This is a gaming review and some thoughts on what 2022 might bring for me. For context, I retire at the end of March 2022, so I will have much more time for everything, includng the gaming hobby. We head into the new year with the prospect of more lockdowns, as a new variant of the Covid virus takes hold. I remain hopeful that I will be able to get out to some conventions, even a grand processional of them, but let’s see how the pandemic develops next year.
Games Played in 2021
With the exception of the Furnace convention in October, I think all my sessions have been online, either regulars or online convention one offs. Eighty five sessions, with perhaps one or two in the offing before the year ends. I even have some vague aspiration of running a New Year’s Eve game to see in 2022.
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| Systems Played in 2021 |
D&Ds dominate, with most of my play being a 5e Strahd game run by Dom. This is another long form game, indeed much longer than I had expected, and I think it will be the main game that I find myself playing in 2022. Hopefully there will be a conclusion during next year, one way or another! Pathfinder 2e and D&D 4e have both been delightful. If anything, 4e has won my heart as the system I love the most, but they are both such quality high fantasy games. There is a good chance that 4e in particular will continue to run into the New Year.
I have lost none of my enthusiasm this year, the gaming has been a huge bonus for me. My work is quite heavy and drains my energy, so much so that I really had to stop something, and Pathfinder was put on pause for the foreseeable. I was sorry to do that, but it’s clearly the right decision for me; I’ve been so very tired.
Media Empire
As a further creative outlet I have been podcasting and YouTubeing. Enthusiastic game content about the things that are exciting me at that ‘time of recording’ moment. There’s a lot about 4e, so much so that I have started a #4eRennaisance movement, to channel the enthusiasm.
A possible extension would be a streamed series of an online game that I GM. It could happen, with the Role VTT making it especially easy. Maybe.
Gaming from the First Age Podcast
First Age Gaming YouTube Channel
Games for 2022
Play
The 5e Strahd game I’m playing in will continue for at least part of the year. I have no sense for how long, or when the sandbox will start to unravel into a final confrontation. I’m enjoying playing my charismatic half-elf sorcerer, offering an oratorical extra to the adventuring party. The odd fireball is helping too. Perhaps a complicated romance is on the cards, which should mix up what I anticipate to be one of the campaign endings.
I’d love to be a player in a lot of the things on my shelves. In reality I’d probably play anything with a nice group of people with a good premise an d an opportunity for me to drive some narrative in and out of the formal game time. One lesson is to understand up front the expected game session duration so that I can undersatnd the commitment. No-one is ever locked into a game, but I’d like to be there for it for at least the expected time, accepting that this could change in flight.
If I could wave a magic wand I’d probably wish for a game of The One Ring 2nd Edition, or take me off to the Twilight Imperium with Genesys, when it lands during the year. It looks probable that I’ll be up for more play time once Strahd’s complete.
Run
I’ve mentioned my D&D 4e campaign set in Nentir Vale in other posts. I hope I get to DM some more of this, as I just want to play this game. People’s real lives will affect the roster at some point, so we will just have to see. If it were up to me we’d keep going through to 30th Level. Much fun, and one to remember fondly.
I expect my other RPG to run next year will be Cepheus Deluxe. It’s the version of Traveller I would have blended myself and produced with style. A digest colour book version will come out in the year. I have messed about with some preparation for creating my own setting to run the game in. Mostly this is looking for effects with particular content creation sites and tools. It actually needs some full on writing before I am ready to go with this, with half an eye to a publication of the Eventide subsector out of the back of it.
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| Atrial planetary map |
I’d happily pull out huge swathes of the library to create some actual play, and the conventions will help to encourage that. As a point in time, there are some games that are grabbing more of my attention as viable session makers:
- Dramaguhl – a series of one shots in the ancient city for the new Tripod system
- Carved in Stone – a short campaign in the Dark Age lands of the Picts. Mythras, OpenQuest, Keltia, Tripod, and Cepheus all in the mix as systems.
- Stonetop – community based hearth fantasy using this lovingly put together PbtA game.
- Embers of the Imperium – a Genesys space opera set in the Twilight Imperium universe
- Heavy Gear 4th Ed – Open Beta and off we go to Terra Nova.
- Forbidden Lands – and offshoot expansions lovingly rendered in Foundry.
- Hostile – a ready cooked setting for Cepheus Engine and a chance to play grim and industrial SF of the 1980s. I hesitate as the more hope laden Eventide might keep my spirits up better through the current difficult times. Stil, Hostile, looks fantastic.
VTTs
I’m going to need to decide what I’m doing about VTTs next year. Do I continue to subscribe to Forge hosting for Foundry? It’s really the only way I’d consider using Foundry, but is a cost that I’d need to weigh up along with all the others. If I’m going to get a lot of use out of Foundry then certainly worth it.
The Role VTT is probably the one for me. The platform will continue to develop over the course of the year as they have a money and a team behind them. Role will also become a subscription service next year, so that will provoke some serious decision making.
Lets Role VTT, will also come fully through next year. Although I’ve moved away from it, I backed the development as a thank you for all the good times I’ve enjoyed using it. If I could have decyphered the shett builder it would have got a lot more use in tandem with Discord AV. It’s a back burner option
The ‘Grand Processional’
I have no idea if face to face conventions will be a thing from April. At time of writing it isn’t looking that good. I’ve enjoyed the online convention experience, so will do that anyway, and some more Con4eR 4th Edition D&D is likely. I’d like to get out and about if possible.
Conventions in the processional so far: Revelation, Seven Hills, North Star, UK Games Expo, Continuum, Grogmeet, Owlbear & the Wizard’s Staff, Furnace, Dragonmeet.
Writing
Is it a premonition, a protent, that I leave writing to the end? Will creative game writing get the pull up it needs to get some good content created? That’s certainly my intent and, as I’m looking forward, I’ll go with the expectation that some creativity will happen. What’s on the cards?
- Get Tripod Essence out the door. Fully written and languishing in layout, this needs some Dom attention really, but if plans don’t align, I’ll just have to get the layout done as best I can. If I continue to be too slow in Publisher I’ll find another way.
- Dramaguhl City on the Edge of Nowhere – 70% written so far. Get the writing done and work out how to get this complete Tripod game and setting to a book stage. Sharing the joy with Dr Mitch.
- Eventide – a Cepheus Deluxe setting for some Traveller inspired space opera.
- Heroes of High Fantasy – writing for self use with possible extension to a publication. Adaptation of Sword of Cepheus to a High Fantasy setting. Will draw on Cepheus Deluxe and the SRD for 5e Spells. Blend in some 4e Powers for extended Talents and we have a simple and sleek fantasy game. I have notes…
I’m stopping there. There are other possibilities, but let’s be honest (with myself), I’d be doing really well if I got any or all of that lot done within the year.
All in all that would be a fantastic gaming year. The retirement will bring more time for many things, including fiction, family, walking and gardens, plus some of the above.