I always thought that saying you were from Uruguay was just a joke, but you have posted that you really are from there. I'm genuinely interested in the state of gaming there, as I really haven't heard much about how the hobby fares in places other than North America, Europe, and Australia. I think I've seen posts by people from Brazil, but not many. So I was wondering if you would mind telling me a bit about the RPG hobby in Uruguay.

I don't know if you've been to the US, but I was wondering if there were any differences between gamer culture in the US and Uruguay that might surprise us? Are there many game shops in Uruguay? What are they like? How difficult is it to find others to game with? I'm having a hard time of it myself, and I'm not too far from one of the largest cities in the US! What games are popular in Uruguay? Are there many notable "home grown" RPGs in Uruguay? How do they differ from games like D&D, and how are they similar?

I hope you don't mind me peppering you with questions like this, but I'm genuinely interested in this.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonI always thought that saying you were from Uruguay was just a joke, but you have posted that you really are from there. I'm genuinely interested in the state of gaming there, as I really haven't heard much about how the hobby fares in places other than North America, Europe, and Australia. I think I've seen posts by people from Brazil, but not many. So I was wondering if you would mind telling me a bit about the RPG hobby in Uruguay.

I don't know if you've been to the US, but I was wondering if there were any differences between gamer culture in the US and Uruguay that might surprise us? Are there many game shops in Uruguay? What are they like? How difficult is it to find others to game with? I'm having a hard time of it myself, and I'm not too far from one of the largest cities in the US! What games are popular in Uruguay? Are there many notable "home grown" RPGs in Uruguay? How do they differ from games like D&D, and how are they similar?

I hope you don't mind me peppering you with questions like this, but I'm genuinely interested in this.

also - are there any other english-language uruguayan gaming blogs?

Quote from: Thjalfialso - are there any other english-language uruguayan gaming blogs?

...which have single handedly had major impacts on the the gaming industry?

Shutting up now

Quote from: Name Lips...which have single handedly had major impacts on the the gaming industry?

Shutting up now

Isn't single handedly impossible anyway. After all, if no ones reads the blog I don't see how it can have a impact.

Shutting up now

Quote from: Thjalfialso - are there any other english-language uruguayan gaming blogs?

I think you are missing hit wit.

Im sure he'll explain all once the duel is over!

I'm pretty sure that the Pundit is from Canada originally.  

(9 percent of all Canadian citizens live abroad -- I'm one such expat.)

Quote from: LawbagIm sure he'll explain all once the duel is over!

Nothing here is in our debate; no reason he can't answer now.

And, for reference, the Pundit's blog is in English.

Quote from: LawbagI think you are missing hit wit.

Im sure he'll explain all once the duel is over!

please clarify your statement.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonI always thought that saying you were from Uruguay was just a joke, but you have posted that you really are from there. I'm genuinely interested in the state of gaming there, as I really haven't heard much about how the hobby fares in places other than North America, Europe, and Australia. I think I've seen posts by people from Brazil, but not many. So I was wondering if you would mind telling me a bit about the RPG hobby in Uruguay.

Sure. There is a booming RPG fandom in Uruguay. The gaming culture is much more closely-knit than in north America. There, it tends to be that everyone is divided into their own small little gaming groups that tend to be pretty solid. Here, there's a pool of about 300 or so gamers, and they are constantly mingling to form new campaigns. I have four campaigns right now, but each campaign has a different group of people in it (though some people play in more than one game).

There are no gaming stores in Uruguay. Any game books available here are from one of three sources: Either they were from the few places that sold gaming products before the Crisis of 2002 (stores that don't exist anymore, or that have stopped importing gaming material if they do), or they have been brought into the country from abroad (either from the stores in B.Aires or Brazil, or brought by people or mail from the U.S. or Europe); or they are pirated books. There is a HUGE industry of RPG book piracy here.

