Hello, fellow gamers:
I come to you desperate for advice. I am a gamer who immigrated to the United States from Russia about five years ago. And I seem to be unable to find people to play with here.
Back in Russia, this was not an issue. Even though there are fewer gamers in Russia and the hobby is not as developed and accepted, I could always find bright people who would have me. It was tough at times: when I wanted to explore certain games, frequently I had to translate the relevant materials for my fellow gamers or teach people from the ground up.
However, ever since I moved to the United States, I was unable to find a group. The reason seems to be that my tastes are utterly incompatible with those of the local gamers. I want to play "authentic" games and explore difficult social and moral concepts through games. By way of example, when playing a historical setting, I want the game to stay within the shouting distance of the source material. And in science fiction games, I want to be able to discuss the implications of, for example, the technology that would allow switching bodies (like Altered Carbon). And that stuff seems to be driving the local players insane.
I have heard before that things could be different in other parts of the United States. I am currently in New England and have not been out of it much. Is that the case?
Are there alternatives? Or do I have to move to find less sensitive people?
Sincerely,
A desperate immigrant gamer.
After gaming in the 'states for the entirety of my adult life, I have the following advice for all gamemasters:
Don't game with gamers
I'm serious. After decades of starting new groups, I've consistently found the best results from recruiting existing non-gaming friends. Gamers tend to develop strong, intractable preferences and be extremely unwilling to compromise or adapt. Brand-new players are more likely to be open-minded regarding gaming; and who better to explore weird, esoteric themes with than say, your sci-fi nerd friends? Who better to explore a historical game with than friends who have conversations about the issue you want to explore?
The basic rule is going to be "can I have a conversation with these people about the topic I want to explore?" If the answer is yes, then they're prime material for being gaming buddies.
YouTube your stuff. Players will find you. Then use StreamYard to RPG with others.
I've never had an issue with players that were not willing to play games with sensitive material and I'm in "Upstate" NY. My recommendation is avoid any game clubs or other gaming groups in the major cities - to many modern college slugs.
My advice is to invite friends to game with you, rather than recruiting random gamers. That's always what has worked best for me.
There some exceptions to the above in my personal experience. I've had good experiences gaming with "existing gamers" that became friends through online forums, first. The key there is finding some like-minded gamers. If you can find a forum or board that is focused on your gaming tastes, you'll have better luck with that approach.
"Gamer culture" certainly varies a lot in different parts of the world, but I doubt you're going to find a European/Continental style preference for mature & deep gaming as the default gamer culture anywhere in the US or Anglosphere. I had a Norwegian player annoyed by D&D's lack of seriousness, a-historical roles for women, et al - now he is back in Norway doing HEMA, film-making, and the kinds of games he likes. :)
I think you are basically going to have to build your group from the ground up, recruiting from people who share your interests rather than from mainstream gamer culture. You might want to look at recruiting from RPG-tangential hobbies like HEMA or Science & Futurism groups, rather than from gamer groups.
Edit: It occurs to me that boards/groups for Simulationist-oriented games like Runequest/Pendragon might offer some possibilities. I think D&D groups are going to be parched ground.
Quote from: Chubby;1104049Hello, fellow gamers:
I come to you desperate for advice. I am a gamer who immigrated to the United States from Russia about five years ago. And I seem to be unable to find people to play with here.
Back in Russia, this was not an issue. Even though there are fewer gamers in Russia and the hobby is not as developed and accepted, I could always find bright people who would have me. It was tough at times: when I wanted to explore certain games, frequently I had to translate the relevant materials for my fellow gamers or teach people from the ground up.
However, ever since I moved to the United States, I was unable to find a group. The reason seems to be that my tastes are utterly incompatible with those of the local gamers. I want to play "authentic" games and explore difficult social and moral concepts through games. By way of example, when playing a historical setting, I want the game to stay within the shouting distance of the source material. And in science fiction games, I want to be able to discuss the implications of, for example, the technology that would allow switching bodies (like Altered Carbon). And that stuff seems to be driving the local players insane.
I have heard before that things could be different in other parts of the United States. I am currently in New England and have not been out of it much. Is that the case?
Are there alternatives? Or do I have to move to find less sensitive people?
Sincerely,
A desperate immigrant gamer.
