Here in the states we're indulging in an unhealthy amount of turkey and sports (or just double the turkey, in my case). In keeping with tradition, here are 10 gaming experiences I'm thankful for this year.
10. Buying an airbrush
Painting minis and playing them go hand-in-hand to me. Buying an airbrush was a no-brainer because I positively hate basecoating my stuff. I never imagined that I'd be brave enough to use it for more than that, but things like the Incredible Hulk/Mountain King, and the dramatic highlights on the Behemoth, stand as a testament to how much buying an airbrush has enriched my painting life.
9. Trying out hardcore
I had a lot of fun with my one-shot hardcore Minecraft adventure. Not only did it give me a healthy appreciation for the game mode, but writing it in story form unlocked a new way of playing for me. I've always been a fan of RPGs, but I never really considered playing them purely in-character, only doing things that my character would do or changing my character's story in my head if he does do something out of the ordinary. Although I haven't tried another hardcore mode lately, I've been enjoying purposely limiting my characters in game by creating a personality for them and only doing the things that would make logical sense for them. If I'm playing a noble knight, I'm not likely to go exploring a thousand random caves in Skyrim unless I have some reason to believe there's evil within. If I'm a mercenary in Fallout, I'm unlikely to help someone in need unless I'm guaranteed something for my troubles. It limits my ability to experience everything in a game, but so far it also adds a lot to my immersion in the game.
8. Replacing our group's organizer
When I first joined our group, my buddy Chris led the charge for doing leagues and such. As he's gotten busier with real life, I've unofficially stepped up and tried to keep the Warmachine-half of our group going. Granted I've failed to run a successful league, but I've really enjoyed trying to figure out ways to drum up interest. With the possibility of running a Warmachine story league next year, I'm more excited than ever to be responsible for my group getting more out of the game than just rolling some dice and trying to win.
7. Xbox One
I waffled between the two next-gen consoles up to the very end. In the end I stuck with XB1, and I have no regrets for it. I haven't had much opportunity to experience what next-gen really means (since the launch titles all kind of suck), but looking at 2014 has me extremely excited to be a gamer!
6. Diving in to terrain
Terrain is a side of gaming I never through I'd enjoy. I mean I like working with my hands to create things, but I always thought terrain would be difficult and unfulfilling. After getting a foam cutter, I've been very pleased with the expression that's possible with terrain. I have an entire bookmarks tab dedicated to different projects I'd like to tackle some day. The more I learn about terrain, the more some of those projects seem achievable!
I was born to be a dungeon master. I love teaching. I love the "sacrifice" of leading the fun rather than just taking part in it with everyone else. I thought when my D&D group fell apart my days of trying to kill friends was over. Then Privateer Press released an RPG version of my favorite game and I knew I could never go back to a grid-based game. Even if I went back to D&D, I can't imagine confining my players to 1" squares rather than giving them free reign over the entire map. I'm planning on converting a campaign from the old Warmachine RPG and running it for my players this summer.
4. PS3
I can't believe it took me so long to buy a PS3. Between all the games I've wanted to play, and all the amazing free games I've gotten through Playstation Plus, I have fallen in love with the Playstation systems. I finally got to see what the big deal was with all the PS3 exclusives, and I have older games like Demon Souls and Shadows of the Colossus waiting for me to get sick/injured so I can lay in bed for a day and play the heck out of them! I can't wait to get a PS4 down the road and continue experiencing the amazing exclusives!
I can't believe it took me so long to buy a PS3. Between all the games I've wanted to play, and all the amazing free games I've gotten through Playstation Plus, I have fallen in love with the Playstation systems. I finally got to see what the big deal was with all the PS3 exclusives, and I have older games like Demon Souls and Shadows of the Colossus waiting for me to get sick/injured so I can lay in bed for a day and play the heck out of them! I can't wait to get a PS4 down the road and continue experiencing the amazing exclusives!
3. Cheating on Khador
After a year of playing nothing but Khador, I was understandably burned out. After getting a sweet deal on some Circle Orboros models, I thought I'd just get a nice break from my standard fare. Instead I discovered an army that made much more sense to me! Khador is very straightforward, but something about the army never quite clicked with me. Circle, despite its complexities, has felt much more in line with my playstyle. Since then I've also acquired some Skorne that I plan to play in a Journeyman league, and a few different starter boxes in case new players want to try a demo game to find the army they like.
I still love Khador, but they have definitely become an army I will play when I want to try something different from my main army.
After a year of playing nothing but Khador, I was understandably burned out. After getting a sweet deal on some Circle Orboros models, I thought I'd just get a nice break from my standard fare. Instead I discovered an army that made much more sense to me! Khador is very straightforward, but something about the army never quite clicked with me. Circle, despite its complexities, has felt much more in line with my playstyle. Since then I've also acquired some Skorne that I plan to play in a Journeyman league, and a few different starter boxes in case new players want to try a demo game to find the army they like.
I still love Khador, but they have definitely become an army I will play when I want to try something different from my main army.
2. Trying out new games
I finally took Warhammer 40k for a spin and found that it wasn't the game I hoped it was. I got an Infinity starter and learned the basic rules. I bought Android: Netrunner and absolutely love it. My buddy is trading me some Malifaux for commission work (finally!). This year I have been really stretching myself, both in digital and tabletop gaming. There are some games that took me by surprise (Netrunner, Infamous), and some that definitely didn't live up to the hype (Uncharted, 40k). But rather than watching them from the sidelines I finally jumped in and played many of the games I've always wanted to play. I don't play many of them as regularly as I'd like, but I'm definitely glad to know what I do and don't like!
1. Starting this blog / You guys!
The answer no one expected! Seriously though, this has been such an amazing journey. I've discovered more about myself as a gamer in 11 months than I did in 20+ years of gaming. I realized it's okay to be competitive, but it's also okay to try and have fun. I've identified many of my strengths and weaknesses I'd never fully understood before, and I have a bigger picture of what gaming means to me. I won't go on and on with everything I've done this year (that's for the end of December!), but suffice it to say that it's been one of the best experiences I've ever had in the realm of gaming.
What new things have you guys done this year in gaming?
See you tomorrow!
Remember to follow me on Facebook! I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways. This month I'm giving away everything you need to play the Warmachine scenarios!
I finally took Warhammer 40k for a spin and found that it wasn't the game I hoped it was. I got an Infinity starter and learned the basic rules. I bought Android: Netrunner and absolutely love it. My buddy is trading me some Malifaux for commission work (finally!). This year I have been really stretching myself, both in digital and tabletop gaming. There are some games that took me by surprise (Netrunner, Infamous), and some that definitely didn't live up to the hype (Uncharted, 40k). But rather than watching them from the sidelines I finally jumped in and played many of the games I've always wanted to play. I don't play many of them as regularly as I'd like, but I'm definitely glad to know what I do and don't like!
1. Starting this blog / You guys!
The answer no one expected! Seriously though, this has been such an amazing journey. I've discovered more about myself as a gamer in 11 months than I did in 20+ years of gaming. I realized it's okay to be competitive, but it's also okay to try and have fun. I've identified many of my strengths and weaknesses I'd never fully understood before, and I have a bigger picture of what gaming means to me. I won't go on and on with everything I've done this year (that's for the end of December!), but suffice it to say that it's been one of the best experiences I've ever had in the realm of gaming.
What new things have you guys done this year in gaming?
See you tomorrow!
Remember to follow me on Facebook! I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways. This month I'm giving away everything you need to play the Warmachine scenarios!
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