On the whole, gamers in Uruguay are far more "normal" than gamers in North America. Because of the way the fandom works here, no one socially dysfunctional is going to be drawn to gaming or tolerated for long if they do try to get into it. Most gamers here are far more indistinguishable from the rest of the community.  Gamers tend on the whole to be either students or belonging to the semi-illusionary middle class, though there are certainly exceptions to that rule; and most of them can speak and read english to some degree, though there are also quite a few exceptions to that rule.

In Uruguay it is ridiculously easy to find people to game with. There is a mailing list, an internet forum, two different gaming clubs (one of which has a physical locale where people go to play, and one that puts on regular mini-cons), and one major annual gaming/comic convention. If you can't get into a game here, there has to be something seriously wrong with you.

The most popular RPGs in Uruguay are D&D 3.x, other D20 games (including True20 which has been a big hit here thanks to my promotion; and the Star Wars d20 game which is very hot here), old WoD WW games, and Shadowrun (largely thanks to JongWK's promotion); in that order, followed by a tie between CoC and GURPS, and then a slew of other games. I've seen Deadlands played, Little Fears, Paranoia, Warhammer 1st, LoTR, Alternity, and RIFTS, all outside of my own influence (since I've arrived here I've "introduced" a number of games that were never played here before: True20, Over The Edge, Cthulhu D20, Amber Diceless, Warhammer 2nd, Omega World, Traveller, and others).

There are no published RPGs from Uruguay yet; there are two games I know of that are native to the country and more than just flights of fancy. One is called "Fantasy Rol", the other is my own "Forward To Adventure". But neither has reached the publishing stage yet.  There are, however, a number of Spanish-language games (from Spain) that are popular here: Aquelarre, Capitan Alatriste, Fanhunter, and Fanpiro. Not to mention the spanish translation of In Nomine, which is absolutely NOTHING like the English version of that game.

If anyone wants a good time gaming in a semi-tropical environment, a beautiful country where the living and gaming is cheap, good, and easy; come on down.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Thjalfialso - are there any other english-language uruguayan gaming blogs?

by the way this is not a troll - i'm honestly curious. the only two gaming blogs i've seen where nationalism was promoted are yours and settembrini's. I'm wondering why that is, and if there are other RPG blogs in Uruguay, which define themselves as "uruguayan gamers" on the subject.

My mission has a lot to do with the pity state german gaming is about. It´s very centered on german problems. I think this is only fitting, as there are enough general gaming blogs around.
If you want to know more about the peclarities about the "German Question", ask me.

Ever wonder why there is not one German D20 product, although FanPro bought out FASA and German Boardgames are praised all over the world?

Well, ENWorlders might know URBIS and The Other Game Company. but that´s about it. fact is they are a non-entity here.

The Pundit otoh, is THE general gaming blog, not centered on Urugayan Gaming.

No, the only other Uruguayan Gaming blog I can think of is JongWK's rarely-updated Xanga blog, which he only created to be able to comment on my blog.

So that's kind of the punch line of calling my blog the "Most popular (Uruguayan) gaming blog in the world".

RPGPundit

You mentioned something about games thatw eren't popular before you arrived there. Are you originally from another country?

A comment I'd like to make is that I think it isn't difficult to find a group here in the US, depending on where one is at. Some regions seem more organized than others when it comes to hooking gamers up with each other. When I lived in Ohio, it didn't take long for me to find a group to game with when I was ready to get back into gaming. Many game shops provide space and tables to game, and one simply has to ask the owner about availability. Most will allow one to post that one is looking for a gaming group, even if they don't have space or tables available. The main problem I'm having is that I'm still getting acclimated to a new area.

I'm originally an expatriate from Canada.

My experience of gaming groups in north american cities is that they're far more insular than in Uruguay.  Sure, you could post your names at the FLGS, and find a group (its a crapshoot whether that group won't be made up of total batshit freaks though). But its not like everyone knows everyone else who's in the scene, which is what its like here.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPunditI'm originally an expatriate from Canada.

You're no longer an expatriate?  :confused: