Reflection and prognostication, all the cool kids are doing it. This tome a year newspaper, t.v., radio and the interweb is full of 10 ten lists, the best and worst of the year, navel gazing and fortune telling. I would be lax in not joining in a little.
During the past year of gaming I finally made the leap and started my own blog. The Old School gaming thing is growing and we're seeing more products and wider distribution for Old School titles. Some trends seem to be developing, old undercurrents being tapped into and even classic revisited with energy and ambition (Swords & Planets, Science Fantasy I'm looking at you). The last several titles I've purchased have been old school titles. Skirmisher released a number of Mutant Future products I gobbled up. StoneHell inspired me. Fight On! magazine is looking good and I must catch up on the back issues I missed.
The blogosphere has been full of a lot of useful and fun old school gaming goodness. I just started to type a list up and decided...nah, not going to go there list-mania is probably a bit too much this time of year. Check my followers do some Google searches follow some links, you'll find more then I could point you at.
In my personal life my family has grown by a new child. My D&D campaign was put on "indefinite hiatus" for a mutant future game. I did a ton of home construction this past year, got to play with a jackhammer and fix my septic system (lucky me).
Next year promises a bunch of new Old-school releases. Mars is going to get some new attention. Planet Algol looks promising to me. Hopefully the deeper level of StoneHell will be as good as the upper levels were. Swords & Wizardry White Box has a new publisher and is actually getting a box. Labyrinth Lord is getting a companion volume to allow play not at all unlike AD&D. I'm going to be jumping into self publishing after years of absence with my first gaming title "Fomorgard" to be released some time this year.
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and that 2010 is full of dice rolling for all.
Happy New Year! :)
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteBest to you and your family.
Like you, 2009 was my year to start blogging after a good while of lurking and thinking about things. I'm amazed and humbled by the amount of new friends I've made on the Old School blogosphere. Great news on your new family addition - another gamer in the making?
ReplyDeleteMyself and my good buddy Old 4 Eyes will also be treading the path of publication (we're being pretty modest at present - we're not Jim Raggi after all) so we fully intend to pay into as well as take from the OSR.
I've got a very positive feeling about 2010, one that many others share. I hope that this feeling is true and that the new year brings you success and happiness.