Gaming in 2018

This is how I feel moving into 2018 as a tabletop gamer. It seems that all around, this great gaming landscape is on fire and a burning wreck. Fear not! I'm here to get you out of the mess of changes (games and life) and back onto the table where you and your gaming models belong. Let's go!

It's all about a new beginning, you need to come up with something new to either try or play to get you back to the table. It's more important than that though, we'll visit some ways to stay motivated through the next year as a gamer. Not just Flames of War, but anything that drives your interest.

So you need a break, or maybe you took one. Well, the fight is over and it's time to find some interests or unpack some old ones and get on with motivating yourself to play something, anything! PC or console gaming is an easy way to get together with friends and do something as a team, maybe you need that release to reach a common 'virtual' goal to feel like you're accomplishing something.

Tournaments aren't your thing anymore? Well, despite the grind to play 3+ games in a day of anything may not be appealing to you, sometimes it's not about YOU. It's about the trip, the day of playing new players in a new environment, not staying cooped up in your parents basement waiting a few weeks to play. I'm guilty of this and will make an effort to both organize and attend events this year.

This is what gaming in 2018 will be about, the friends, food, the shitty hotels, road trips and getting away to play. It should be for you too, even if only a few of you make it to a tournament. The trip alone will be worth it, who cares if you drop all three games and come away with some crappy door prize, the memories alone are worth it. Though traveling through US Customs is harder when one of you is an Australian.

You don't have to take on anything big by yourself. The past few years have seen a lot changes, you've moved, started a new job, maybe you had kids....or three. Pick up the phone, a controller, a rulebook. Get back into painting, writing, taking some video or pictures of the games you're playing at the moment. After a few games, you'll wonder why you kept all your stuff in boxes so long and the reasons you miss playing shouldn't limit you to NOT doing anything. In my case, it's a 45+ minute drive to anywhere to play, is that a reason? Sure isn't in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot worse things and the destination at the end will be worth it.

Get after it then.

Seize the objective and find something to get you back to the table.