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    •  
      CommentAuthorAndy
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     # 1
    Here's some of the highlights of the last year that I've been thankful for:

    General
    A dozen really tense sessions of D&D 4e spread between two gaming groups.
    An awesome L5R campaign, with lots of in-character shocking moments, hot roleplaying action, etc.
    I think Red Box Hack was earlier this year as well, IIRC. That's been a hell of a lot of fun to play.
    Lots of solid gaming discussion here that has been thoughtful, respectful and kick-ass. Only one banning this last year, too, IIRC.
    GenCon was awesome: It also taught me that I'm thankful for more local conventions, which are far more my speed lately.
    Making new friends in gaming-land.
    Nerdly this year was a lot of fun as well. I played in a number of games, rather than worrying about organization and stuff. The trip there was a blast, too, stopping in historic Richmond for lunch at an old lunchbox factory.
    Finding and buying awesome graph and storyboard paper at Levenger, which really helped me organize my sessions and scenarios over the following months (also use it to record my 4e characters).

    Specific to RPGs
    Being able to put together and release Maid RPG, as a "toe in the water" into the cottage industry, cut my teeth, etc.
    The release of Hellas
    D&D 4E: Honestly, my honeymoon with it is just about over. But it still stands as "the game that makes combat in all my other RPGs feel mealy-mouthed and empty", and has put my brain spinning in several new directions in terms of gaming.
    The release of a new complete version of Barbarians of Lemuria
    The release of In a Wicked Age (which admittedly, I played more before it came out than after; need to hit it sometime this holiday season).

    Specific to Other Gaming/video games:
    Valkyria Chronicles: Changed how I view strategic RPGs/games
    Dead Space
    Left4Dead
    SIREN: New Translation/Blood Curse. Horror gaming is still awesome.

    What are you thankful for this year?

    Andy
    • CommentAuthorforvrin
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     # 2
    Houses of the Blooded.

    Temple of Elemental Evil using Fate.

    The Third Book of Avatar. -- Avatar the Last Airbender has been the fuel for more games than any other property, except for

    The Middleman -- which is where I (steal) get the rest of my inspirations from.
  1.  # 3
    A Godlike campaign that is a jump-booted kick in the guts every time we play. I've done military/war themed RPGs before but this one has nailed the Band of Brother feel like nothing else I've done.

    A year of running monthly oneshots of all kinds of different games at the FLGS. Played a bunch of stuff, new, old, trad, and not trad. I learned a lot more about what I like and what I want out of a game, how to run oneshots, and running games for total strangers.

    As a result of the above, a folder of "oneshot packages", covering a wide range of games, that I can just printout (characters, notes, maps, etc) and run.

    D&D4e for turning out to be much much better than I expected. I haven't wanted to play D&D for many many years, and now I do again.

    A Maiid RPG session that made me laugh harder than I have at anything all year long.

    All the new friends I've made through gaming. Easily the thing I am most thankful for!
  2.  # 4
    Just for right now, in between my mad Nano dash:

    Our Sorcerer game, which is about to start soon. Set in Berkley 1968, with a fringe professor, a Black Panther, and a US Senate candidate as protagonist Sorcerers.

    LittleBigPlanet, the game that keeps on giving, especially for someone with kids ages 4 to 16 (this is the game they actually all play together).
    • CommentAuthorJudd
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     # 5
    Gaming on Fridays with Pete and Aaron has been a special treat. It is nice to have both of those guys back in Ithaca.

    I do love stabbing people with my Rogue in the Saturday 4E game. There is a Godslayer Epic Destiny that has my PC's name ALL over it.

    The orc over skype game just keeps on keepin' on and keeps being awesome.

    The Star Wars Episode LV game not only was fantastic at Gen Con but I get to re-visit it when the recordings are released, which is a really nice way to keep an annual game like that fresh in my mind and heart.

    Good stuff.
  3.  # 6
    RPG related-
    Playing Tenra Bansho Zero

    Creating games with my buddy Mike Fiegel (he’s a genius)

    Hanging out with Andy this summer

    Houses of the Blooded

    Exquisite Replicas

    Dread (will be playing this one Thanksgiving day)

    My wife and her help in all my RPG endeavors

    Having enough time and good friends to game 2-3 times a week

    Video Games-

    Spore (even if its buggy as hell)

    Fallout

    Left 4 Dead
    •  
      CommentAuthorNeko Ewen
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     # 7
    Always my family and friends. Always.

    Being able to participate in NaNoWriMo for once.

    Graduating.

    My Eee PC. The thing continues to be an all-around lifesaver.

    Specific to gaming:

    • Doing Maid RPG. It was stressful in some parts, but all around an amazing experience.

    • Getting to know Andy better in part because of it.

