Always a GM, never a player

[AndyW]

I assume that this is a good place for intros.

Back in the golden age of RPGing, an unlikely group of misfits coalesced in a rural community of the northern Delmarva to futz around with this novel new pastime. Starting out with D&D, and later largely switching to Runequest, they tended to be sword and sorcery inclined.

However, one of them was an inveterate Trekkie, and discovered a curious game that came in little black books. Enter me. Soon I was designing subsectors, ships and other sunderies to augment my passion for sci fi. Even though I was, and still am, a Trekkie, I was looking for something a little grittier. Something more in the realm of Alien, where characters cussed, smoke, drank, etc. like real people tend to do. Traveller was a perfect fit for my vision of the far future.

MegaTraveller, and DGP books, took it to the next level, and while advancing "canon" materials had their influence, it was still a good fit with my vision.

Alas, time and the real world intruded and most of my players have now scattered to the winds or have passed on. In all the time we had, my recollection was that I was the designated sci fi referee, and have never played a single game as a PC. Though there are no players anymore, I still find myself designing the odd ship on occasion, and I'm in awe of the online tools that are available for gaming the Traveller universe. Would that I had such shiny baubles back in the day.

Thank you for having me here.

 

[Shadow Shack]

Welcome aboard. Hopefully your account survived chargen or else you'll have to create a new one. :rofl:

 

[vegas]

Hopefully your account survived chargen or else you'll have to create a new one. :rofl:

It's only his first term. He has a ways to go until he's safe.

Oh, and Welcome AndyW!

 

[Spenser TR]

Welcome to our little subsector of the internet... we’re an eclectic bunch, skewing older and left-brained I’d wager. Happy to have another always-Referee here. I feel your pain

 

[Timerover51]

I had the same problem when running D&D. I was always the Dungeon Master, and never a player. Welcome aboard.

 

[gchuck]

In all the time we had, my recollection was that I was the designated sci fi referee, and have never played a single game as a PC.

Well! That pretty much sums up my experiences with Traveller!

Please! Give us your comments, concerns, and catcalls. This is got to be the most understanding group of contributors and lurkers I've ever come across on an online forum!

 

[mike wightman]

I've always preferred refereeing/GMing, call it what you will, to playing.

 

[AndyW]

I've always preferred refereeing/GMing, call it what you will, to playing.

While I might have seemed to be lamenting the fact, I got to thinking about it this morning and decided that I preferred the universe I directed to any that I would play in.

 

[BlackBat242]

I assume that this is a good place for intros.

Thank you for having me here.

Well, while it has fallen into disuse... and is no longer stickied - Who are we? [page 88] is the thread where the vast majority have introduced themselves (often long after they started posting).

And welcome to CotI.



* Scroll down to where someone has posted their particulars - we did use a fairly regular format, but different members have posted different items from time-to-time.

 

[coliver988]

Welcome! For my current group I too am the designated Traveller referee. But back in the day I did get to play, and hope that someone else will referee eventually.

 

[JimMarn]

Howdy ! I gamed as an ad&d/d&d player about 3 times, then my relatives talked me into being the DM. I never got to play after that.

 

[flykiller]

I preferred the universe I directed to any that I would play in.

perhaps all you need is a good referee.

 

[coliver988]

perhaps all you need is a good referee.

Pretty much this. I am sort of trying to see if my group (or rather, a sub-group of the group) can generate a shared universe and we can take turns playing or refereeing. I've added a Trello board for the Fantasy Trip (sort of project management thing) and so far 1 player is contributing, the one that will probably alternate with me for The Fantasy Trip at least. Not sure I can swing it for Traveller as there is just one other player who used to ref Traveller but it has been a long time for him, and he would rather play.

But finding the right group is hard (although not as hard as it used to be as geeky stuff like RPGs are now mainstream, dare I say, "cool" [and hence negating the cool factor by both saying it is and saying hence...]). The group I am in actually has 10+ gamers and there are a wide variety of them. Found one of the players is also as badly addicted to Kickstarter as I am and we've overlapped on several projects. So we're hoping to also overlap in gaming duties (and he is an excellent DM).

But while I do like playing in my universe, it does get lonely at times and being a player brings a different view (plus I don't have to bring so much to game night!)

 

[Spenser TR]

I've added a Trello board for the Fantasy Trip (sort of project management thing)...

Ha! Let us know how this goes. Er, maybe over in the Referee area.