant reduction in silliness and "dicking around" if you'll pardon the expression.  Any group I've been with has gotten more done in a 3-4 hour span on roll20 (or OpenRPG back in the day) than a 6 hour span in person.  This may not be everyone's experience, and honestly if you have a group who enjoys using video and makes good use of it, more power to you! As part of a group making a short podcast of 5e D&D, I am the only one to have done a character voice in our first run.  That is me making efforts to get out of my comfort zone a bit, but being on video is not analogous (for me) to being in person.  Coming from a long history of using OpenRPG in a text-only format, I cherish the rich storytelling we were capable of and the ease of posting logs that could be read before the next session - which resulted in characters with "better memories" of their own experiences over a campaign stretching nearly five years of real time. When I joined roll20 a few years ago, the notion of using audio was absolutely foreign to me - but I grew accustomed, because it is honestly very practical and allows for the conveyance of emotion in a familiar medium as our characters.  Video just doesn't seem as practical for the reasons I value digital communication, because we aren't LARPing - we're sitting in front of computers or mobile devices - unlike our characters.  Still, I can absolutely appreciate the reasoning y'all have put forth, and I value your feedback!

A lot of interesting and valid viewpoints here. I personally find myself in two minds about requiring video. I can certainly understand the potential for feeling awkward when seeing one's self in video while conversing, but I  have also become aware that conversing via voice-only can lead to instances of players inadvertently talking over each other because they can't tell whether a player has finished talking or is just pausing, which can make communication somewhat disjointed at times.

Hi Greenglade!  You bring up something none of us has so far mentioned, about talking over one another.  I've found that even sitting at the same table and looking at one another, we tend to get excited at times and say something before someone is finished speaking, or as someone else is starting to talk.  The only time gaming has been free of this sort of thing is when we were using text-only format. If anyone has figured out a successful and non-intrusive way of addressing that problem, I'd appreciate your sharing! MJ

Michael J., I had never considered that some people might feel uncomfortable on video. I'll have to keep that in mind if it ever becomes an issue. It's completely antithetical to me, as a theater geek and attention hound, but I should remember that not all people feel that way. Thanks.