Playing vs Reading

[DrZombie]

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?

Game when you can, you'll never game as much as you can now. At uni I played at least four times a week, now, married, wife, kid, working like a maniac, I've just started playing again, two times a month.

Word to the wise, however. Be gentle when you correct your GM for rulings, noone likes a wise-ass. Make sure there are no house-rules first. If you know all the rules it's easy to become a rule-lawyer, and I shoot'em on sight, no mercy.

Second word to the wise : never presume you know a setting. No out-of-the box setting is perfect, and most DM's modify their gameworld. Make sure what you know is correct in that particular game, and try to keep out-of-game knowledge seperate.

Third word to the wise, although some people won't agree : try to find a group that you like as people, not as gamers. Life's too short to waste time with people you don't like

Have fun.

 

[eris404]

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?

Not with D&D products, but with the White Wolf World of Darkness stuff. I bought a few of their books before I discovered that some people in my current group have an aversion to it. I've met a few people since that felt that the WoD stuff was for goth LARPers with a terminal case of ennui. So, I have had the chance to play maybe three games in total with that system.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

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

Cthulu's Librarian on this board...

Yeah, I'm here. Just had to find the thread...

Hey Azazyll-

There are lots of gamers here in C'ville, both at UVA and off grounds. Send me an email to rjm5f at virginia.edu and we can meet up and talk D&D over lunch or something. Or just stop by Alderman Library, and ask for Rich Miller at the reference desk, and someone will direct you to my office.

Glad to hear that you found a few games.Check out the C'ville RPG group on Yahoo as well, several groups have meet through it: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Charlottesville_Roleplaying_Group/

Also, you know that we have 3 stores in town that sell RPGs, right? Downtown is the Comic Game Hobby Place, up in Rio Hill Shopping Center there is Atlas Comics (near Crutchfield), and on Ivy Road is Atlas Underground. Atlas has the largest selection of game books, the Game Place has a huge miniatures selection, comics, and other hobby stuff in addition to a decent selection of RPGs, and Atlas Underground is set up for gaming and is soon going to start a discount club for gamers (that will also work for the main Atlas store).

Rich

 

[Faraer]

Azazyll, first of all, let me be the first to say -- you've been here for two and a half years, and only had 6 posts? WOW! Given all the different opinions of people here, that's some serious self-control; I would've exploded long before now.

Most people who read any given message board don't post to it. It would be interesting to know what the ratio of posters to non-posters is on this board.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

In fact, if you're up for a heck of a road trip, come on down to Raleigh NC on the weekend of May 8th and spend that Saturday hanging out with about 20 or 25 ENWorlders gaming everything from D&D to d20 Modern. See my .sig for details.

Yeah, it's a decent drive, but I've done it! Well worth the time.

 

[TroyXavier]

I often buy books purely for reading or designing characters, that will never get used in any game I play.

 

[MusedFable]

For the past 10 years I haven’t had a proper group. I think I’ve gotten used to not having one. I just recently DMed a group, but I’m to reactive and didn’t railroad enough to please them. We’d spend sessions just sitting there with them waiting for me to make them run into the plot hook. One time one of the PC’s said “Come on, just give us the plot hook so we can get on with the adventure.” I’m moving to North Carolina in a month or so, so I’ll probable get to play again (hopefully with a like minded group this time around). I’ve bought a big pile of books and am on the verge of thinking I’ll run out of good books to read (rule books, not novels). Probable will go to the NC gamesday so I think my gaming will get a boost soon.

Heh, I just looked at my post and noticed that I almost couldn't understand it. Man I'm all over the place (no consistence at all, not even a single subject). Eh, to lazy to edit.