Gaming Renaissance

I couldn't identify the exact moment in the 90's and 2000's when gaming took a tumble.  Perhaps the veterans were squeezed out during the Pokemon craze.  Maybe it was more recent with the near collapse of the Dungeons and Dragons brand.  Had the stigma of smelly, dorky gamers ostracized them for good?

In any event, gaming was waning away for me.  I had wrapped up high school and studying hard in college.  And so had my gaming friends.  Which meant: more time real world, less time gaming world.

Of course, this was not a bad thing.  I earned my graduate degree.  I married my wonderful wife.  We bought our house...

The writing was on the gaming wall.  It was D&D, or bust.  There seemed to be little competition.  And even fewer players.  And far less quality players.  I remember sitting in a college dorm, warming up my seldom used dice, waiting for the GM to launch the game.  And before you could say "where's my d12?" the GM squashed us, lowly 2nd level characters, with a CR10 Frost Giant.  He then proceeded to gloat in his victory. Good times.

Fast forward with me, if you will, to 2011.  The internet is pretty much ubiquitous (although WoTC's development of digital tabletop seemed to grind to a halt).  There are plenty of new RPG's (collapse of Border's bookstores be damned).  And GenCon gets record attendance (bad economy?  what bad economy?)

I picked a good time to get back into the hobby that kept me entertained up until I got my driver's license.  And I have found many friends with similar interests.  No longer the lonely gamer in the gaming desert of Chicago's southwest side.  And best of all, my gaming friends don't smell. (note to self, blog about gaming smells, they are quite unique and seemingly predictable).

So, pal, grab a chair.  Pull up to the table.  Find your friendly dice (as opposed to those dice that always tend to screw you).  If you want to be stereotypical, crack open a Mountain Dew.  Pathfinder, D&D 4th, Shadowrun 4th, Fiasco, Spirit of the Century, Serenity,  Leverage, Spycraft, Mouse Guard, Deathwatch...  Game on!