Can't you try to hook up with roleplayers through Skype, Google hangouts, Roll20 or something? Everybody can't be so sensitive. What rpg games are you playing? There is no need to move from New England just to play rpgs, is there? Have a bunch of people fill in that silly Monte Cook consent form and look for fantastic people like me marking everything green apart from romance (explicit) and sex (explicit).
Quote from: Azraele;1104050After gaming in the 'states for the entirety of my adult life, I have the following advice for all gamemasters:
Don't game with gamers
I'm serious. After decades of starting new groups, I've consistently found the best results from recruiting existing non-gaming friends. Gamers tend to develop strong, intractable preferences and be extremely unwilling to compromise or adapt. Brand-new players are more likely to be open-minded regarding gaming; and who better to explore weird, esoteric themes with than say, your sci-fi nerd friends? Who better to explore a historical game with than friends who have conversations about the issue you want to explore?
The basic rule is going to be "can I have a conversation with these people about the topic I want to explore?" If the answer is yes, then they're prime material for being gaming buddies.
This is probably some of the best advice that I have read yet.
Quote from: Chubby;1104049Hello, fellow gamers:
I come to you desperate for advice. I am a gamer who immigrated to the United States from Russia about five years ago. And I seem to be unable to find people to play with here.
Back in Russia, this was not an issue. Even though there are fewer gamers in Russia and the hobby is not as developed and accepted, I could always find bright people who would have me. It was tough at times: when I wanted to explore certain games, frequently I had to translate the relevant materials for my fellow gamers or teach people from the ground up.
However, ever since I moved to the United States, I was unable to find a group. The reason seems to be that my tastes are utterly incompatible with those of the local gamers. I want to play "authentic" games and explore difficult social and moral concepts through games. By way of example, when playing a historical setting, I want the game to stay within the shouting distance of the source material. And in science fiction games, I want to be able to discuss the implications of, for example, the technology that would allow switching bodies (like Altered Carbon). And that stuff seems to be driving the local players insane.
I have heard before that things could be different in other parts of the United States. I am currently in New England and have not been out of it much. Is that the case?
Are there alternatives? Or do I have to move to find less sensitive people?
Sincerely,
A desperate immigrant gamer.
You could try online gaming. Note that I am NOT talking about video games, but actual RPG's played online. These are most often done as either forum-based role-playing games where you make forum posts in-character (or as the GM) and another option is to run games via Discord chat, which is free and browser-based.
Quote from: Azraele;1104050Don't game with gamers
This has been my experience as well. My best gaming experiences have been with kids, actually (I'm an English teacher.)
What is your opinion of D & D 5th Edition?
Quote from: Cave Bear;1104135This has been my experience as well. My best gaming experiences have been with kids, actually (I'm an English teacher.)
No wonder kids today are so messed up if they are taught English by cave bears.:p
Quote from: Cave Bear;1104135This has been my experience as well. My best gaming experiences have been with kids, actually (I'm an English teacher.)
I've run groups in school for years. Last year ran 6th-8th graders. They really got into it. I ran FATE for a bit, then went with my own little hack of old school systems. The second was a bit better for me, because it forced them to work together to survive. In FATE, they did some crazy stuff, and had a tendency to pattern characters after video game PCs.:-/ They did like FATE a lot better, though. I just made sure they knew what was out there, if they wanted to try some things, including D&D. Game them web links and such.
Thank you for your answers. The abundance of helpful tips makes me confident that coming to this forum was the right decision.
I will try to respond to every point you have made.
1. Don't game with gamers. That is a good point. Back in Russia, I had to introduce a lot of people to the hobby, so it is a familiar concept to me. However, the issues that I am facing trying to find gamers are the same issues that foil all my efforts at making friends here.
Non-gamers I have met in New England took offense with the topics that interest me as much as gamers. There were four exceptions in my five years here: a guy who was originally from the South and who moved back South (part of the reason I thought moving may be an answer), a fellow Eastern European immigrant who unfortunately lives on an island off the coast, and two of my colleagues. I am quite a bit hesitant about introducing my colleagues to gaming as I am technically their manager, and it may seem a bit weird. I will re-consider gaming with them based on your advice.
You have also mentioned looking for "candidates" among HEMA, Science & Futurism groups, and boards/groups for Simulationist-oriented games like Runequest/Pendragon. I have no experience with such groups, but I will give it a shot. I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some pointers as I have no idea how to find these groups. (tangentially related to HEMA - I am horrified with American LARPers as in my experience they frown upon alcohol. Alcohol is the most crucial part of the good Russian LARPs!)
