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Where do I Find the Retirement Community for Gamers?

saundby

saundby

SOC-14 1K
My wife and I have started looking in earnest for our "last house." We've been considering a place in Florida called The Villages where my mom & stepdad retired. It's a nice place in many, many ways. But so far I haven't turned up the gamers there. Bunco and Euchre just won't cut it for my golden years, I'm afraid.

I want to be near a big enough community of people to find others that share my interests--gaming being a big one, along with electronics and astronomy. I want to be somewhere that there are others around that make me want to go out and do things so I don't rusticate in front of a display and keyboard. When I've got good social contacts and brain food that's in line with my interests, it's a lot easier for me to keep myself up physically.

Anyone else have any thoughts or info along these lines?
 
Sounds like a market waiting for a seller :)

Might be a pretty small market though. If you find such a community let us know.
 
Well, I'm hoping things will be easier this side of the Pond - more communities closer together, but I'd guess you might be the trailblazer for now, Saundby. Pick a good spot and maybe everyone will join you. :)
Alternatively, pick a university town and game with the youngsters...
 
Over on the Dragonsfoot D&D/AD&D board there are a couple of guys who are school-teachers... they run school-approved after-school RPG clubs... meeting in the school building after school hours.



Perhaps wherever you settle you could talk to the local youth organizations and community centers about starting an RPG club for the "less-physically-oriented" kids?

Those places are always looking for "mentors" for the kids.
 
Great concept. Retirement in the Far Future. (puns intended) ;)

No help in making the choices - not aware of anyplace that really strives to keep older folks alive by truly addressing their mental interests. However, I will contribute some names to help get the ball rolling: Traveller Home; Imperial Estates; The Vargr Villages; Spinward Residences...
 
If you do find such a place, let me know if they're hiring. I just got my certification as a nurse aide, and that would be a great job. :)
 
Thanks for the replies, all.

I'm still looking for gamers in the Villages (warning, I think the web page plays audio--mine is muted so I'm not sure). I dropped in on "Card and Board Games (Open)" at one of the many rec centers here today. There were four tables of Pinochle, three of Mah-Jhong, and one pair of ladies playing Backgammon while apparently waiting for a spot at another table or another pair to arrive. They were playing for small stakes. Not my cup of tea. I chit-chatted for a while but turned up no interest in anything but the most blandly conventional, and finally--pointedly--what was actually being played in front of me.

The local bookstore (B&N) I stopped at next has a sizable RPG and SF section, but no Traveller at present. The RPG section was 85% TSR with two PFRPG books (Core and APG) plus some White Wolf and a GURPS book. I bought copies of Linux User and Linux Journal and headed out.

Each of the little residential areas here has a name and a bit of character to it. It's still compact enough to get about anywhere by golf cart--I practically circumnavigated the entire place yesterday in less than an hour by golf cart, even with poor navigation. There's still several more areas to be built. Perhaps I should pitch the developers with the idea of a "village" named Spinward Marches?
 
saundby said:
Thanks for the replies, all.

.....The RPG section was 85% TSR.....
Click to expand...

Careful, you are showing your age. It's Wizards of the Coast now, TSR went under in 1997. :)

Saundby perhaps you could be the spearhead of getting retired gamers togather in your locality.

I've thought about the same thing myself. I figured my interest in RPG's and gaming would dwindle as I aged (currently early 40's) but it hasn't. I figure I will just be devoting more time to gaming when I do retire. My gaming group has dwindled to family that I have developed into players. It is hard for a 40-something to coax younger strangers into playing RPGs (hey mom that old guy who lives next door wants me to come over to play a game where I pretend to be an elf....).

Someone needs to form a website/facebook/newsletter for retired gamers?
 
good luck.
I am an hour and a half south of The Villages and know of only 1 other Traveller gamer an hour south of me.

I play online.
 
Sturn said:
Careful, you are showing your age. It's Wizards of the Coast now, TSR went under in 1997. :)
Click to expand...

What? When did Brian and Gary change the name again? 'Tarnation! I knew things would go to pot after Don passed away. ;)

Sturn said:
Saundby perhaps you could be the spearhead of getting retired gamers togather in your locality.

I've thought about the same thing myself. I figured my interest in RPG's and gaming would dwindle as I aged (currently early 40's) but it hasn't. I figure I will just be devoting more time to gaming when I do retire. My gaming group has dwindled to family that I have developed into players. It is hard for a 40-something to coax younger strangers into playing RPGs (hey mom that old guy who lives next door wants me to come over to play a game where I pretend to be an elf....).
Click to expand...

I'm kinda surprised I'm still at this, too. I always wondered if a day would come when I'd get rid of the books and minis, but to be honest I can't think of anything I'd rather do with my spare time. I want to take up golf again, go swimming every day in a pool I don't have to pay the upkeep on (directly), and swap lies with other old farts. But I've got no interest in getting intense about playing pinochle at $2 a hand, either.

If I want to get intense about a game I want it to be whether my pilot makes a critical roll or whether I can get my infantry dug in before the other side's armor arrives. You know, important stuff! ;)

Still, plenty has been the time through my life where I've ended up being the organizer. At least I've gotten better about handing over the reins over the years.

Sturn said:
Someone needs to form a website/facebook/newsletter for retired gamers?
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea. Maybe I'll either start a new blog or refocus my personal blog, and use that as the theme for the RPG section of my website.

It's going to be about two years before I could move into The Villages if that's where I end up (it's looking more likely with each day here--my wife now has a sense of how much more house we could get here for the money than in California.) During that time maybe I can at least start to build a focal point for those of us that want to finally realize our dream of being full-time gamers. :D
 
Hemdian said:
I hear Number 6 likes to play games.
Click to expand...

I tried talking to him about it, but all he says is that he doesn't like to briefed, debriefed or numbered before going off on this William Wallace gig of his. *shrug*

He must game some, though. He wanted to know who are the Keepers.

I'm guessing he plays T4. He's got this obsession with number 2, so he's obviously hooked into a roll-low system.

Be seeing you!
 
Last edited:
saundby said:
I want to be near a big enough community of people to find others that share my interests--gaming being a big one, along with electronics and astronomy. I want to be somewhere that there are others around that make me want to go out and do things so I don't rusticate in front of a display and keyboard. When I've got good social contacts and brain food that's in line with my interests, it's a lot easier for me to keep myself up physically.

Anyone else have any thoughts or info along these lines?
Click to expand...

I spend a lot of time at BoardgameGeek/RPGGeek. They have 400,000 registered users and let you search for gamers in your area here.

Click on a person and check out their profile to see if they are a role-player. Good luck!
 
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