Roleplaying & Me 2013: Reflections

Yes, I know it's February, so I guess I'm a bit behind schedule in discussing my RPG reflections and resolutions for the new year. But, all things in their time, eh?

Anyway, I've taken an indefinite hiatus from GMing. The good folks in my primary gaming group, who I game with on Wednesday nights at All Things Fun, have taken up the GM mantle. I am grateful to them, and have already become a player in their own campaigns. And I'm having a blast!

So, I'm allowing myself  some time to step back and recharge my GMing batteries. I've been going full-speed and full-bore since I returned to the table-top, in my usual all-or-nothing, obsessive approach to my interests. Yes, I usually exhaust myself because of this approach.

I need time to ruminate on what I've learned, and indeed relearned, about myself and my relationship with gaming. It's been almost two years since I got back to the table-top, and I realized that I came back with a lot of assumptions.

I also realized I need to flush those assumptions. I can benefit from my past experiences, but I need to start fresh and not assume, for instance, that my grasp and understanding of RPGs (D&D in particular) is complete or comprehensive. That's a big one: just because I have a history with D&D, I haven't actually read the books or played the game for many, many years. I need to get to a place where I can take a breath and read the old books with new eyes, with my assumptions left at the door.

Since I've gotten back into table-top RPGs, I've felt like I've been breaking off a lot of rust. I need to be easier on myself, I think. I always hold myself to a very high standard. After running and playing in several campaigns for over a year and a half, I think I've reached a deeper understanding, and discovered/rediscovered what my preferences are when it comes to running games. I've definitely solidified what I like and dislike when it comes to being a GM. Part of this is play style, and part is system preference.

Anyway, enough  rambling. My next post will outline my specific roleplaying resolutions for 2013.