D&D General How has gaming impacted your life?

[Kodiak3D]

Beyond the immediate joy of playing a game with friends, how has gaming impacted your life?

For example, I have met some wonderful people through gaming. I have been fortunate enough to have been playing with the same core group of people for over 25 years. We met in college through our gaming club and quickly became close friends. We've all been in each other's weddings, helped one another through tough times, celebrated the good times, and at this point are more family than friends. I can't imagine my life without these people.

What about you?

 

[Wolfram stout]

The big one is the same, friends. The only people from high schools (80s) that I still consider friends are my gaming buddies. The people I am closest with from college, are gaming buddies.

Otherwise;
1) A love and appreciation of History, all eras
2) An appreciation of Culture (Pop and real world cultures)
3) Exposure to sci-fi fantasy lit of the 60s-80s.

Growing up in a small town in Southern US, I am not sure how I would have turned out without gaming and those friends (who were all smarter than me and challenged me on a daily basis--in a good way).

 

[Sjappo]

I found new friend through joining new gaming groups. I did lose friends to imploding groups as well.

Being a GM gives me a way to channel my creativity. Which I have a lot of as I discovered when I started DM-ing.

In college I lost entire years to roleplaying. Fun but costly.

Being good at DM-ing and liking it has had some impact on me deciding to become a teacher.

Being under pressure makes me procrastinate. Procrastinating makes me pour time into DM prep. Which in turn sucks me in and makes me miss deadlines.

So, yeah, it impacted my life. The more I think about it, the more I find ways it influenced me.

 

[Laurefindel]

it made me skip many classes and fail more courses than it should have had

 

[Democratus]

I've been able to connect with people I probably never would have otherwise.

Like the posts above, I have made lasting friendships through gaming that I hope last the rest of my life.

But running games has let me stay in touch with much younger people (running games for families and kids), people from far away (online gaming), and people with wildly different views on gaming (conventions). I hope this exposure had broadened my horizons a bit and helped me become both a better gamer and a better person.

 

[Kodiak3D]

1) A love and appreciation of History, all eras

Same for me.

When I was a senior in college, I FINALLY had the chance to choose a couple of classes that I could take that weren't part of my degree (chemistry). One of them that I chose was Medieval History. It was a senior-level history class that majors had to take and was taught by an older professor that most people dreaded (the joke was that she taught it because she was there when it happened). On the first day, the professor wanted everyone to tell their name and major. The vast majority were either History majors or the occasional English major. I said my name and that I was a Chemistry major. The next person said her name and major and then the professor spoke.

Prof: "Wait, stop. Did you say Chemistry?"
Me: "Yes."
Prof: "What are you doing in a 400-level history course?"
Me: "I'm interested in medieval history."
Prof (absolutely delighted): "Welcome to class!!"

Turned out to be one of my favorite classes I ever took

 

[Kodiak3D]

But running games has let me stay in touch with much younger people (running games for families and kids), people from far away (online gaming), and people with wildly different views on gaming (conventions). I hope this exposure had broadened my horizons a bit and helped me become both a better gamer and a better person.

I've had a similar experience. While my core group has been together for a long time, we are happy to bring in new people. I like running games at conventions (as does another friend in my group). I like that it helps keep me in touch with younger people, especially when we meet someone who fits well with our group

 

[Burnside]

I think playing as a kid helped me learn to be creative both on a deadline and collaboratively.

It also broadened my vocabulary; I don't know that as a 10-year-old I would have otherwise been routinely saying "chaotic" or "lycanthropy."

As a kid, my friends would have been my friends regardless of D&D. But as an adult, it has definitely helped to maintain relationships and provided a context to stay connected with some good people who I am sure I would not be in touch with nearly as much if we were not playing.

As an adult, DMsGuild and pro DMing has provided a modest but steady source of secondary income.

 

[Bitbrain]

Having a game to look forward to every two weeks kept me from committing suicide.

I wish I was joking, but I’m being completely serious. Getting to play D&D 5e was literally the only good thing to happen in my life from early March to late April of 2016.

 

[Kodiak3D]

Having a game to look forward to every two weeks kept me from committing suicide.

I wish I was joking, but I’m being completely serious. Getting to play D&D 5e was literally the only good thing to happen in my life from early March to late April of 2016.

I'm glad it helped you get through.