The interwebs - net positive or negative?

soltakss · January 19, 2015, 10:30:08 AM

Quote from: Grymbok;810649On the other hand, I find that modern RPGs are far worse for my tastes than those published back in the pre-internet days.

That's probably more of an age thing. Very few things are as good as they used to be.

Ravenswing · January 19, 2015, 10:32:50 AM

Quote from: David Johansen;810647Another thing I've observed is that many people aren't willing to come to the store and play rpgs, they'd rather play at home. I can respect that, you don't have to worry about offending people who wander in or including trolls who want to join.

Yep. I've been invited, quite a few times over the years, to GM at FLGSes. And the way I figure, it's always boiled down to the following:

FLGS: I set up, with the amount of stuff I can comfortably carry, at the store's gaming table. (In more than one iteration, this is a rickety 6' x 6' card table that seats just a handful comfortably, set up in the store's cramped broom closet of a back room.) Proceedings can be interrupted at any time by passers-by, to whom I have to be prepared to explain what's going on, at as much length as said passers-by require. The ability to indulge in food and drink can be problematic. Noise level is variable, and also outside my control. I am at the owner's whim as to the hours I can play, and not unreasonably, there is a degree of pressure upon my group to patronize the store. There's travel time to and from the venue.

Home: I set up with as much stuff as I feel like; I don't have to carry a damn thing, and I can go get that binder from my study if I turn out to need it. I'm in my own comfy armchair, and in fact there are armchairs and couches for all my players, each of whom has their own tray table. Food and drink are no problem, and the kitchen's near to hand to produce more. Noise, traffic and itinerants are entirely under my control. I can play whenever I want, as long as I want, and five minutes after the players are out the door, I can be snoozing in my own bed.

It's always been a no-brainer.

Bren · January 19, 2015, 11:38:54 AM

Quote from: David Johansen;810647I can respect that, you don't have to worry about offending people who wander in or including trolls who want to join.

The latter is a big plus. Also all the stuff Ravenswing said, except for the snoozing in bed 5 minutes after everyone leaves. I am always too wired to sleep for hours after GMing.

Quote from: soltakss;810657That's probably more of an age thing. Very few things are as good as they used to be.

Wine is better. Though that may be, as you say, an age thing.

Grymbok · January 19, 2015, 12:22:49 PM

Quote from: soltakss;810657That's probably more of an age thing. Very few things are as good as they used to be.

Well yes and no. I'm not doing the full-on old man thing and shouting "get off my lawn". But yes, my tastes in RPGs were formed in the late 80s/early 90s, and the kind of games that were popular then are no longer popular. Times change. I just find it mildly annoying sometimes that there's nothing around I want to buy any more.

I do have one last game I want to try that's a post-1990 design which I think might work for me, before I just give up and call myself an irredeemable grognard.

rawma · January 19, 2015, 12:28:40 PM

Quote from: Ravenswing;810658FLGS: I set up, with the amount of stuff I can comfortably carry, at the store's gaming table. (In more than one iteration, this is a rickety 6' x 6' card table that seats just a handful comfortably, set up in the store's cramped broom closet of a back room.) Proceedings can be interrupted at any time by passers-by, to whom I have to be prepared to explain what's going on, at as much length as said passers-by require. The ability to indulge in food and drink can be problematic. Noise level is variable, and also outside my control. I am at the owner's whim as to the hours I can play, and not unreasonably, there is a degree of pressure upon my group to patronize the store. There's travel time to and from the venue.

I suppose I should be more appreciative of the GMs who keep running games at my local store (although it has more space and better tables). While the players face some of those disadvantages, the opportunity to play a number of different games run by people who know the rules well is enough of an attraction for me.

Skyrock · January 19, 2015, 01:16:11 PM

The internet has been a huge net positive for the hobby, no ifs ands or buts. OOP-books have been made available as PDFs like never before. Anyone with OpenOffice and some webspace can begin sharing his games for free, or selling them online. Players can be found even beyond personal contacts and the remaining FLGS networks.

We won't get an golden age like the 80s ever again with all those competing leisure activities of today, but the internet age has led us as close as we can get to one in the present day.

RPGPundit · January 21, 2015, 03:28:14 PM

Positive, obviously.

The interwebs - net positive or negative?

soltakss

Ravenswing

Bren

Grymbok

rawma

Skyrock

RPGPundit