Highmoon's Ponderings

I normally wouldn’t do this, but I was inspired after listening to episode 82 of The Canon Puncture Show to reminisce quickly about 2009 in gaming and make some resolutions for 2010.

2009 Gaming Moments

Strangely enough, in the midst of all the turmoil the year brought, I had some really good gaming moments, and I am very thankful for those because in very real ways they kept me sane when I was dealing with some really heavy stuff.

At the top is the Primetime Adventures Star Wars Sith Triumvirate game I played while in Puerto Rico over the Spring and Summer. Born out of a failed Star Wars d20 session, it took four players who had never done any kind of “indie”/collaborative narration-style gaming and produced a heck of a story that engaged every single one of us and introduced them to a whole new world of roleplaying games. It was a pleasure to play with old friends with whom I had hack-n-slashed my way across the Basic D&D Known World in high school, as well as with new friends with whom I now have a shared history in a galaxy far, far away.

My other game for the year is the Lady Blackbird game played over Skype with my buddies from the Canon Puncture show. It was hard to keep up at times, especially because for a while I was in Puerto Rico, or had just gotten back after Mom passed away and playing was just not in my headspace, but these guys both fought on to keep the game going and kept reaching out to me when I needed friends to do that. The game has been fantastic, full of rich characters and surprising story, and I count myself fortunate for being a part of it.

2010 Gamer Resolutions

I’ll make only a handful so I have a better chance at accomplishing them.

• Play D&D 4e – I’ve owned the core books since they came out in 2008 and I’ve yet to play it. It doesn’t have to be a whole campaign; I’d like to play it for a session or two, so I can see how it plays and how the moving parts fit. A game at a con would be just right.
• Play any of the following games: Burning Wheel, Dogs in the Vineyard, Don’t Rest Your Head, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies, Colonial Gothic, Ribbon Drive, Savage Worlds – Ideally, play all of them, but I’m being realistic. I’ve owned them all for a while and it’s time to take them out for a spin.
• Run a game for my wife – I’m a bad gamer husband. Except for the Vampire and Changeling games we played in the late 90s, I’ve never been able to run a game for my wife, usually because I flake out in one way or another. I’d like to change that, and run for her a short game that’s a complete story.
• Play with people face-to-face/find a gaming group – I have offers to join gaming groups, but they require me to commute 30-40 minutes into the suburbs on weeknights. As much as I appreciate the offers, I’d like to find/create a group closer to where I live and get back in the groove of face-to-face gaming.
• Go to Gen Con – I missed it in 09 for monumental reasons. G-d willing, I’ll make it to Indy in 10 and enjoy the best four days in gaming with all my friends.
  • Corollary: Game with my Skype group in person and/or continue playing the Star Wars Primetime Adventures game from 2007-08. Both if possible.
• Work on Ierne – What is Ierne? Go back and read the short story I wrote called The Warning. There’s more stories to tell from that land, and some of them may even be yours.
• Not feel guilty when I game – So this is my own hang-up: whenever I game, I feel guilty that I didn’t spend that time with my wife. It’s all me; she’s never been draconian about my gaming, but I can’t help it. I’ve cancelled games preempting the guilt! I wanna get rid of that and be able to enjoy my gaming time without self-impossed psychological shackles.

I’ll go with seven for now as it is a manageable number. Should I get through these, I will then choose some others and update the list, though.

Here’s to a gaming-filled 2010!