During last week’s episode, we talked about our personal gaming ruts. Since we wrapped that discussion, I’ve been constantly working ideas through my head as to the ways I plan on breaking out of these ruts and becoming a better Player, a better GM, and most importantly, a better person all around. Here are some of the conclusions I’ve come to thus far.
#1 – Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses – Last weeks discussion was very cathartic, insofar that I was able to express to the rest of the group where I felt I was lacking at the gaming table. While I feel my greatest strength is in the role of a Player and bringing characters to life, I also feel my greatest weakness lies in my own self-confidence in bringing a game to life. This past week I started listening to Happy Jacks RPG Podcast and have realized that, despite gaming for close to 20 years, I am still relatively wet behind the ears in terms of experience. If I’m going to get better, it’s going to require a lot of effort, which brings me to my second point…
#2 – Practice Makes Perfect – Unless we are born with a natural gift for acting or storytelling, being a consistently strong Player or GM boils down to time and commitment. Whether its at the gaming table or out in the everyday world, it requires time, energy, and commitment to improve and hone the skills we all desire to become good at anything. I know from personal experience that I have the potential to achieve great things, such as earning my black belt in Kung Fu San Soo. While I know I am only beginning to scratch the surface of this particular martial art, I know it is going to take a great deal of effort and dedication to improve myself as a gamer as well. According to Malcolm Gladwell, it takes at least 10,000 hours of dedicated focus and practice to become an expert at something. That is A LOT of gaming.
#3 – Variety is the Spice of Life – On a recent episode of Gamerstable, the guys discussed variety vs. longevity and the impact it has had on their own gaming experiences. As I commented last week, I’ve sort of saddled myself with the “King of One-Shots” title in regards to my GMing experience. While initially I viewed this as a detriment, I have realized that I can really spin this into a positive thing. My rotation behind the GM screen came to an end a couple of weeks ago and I really felt that I had let a good thing get away. While I really think my The Society of Odin Steampunk game can be epic, I need to walk before I run. Taking time to run single session games, such as God-king or Pathfinder might help me to hone my craft behind the screen and now that The Avengers has lodged itself firmly in my brain with how [EXPLETIVE] AWESOME it is, I really want to get my hands on Mutants and Masterminds for a session or two as well.
#4 – Take Every Opportunity to Game – I really think our greatest strength as a gaming group is also our greatest weakness. Both Robert and Ramses touched on this indirectly last week when we discussed either having new individuals in the game or playing in groups away from our core. We have all been gaming together for a very long time, but the vast majority of the time it has only been the four of us. If I (we) are to become better at our craft, we should honestly make efforts to game with others. Whether it’s adding to our core, joining secondary groups (which Robert has done), or hitting the convention circuit to play, there is definitely something positive to take away from every experience spent rolling the dice. This is perhaps the hardest step, because it can involve moving WAY out of a person’s comfort zone, but it definitely has the potential for great growth.
On a side-note, I will be rolling up my versions of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow in d20 form just for “snakes and bladders,” as Ramses would say. I’d love to hear what all of you out there in internet-land think!
“You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.” ~ Albert Camus
First of all, thanks for mentioning us. It is always nice when people you respect bring you up in a good light, while making their own point.
As for gaming experiences, I totally agree with you. Podcasting has become an outlet for me, true, but it has also challenged my belief that I am a seasoned gamer. Years under my belt does not equal true gaming experience because many of those years were spent playing the same game.
I would say that you being the “King of the One-Shot” is certainly a good thing. Having a long running campaign is definitely something to hang your hat on, but all that time is spent on one game and there are missed opportunities for trying new things.
Secondary groups are cool, if you can get a good mix and have the time to do it. Our secondary group has been going on so long that it is more of a group 1B. We rotate GMs, try new games or play ones that we like where someone has come up with a new story idea.
Conventions are an awesome way to try new games with people who are not in your core game group. It really gives you a new perspective on things. I endorse that whole-heartedly.
Keep up the great work. Your show is fantastic.
Eric
p.s. Happy Jack’s is one of my all time favs. You couldn’t have picked a better one to start listening to.
Eric, I am right there with you in regards to podcasting opening my eyes to my lack of gaming experience. Listening to other shows, like yours, makes me feel embarrassingly inadequate as a gamer.
Matt, I am glad to hear you embrace your one-shotness =). And your desire to be a better gamer. As the group’s most passionate gamer I know covering that corner of the geek world falls on your shoulders a lot. So, I wholly support your self-improvement plan.
As the DM of Robert’s “secondary” group (which he never gets to attend because he Sunday’s are shot now too, so thanks for that) I greatly appreciate the experience he brings to the table. I only started playing DnD a few years ago after hearing the Penny-Arcade guys play, and the group I started was composed solely of newcomers. Because of this, when I got Robert into the group, he became the de-facto leader, whether he liked it or not. Add to that the attrition the group has suffered, and it’s mostly just Robert, myself, and John who show up at game night.
As a very hands-off DM, this puts the story squarely in the hands of the two PC’s, forcing Robert to be an active participant and roleplay, which although he seems to dislike, it’s good for him, so he can deal with it.
One piece of advice I try to take to heart as a GM is to never say no. Being up for anything keeps me on my toes and makes the evening more lively.
So…. I guess I should probably respond to the comments on my own post…
First, thanks to everyone for the feedback. Monday’s can sometimes be the opportunity I take to lay my cards on the table, and it’s nice to know that I’m not going to get judged. So, in order:
@Eric – Thanks for the compliments on the show, I know we all appreciate it. The podcast has been a great outlet for all things geek, particularly gaming, and I (we) really want to be as knowledgeable as possible in everything I (we) talk about. We’ve all been really disciplined at approaching the job with a professional attitude and it’s nice to know that it shows. Now the next step is to do the same with gaming… alongside the day job, marriage, owning a home, having a kid (in Karen and Ramses’ case), and everything else. Why are there not 48 hours in a day??
@Karen – Thanks for the support! I really plan to “bring it” when my rotation comes up again. Between now and then my goal is to really suss out the details of my gaming world so that it becomes secnd nature to me, thus (hopefully) allowing me to just flow with it as a GM. At the same time, I want to dabble in other rule-sets and settings and have some one-shots on stand-by at all times in case someone’s week gets hectic and they just can’t get the prep time in. I’ll be like our in-house “convention style” GM, ready to go at a moments notice, just in case.
@Wes – I feel really bad about bailing on your game when I did, as the stars just weren’t aligned for me. When I dropped out, I was dedicating all of my time pursuing a law enforcement career which included working out 6 days a week on top of earning my black belt. I was so hyper focused that I really had no room for anything else, but as the career pursuit faded, the Podcast came into being. I’d love to jump back in, but again, I’m not sure I have the time. I’m just happy to know my PC became a glory stealing NPC!
I don’t know if calling my other gaming group my “secondary” group is the right choice of words as that makes it seem less important.
As far as playing with different groups though, for me it is difficult to play the same old type of character I always did because it’s a different group dynamic and I am not in the same comfort zone. It actually allows for a different style of play that I never tried before.
I can’t really think of the appropriate word. I guess “other” gaming group works. Never meant to infer Wes’ game as being less important.
I normally dont chime in but leave it to Robert to get all weird because of a word choice. He’s So weird with comittment and labels. Its also great to know that Rob’s all cool at playing better PC’s with his other groups but plays same old Gray character with us. Cant wait to GM mouse guard its gonna be great… I mean the same. Humph
HA! I’m really looking forward to Mouse Guard.