Friday, June 3, 2016

My Online LL Group is a Treasure

Members of my "home" Labyrinth Lord group in fall 2010. 

I recently wrote about experiencing DM burnout and consequently placing both my Labryinth Lord groups on hiatus. In that post I noted that
gaming over the internet, for me, is a pale shadow of gaming live, in person, at a table. No matter how good the technology gets there is, for me, a disconnect or a missing piece that rears its head in various ways online: less spontaneous fun chatter and humor takes place, some details get missed or talked over or need to be repeated, to somewhat lessened effect. The whole thing feels like a giant, three-dimensional, full-sensory experience being strained through a small, thin, partial, two-dimensional medium.
In that same post I claimed that gaming over Skype has been a "disappointment" to me. That is indeed how I felt at the time. Yet my DM burnout was particularly intense then. I was feeling grumpy about the slow winding down of my local public game, which dwindled to two regular players late last year, then an unsustainable one this spring.

No, that earlier statement should be read more as venting than as analysis or plan. It reflected my emotional state and was not meant to condemn the concept of RPG'ing via Skype in general. Most importantly, it was never intended to impugn the members of my "home" gaming group or to devalue the wonderful gaming experiences I have shared with them in the years since this campaign began in 2010.

I am quite lucky to have such a wonderful group of gamers and if Skype is the means by which we must reach each other, so be it. We are lucky to be able to keep this thing going in such a relatively simple and straightforward way.

Our particular group is especially fortunate to include players with a wide array of real-world RPG'ing experience. We have one neophyte player, a couple three with some limited prior D&D experience, and three of us who have been playing RPGs (with varying degrees of consistency) since the 1980s.*

Furthermore, the members of this group are gaming associates and also friends. I went to graduate school with most of them, played in a band with another, have edited essay collections with one guy, co-authored scholarly articles with another, and am generally invested in all or their lives outside of RPG'ing.

Given that, it is remarkable and exciting that everybody in this unique assortment of folks is willing to make time to play Labyrinth Lord once every four to six weeks or so, despite being of adult age with families, busy careers, etc.

Most importantly, we all generally get along, in-game and out. There is a supportive, light-hearted, laughter-inducing atmosphere during our sessions. This harmonious vibe shines through, for example, in Yor's player's supportive, appreciative comment on my last session report post: "Thanks for putting these together Carter." It is, of course, my pleasure.

I still have a few minor qualms with the gaming-via-Skype format, but those aren't likely to disappear, barring major, Star Trekkian advances in technology. Probably not even then. Live at the table will always be best. But I have a good thing going here. Maybe I can re-tap into some of the feelings I had earlier on, when I wrote this celebratory post about keeping our campaign group together over Skype: "Skype is our friend!"

In any case, my "home" Labyrinth Lord group is something very special that I will be sure to nurture, appreciate, and treasure. Thanks friends!

Some of the same folks one year later, fall 2011. 

--
* One of our experienced participants is Carl Nash, who introduced me to the OSR via Mutant Future and who is still quite active in the OSR blogosphere. Check out Carl's blog and be sure to purchase his amazing adventure locale, The Fungus Forest, available for "pay what you want" here on RPGNow.

20 comments:

  1. "I am quite lucky to have such a wonderful group of gamers and if Skype is the means by which we must reach each other, so be it. We are lucky to be able to keep this thing going in such a relatively simple and straightforward way."

    That's it too. For Tim, he gets together with some in person but others live too far. So they came online. It's great fun, they laugh a lot. And it sure beats not gaming at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you desperately need an honest and real death spell caster who can help you cast a perfect death spell on anyone then contact this great death spell caster called Dr Ogbifun He saved my marriage when he helped me cast a death spell on the lady that almost took my husband completely away from me and the kids. just within 24hours after the casting the bitch died in her sleeping bed. You too can try this man also,
      Call/WhatsApp: +2348102574680
      Email: ogbefunhearlingtemple@gmail.com DOCTOR OGBEIFUN CAN AS WELL HELP THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS
      1. HIV/AIDS CURE
      2. HERPES CURE
      3. PENIS ENLARGEMENT
      4. PREGNANCY SPELL
      5. SPELL TO PREVENT CORONA VIRUS
      get all your problem solve..No problem is too big for
      him to solve..Contact him now




































































































