Playing vs Reading

[Derulbaskul]

Well, you're definitely not alone.

I got rid of all my D&D stuff when I was 22 and then started buying up big again when I was nearly 29. I then moved to Singapore when I was 30 and spent 3 1/2 years there. Most of my time there was spent simply reading although I not long before I moved back to Australia I started DMing again on each of my rather regular return trips home.

Anyway, the three or so years spent reading rather than playing was great for me: I was able to prepare enough material to get me through a couple of campaigns if not more. I'm now thinking that perhaps I need to move back to Singapore again to prepare the next three year batch....

 

[pogre]

I have a friend who is like this with Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. He literally buys everything available for the game, but I bet he has not played more than a half dozen times.

 

[BluWolf]

I was spoiled for about 6 years in DC where I had a steady group that managed to play consistantly about three times a month over that period of time.

Since July 2002 I have moved to Tampa and my wife and I have had our first child. The dice have not left the bag since I left DC.

I still come here a few times a week and I pick up my monthly Dragon religiously. I peruse the new releases but I have not purchased anything since T20 came out.

Its a phase and I know at some point in the future I will find the time and group to game again.

To your original point, I would get caming my friend. The time you have now will never be so plentiful in the future. Trust me on this.

 

[The Cyber Samurai]

I bought my first D&D product in a toy store nine years ago and I've never looked back. I own over a hundred books by now, buying just about everything that TSR and then WotC put out, from Alternity to 3.5, as well as 3rd party publishers. I've subscribed to Dragon almost since issue 200. I've read this site every day I could since before Morrus took over. I love the game, and a day does not go by that I don't dream up worlds in my head.

But I've never really played. In all those years I've run maybe three or four game sessions (mostly back when I started until my teacher banned them from being played in school). Now that I'm in college and finally have enough free time to play (and now that I'm reading these messageboards regularly to avoid homework) I'm occassionally surprised to see how other people feel about the game. I've been a player in a mini-campaign for a first time GM, and felt I knew more than he did. I know more about the game than anyone I have ever met personally because I've read so many more books, but I obviously lack in game experience. I think I have a very good idea about how to run a game, but now that I'm finally starting a group of my own, I'm curious:

Does anyone else here mostly just read the products? Do you know of any people who do? Am I an anomaly or is there a population of gamers out there who have never done much on the tabletop?

Please don't think me a newbie, I love this hobbie, it's been a defining part of my life. I just thought this might make for interesting conversation.

I was the same until recently. I was talking to a couple of friends of mine at our congregation, and we realized that we were all gamers. I am now running a D20 Modern adventure with the Dark*Matter flavor. We just finished our second game on Saturday, and although I wish I knew some of the rules better or had more playing experience in D20 Modern before running, it is much better than not playing at all.

 

[Impeesa]

Up until just recently, I hadn't actually played D&D in slightly over a year, but it it certainly wasn't by choice. I was playing Rolemaster though. During that time I kept up on all the latest D&D stuff just as much as I would if I was playing. It's nothing strange to me - I've done extensive reading into several of the White Wolf games, Rifts, and some other stuff, despite never having played more than a couple one-shots between all of them combined.

--Impeesa--

 

[gothmar]

I haven't played in a few years and still buy a book or two a month, and in some ways I prefer reading them to playing. Odd, I suppose. If I had more time, I might play, but in the meantime I'll keep acquring, reading, digesting and getting new ideas.

 

[Psion]

I spent a while in that mode when I moved, but after having located a good consistent group, I gotta say, playing games is a lot more fun that talking about them.

(But talking about them is a lot more fun than work. )

 

[Azazyll]

I spent a while in that mode when I moved, but after having located a good consistent group, I gotta say, playing games is a lot more fun that talking about them.

(But talking about them is a lot more fun than work. )

Hear hear to that! Thanks for all the feedback guys. It looks like I'll actually be in two games next semester, one as a player and one as a DM. You've all been very encouraging, I really appreciate it. Hopefully this has also been encouraging to anyone else who in in similar circumstances.

 

[diaglo]

go to the library....i hear there is a librarian there who plays.

Cthulu's Librarian on this board...

 

[Wombat]

I had two short periods when I did not play at all, only read game books -- 1988-90 and 1999-2000. Other than that I have played straight on from 1976 onwards.

I also have several games that I have never been able to run, but have read through several times (Agones, Mechanical Dreams, various Star Trek games, Everway).

All depends on how you wish to define such matters