Buying for my imaginary gaming group.

[CarlZog]

I have a bad habit of collecting gaming stuff that I'll never find anybody to play with.

But I've discovered that when I'm fishing through ebay, my mind seems to manifest this make-believe game group I'm buying for. They're all pretty cool, live nearby, have plenty of time, and are just as excited as I am to play all this obscure stuff.

Given that I've got these guys to play with, it suddenly makes perfect sense to me that I ought to buy a second copy of the original Top Secret rulebook; or that I would have to have all the 7th Sea Nations books; or supplements for the original Crimson Skies boardgame; or some 30-year-old naval miniatures rules; or half a dozen SPI monster games... Of course, in this delusional alternate reality, I've also suddenly got endless amounts of time to play, write and run campaigns for all this stuff.

I suppose it's all just wishful thinking, or merely rationale for a bad spending habit, but I'll continue to hang on to it. You never know what tomorrow may bring.

Carl

 

[Crothian]

Have you tried to find a group through EN World? There are lots of gamers in New England, at the very least they have those Gamedays.

But ya, I buy books if I'm gaming or not. Even if I am gaming I'll buy books that have no use in the current game.

 

[AIM-54]

I sympathize. I feel the same way about a lot of my purchases, too. I have a great group here, but they're heavy into d20, whereas I like to play a wide variety (my favorite being Shadowrun) of different systems. I still have all my old Palladium Robotech RPG stuff (which I love and will never part with, but I never get to use it either), Mechwarrior, HARP and, of course, tons of Shadowrun books (with plans to acquire more!). I'm lucky in that I have some opportunities to use it from time to time, but no real rationale to keep acquiring stuff, other than my deep affection for the setting.

Of course, I'm sort of a compulsive collector, so that my have something to do with it...

Now to find "The Robotech Masters" on Ebay...

 

[Seeten]

I did this for ages. Now, I buy for my real gaming room, but I only by stuff with real use. My computer, computer desk, mini-fridge, coffee maker, etc.

 

[CarlZog]

Have you tried to find a group through EN World? There are lots of gamers in New England, at the very least they have those Gamedays.

Oh, I've got a regular D&D group, go to gamedays, met lots of Enworlders. Just always imagining more time to play, and people up for obscure campaigns.

Carl

 

[Mixmaster]

I'm feeling you, CarlZog.

I buy books for systems I'll never play anymore. Partly because I'm a completist, partly because I love certain systems and love reading the books (Hackmaster, Call of Cthulhu).

 

[Rel]

But I've discovered that when I'm fishing through ebay, my mind seems to manifest this make-believe game group I'm buying for. They're all pretty cool, live nearby, have plenty of time, and are just as excited as I am to play all this obscure stuff.

I think you're probably close enough to be picking up some vibes from Piratecat's group. He's probably responsible for this problem.

Like most problems.

 

[azmodean]

Paranoia, a friend of mine bought just about every paranioia supplement and rulebook a few years back, but we still don't have enough people open minded enough to play it.

 

[Jdvn1]

Oh, I've got a regular D&D group, go to gamedays, met lots of Enworlders. Just always imagining more time to play, and people up for obscure campaigns.

Maybe you're imagining EN Worlders. If you ran a PbP game, you could probably find players.

*hint, hint*

 

[adwyn]

I fully understand. I live in a college town in which most of the people in our groups only stay for a few years and then move on. Over time I have put together in my mind a "dream team" of former players that share a play style and a similar interests.