      Delete
  2. Very positive photos. Thank you for the article. Do you need to write a narrative essays online? No problem, We'll help you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. One of our experienced participants is Carl Nash, who introduced me to the OSR via Mutant Future and who is still quite active in the OSR blogosphere. Check out Carl's blog and be sure to purchase his amazing adventure locale, The Fungus Forest, available for "pay what you want" here on RPGNow.
    Compare Electric Rates
    Compare electric rates Texas
    Commercial Texas electric rates
    Compare electric TX
    Compare Electric Rates
    Texas Electric Rates
    Texas Electric Company
    Power to Choose
    Compare Electric Plans
    Texas Electric Choice
    Compare Electric Rates
    Commercial Electric Rates Texas
    Compare electric plans Texas
    Power to choose commercial
    Commercial Electric Plans Texas

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is the worlds leading brand of hand sanitizer price in pakistan, as used widely throughout the NHS. Easy to use and as safe on hands as regular soap and water.

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you desperately need an honest and real death spell caster who can help you cast a perfect death spell on anyone then contact this great death spell caster called Dr Ogbifun He saved my marriage when he helped me cast a death spell on the lady that almost took my husband completely away from me and the kids. just within 24hours after the casting the bitch died in her sleeping bed. You too can try this man also,
    Call/WhatsApp: +2348102574680
    Email: ogbefunhearlingtemple@gmail.com DOCTOR OGBEIFUN CAN AS WELL HELP THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS
    1. HIV/AIDS CURE
    2. HERPES CURE
    3. PENIS ENLARGEMENT
    4. PREGNANCY SPELL
    5. SPELL TO PREVENT CORONA VIRUS
    get all your problem solve..No problem is too big for
    him to solve..Contact him now

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really like the way you write the post and help us with the information. Thank you for sharing this post. Please read my blogs too.
    tikitunes review
    thephostick review
    peeps review
    creaclip review
    copper protector review

    ReplyDelete
  7. manfaatkan gadget anda dengan bermain di situs pkv games terbaik bandarq228 untuk mendapatkan uang nyata rupiah dengan mudah kapanpun dan dimanapun
    bagi anda yang mendaftar sekarang juga anda berkesempatan memenangkan bonus hingga ratusan juta rupiah, daftar sekarang juga hanya di http://180.215.13.119/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello everyone my is Gabriel sophia from Canada. My husband and I have been married for over 10 years. We met when I was 18 and he was 21. We’ve been through a lot emotionally together. There were several HUGE fights and painful situations in our marriage, but we always seemed to come out stronger on the other side. Out of the blue my husband just sprung the divorce talk on me, I was totally depressed until I found Dr. Ogbeifun website online and I ordered for a Love spell. You won’t believe my husband called me at the exact time this spell caster finished his spell work in 48hrs. I was totally amazed! He is wonderful and his spells work so fast. His Email: ogbefunhearlingtemple@gmail.com call/whatsapp him via +2348102574680 don't hesitate to contact him

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello everyone my is Gabriel sophia from Canada. My husband and I have been married for over 10 years. We met when I was 18 and he was 21. We’ve been through a lot emotionally together. There were several HUGE fights and painful situations in our marriage, but we always seemed to come out stronger on the other side. Out of the blue my husband just sprung the divorce talk on me, I was totally depressed until I found Dr. Ogbeifun website online and I ordered for a Love spell. You won’t believe my husband called me at the exact time this spell caster finished his spell work in 48hrs. I was totally amazed! He is wonderful and his spells work so fast. His Email: ogbefunhearlingtemple@gmail.com call/whatsapp him via +2348102574680 don't hesitate to contact him

    ReplyDelete
  10. "I came across your recent blog post on this topic and I found it to be extremely informative and engaging. As someone who operates a visa consulting agency, I am always on the lookout for high-quality content that can help me stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and best practices.

    Your perspective on this issue aligns closely with my own experiences, and I believe that your advice could be incredibly valuable to my clients and followers.

    As such, I would like to request permission to mention our Best Visa and Immigration Consultants services in dubai to your blog post on my website. I believe that my readers would appreciate the opportunity to learn from your expertise, and I would be happy to promote your blog and share it with my own social media followers."

    ReplyDelete