Editions of a Classic Game...which side are you on?

Let's face it, 1st Edition D&D is not 2nd, 2nd is not 3rd, and so on. Gamers have played the various versions, chosen their favorites, and will stand by their preferences no matter what. Won't they?

I find that declaring allegiance to a product is a proud tradition of geeks, especially gamer geeks. They are the consumer type that companies hold high (and more than likely upside down to catch what might fall from their pockets). Lately I've seen this practice of boasting one's favored gaming product diminish as the hobby has been opened wide for new blood curious enough to see what this gaming thing is all about. With them we have a fresh group ignorant of traditionalist ways and opinions and of the history of the hobby. Also, there's been a lot of folk outspoken in their hatred of Edition X, instead praising the name of it's counter Edition X.X. These people, as more and more new folk turn up, seem to be willing to ease up on their criticisms and belly up to the table anyway just to have something to play. Is this an honest and honorable way to approach something? Does it display one's principles or highlight one's own foolishness?

It seems to me that anyone willing to be on the fence about which edition is good and which is bad, or someone who makes a show of shifting back and forth, especially in the midst of an "Edition Debate," is either someone who stands to gain from both sides, like a third party developer, or someone whose focus goes beyond a number and rules set. The former gets significant exposure, naturally, since they have product which provides them an increased voice proportionate to the popularity of their material. This is an individual whose comments and arguments are to me completely invalid. I don't want some flexible simp telling me what I'll enjoy just so they can make a buck. If that's what they're business plan requires then I hope failure soon finds them. The latter is an individual who is both a publisher's dream come true and a person who understands what gaming is really about. The fun.

While writing this I realize that I enjoy gaming because it's fun, but I also know that I have certain brands I trust and will give them my loyalty no matter what. I straddle the columns (both A and B, fun and loyalty), not the Editions. I've decided to avoid declarations and just quietly enjoy what I enjoy. Those who deserve my money will get it.

Back to it then. Game on!

The faces of my players and the joys of GMing

In recent weeks I've managed to successfully run an ongoing Pathfinder campaign for my wife and three friends. With the exception of the odd weekend day that just won't jive with schedules we've met about every two weeks. The last session was our third and according to my players it was the best thus far.

I've learned a lot about my hobby over the years of rolling up characters, poring over rule books, and just sitting down at the table to game. In these last few sessions I've grown as a GM and found that my knowledge of gaming has increased significantly. I don't mean my technical, rules-based knowledge but my ability to understand what my players want, how they want it, and to know that a good game can become great with a few minor tweaks. This has been a priceless period for growing as a GM, and it makes me really appreciate the duties of Game Mastering.

Knowing that you're successful in the moment you apply your skill is probably the most intoxicating period of any endeavor. I found that as I ran my last session my players weren't just sitting around a table, mindlessly calling out character actions and dice roll results, they were looking at me through their character's eyes and talking to me, in NPC mode, like their lives depended on the discussion. When they were trying to bluff the village's dwarven battle commander they weren't just rolling the skill, they were actually trying to lie to me. Their eyes were pleading, hoping that I, not the dwarf, would buy their story. It was truly a magic moment that gave clarity to what it was I actually enjoy about the hobby of tabletop roleplaying. This form of gaming is definitely a way to get lost in another world and to have a hell of a fun time while doing it. That last session proved it for me.

I look forward to tomorrow. As I write this I am thinking of the things and peoples I'll subject my party to when they come to the table. With my new confidence and knowledge I'm pretty sure that I can reel them in again and for a moment give them the fantasy world they wish to inhabit, if for only a small while by playing pretend.

Oh, and I totally put them up against a dragon. It was awesome!