Unfun

There's an attitude in gaming at the moment of Unfun. It's quite prevelant and I'm not sure I like it. Some of it is justified: racially sensitive content has no place at my table and I would encourage others to think of what it is they are putting out and ask themselves who might be harmed by the story they're telling.

But one thing that gets me is hyper positivity. Having bad things happen to characters is becoming more and more taboo. I've heard people online talking about people retconning entire combats because a character died and they weren't having it.

That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If you're coming into a game where, canonically, there are creatures that can wipe out an entire town with a breath weapon, then you must accept that there are likely to be creatures that can potentially hurt your party, and maybe even kill them.

Another thing is increasingly frowned upon is "taking away player agency". There are these spells, called enchantment/charm spells, that make people behave in ways they normally wouldn't. They are, by design, supposed to usurp the will, but apparently there are players who complain about this. Why? You get to use those spells too. If you refuse to suffer the consequences, you don't get to use the spell either. There! Enchantment/Charm school is now banned.

And there starts the problem.

I have no problem with removing notions like bio-essentialism. No person is inherently better or worse than another person, and I have no issue with that, and I would also defend never forcing a player to experience something or force their character to act in a way that is likely to be a trigger or a trauma, it remains part of the game that you can be forced into a state of fear by magic.

Expecting everything to go your way all the time feels childish. Avoiding "Unfun" seems like something that should only happen at a kids' table.

Am I the problem?

It could be that I'm missing some Zeitgeist here, but I want my challenge to be challenging in game! That's the important part for me. This is all in game stuff for me. I am going into the dragon breathing, spell casting, monster infested world of dangers. I can't expect to walk out completely unscathed.

Or my character can't. I shouldn't be harmed by something I'm doing in an imaginary space for fun through a proxy character. 

Therefore, neither you

Now, am I saying you shouldn't play that way? Not at all. I think you should run your table how you see fit. But I don't think I'd be comfortable at your table.

On Not Gaming

 Oh, we've all been there. Life gets complicated. The older you get, the harder it is to organise everything to ensure "fun" happens, and this includes those people who KNOW that fun is important.

My Sunday game was cancelled this week because people's schedules are rarely fixed and life changes all too frequently. Some of it is driven by sensible prioritization: do I prepare for an interview for a promotion or do I go gaming with my mates? Of course you prepare for the interview. Duh!

I'm reminded of the Terry Pratchett quote: "Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened!"

Sometimes, you just want a break. My Wednesday game was also cancelled because we all chose to spend St. Patrick's Day having fun with our families instead.

Sometimes, not doing something fun is self-care. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Once Upon a Time...

 ... there was a God. He slept.

The End

Or is it?

Of course not.

Since I was last here, I completed a degree, got a job and took a starring role in a Pandemic. (There are 7.odd billion others who may challenge my claim of a 'starring role', but as I'm the one living THIS life, I stick with my contention and will not back down.)

So, why am I back? Well, why not. The Pandemic rolls on and it could be months yet before life returns to any semblance of "normal". I have already wasted too much of that time on other foolish things, but of late I have sloughed my bad habits, taken up running, and chosen to re-engage with the things that give me joy.

This is one of those things.

No schedules as yet, but once I enter into a rhythm You'll know as well as I. I look forward to speaking to you again.