New User Introduction

#1

Hi everyone! Just discovered this community and am really excited to start digging in. I did not see a thread for new users to introduce themselves, so I figured I’d start it up.

So hi there, my name is Adam. I am 28 years old, been playing ttrpgs since high school, but in the past 5 years I’ve started exploring things beyond DnD/Pathfinder. It’s been a wandering journey trying to find a good community, but it looks like I’ve hit paydirt. If you’ll allow me to be a little selfish, I’m getting more serious about designing ttrpgs and looking to network and find playtesters. I really enjoy games with novel mechanics/settings, I hope we can have some great discussions about game design, and I hope those interested will find my games as exciting as I find them!

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One Supposes Introductions Must be in Order
#2

Welcome Adam!

there’s plenty of designers, players and game masters here so don’t be afraid to chuck around ideas and thoughts.

Many of us came from a trad (traditional game such as d&d, shadowrun, traveller) background, some of us revisit those places, others keep heading deeper into indy/story game spaces.

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#3

My name is Jason. I am the founder of The Gauntlet. I have been playing TTRPGs since the 4th grade (around 1987) but took a break from 2001-2012, when I was exclusively playing strategy board games. I came back to TTRPGs in late 2012 through discovering The Burning Wheel, @Jmstar’s The Shab-al-Hiri Roach, and other indie games. I started The Gauntlet (well, The Gauntlet as it currently exists) in January 2013 in Houston. Since then, we have grown to be the podcast network, gaming community, and publisher you know and love today.

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#4

Hi! I’m Jillian (she/her). I’ve been playing RPGs since 2014? Idk university. There will always be a soft spot in my heart for DnD but I have been slowly exploring PBtA games and I love them!

I’ve self published a few mini adventures/companion zines. I also work on an actual play podcast called Many Realms.

I’m really interested in queer identity exploration through play, and accessibility in gaming.

It’s nice to meet all of you :slight_smile:

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#5

Welcome!

I’m also relatively new here, but I’ve been really enjoying the forum. It’s so nice to see long-form discussion of RPGs going on online, but off social media.

It’s possible to have in-depth and evolved discussions in this format that just can’t happen in a more limited medium, and that’s a really great thing.

I really like the idea of a “Welcome!” thread, where new users can introduce themselves, if they wish, and we can all say hello to each other. Thanks for starting this!

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#6

I’m Mikel (prounounced “Michael”).

I’m a High School theatre/English teacher. I do a lot of directing, improv, stand up, MCing, and performing. My improv, in particular, has impacted how I interact with RPGs quite a bit. I’ve got a youtube channel called “Confessions of an Improv GM” that I need to start making videos for again. It was about using improvisational techniques in your GMing and playing.

I’ve done some DMing (I tend to get a bit bored as a player) but theatre schedules and the kinds of games I prefer to run don’t always fit with putting games a few months ahead. I’m very much looking forward to the Spectaculars game starting in August and I’m playtesting a game based on the Slings & Arrows tv show about actors having their lives invaded by themes from the play their in on here.

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#7

My name is Alun (he/him) and I’ve been playing ttrpgs since there were only rpgs in 1976/77. From a fairly predictable trad background but then FATE and PbtA changed that. Been playing with the Gauntlet since Oct 2018 and GM-ing there since the Spring.

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#8

My name is Ryker (he/him) but online I tend to just go by Eggpie or Egg (long story, blame my friend trying to get me into Runescape when I was 9). I have relatively little experience with TTRPGs, primarily because of lack of opportunity to play, but I’ve always been fascinated by them. I’ve always been a writer and roleplayer, and after playing a oneshot online with some folks I got really excited about the idea of fleshing out a TTRPG myself. I have a project that’s been ‘in progress’ limbo for about two and a half years now, I think, and today happened to lament the lack of resources and community for TTRPG making on a twitter thread by https://twitter.com/DungeonCommandr, and was thankfully directed here! I’m really excited about the idea of trying to put some of my ideas down on paper in earnest here.

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#9

If you’re interested in actually playing games I’d highly recommend playing with us!

https://gauntlet-hangouts.firebaseapp.com/events

(Jump on the waitlist for games too! 70% of them pull from the waitlist statistically.)

