RPGaDay2015 -- The End
Okay, so I fell behind again. Here's the last lap, though, all in one fell swoop for all you patient readers who are, no doubt, endlessly interested in all my RPG stuff. :)
Day 28: Favorite Game You No Longer Play
Oh man. So... Shadowrun. Shadowrun was my go-to favorite for a lot of years. It was the first game I ever really GMd. I like how the fantasy races let us deal with some of the uglier aspects of human nature head on. I like how the magic gave it just enough fantasy without getting rid of all familiarity (and I'm a sucker for urban fantasy). I liked the cyberpunk aspects of it. I loved the people it introduced me to, many of whom are still dear friends to this day. It was my entryway to the industry, first in editing through my work for FASA Corp., and then through writing as I started picking up bits and pieces in the line. I haven't touched it since I parted freelance ways with Catalyst.
Really, the reasons for this boil down to two things. First, I really don't like the rules changes; 4th was going in an awesome direction, I think, but the departure of pretty much the entire creative team meant handing something new and fragile over to people who had no part in its creation and no reason to try to shepherd it until it gained its feet. It was a big change, and without that team to keep pushing it forward... it couldn't end well. 5th edition may well be an improvement over where 4th ended up, but I don't like the stuff they brought back that we were trying to get away from in the first place. So no.
Second, my taste in games has changed. I still like urban fantasy, but 80s urban fantasy cyberpunk feels super dated to me now. Also, the system is weirdly crunchy in odd ways (go 90s game design!) and that's not the sort of system I like. If I'm going to run games now, I'm going to do it using systems that are more intuitive and provide more narrative engagement. So, yeah, no more Shadowrun for me. Keep having fun, though, chummers, fake cursing and all. :)
Day 29: Favorite RPG Website/Blog
So, this one's a tie: First place goes to RPGnet. I've been a mod there for years, and now I'm an admin. I'm proud of my work there and the work of all the staff (all of whom are volunteer), and I think that despite the challenges that come with handling an userbase of 10k souls who enjoy playing games from all around the world, it's pretty darn reasonable and nifty. No one likes all the decisions we make as mods, not even us. Overall, though, it's a really good place to talk about games and a good, if occasionally fractious, community. Also, I'd like to say that I know its rep stretching back to the days of yore; to those who feel that way, I'd like to suggest that a) you haven't been by lately and b) if you pay attention to the Internet, then you know what a real Mos Eisley looks like thanks to 4chan and Reddit. Perspective in all things.
Second, I've got to put up my husband's blog, Gaming and Related Services. He's got more actual play action than anyone else I know of, as well as movie reviews and game reviews and the occasional GMing article, etc. If you don't read it, you should.
Day 30: Favorite RPG-Playing Celebrity
So, we know of a lot of men who play tabletop RPGs, but have far fewer women that we're aware of. I'm therefore going to stretch and say Rosario Dawson, who's a huge gamer, does voicework, made a fantastic Gamora AND puts Daredevil back together again when he gets beaten up in the Netflix series. If she's ever at a con I'm at, I'll give her a game to try with her daughter. :) Thanks, Rosario. You're awesome.
Day 31: Favorite Non-RPG Thing to Come Out of RPGing
So, my marriage. Playing RPGs led to working in the industry, and working in the industry led to working with Matt and meeting him, and meeting him led to reading each other's LJs back in the day and keeping in touch, and then that led to a relationship, and here we are married. And we own a game company together. We have kids and dogs and friends and love and a house that desperately needs more TLC than we can afford to give it, but such is the way of things. I am profoundly grateful for this hobby and this industry, cottage though it may be, and the ways in which it has affected my life.
Day 28: Favorite Game You No Longer Play
Oh man. So... Shadowrun. Shadowrun was my go-to favorite for a lot of years. It was the first game I ever really GMd. I like how the fantasy races let us deal with some of the uglier aspects of human nature head on. I like how the magic gave it just enough fantasy without getting rid of all familiarity (and I'm a sucker for urban fantasy). I liked the cyberpunk aspects of it. I loved the people it introduced me to, many of whom are still dear friends to this day. It was my entryway to the industry, first in editing through my work for FASA Corp., and then through writing as I started picking up bits and pieces in the line. I haven't touched it since I parted freelance ways with Catalyst.Really, the reasons for this boil down to two things. First, I really don't like the rules changes; 4th was going in an awesome direction, I think, but the departure of pretty much the entire creative team meant handing something new and fragile over to people who had no part in its creation and no reason to try to shepherd it until it gained its feet. It was a big change, and without that team to keep pushing it forward... it couldn't end well. 5th edition may well be an improvement over where 4th ended up, but I don't like the stuff they brought back that we were trying to get away from in the first place. So no.
Second, my taste in games has changed. I still like urban fantasy, but 80s urban fantasy cyberpunk feels super dated to me now. Also, the system is weirdly crunchy in odd ways (go 90s game design!) and that's not the sort of system I like. If I'm going to run games now, I'm going to do it using systems that are more intuitive and provide more narrative engagement. So, yeah, no more Shadowrun for me. Keep having fun, though, chummers, fake cursing and all. :)
Day 29: Favorite RPG Website/Blog
So, this one's a tie: First place goes to RPGnet. I've been a mod there for years, and now I'm an admin. I'm proud of my work there and the work of all the staff (all of whom are volunteer), and I think that despite the challenges that come with handling an userbase of 10k souls who enjoy playing games from all around the world, it's pretty darn reasonable and nifty. No one likes all the decisions we make as mods, not even us. Overall, though, it's a really good place to talk about games and a good, if occasionally fractious, community. Also, I'd like to say that I know its rep stretching back to the days of yore; to those who feel that way, I'd like to suggest that a) you haven't been by lately and b) if you pay attention to the Internet, then you know what a real Mos Eisley looks like thanks to 4chan and Reddit. Perspective in all things.
Second, I've got to put up my husband's blog, Gaming and Related Services. He's got more actual play action than anyone else I know of, as well as movie reviews and game reviews and the occasional GMing article, etc. If you don't read it, you should.
Day 30: Favorite RPG-Playing Celebrity
So, we know of a lot of men who play tabletop RPGs, but have far fewer women that we're aware of. I'm therefore going to stretch and say Rosario Dawson, who's a huge gamer, does voicework, made a fantastic Gamora AND puts Daredevil back together again when he gets beaten up in the Netflix series. If she's ever at a con I'm at, I'll give her a game to try with her daughter. :) Thanks, Rosario. You're awesome.
Day 31: Favorite Non-RPG Thing to Come Out of RPGing
So, my marriage. Playing RPGs led to working in the industry, and working in the industry led to working with Matt and meeting him, and meeting him led to reading each other's LJs back in the day and keeping in touch, and then that led to a relationship, and here we are married. And we own a game company together. We have kids and dogs and friends and love and a house that desperately needs more TLC than we can afford to give it, but such is the way of things. I am profoundly grateful for this hobby and this industry, cottage though it may be, and the ways in which it has affected my life.
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