Recently Caleb (@TheCalebG) and I were talking with some of our Patrons about how they got started in Role Playing Games and thought it would be fun to have them write a post for us about that. We didn’t ask them to specifically talk about how we [The Rpg Academy] were a part of their exposure but each of them did and it was really awesome to hear how we’ve influenced their entrance into this great hobby because that’s exactly what we’re trying to do here with our site.
So, with that out of the way, here is the first of these posts:
My take on the first few months of RPGs…
I’m bound and strapped to a chair with no other options than to play Star Wars: The Old Republic. One year later, I have diagnosed myself with Stockholm’s Syndrome. This is mostly true. Soon after Scott and I met (10 years ago, yikes!) we started playing table top trivia games. Eventually, we moved into console games and expanded to tabletop games with our friend, Jason, who we convinced to move from snowy Michigan to sunny California.
Fast forward a few years and Scott and I became fully fledged homebodies, but without the desire to just mow the lawn and watch Netflix all weekend. We started playing SWTOR, a lot! I know, I know, it’s not a real RPG. But for me, it introduced me to a world of connecting with people across the globe for a common goal. It made me look forward to hopping on Ventrilo to yap all night while playing a fun game in the background. I also learned over time what I really wanted from gaming: fun with fun people. I also learned quickly that too few women play. I see that changing more now, something I am very happy about.
We played various MMO RPGs, console games, and tabletop games. I must admit, Scott is the visionary in finding new games and genres to try. Although I would also argue it is because he has way too much free time at work and I actually work all day. A few years ago, he discovered Savage World: Deadlands. I loved the adventure. To be honest, we had pre-made characters with no backstory. It was fun, but it was all about mechanics and survival. Sure, we had a few one-liners here and there, but I really knew nothing of the system and had little connection to my character.
Then one day, Scott brought up D&D. He added the RPG Academy to the podcast list on my phone. He sucked me in by saying, “Hey, this guy runs an RPG game based on a Magic the Gathering card set.” I was hooked. We quickly listened to podcasts, ordered manuals, and made some characters.
Playing your first few sessions is grindy. For every annoying minute a newby spends looking up a rule, you will also be reminded of something great about your character or some other rule. I can’t tell you how many times it would take me a round or two of combat to remember I had a second attack that I could use instead of just one. The same goes for any rules or game systems. D&D has taught me how to look at rules, streamline them, and interpret rules of other systems fairly easily. It also taught me that sometimes the story is best told without breaking to look up rules. When in doubt, go with your gut and refresh rules later. I hate pausing great cinematic play just to look up exactly how a specific ¾ cover rule works.
Playing your first RPG takes time, I’m not gonna lie. But after spending hours and hours to make my first character, I find that other ones come really easy. It’s a release to make a new character. It is very personal to me. When I make a new character, it’s like I am bringing a piece of me into the world and letting some aspect of a personality trait go to the extreme and shine through. I made women at first, but found it is really fun to also make other types of characters. I have a male D&D character now and a droid for Edge of the Empire. Each character I have made has a piece of me, but also a trait I envy or would love to have more of in real life.
I think the best thing about RPGs is how flexible they are, especially compared to games like MMO RPGs and board game RPGs. I say this as a casual gamer. In MMOs, I spent most of my time leveling my character instead of playing it (crafting, making gear, gathering, gathering, and more gathering). You can’t change the rules in computer games. In RPGs, the group gets to decide how relaxed it is with rules or how strict it wants to be. I love that if I don’t want to play in a manner that requires me to count my arrows and my sprigs of mistletoe, I don’t have to. If another group wants to, they can. For now, Thia, Marfire, Raylena, Valz, and Sterling wait impatiently for their next adventure… and their next dirty joke.
Melissa – @XayideSD
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