A collection of rambling posts about gaming, running, and politics. (and, in 2009, photography.)

Friday, March 13, 2009

A Brief Post on Gaming

So, I've started this post like half a dozen times today, and its been abortive every time. This time, I'm going to post this, for better or worse, even if I get to the end of it and have no point.

I'm a huge role playing game nerd. My fancies are broad and varied. I'm not a "D&D only" kind of guy. And I approach my hobby in a very Obsessive Compulsive fashion. It always goes like this: Jerm gets SUPER CRAZY excited about game X. Jerm spents gobs of time and attention on it, perhaps strongarming people into playing it. Game runs smoothly for awhile. Jerm's attention begins to wane. I'm like the media when there's a big **something**. I'm all like "LOOK EVERYONE! LOOK OVER HERE!!" and then its three days of NON STOP coverage of nothing but that one thing. Then it starts to trickle off, and soon you don't hear about it anymore. I'm whining, and yes, I do like cheese, thank you very much.

So. I think I started this because my blog is, in theory, partly about my gaming hobby. And when I'm quiet about it, it feels somehow like I'm betraying myself, or my blog, or you (stop snickering).

I'm kindof in a minor funk with my D&D game. We lost Maddie and John, and with Krissi due to deliver just weeks from now, my game has a weird limbo feeling to it. I still like the game, and 4e, though I confess that I've been somewhat seriously entertaining the idea of trying a retro-clone game, Labyrinthine Lord or Swords & Wizardry or something. With our baby's arrival being right around the corner, it has my panties all in a wad, so to speak. I've talked long and loud to anyone who will listen about how I intend to hop back into gaming as soon as I can. Not to the neglect of Krissi or the baby, certainly. Its just something that I intend to make every effort to continue to do.

Heh, you know, now I remember that I was going to use this post to chat a little about 4d vs 0e retro-clones. Someone's post this morning about character death made that little buzzer go off in my head. And it made me think about, and chuckle about how I seem to be doing loops to some extent, with regard to my role playing game philosophy. Which also makes me chuckle because I spend WAY too much time and energy thinking about a game that I imagine tons of people play without giving it much more though than you would to a really good game of monopoly. Its like I get paid for this stuff or something. But I don't. Anyway, it wasn't so long ago that I was whinging about how much I hated D&D. And then I was talking about how character death was a terrible mechanic in a game. And now I find myself drooling over 0e, which is basically a player character meatgrinder.

I'm sure there was a point, or three that I was flailing around for, but I don't think I've grasped at all. If you've read this far, you deserve a medal.

Heh, the title of this post has "brief" in it. Hilarious.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lo! I comment again, for the second time in a row!

My suggestion? Wrap up your current campaign before Krissi delivers. You're going to be busy, REALLY busy, and you don't need that particular bit if guilt floating around. "I really should at least finish the story my players were in last year..."

And just think - if you don't have that "shoulda" hanging around your head, you can devote precious thinking time to what sort of campaign to run next. At 3am, when you're walking and bouncing a crying baby who just won't go back to sleep even though she's exhausted.