What Does the RPG Hobby Need Now?

[aramis erak]

I suppose it must be a New England thing. It is easy to find bars and breweries with monthly game nights here. I would have guessed the pacific northwest would have been simar.

It's not.
Hell, the small town nearest me is tiny. It lacks public spaces... the library has no separate meeting rooms, and closes at 18:00 hrs. the bar closed years ago. Deb's Cafe closes at 15:00. And is closed mondays. Johnboy's Alsea Merchantile Company ("The Merc") is a general store and the only fast food... closes at 20:00... and closed sundays. Oh, and it operates the gas station... across the street. I've not found a public park. I know where the firehouse is, but it's an all-volunteer department. I've no idea if there is a town government, The School is a decent k-12... but charges for non-student use.
Pre covid, Deb's and the Merc were where people hung out to gossip... great pie at Deb's. Meh coffee at both. But the gossip crowd is dying off, Deb can't find anyone willing to cook. Nor wait tables.

 

[Jd Smith1]

It's not.
Hell, the small town nearest me is tiny. It lacks public spaces... the library has no separate meeting rooms, and closes at 18:00 hrs. the bar closed years ago. Deb's Cafe closes at 15:00. And is closed mondays. Johnboy's Alsea Merchantile Company ("The Merc") is a general store and the only fast food... closes at 20:00... and closed sundays. Oh, and it operates the gas station... across the street. I've not found a public park. I know where the firehouse is, but it's an all-volunteer department. I've no idea if there is a town government, The School is a decent k-12... but charges for non-student use.
Pre covid, Deb's and the Merc were where people hung out to gossip... great pie at Deb's. Meh coffee at both. But the gossip crowd is dying off, Deb can't find anyone willing to cook. Nor wait tables.

The nearest FLGS here is 3.5 hours away, and its hanging on by a thread.

There's literally no place in the county where you could game in public unless you were steadily buying food & drinks.

The libraries have conference rooms that could be used, but they are required to keep the doors close (noise), so they are not public.

I don't really see panhandling for players as a having a viable impact on the hobby.

YouTube or similar channels help specific settings and systems, but not gaming as a whole.

 

[aramis erak]

The nearest FLGS here is 3.5 hours away, and its hanging on by a thread.

I'm 20 miles from 3 FLGS and 1 unfriendly LGS; the 3 FLGS all have play space... but only one is it publicly visible.

College town. Board games seem to be seeing a resurgence. had a rare night yesterday - someone else showed up for game night, to play a card game. (Disney one.)

 

[Reynard]

If it is an organized game night it is a space specifically designed for gamers.

That's like saying the convention center hosts PAX so PAX is public gaming

No. Those things aren't anything alike.

 

[Reynard]

It's not.
Hell, the small town nearest me is tiny. It lacks public spaces... the library has no separate meeting rooms, and closes at 18:00 hrs. the bar closed years ago. Deb's Cafe closes at 15:00. And is closed mondays. Johnboy's Alsea Merchantile Company ("The Merc") is a general store and the only fast food... closes at 20:00... and closed sundays. Oh, and it operates the gas station... across the street. I've not found a public park. I know where the firehouse is, but it's an all-volunteer department. I've no idea if there is a town government, The School is a decent k-12... but charges for non-student use.
Pre covid, Deb's and the Merc were where people hung out to gossip... great pie at Deb's. Meh coffee at both. But the gossip crowd is dying off, Deb can't find anyone willing to cook. Nor wait tables.

I mean, if you don't live in at least a small city, what do you expect?

 

[aramis erak]

I mean, if you don't live in at least a small city, what do you expect?

I never expected to live in one, let alone out in the middle of nowhere between two small towns.

I had no trouble finding players until after the lockdown...

 

[MGibster]

What the hobby needs now is love, sweet love. -- Burt Bacharach, American Game Designer

Truly, I think the hobby needs to move away from hanging all their hopes and dreams on D&D. I'm no hater, I'm currently running a D&D campaign and expect it'll always be a part of my life so long as I'm gaming, but I don't think it's healthy for so many companies to pin their hopes and dreams on what WotC is doing.

 

[payn]

What the hobby needs now is love, sweet love. -- Burt Bacharach, American Game Designer

Truly, I think the hobby needs to move away from hanging all their hopes and dreams on D&D. I'm no hater, I'm currently running a D&D campaign and expect it'll always be a part of my life so long as I'm gaming, but I don't think it's healthy for so many companies to pin their hopes and dreams on what WotC is doing.

IDK what I’ve noticed is a number of companies went their own way, then made 5E reskins. I’m not sure if it’s that hard to get going or the money skim from a 5E ripoff is too good to pass up?

 

[Laurefindel]

IDK what I’ve noticed is a number of companies went their own way, then made 5E reskins. I’m not sure if it’s that hard to get going or the money skim from a 5E ripoff is too good to pass up?

It’s not that the money is too good to pass up, it’s that D&D ripoffs gives them the one thing that is really dificult to get otherwise: an audience.

 

[MGibster]

IDK what I’ve noticed is a number of companies went their own way, then made 5E reskins. I’m not sure if it’s that hard to get going or the money skim from a 5E ripoff is too good to pass up?

I suspect making your product compatible with "the world's great role playing game" you gain a built in audience. There are a significant number of gamers who are hesitant to venture out into other games for a variety of reasons.