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#10

Hi, I’m Dexter (he/him). I’ve been playing ttrpgs since I was in middle school, then in 2015 I discovered Dungeon World and went down a narrative gaming rabbit hole that I still haven’t emerged from. I’m currently working on a PbtA system of my own so I’m really excited to have discovered such a rich resource for game design!

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#11

Hi, my name is Jennifer (she/her) and I do as well react to my online nick name Teylen. I am 39 years old and from Germany.

In regards of tabletop rpg, I think I started in the late '90s and the early 2000 and I did just recently open up towards Larp’ing (around 2013). I am an avid fan of the World of Darkness in general and Vampire: The Masquerade in particular. While I spent most of my time around the WoD, I do as well enjoy other games.
Whether they are story games with interesting mechanics or stuff like Dungeons & Dragons. I do occasionally play games online.
Though being a fan of V:tM saw me discover tabletop rpg (adjenct) crowdfunding, which in itself became a big fascination of mine. I do occassionally visit conventions outside of Germany and other than that I do got two blogs and a youtube channel; though I do consider that posting the links might be a bit brash ^^; (plus two of those are in German).

Part of the reason why I am introducing my self is that a friend of mine recommended the Gauntlet to me, well, and that I got a pointer from the closing storygames Forum.

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#12

Welcome, Teylen/Jennifer! Nice to see someone else coming here from Story Games. :slight_smile:

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#13

Hello there, my name is Brendan. I’m 40 years old and started roleplaying back in the 80s. I got really into it in high school in the mid 90s and ran a lot of Vampire: the Masquerade. I guess that’s probably the gold standard for roleplaying experiences that I’ve done, though I’ve fallen away from that game over the last couple of decades.

In the last couple of years I’be become pretty interested in what’s going on in independent game spaces and that’s what lead me here. I discovered the Gauntlet through the podcast of the same name. I also do a podcast called Full Metal RPG and I’m writing a PbtA game called Ravenous. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and getting some games!

Hit me up anytime!

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#14

Welcome @CarrionCallingCard.

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#15

I did some artwork for Codex in the past, I blog on the Chromatic Cauldron and I sometime publish zines. I am not really new but I only commented once. I know that the Gauntlet is supportive and inclusive and welcoming but I still feel intimidated by it aura and I have a hard time participating in the community. I wish there was more casual discussions on the forum as most discussions feel like high level theory talk or very specific and I don’t dare participating in them. I also don’t dare starting new discussions, especially casual ones, as like I said I am intimidated by the quality of the posts.

I don’t dare participating in games as I feel like a stranger because I find it hard to participate on the forum. Also again the Gauntlet expert aura intimidate me and I have performance anxiety at the idea of playing with strangers here.

This is not a critic of the community as like I said I get a positive impression from the Gauntlet and this is why I am attracted to it but I thought that maybe other people feel a bit like me or that it could be interesting feedback for the community managers.

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#16

@Evlyn_M Your zines are amazing, your blog is great, I would love to hear your voice more on the Forums and to play with you some time. I’m sorry you feel intimidated, and I would love to see you dive in, though I know those feelings can be hard to overcome. Stay awesome!

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#17

If you ever want in a chill, pick up game, let me know. I teach new actors so I’m pretty good at onboarding people and making it relaxed.

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#18

I wonder if you - and other users like you - would appreciate having some “light” threads on the forum once in a while?

As a community, we could make an effort to occasionally create threads which have a very low barrier to entry. ‘Share a favourite quote from a recent game’, perhaps, or ‘what novel or film’s universe have you ever tried to set a game in?’, or even ‘share a picture of your favourite dice!’.

I’ve heard this kind of comment - that an online community feels “intimidating” - before, and this is at least one possible solution: threads and discussions which don’t require an in-depth reply, heavy thought or analysis, or even reading the contents of the thread so far.

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#19

completely agree with this. I feel the forum rules, while good at establishing a baseline of decency and post quality, also have an elitist subtext that could offput people who are looking to network/chat about RPGs as oppose jump straight into the deep end of designing/playing. I think it might improve engagement if there was a, shall we say not “off topic”, but casual chat category, as it seems to me that the current “RPG Chat” category is more of a “running/playing RPGs” sibling to the “Game Design” as oppose to what it’s name might imply.

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#20

Why not post some lighter topics in RPG chat to shift the tone, if you feel it’s a bit too serious?

1 Like