Chaotek Thoughts

I was recently invited to play the Alternity roleplaying game with a new group.  I knew the GM of the game, as he has been playing in my regular D&D game for the last year, but I didn’t know any of the players until I showed up to game.  In many ways, this is a little nerve-wracking.  I get introverted when around people I don’t know well, and there would be no save harbor at the game since I wouldn’t know any of the players.  And yet, I was more nervous about the roleplaying style.  There are many different types of gamers, and I would put myself solidly in the middle of the pack.  I hate dungeon crawling, but also would make a terrible LARP gamer.

 So I expected the game to be a little slow at first, as you don’t want to look like a fool.  It’s kind of like showing up for a job interview at McDonalds wearing a tuxedo.  While the tux is appropriate at an opera house, you’d be overdoing it at a fast food joint.  As the first game session started, my expectations were proven incorrect as the players immediately started playing in-character.  Accents and voices were used, which is not something I can do well at all, but it immediately set the bar as to what was expected in this gaming group.

 The second session, with a much larger group (most of the group didn’t make the first game), made me reset to my original plan—sit back and wait.  However even this plan was deflected as I spent the first hour of the game as an active participant while the new players finished their characters and waited to get involved.  Therefore I was forced to put my cards on the table first.

 Overall, the experience went very well.  I think the group fits my general style of gaming, and sets the bar a little above my comfort level—which has its benefits as well.  Its interesting to see how other people game, so I can pull some of those experiences back to my normal gaming group to improve that game as well.