Quote from: cranebump;898279At the game stores, nothing but Magic the Gathering around here. It's fucking omnipresent. Multiple events per week. There are some nights of heavy tabletop gaming in some stores, but it's dominated by D&D, especially 5E. It's MtG or D&D, and fuck everything else. This includes even trying to recruit outside the D&D behemoth. You pitch BoL or something like Dungeon World, you don't get many nibbles (outside long time players tired of D&D).

I didn't factor in something important. Most of the tabletop gamers I have met over the years are engineers in the oil industry. Or were... I live in Alberta which has an all eggs in one basket economy because people have these sugar plum dreams about oil lasting forever. So now, a lot of these people don't have jobs. Actually it's kind of weird going from lower middle class to almost upper middle class by doing nothing at all. I can imagine it's had an effect on hobbies since there are a lot of people that just don't have disposable income anymore.

Quote from: Krimson;898282[...] people have these sugar plum dreams about oil lasting forever.

That's not the problem with Alberta's economy.

During the 90's, a common refrain around the university gaming club was "ah, in the 80's, when we were all young and affluent".  Gaming is a luxury hobby and will wax and wane with people's disposable income, but it's important to keep in mind that a game that costs $1 that you never get to play because you can't find players for it is not cost effective compared to a $10 game you can play all the time because you're swimming in a large player pool.  Metcalfe's Law applies.

Quote from: daniel_ream;898301That's not the problem with Alberta's economy.

I could visit my mother at work (Service Canada including Employment Insurance) and try and explain that to the endless line of claimants who have lost their jobs. I don't think it will help much.

There are four kinds of rpg gamers (a gamer can occupy more than one category):

'Kill Them All'
Gamers who look for things to complain about. Angry players. May use escapism to vent their frustration toward things they don't like in their lives. Prone to violence in game.

'Take Their Stuff'
Gamers who look for things to collect or acquire. Greedy players. May use escapism to gain the fictional wealth they can't get in real life. Prone to theft or hording in game.

'Whose Turn is It?'
Gamers who aren't particularly angry or greedy, but aren't particularly aware either. Oblivious players. May be there the hang out with friends rather with no interest escapism. Prone to zone out or use their phone during the game.

'It's Just a Game'
Cognizant players. Totally present and aware while participating in the game, and doesn't get into it for escapism. Prone to do productive things with their lives instead of playing games.

Quote from: Krimson;898305I could visit my mother at work and try and explain that to the endless line of claimants who have lost their jobs.

So you're doubling down on the thesis that Alberta's run out of oil?

Quote from: daniel_ream;898351So you're doubling down on the thesis that Alberta's run out of oil?

Run out? No. But so long as we don't have a refinery I don't think it's going to be profitable to keep producing as we have the last few decades. Where did you get the idea that I thought we ran out? If we did that would be in all the headlines everywhere.

Quote from: Krimson;898372Where did you get the idea that I thought we ran out?

Quote from: Krimson;898372I live in Alberta which has an all eggs in one basket economy because people have these sugar plum dreams about oil lasting forever.

Just the known reserves in Alberta can run the entire world for the next six years.  The oil's not going to run out.

Quote from: daniel_ream;898380The oil's not going to run out.

There is a glut right now, Nightly Business Report just ran a story last night that one of China's major oil fields has cut production by up to 40%, there is fear of a post August crash in prices.

That's not even remotely what he said.

Quote from: Willie the Duck;898473That's not even remotely what he said.

Maybe not, however if China, the world's largest consumer is slowing production and laying off workers, there could be an even worse situation in Canada.

Quote from: daniel_ream;898380Just the known reserves in Alberta can run the entire world for the next six years.  The oil's not going to run out.

Ah yeah that was not me thinking that oil is going to run out. That is my inability to form coherent sentences to express myself properly. >.<

Quote from: dragoner;898504Maybe not, however if China, the world's largest consumer is slowing production and laying off workers, there could be an even worse situation in Canada.

That's why I'm happy I'm in an industry that depends on people requiring food to exist. I have at least one coworker who returned because after years of getting his degree so he can work in the oil field, there are now no jobs in that field especially for new entrants.

It's very weird being financially better off than people I've known for decades and if the industry doesn't recover this time around, I think things are going to look different in the upcoming decade.

Quote from: Krimson;898282I didn't factor in something important. Most of the tabletop gamers I have met over the years are engineers in the oil industry. Or were... I live in Alberta which has an all eggs in one basket economy because people have these sugar plum dreams about oil lasting forever. So now, a lot of these people don't have jobs. Actually it's kind of weird going from lower middle class to almost upper middle class by doing nothing at all. I can imagine it's had an effect on hobbies since there are a lot of people that just don't have disposable income anymore.

Well, sure.  A large part of the reason for me getting back into tabletop in '03 was that I was broke, and here was a zero cost hobby where there were already thousands of dollars worth of material (and decades worth of prep work) in crates in my basement.

Quote from: Ravenswing;898543Well, sure.  A large part of the reason for me getting back into tabletop in '03 was that I was broke, and here was a zero cost hobby where there were already thousands of dollars worth of material (and decades worth of prep work) in crates in my basement.

I think is why we changed over to 5e. There are three of us left from the old campaigns (1e and BECMI/RC) and 5e makes it quite easy to convert material. My one friend actually got excited when he found out I was setting the game in Sigil. He also has little in the way of cash and in fact I just bought him the 5e core books this month. Of course that was mostly for selfish reasons, because it's hard to get someone hyped on a new edition if they don't have access to the material and the printout I gave him of the Basic rules felt more like a teaser than anything.

Quote from: dragoner;8943501. Those that want to play in the setting, and ...

2. Those who want to game the system they are playing.

No there are two types, those who play in the steam tunnels, and those who don't.