RPGaDAY is about positivity, but I can say that perhaps there are a few things as tragic as when gamers aren’t aware or accepting of the diversity of the hobby and assume that all the other games out there are like the one they are already playing, or that they aren’t any good because they’re not like the one that they’re playing. Likewise it is equally tragic when we fall into the trap of believing that there is only one true way to play.

Perhaps the most tragic of all is when somebody leaves the hobby because they aren’t finding the experience that they want and they assume that it can’t be had here simply because they aren’t aware of all the other possibilities that are available.

We live in a golden age of plenty when it comes to RPGs. There are literally thousands of them out there with new ones being developed every day. If we sat down and played one new game a week we would never get to the end of them. The hobby has grown much bigger than our ability as individuals to experience all of it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The world is full of a lot of people. I have no idea how many of them are tabletop gamers, but it’s safe to say that there’s something for everybody.

If you like tactical play and detailed number-crunching there is a game for you. If you want to engage in over the top thespianism, there is a game for you. If you want to engage in a collective writers room experience where are you and your friends come up with the most awesome scenarios there is a game for you. If you want an experience as the character in whatever setting in almost any situation there is a game for you. Name a theme or a premise or a genre and there is a game for you.

Likewise if you have a particular approach to play that works for you there are other people out there that want the same thing. Not only is there a game for you but there is a group for you. There aren’t just plenty of games, there are plenty of people out there that want the same experience that you want. You may have to find them on the Internet and end up playing online with people half a world away, but you will find kindred spirits out there if you take the time to look for them. There are plenty.

Just because the public side of the hobby tends to be dominated by a few games and a couple of approaches to play doesn’t mean that there aren’t many others that are alive and well. As individuals we can only be made richer by putting aside contempt prior to investigation and exploring the vast array of possibilities out there. We may find us some aren’t a good fit for us, but I believe that we come away better for the experience. How we really know unless we look at and try the cornucopia available to all of us?

It’s a good time to be a tabletop role-playing gamer. We have plenty of options.