2. Play Online. Good advice that I am already taking. I have regularly been playing with my friends from Russia over roll20 and Discord all these years. However, all things equal, gaming in person is better than staring at a screen. I want to find a local group to meet in person - any online itches I can scratch with Russian gamers online. (Rush B!)
3. Play with Kids. You laugh, but my Plan B is to raise a group of super-gamers with my gamer wife. If I am the first GM they see upon birth, they will imprint on me, right? But unfortunately, nobody seems willing to entrust their kids to a weird Eastern European immigrant playing pretend with funny dice.
4. No Need to Move for Gaming. "There is no need to move from New England just to play rpgs, is there?" you ask. Well, I came to the United States from across the world alone with just a suitcase to make a new life for myself. Moving a couple of States over is nothing for me. And I take my gaming seriously!
5. Avoid Major Cities. I am not sure how to do that. Could you please elaborate? How do I meet gamers outside major cities? Most websites and meetups I could find all point to the major cities - there seems to be little gaming life outside of them. How should I search?
6. YouTube your stuff. Having something worth showing seems to be a prerequisite to a successful YouTube channel. However, if I had something to show, that would mean I had players. So it looks like solving my current problem is a prerequisite for YouTubing my stuff. Unless I am misunderstanding you, or you are into Russian-language gaming channels.
7. Game Preferences. You may find my answer unsatisfying, but I am willing to learn and play any system as long as the underlying premise and topic of the game suit me.
To illustrate, I would not say that I want to play GURPS or play in the Forgotten Realms. I would say that I want to play a game that poses difficult moral, ethical, or philosophical questions by exploring "what if" scenarios while challenging me as a player. That game may be a RoleMaster game, a Shadowrun game, or even a FATE game (I have yet to see a good FATE game though). In a way, system and setting are tools, not goals. However, there can be shitty tools, so I am not going to pretend that I like any of the "narrative" games.
To the question asking about D&D5E - I do not think it is a particularly useful or versatile tool. It clings to outdated mechanisms that serve no purpose in the game, and all that clutter stands in the way of the game doing anything right.
Quote from: GIMME SOME SUGAR;1104138No wonder kids today are so messed up if they are taught English by cave bears.:p
Could be worse. [ATTACH=CONFIG]3842[/ATTACH]
Quote from: Chubby;1104270You have also mentioned looking for "candidates" among HEMA, Science & Futurism groups, and boards/groups for Simulationist-oriented games like Runequest/Pendragon. I have no experience with such groups, but I will give it a shot. I would greatly appreciate it if you could give me some pointers as I have no idea how to find these groups.
Well googling HEMA turned up https://www.hemaalliance.com/club-finders
You could always use Meetup.com and start an RPG Meetup based out of your location and attuned to your requirements.
Science & Futurism - well I just know Isaac Arthur's facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/isaacarthur/ - I guess 'hard SF' book cubs/societies too? Try Googling.
Edit: I posted this on starting an RPG Meetup - https://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?39280-Starting-a-D-amp-D-Meetup
Quote from: Chubby;1104270(tangentially related to HEMA - I am horrified with American LARPers as in my experience they frown upon alcohol. Alcohol is the most crucial part of the good Russian LARPs!)
By God, man! You need to come to Knoxville, TN. We have a nerd bar called Green's Tavern and another gaming specific nerd bar is opening up called The Dented Mug! We not only believe in alcohol and gaming, we actively support it! :D
Quote from: jeff37923;1104289By God, man! You need to come to Knoxville, TN. We have a nerd bar called Green's Tavern and another gaming specific nerd bar is opening up called The Dented Mug! We not only believe in alcohol and gaming, we actively support it! :D
I've considered moving back, but the pitiful pay scale at Covenant Health and the other hospitals in the area keeps me away.
When talking about major cities I'm mostly talking about places like NYC, Boston, Buffalo. I've run into way too many pretentious people who spend more time talking about the "art" of gaming, social contracts, and such then just playing the game and having fun. I ran into these types back in college when I joined the gaming club, and found it dominated by the above types and they almost all came from one of those cities. Admittedly that was my experience and you may find a different experience.
