I got started in MEPBM back in 1990 when one of my allies in a Hyborian War game said he had something he thought I’d like. One thing struck me about this game right off the bat, after playing other pbm games the ME rulebook was an eye opener. The hardest thing I remember about playing the normal games back then (first there was only 1650, I left during the first year 2950 was out) was the amount of player drops we had to contend with. I can handle getting my butt kicked (that first year God knows I got plenty of experience at it), what was harder was the sure and certain knowledge that half of my team was going to be dropping the game (the other hard thing was what passed for customer service at GSI in those days). But for sheer scope and playability I had never seen anything like it. I had a blast.
So what happened? Just life. I fell in love and proposed and one of the conditions my now wife imposed on me was that I stop playing those “stupid games”. So I sold all my role playing equipment, canceled all my pbm games and fell headlong into married bliss. The rest is history best reviewed with a 6 pack while watching “Better Off Dead” on an old VHS tape. Until now.
Every now and then I get on my list of honey-dos a command to clean the garage. And ever rarer I sometimes even do it. About two months ago I obeyed the royal command and set out upon the garage to do war.
After a couple of hours with my 12 year old sons help (term loosely used here) we started on this little loft where we keep the Christmas and halloween decorations and soon heard the cries of “oh man awesome!”. Now I love looking at long dead rats as much as any guy so I came over to see what was so “awesome”.
Turns out one box (my precious) missed the bonfire (to show Krystal how serious I was I took my stuff into the parking lot and set it on fire. After a night in jail and $500 fine I now know I should have just sold the damn stuff). Among the books was a ME 1650 rulebook. On a lark I looked up GSI on the internet and was suprised to see this game still going. Unable to help myself I signed on for a 2950 game- which still hasn’t filled yet. Getting impatient I saw that a “1000 game” was about filled and asked to join that. Now I’m back in the ranks of the addicted.
How do you know that you are addicted to MEth? I joined a couple of other games one of which had a due date recently. One thing common to all of us is that nagging feeling the night before the turns are due that you either missed and order or screwed up somehow. I awoke one night recently with that feeling and padded downstairs to my office to turn on my trusty computer and give my turn one final lookover.
My wife came in looking concerned after waking up (she wasn’t concerned about me, she wanted to know why I hadn’t started the coffee yet) and found me poring over results. You know that look your wife gives you when she catches you do something she dissapproves of (like drinking milk out of the jug?). :mad: Yep that’s the look I got. So how do you know you are addicted to MEth? When you all the time risk the wrath of your wife in order to play. Things were so much simpler when I was in college.
welcome back. I started to play MEPBM about the same time as you, with the difference that I never really quit. I rather kept the dose low all the time, playing no more than three games at a time. So my former girlfriends and now my wife never really noticed what I am doing
Besides she has other things to worry about: I am addicted to flyfishing also, which consumes much more time…
But I know the discussion about role-playing stuff. At the end of the year we will move to a new house and my wife talks about “getting rid of the useless stuff” at that occasion, which translates into my RPG stuff, my computer games, my framed John Howe-pictures, my fantasy and SF books and DVDs and my trading cards. Well at least I gave in for the cards. If somebody collects magic the gathering - I have about 500 rare and uncommon cards, mostly 4th edition and ice age - contact me
The interesting question is why I stuck to it. I quit playing RPG a few years ago because I lack the time. I played some MMORPGs but sooner or later found that the playing experience for a casual gamers like me is not worthwile. I joined several free-to-play browser games, but never got the hang of it.
MEPBM is so old-school, doesn’t have any graphics, and isn’t really cheap. But the thing about it IMHO is the structure. It does not demand lots of online-time to be succesful. After some experience, the real calculation and inputting of things just takes an hour or so, the coordination of a team game a little more. But it is perfect for occupying free thoughts. If I am sitting in a boring meeting, I can think about my turn. If I am stuck in the rush-hour traffic-jam, I can think about my orders. When I lay awake at night and can’t find sleep, I can think about my strategy.
And of course I do feel very much at home in this playing community, mostly very nice people around here:hug:
I just hope that enough people continue playing to have a sufficient player base. I would love to see the new module soon, because, although it took me a very long time, I am fed up with 1650 ATM…
First game a friend got me involved with was gsi 308, 1998 or so, I believe. Very quickly got into 310, 312, 316 and 318 which was transferred over to MEGames (Harlequin Games at the time…). Stuck on this damn continent ever since. I hear voices (“daddy! please come home~! we miss you~!”) sometimes but have another drink and turn up the radio to drown them out. JOverseer on the laptop with mobile wifi…well…
Playing Indies might be some kind of fun!
… but it isn’t mine for decades…
The game got a hype while the movies were shown.
It lasted for a while.-
Meanwhile I’m only reading names I already known for a while (and unfortunately some I would like to read will never show up again (RIP Lewis Morton) and other who checked out.
Anyway, this game is able to give you a good game (may be the best game you ever played) but it will depend in the players you’re involved with.-
A game with Brad is normally not boring, at least you will get a lot of mails.