    • My group's D&D 4e campaign has been a blast, especially since I started playing my Dragonborn Swordmage character

    •  
      CommentAuthorWolfe
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008 edited
     # 8
    'ey, Christian! Get back to work, you! ::whipcrack!::

    First and foremost, I'm thankful for GenCon. GenCon was my saving grace as far as gaming went. My other attempts to game before GenCon were sporadic and painful attempts to keep a D&D game going. I met so many cool people, failed to meet so many other cool people, and simultaneously did more gaming that I had since rejoining the army and far less gaming than I'd have liked.

    GenCon allowed me to bring home a game that I could promise, and deliver on three separate occasions, prep and complete play in under 3 hours.

    I'm thankful for the gaming I did at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, courtesy of Gregor Hutton, Eero Tuovinen and Vincent Baker.

    I'm thankful for Minesweeper. Seriously.

    I'm thankful for Story Games, which has scratched my gaming itch at least a little bit.

    I'm thankful for my wife who's bought me a computer that she will be shipping soon that I will be able to game on.

    (edited because the initial comment made much less sense when 3 people beat me to posting after Christian.)
    • CommentAuthorColinC
    • CommentTimeNov 26th 2008
     # 9
    The usual, none of which should be taken for granted - Friends, family, good health, a job, and a place to call home.

    A great vacation to Japan which included a great time with the in-laws, gaming with my old group, 2 maid cafes, and a lot of shopping. Most of all, though, I really felt my fading connection to the place renew and change in good ways.

    An actual (semi-)regular indie-gaming night with Matt, Christian, and David (with a great guest appearance by Jesse!). "No Man's Land", Shakham, the Clatterer, Sorcerer, all of it. This is the kind of gaming I've been looking for for as long as I can remember.

    Committing myself to a drawing a day for the month of November. I missed one day due to illness, but I've been keeping it up otherwise. Now I've got a sketchpad that's almost full, a life drawing session under my belt, and plans to attend art class in 2009. This has been a really big deal for me as I've become really tired of only consuming media and staring at a computer screen and have really wanted to *make* something.

    Andy, for posting this thread and making me look back at all the things that have made this a year to be thankful for.
  4.  # 10
    I'm thankful to have a group of friends who are also excellent people who like to have all kinds of fun, and are smart, articulate, supportive and passionate. Chances are this includes you!
    •  
      CommentAuthortomg
    • CommentTimeNov 27th 2008
     # 11
    I'm thankful that my group has gotten back together after 7 years or so of not gaming. This is sweet.
    For my kids who are picking up my gaming habit. Memoir is my 6 yr. old's favorite thing to do right now. WooHoo!
    For my wonderful wife who supports our habit.
    For all the great gaming podcasts like Master Plan, Insurgency, Theory, and The Spiel. You guys are fantastic and your shows have helped to inspire me in my designing and playing.
    For the local Triangle designers and gamers who are top notch people and are allowing me to help with their games and giving great feedback on my own.
    For Story Games to 'meet' all of you and have my opinions and ideas taking seriously and inspiring me to design.
    That God has given me a creative mind and an outlet for it.
  5.  # 12
    I'm thankful for a cool group of people to play with weekly and --usually-- hang out and eat dinner with beforehand. After three years in the wasteland I feel kind of spoiled.
  6.  # 13
    Two regular games a week.

    Obama.
    •  
      CommentAuthorjenskot
    • CommentTimeNov 27th 2008
     # 14
    Posted By: Matt WilsonI'm thankful for a cool group of people to play with weekly and --usually-- hang out and eat dinner with beforehand. After three years in the wasteland I feel kind of spoiled.

    I feel thankful for Matt Wilson! He's one of the most unique people I know!
    • CommentAuthorDInDenver
    • CommentTimeNov 27th 2008
     # 15
    Hi!
    I am thankful for a good group of gamers for my Thursday night game
    I am thankful for Story Games for giving me aplace to geek out
    I am thankful for Skype so I can get a little gaming on the side.
    Also:
    3:16
    Blood of Heroes

    Fallout 3
    Clone Wars
    Chuck

    Cheryl

    Hope you guys all have something to be thankful for!
    Dave M
  7.  # 16
    Left 4 Dead, podcasts, and plumbing.
    • CommentAuthorWirebrain
    • CommentTimeNov 27th 2008
     # 17
    I'm thankful for the following:

    Getting a new, steady job that isn't video game testing.

    Helping make Maid RPG a reality.

    My family. Both the ones with me and the ones before me.

    My friends. One couldn't find a more loyal bunch.

    With all the shaky things that have happened in the past year, things could have gotten a lot worse.

    My love of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei being helpful to my work. (And thanks Atlus for releasing Persona 4!)

    Making new friends at Gencon and Kubla. You know who you are.

    All the great memories and stories I have around the gaming table. No matter where people go, I'll look over each big moment fondly.

