Non-gaming stuff that has affected your gaming experience

Quasqueton · Jun 12, 2006

What non-gaming thing has affected your gaming experience the most? For better or worse?

“Thing” = technology, idealogy, experience, relationship, whatever. Doesn’t have to be a tangible item. Just something unrelated to RP gaming.

For me, it would probably be the Internet – discussion forums. It’s been both good and bad for my gaming experience. But having a full family has also made a major impact on my gaming.

Quasqueton

Realmslord · Jun 12, 2006

Movies first and foremost. I run and play my games as if the characters are special and heroic. If I make a successful tumble check "I tumble with style and end with a dramatic pose and shout a triumphant HA!"

Or my warroirs usually say, "Is that all you've got?" (Even after a crit.) Or "He threw a piece of paper at me!"

If I fail a chesk it usually "I ment to do that." or "Oh dang!" (from Mystery Men)

"I have a bad feeling about this!" comes up regularly.

I try to think the cameras are rolling, but the script is improv.

Kid Charlemagne · Jun 12, 2006

Computers have made a big difference. I write my session prep notes up in Word; I map in Photoshop; I run spreadsheets for demographics in Excel. I host forums for my gaming groups, and mailing lists to remind people of when and where we're playing. I search for images on the net - fantasy art, maps of real-world castles, pictures of remote and amazing environments - and then print them out for my players.

Umbran · Jun 12, 2006

Life changes. New jobs, marriages, new babies, and such. Things that impact how a long-standing group of people have to schedule get-togethers have greatly impacted my games.

When there's an impact, it is usually negative (in the sense that it makes it more difficult to meet - I don't mean that my friend having a baby is bad in general, just that it makes it hard for him to get away).

ThirdWizard · Jun 12, 2006

I graduated from college. My best friend got married and had a kid. People who I gamed with have moved away. Those are bad for my gaming. Looking over things, those things that have been good for my gaming hobby have generally been bad for day to day life (like unemployment) while things that are good for life have been bad for my gaming (like being employed).

Thornir Alekeg · Jun 12, 2006

Same as others - real life - jobs, family, moving - have all had negative impact on my gaming experience.

On the positive side, the forums and Story Hours have really given me some ideas about how to improve my DMing and things to strive for - if I can get a stable group with the same interests.

DuncanOToole · Jun 12, 2006

Hm this one is actually while we're gaming and not sure if it counts as a non gaming stuff...

WoW references and jokes.

Fighters = main tanks
Swordspec rogue and so forth and so forth..
I don't play WoW and after a year of it, I'm actually getting sick of it

Kristivas · Jun 12, 2006

The computer and movies/tv, mostly.

For instance, I had a character that attained a vorpal sword once (no DM in my group ever let me have one after) and every time my guy beheaded someone, he'd always say.. "I love it when a plan comes together." [A-Team] .... even if it made NO sense at all to say that.

Message boards like this have given me TONS of insight and ideas.

Also, from Knights of the Old Republic.. when I first played a Warforged, I got away with making him an evil, murderous bastard who calls everyone not a warforged "Meatbags". That was a glorious game!