Alternatively, you could try gaming the way local groups around you like to play. Maybe you'll find some things that YOU LIKE that you hadn't considered before. It would certainly be easier to give that a try than relocating (again). By playing their style for 3-6 months, you might find that they're more willing to give your preferred play style a try - especially if the commitment level is low. If you join an established group, it's possible the GM will need a break and you could be ready to run something YOU LIKE.
Quote from: Chubby;1104270Thank you for your answers. The abundance of helpful tips makes me confident that coming to this forum was the right decision.
I will try to respond to every point you have made.
1. Don't game with gamers. That is a good point. Back in Russia, I had to introduce a lot of people to the hobby, so it is a familiar concept to me. However, the issues that I am facing trying to find gamers are the same issues that foil all my efforts at making friends here.
2. Play Online. Good advice that I am already taking. I have regularly been playing with my friends from Russia over roll20 and Discord all these years. However, all things equal, gaming in person is better than staring at a screen. I want to find a local group to meet in person - any online itches I can scratch with Russian gamers online. (Rush B!)
3. Play with Kids. You laugh, but my Plan B is to raise a group of super-gamers with my gamer wife. If I am the first GM they see upon birth, they will imprint on me, right? But unfortunately, nobody seems willing to entrust their kids to a weird Eastern European immigrant playing pretend with funny dice.
4. No Need to Move for Gaming. "There is no need to move from New England just to play rpgs, is there?" you ask. Well, I came to the United States from across the world alone with just a suitcase to make a new life for myself. Moving a couple of States over is nothing for me. And I take my gaming seriously!
5. Avoid Major Cities. I am not sure how to do that. Could you please elaborate? How do I meet gamers outside major cities? Most websites and meetups I could find all point to the major cities - there seems to be little gaming life outside of them. How should I search?
I can elaborate further on some tips for some of these solutions....
1. Trying to find your niche in an already established group of gamers is hard to do and it's usually better to start your own group, I am in total agreement with you there.
2. Playing online is good and you seem to have that covered, so no need to elaborate further
3. I don't have kids or a wife, so I can't comment. Then again, I'm twenty-six years old and trying to learn a trade and get independent. The last thing I right now need is a wife and kids, but i digress...
4. If you want to move, that would be a good idea. Especially since the cost of living in New England is fairly expensive from what I hear. I know of some places where you can live for fairly cheap, although a lot of these areas are rural and impoverished.
5. Basically avoid the major cities like New York City, Boston, Washington DC, et cetera. A lot of these cities are rife with SJW's, very expensive to live in, and some of them are crime-ridden hellholes (like Chicago) or are overpriced and polluted hellholes dominated by hipsters, yuppies, and Antifa gangs (like Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco)
I'd recommend mid-sized or small-sized cities where there is a sizable population, but not to an overcrowded degree. I live in Roanoke, a small-sized city in Virginia that is also a regional population hub. The city proper is home to about 100,000 people give or take, while the wider Roanoke Valley region (the city of Roanoke plus Roanoke County and the independent towns of Vinton and Salem) put the population at around roughly 300,000.
But even in rural areas you can find gaming groups or people to game with if you know where to look.
The town of Wise, Virginia is a small town of less than 4000 inhabitants, located in a very poor and rural region of the state. And yet it is home to Cavalier Comics, a local store that sells gaming materials and also hosts gaming events for role-playing games, card games, and board games. It's been in business since 1996, despite being in such a poor and remote location. It helps that the owner is a good guy who knows how to run the place.
One caveat though. In addition to avoiding major cities, I'd avoid gaming at colleges. Colleges and universities are an even worse hotbed of SJW's, malcontents, and hipster upstarts than most major cities.
Now, I've not gamed in a long while but I've been wanting to get back into it.
If you're ever in Roanoke, feel free to look me up and we can game!
Quote from: jeff37923;1104289By God, man! You need to come to Knoxville, TN. We have a nerd bar called Green's Tavern and another gaming specific nerd bar is opening up called The Dented Mug! We not only believe in alcohol and gaming, we actively support it! :D
I might need to take a trip to those places soon. I've been planning on taking a road trip to Knoxville and the nearby areas of Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg in the fall of 2020.