    Assisting Adventure Planning Service with editing their quickstart english rules at Gencon. It was well worth sacrificing a game session at the show as it aided me in getting my current job.

    D&D - our group's campaign been going incredibly well, mostly in part to giving another character type a try: A shy, meek and timid Ice Wizard girl with pyrophobia. Certainly a change from badass and loud jerks with emotional baggage and now absolutely hilarious when teaming up with Ewen's dragonborn.
    • CommentAuthorFirst Oni
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2008
     # 18
    As everyone else has pretty much stated, friends and family and the fact that I still have a job in this economy.

    I'm also very thankful that I've finally been able to release Apocalypse Prevention, Inc. to the public and the response that it's received thus far.

    -Oni
    http://www.thirdeyegames.net
    •  
      CommentAuthororklord
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2008
     # 19
    Burning Wheel over Skype with Judd and Jim.

    My Lacuna lone wolf game with my only local fellow gamer (besides my wife).

    Running Dogs in the Vineyard for my wife and watching her "get it".

    The Diana Jones Award nomination, and losing to Grey Ranks and Open Design because the guys behind both are so awesome and their stuff is great.

    Doing Canon Puncture (even if there wasn't a nom) and passing 50 episodes.

    Adding Mick to our gaming group and the show.

    Meeting and interviewing Ken Hite and Robin Laws.

    The now annual GenCon pizza and gaming fun with Seth Ben Ezra, who taught me Polaris for a few slices and a drink.

    Playing a Story Game with one of my college buddies who hadn't games in years and gaining a convert.

    Star Wars PTA (see Judd's comments above)

    Non-tabletop related:
    my friends and family back home
    Bioshock on XBox 360
    Fringe
    the last season of The Shield
    joining the editing staff of Buffy Between the Lines (fanfic audio drama podcast)
    Osaka's (a local Chinese-Mongolian Buffet-Sushi joint that all my friends agree on)
    •  
      CommentAuthorJuddG
    • CommentTimeNov 28th 2008 edited
     # 20
    This year I am thankful for:

    * The OVA RPG, which is still a great little toolbox.
    * TSOY/Solar System - for making me finally truly GROK what conflict focus does in a game
    * Sons of Liberty - for showing us how the Bill of Rights was made specifically to counter Tory card-throws
    * Trail of Cthulhu - because it needed to be done - and it was done very attractively
    * Maid - for reminding me that simple fun comes from the random and the creative response to same
    * Dresden RPG - for being fun to playtest and for letting me see Evil Hat in the act of getting it right yet again.
    * One Bad Egg - for making cheap, cool things by people whose work I respect. That made me try 4th Ed, which I would have never tried otherwise.
    * Solipsist - for showing how sublime it can be sometimes to do what we do
    •  
      CommentAuthorMarhault
    • CommentTimeDec 1st 2008 edited
     # 21
    Shadows Over Camelot, Fallout 3, SG Chat and my local board game club.
  8.  # 22
    The standout for me has to be our weekly Warhammer FRP game. We're headed for session 10 now and each week has been better than the last. We are working miracles over here.

    Other thanks include:
    Gregor Hutton and 3:16. Made GenCon for me, and continues to be the go-to game of instant fun.

    D&D4e. We played, like, 17 sessions of the darn thing, and had a blast every time. Definitely going back to it one of these days.

    Principia (Tony Dowler's game in development). I am a huge fan of this game and it continues to get better and better in playtesting. Playing the Jason Bourne of Tudor England was definitely the highlight series for me. Although getting to play a mentat in the Dune universe game is a close second.

    Poison'd. Only did a few one shots, but man... this game delivers the goods. I really hope we manage to do an ongoing game of this in the coming year.

    Geiger Counter. I love that I can carry this game around with me in my head, and play it at a moment's notice, anywhere, any time (as long as my d6s are in my bag --- hmmm... maybe I need to hack this game to work with playing cards, too). We had several really great GC games in the past year.

    Also:
    - Call of Duty 4
    - Super Mario Galaxy
    - Assassin's Creed
    - BioShock
    - Burnout Paradise
    - GTA IV
    - Battlefield: Bad Company
    - Left 4 Dead
    - FarCry 2
    - Fable II
    - Fallout 3
    - Mirror's Edge
    - Spore

    (It was a good year for video games)
    •  
      CommentAuthorJuddG
    • CommentTimeDec 1st 2008
     # 23
    Posted By: John HarperPrincipia(Tony Dowler's game in development). I am a huge fan of this game and it continues to get better and better in playtesting. Playing the Jason Bourne of Tudor England was definitely the highlight series for me. Although getting to play a mentat in the Dune universe game is a close second.


    I am listening....You had me at "Jason Bourne" and "Mentat"...