DB

One of the things that I would like more of in the world are more people to talk about TTRPGs with. I want more people to talk about the rules that we get excited about, the worlds that we want to explore, and the characters that we can get to know. I want suggestions for games, systems, and people to game with. I want to be able to game in different ways–over letter, over the table, and through the direct link of our minds.

Alright, maybe we’re a little far away from telepathy.

My point still stands–I want variety in the wonderful life of things that encompass TTRPGs. There are many ways to get there, and one of the ways to do that is to continually keep different and new games in people’s interest. How can that be done?

Well, how did your gaming group assemble? Either you were already a group of friends who were doing other things together, and you decided to embark on a TTRPG together. Maybe you saw some people gaming at your friendly local gaming store, and decided to join them! Or, you had a common interest of wanting to play in some sort of tabletop game, and got together over that common interest. Maybe you met at a convention!

In all these pipelines from player to table, and from shared table to gaming group, people play their current games and their future games. It is from this pipeline that exposure to new games can happen if those folks are not actively searching for a variety of games.

While waiting for people to learn about new games would be fine, I decided that I would take it upon myself to try to act upon the world to get new games in people’s hands.

All the game mastering

One of the direct pipelines to any gaming group being formed is to inform folks that you are a game master. Truly, it is like becoming the holy grail. Players will flock to you, with…caveats.

It is much easier to get players for D&D than it is to get players for any other game. But, that’s a discussion for another day.

To give back to my TTRPG community I decided that I would run all sorts of games at our local nerd conventions. I offered a wide array of games for folks to play, and made the option available. It’s something that I desired as a player, and I figured that there were more of us out there.

There were, and there are. An online community at a local gaming store dedicated to running and playing games that are not D&D was spun up, and has grown from its original 5 (which I was not a part of!) to about…50+ people! It’s significant! And a lot of folks.

And as for my regular gaming group, there’s also mentioning and running the occasional side game from another system with them. Which…doesn’t always happen, and that’s fine. But yes, all the game mastering!

And the book clubs

I also started a small book club with a few of my improviser friends where we read new games every month and talk about them! We talk about design philosophy, and think about games from the perspective of both players and game masters. The playtesting community that I’m a part of has also started their own book club, where there has been a diverse population of philosophies and values where it comes to games and how they’re made. While that front has been a little lacking in engagement, the discussions that have occurred have been fruitful!

And talking about it whenever you can

I literally talk about games whenever it comes up in a conversation. If someone talks about tabletop, I ask them about their games that they’re playing and the stories that they’re telling. And hopefully, they ask about my own!

Surrendering

But, when all is said and done, my social battery and enthusiasm battery does run out. And being an introvert, I need some time to be away from people so that I can recharge. The most taxing of things to me is when my enthusiasm is not met or received by others, which makes me feel Othered. It feels like I’m alone in that way, although I could be sharing a game or a table with some people.

This comes up the most when it comes with running games. Especially in a pick up group (PUG), or a game at a gaming store, or at most conventions, you can’t guarantee what sort of folks you’ll be gaming with. Sometimes they may share your values and enthusiasm for games, but many times that might not be the case.

I am deeply interested in story and character, which is why improv theatre is so gratifying to me. And it is also why running games in PUGs has been more exhausting for me. I am being more fulfilled for my time when playing and hanging out with fellow improvisers than I am with fellow gamers. And…despite my want to get games out there and talked about…it’s tiring.

And it’s okay to take a break. I’m not a full time content creator, and this is not my livelihood although it is my lifeblood.

The small steps

I read a book a while ago called Micro Activism by Omkari Williams. While it talks about social justice and making changes in your community, it is from the perspective that not everyone is going to be a figurehead or a star player. Everyone has their part to play in enacting the change they want to see in the world. In fact, to figure out about the best way to make that change, Williams has a quiz on her site to figure out what type of activist you are.

Of the Indispensable, Headliner, Organizer, and Producer archetypes that are categorized by Williams in how activism is done, my TTRPG activism–a mission to get more people telling stories and games together that make them closer together as a community–takes the form of a mix of the Producer and the Organizer.

I work better with individuals and smaller groups, and I don’t want the spotlight on me. I know how to accomplish missions, and some visions, and I do my best to go about carrying them (but I’m not the greatest at doing that at times, in-between recharging!).

And for me? Talking about games, and having the book club is enough, for now. And hell, maybe the occasional game here and there when I have the energy to muster for it.