Quote from: deadDMwalking;1104316Alternatively, you could try gaming the way local groups around you like to play. Maybe you'll find some things that YOU LIKE that you hadn't considered before. It would certainly be easier to give that a try than relocating (again). By playing their style for 3-6 months, you might find that they're more willing to give your preferred play style a try - especially if the commitment level is low. If you join an established group, it's possible the GM will need a break and you could be ready to run something YOU LIKE.
Ideally, this could work. But if the dominant style in his area is one that he knows he won't enjoy, why even bother?
Also, there's the chance that the gaming groups are run by whiny blue-haired hipsters, college commies, and punk malcontents who might treat him like shit for some bullshit reason.
Quote from: Doc Sammy;1104327I might need to take a trip to those places soon. I've been planning on taking a road trip to Knoxville and the nearby areas of Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg in the fall of 2020.
When you decide to take that road trip, I'll be glad to show you around and even run a game for you.
Quote from: jeff37923;1104339When you decide to take that road trip, I'll be glad to show you around and even run a game for you.
I would greatly appreciate that, my good man!
Quote from: Doc Sammy;11043271. Trying to find your niche in an already established group of gamers is hard to do and it's usually better to start your own group, I am in total agreement with you there.
I tend to agree with this although as DeadDM said, playing in existing groups can help you meet people who might be recruitable later. As I said, I recommend spending the money to start your own Meetup on Meetup.com, where you can tailor the group style to your exact preferences. Ideally you want a seed kernel of yourself plus at least 1-2 other guys (eg your wife?) as starting members to get things kicked off. Meetups grow over time so don't be disheartened if it takes a while to get going. The main thing is to find a nice safe public venue to run in, or at the least to meet players in. If there's no where local in public you can find to play, at least meet up initially in a cafe, a (nice/safe) bar, or similar place to say hello & discuss the game, maybe generate some characters.
When I came to Dallas decades ago after running multiple groups in LA for many years. I just resigned myself to the fact that you really have to cultivate your own thing locally.
I don't even trust online options because ultimately it's the same thing that I find when looking for the right players for my game. There's an alchemy, like making a band, when it comes to gaming groups. You have to know what you're looking for in terms of the quality of gaming, and commit to some baseline of what you *don't* want - and stick to it.
Online is the last option for me. Otherwise I'll look on /r/LFG Reddit, Meetup, Facebook or whatever locally and ultimately I interview potential players. But this might not be as necessary for you, depends on what you're after. I'm looking for very particular criteria for my new players, so it doesn't spoil the pool of what I have. As S'mon pointed out - you have your wife, and all you need to do is build slowly. I do not recommend compromising the quality of your players or game you want to run for the sake of having bodies at the table.
Your mileage may vary.
For me, what works best is being up front about what I want. Gaming is a free time activity and everybody should know what they're getting into and choose accordingly. The best way players can make an informed choice is a GM who lays down their expectations in plain language.
Quote from: tenbones;1104456When I came to Dallas decades ago after running multiple groups in LA for many years. I just resigned myself to the fact that you really have to cultivate your own thing locally.
Agree. In January after almost three years, the 5e group that I was a part of broke up after one of the members moved. There are pros and cons to gaming with other gamers, especially from a different generation/edition.
On the Pro side, we created our own game worlds, and almost exclusively played in the fantasy settings that we had created, so we had some really interesting games and moments exploring different themes and concepts that were introduced as we collaborated on creating a unique fantasy world. A big plus, we have original campaign setting adventures, and custom made monsters, races, and character classes for 5e.
On the Con side I didn't really like 5e, and the young players didn't like 0D&D at all, they found it way too unforgiving and lethal, and could not part with the concept that 0D&D characters aren't permanent. They railed against open sandbox adventures choosing a preference for campaigns that were set in a specific Kingdom or Duchy. We playtested some of the WOTC 5e adventures and races with mixed results (Good experiences with the races, but the adventures seemed linear, railroady, and good experiences with using the modules depended too much on key NPC's that were written into the storyline.
I found the focus on balance over creativity in 5e stifling to my style of play as a player. It was very difficult to have permadeath for a character, and to their credit the younger players invested heavily in developing a backstory for their characters. They also focused on exercising 5e game mechanics, over exercising problem-solving skills which works out to roll playing being preferred over role-playing.
Have to say I really did like the 5e Creature cards deck that made it really easy to put together encounters for the players.
Thank you for your answers. I try to respond to each of you who offered helpful advice.
