Christmas and the holiday season are around the corner again and thus the beginning of the time traditionally spent inside, gaming. In contrast to the summer month there are fewer excuses and activities that detract from staying inside and playing something. At least to me, with increasing age and obligations it becomes increasingly harder to decide what to play in the time available.
In addition to traditional Roleplaying games, tabletop war games and even board games compete for the same time slots. Back when I was a student, before regular working schedules, family obligations and other commitments, it was a no brainer. Finding the time to spend a few evenings or a whole weekend prepping for the next campaign session was so much easier. Now we have to weigh the 4-6h play time we get out of one RPG Session against the required time to prepare, which easily takes up half as much again, if not more, at least for the GM. And that requirement more often than not leads to a scheduled game of Exalted or Savage Worlds turning into a spontaneous round of Settlers of Catan or Dominion, or, the choice falls on a war game like Warhammer or BattleTech, spreading the responsibility of preparation over more shoulders.
Only one month left before I move back to Germany and latest in January, the same question will rise for me: Start a new RPG campaign? Or stick with something faster and easier? Fortunately there are sites like D6ideas, providing playable material for quite a range of different games, thereby helping to cut down on the time investment. And with that, I’ll lead over to this week’s cornucopia of new articles:
After it’s reveal on Monday for our German and English readers “The D6 Atlas, Page 1” with the first of many to come maps ready for your gaming group.
On Thursday a latecomer of our Red Star Special the “Ghosts of Aragon” from Dr. Gonzo gets published in English and German.