More Ick

Now I am taking horse-sized antibiotics for my sinus/upper respritory infection. I am tired of being sick. Really.

In other news: Kate Beckinsale is hot in leather and latex. Really, really hot.

In still more news: I got some writing done, both for The Last Captain and for Twilight 2013. Really.

And now for something completely different: I have played roleplaying games for 26 years now. Usually as a GM, running things, telling stories with a group of friends. It was and remains one of the easiest means of release for my creative energies. It is also cheaper and safer than drinking and hitting strip clubs, two other ways I could be spending time with buddies.

These players are my buddies. Most of the group has been sharing stories with me for five years now, one played with me in Geneva, where we met. Like a well-oiled team, they tackle most of what I put out there and add to it immeasurably. They are high-speed low drag roleplayers, able to take on most any challenge.

Just before the advent of the 2013 writing gig, I changed the group over to that system and started to run a campaign set in the Sierra Nevada. It is a slick system, but a bit numbers- and realism- heavy for some of my players.

I had been tired of playing Dark Heresy and Warhammer, as the games required a bit more mental work preparing than Twilight 2013. I am intimately familar with all three settings, it was just getting hard to find something that entertained me and was relatively new for my players in Dark Heresy or Warhammer.

I was slowing down, not feeling very motivated, and working hard on my second novel.

At any rate, I switched us from Dark Heresy to Twilight 2013. I didn't ask the guys, I just did it. Eventually it became apparent that some of the players were dissatisfied with the change. With only one night every few weeks to play, some of the players rebelled. One up and straight up told me he wasn't going to play in my group again. The others slowed their responses, begging off and generally not putting in quite as much time with the group. It left me nonplussed, I had some players enjoying the game I was running, and some new blood joined us, filling in the vacancy left by the one player that left.

Today I had a good talk with one of my player friends. He told me what was up. I came to a few realizations from what he told me:

It is about friends and fun. Enthusiastic players and good friends make for fun games.

So it's back to Dark Heresy and catering to my players, to have more fun.

Really.