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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dbm" data-source="post: 9522474" data-attributes="member: 8014">I think there are many factors in combination which TTRPGs as my primary hobby. I have also done quite a bit of wargaming over the years (though not actively at the moment) and we also do quite a lot of board gaming these days. But RPGs are the #1.It gives a uniques set of opportunities, all mixed up in an exciting gumbo of enjoyment. Spending time with friends of many years (some over 40 years) is a big part of it. My experience is that men tend to be poor at maintaining long-term friendships unless there is a shared activity, yet long term friends are really important for mental health and wellbeing. I could get that from the other hobbies, but it is in the mix.RPGs encourage thinking about things in different ways. Approaching challenges from the perspective of a person other than yourself. Using the tools available to you in creative ways to solve problems, too. There are bits of that in the other hobbies I enjoy, but the GM aspect of RPGs just takes away all constraints as they can adjudicate the outcome of creative actions.RPGs can also provide some of the specific enjoyment from table top battles, at least to a skirmish level. Big and complex combat with many combatants on both sides can be great fun in systems which make that practical. A couple of the guys in our group have big sets of painted minis too, so you can get the visual spectacle (one even has Dwarven Forge terrain).RPGs can match some of the puzzle style gameplay you get in some boardgames - how do I get the outcome I want in the current game state? They can also present purely social challenges, and that is a pretty unique capability over other kinds of games. We played quite a bit of Call of Cthulhu and the investigative aspect of that is really great fun, and a way of learning real-world skills, too. Ars Magica is a bit similar in that it is another system with a strong social aspect including politics (small ‘p’) and negotiation between competing priorities from the magi. I think in summary RPGs provide a unique and varying mix of fun, wrapped up in social connection. I honestly can’t imagine being without that - it is my way of recharging my emotional batteries. Even when I was very young my mum tells me when I came home from school, if it had been a challenging day I would go straight to play with my Lego.  So, creative play has always been my way of recharging.</blockquote>

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