S'mon. Thank you for the pointers and the great Meetup guide! Unfortunately, the closest HEMA location is comfortably outside my reach. However, I will try the other great leads you have suggested.
As for going to games to see if there is anybody recruitable - I have tried that. The pickings are, unfortunately, slim so far. Hopefully, that will change one day! Until then, I have to suffer through more crap games.
jeff37923. You speak my language! One day I will be able to make that trip. Likewise, if you are ever around RI - maybe we can meet. You also make me think that the location may be my issue.
lordmalachdrim. Thank you for the clarification. Our experiences seem almost identical!
deadDMwalking. Oh, I have been gaming here all these five years. And five years have been enough for me to determine that I have no liking for the popular styles of local games. Opportunities to replace existing GMs have cropped up now and then, and I have even seised some of them. Ultimately, it all came to the same end - me losing hope of finding anything decent in the local gaming community.
Yes, there are things to "like" in how locals play. I can enjoy beer-and-pretzels games and have run games like that. However, it is like comparing dumb sitcoms to groundbreaking movies: I enjoy silly sitcoms, but they do not scratch the same itch. They are not why I play TTRPGs - they are just a way to kill time.
In the end, gaming here is mostly like Doc Sammy said.
Doc Sammy. Thank you for your detailed response. I was to Roanoke for a Mind's Eye Society convention several years ago! Now I have a reason to visit again. Let me know if you are ever in RI.
Your insights add more to my desire to move one day, even though RI is cheap by New England standards.
You are spot-on in responding to deadDMwalking: too many people who accuse me of being insensitive and then refuse to explain what I did to upset them.
I got married around your age, by the way - having the right person by your side can help tremendously to achieve your goals.
tenbones. I am with you there about being demanding and not compromising. Thank you for your support.
Spinachcat. I do lay down my expectations in plain language - the problem is that I do not, apparently, speak the same language as the locals.
When I post LFG messages, it does not occur to me to explicitly say that a game about vampires may feature assault. It seems like common sense to me - they grab people against their will and drink their blood, that's what they do! However, when I tried telling the person at the table who objected to it during the game that they are being silly, I immediately became the villain.
I am getting better at this, but I'd rather play with adults.
Quote from: Chubby;1104987jeff37923. You speak my language! One day I will be able to make that trip. Likewise, if you are ever around RI - maybe we can meet. You also make me think that the location may be my issue.
I used to be stationed at the destroyer base in Newport, RI back when they still had one. I wouldn't mind taking a trip back there to check out the old haunts.
Stick around on this board! I'm down for some road trip gaming!
Quote from: Chubby;1104987Spinachcat. I do lay down my expectations in plain language - the problem is that I do not, apparently, speak the same language as the locals.
Post your recruiting blurb for us so we can see what you're saying to people.
Vampires have been heavily co-opted by TV shows and movies which have turned them sexy, sparkly and fun. My vampires are old school Max Shrek Nosferatu / Dracula / cannibal ghouls and I need to explain that to modern players. Also, Vampire the Masquerade has caused players to not automatically see vampires as monsters, but more as antiheroes with trenchcoats and katanas.
Same with pirates as villains. C'mon people its a boatload of raping murdering thieves!! Oh, but Johnny Depp was adorable and Captain Hooks crew were so fun! AKA, if you're gonna run a Disney Pirates vs. Real World Pirates, the players need to be hit in the head with the expectation up front.
BTW, I run lots of convention games and I usually have less than 50 word space in the booklet to sell the game. It has helped for me to put Mature Themes or Mature Players Only or Warning: Extreme Violence and Adult Content. Usually that weeds out people who don't want that experience.
Quote from: Chubby;1104987Doc Sammy. Thank you for your detailed response. I was to Roanoke for a Mind's Eye Society convention several years ago! Now I have a reason to visit again. Let me know if you are ever in RI.
Your insights add more to my desire to move one day, even though RI is cheap by New England standards.
You are spot-on in responding to deadDMwalking: too many people who accuse me of being insensitive and then refuse to explain what I did to upset them.
I got married around your age, by the way - having the right person by your side can help tremendously to achieve your goals.
Cool.
It's good to know you're also a fan of Mind's Eye Theatre.
I've been wanting to one day run my own World of Darkness LARP with my own take on the setting, specifically a LARP where the metaplot never happened and it's more like the old days of the setting.