Do you think table top RPG is okay?

[Alagos]

Well i got super bored and thouhgt id dip my toes in a light game and sure enough it sucked me into full on gaming addiction for past few weeks. 

Finally it got to the point where my chronic fatigue, insomnia and digestive symptoms were flaring up and I finally couldn't take it anymore and activated my game blocking software (cold turkey)

Before I was planning to do 90 days and then game responsibly, but i think its clear that for whatever reason, whether its how im wired or what, video games are toxic for me and I need to quit 100%!

One reason I like to game is because I like to fantasize as a character. I was thinking since video games are bad for me, maybe I could get into the tabletop RPGs where you create your own character, story etc, but it's mostly done through imagination and is more like a board game, which is allowed by cam and doesn't have all the dopamine spiking graphics and sounds and gameplay loops designed to keep you addicted and over stimulated.

Also i was thinking maybe if i really got into RPGs I could make a model of my character and just play with it like a toy, like when I was a kid! I miss being a kid, I didn't have so many highly intensive video games and social media and etc. Today I went for a short bike ride to the park and just sat there in the nice weather and it felt good just to be outside and pretend I was a kid again!

And with the model i make of my rpg character I can just look at it and use my imagination to play as him!

Edited October 7, 2020 by Alagos

[Arthur]

I haven't played one since I stopped gaming (except couple games of chess), but I think tabletops are fine. Unless you start wasting all your days at the tabletop clubs, I think you are fine.

Problem with games (as I see it) is that they can be enjoyed without company, without interaction in person, in any time of day. 

But, if you end up thinking coplusively about tabletops, I would recommend you never play them.

[creationlist]

Any sort of table top game is a good thing. 

You learn to manage yourselve since you have to prepare stuff for the events.
You learn to write stories and train yourselve to have fantasy (which is a good thing for sleeping and dreams).

It is not a bad thing to do, since it also involves socializing and training your solzial skills.

However, I would ask myselve what goal I want to have in my live. If it is more into science I would search myselve another hobby, like building a bicycle etc.

But a social/artistic hobby can be a good alternative to calm down and take a break from reality.

I would try it and see weather it fits myselve. Life is to short not to try anything. If you do have people to play with you, why not?

[BryanJaz]

My friend tried to get me into DnD once and I said that it wasn't the right time but I would give it a try. It sparked a huge argument for some odd reason so it kind of feels like a dead topic. However, I often feel like it would be a fun hobby to do once and a while if I had the time/resources. I 100% agree about the idea of making and role-playing a character as being really cool and something I miss about being a kid. I remember when I got into WoW, my friends and I would go outside and role-play as characters, picking up sticks for weapons, and exploring local backyards/parks as if they were far-off lands from WoW. We would imagine enemies and fight boss battles and when we got tired, we would go in and play with an increased delight as the sun went down.  As we grew older, we would only just sit on the computer and play for longer amounts of time and the experience was no longer enjoyable. I would say that if your 90-day detox is going well that you could plan to start a table-top rpg or buy yourself materials to build a model character maybe as a small reward for 30 days of no gaming. It would definitely help with your transition away from gaming. 

As a fantasy guy myself, I suggest reading the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. The first book is called The Way of Kings and it's amazing. This series has helped me with my 90 day detox and is a way to still get my fantasy kick.  

[Zeno]

One of the earliest signs I might be prone to game addiction occurred when I was a teenager - way back in the 1980s - and it involved a tabletop RPG called Traveller. I was obsessed to the point that it was starting to eat up my life. So, I packed all the books and other stuff associated with the game into a duffelbag and left it by the curb on trash day.

So, at least I have that experience to draw from as I try to kick RPGs to the curb once more.

[GiovanniWest]

From systems to players to DM habits to in-game experience to whatever you think is part of the hobby