For my ethnography, I had chosen to study tabletop gaming communities. This makes sense, seeing as I am an avid gamer. Back at home, Metro Detroit Gamers used to (perhaps still does) run board gaming sessions at the local public library. These helped to cultivate further a love for tabletop gaming, as it exposed me to games outside the standard Monopoly or Risk fare. Eurogames like Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride. Deck-building games like Dominion. Nowadays, the mother of one of my high school friends manages a weekly meeting at the local laser tag's party room, which pulls in a solid group of people.
But my history isn't the focus of this post. My intent is to highlight the increasing availability of electronic means to play tabletop games. While it can't compare to the camaraderie the physical table, there is much to be said for online gaming. For many, it provides a cheaper/free alternative to purchasing a physical set of the game and playing. While the legality of such arrangements tends to be questionable, some methods of avoidance have cropped up. Some programs accommodate the latest expansion by censoring its card text or providing low resolution art until a certain date. Others just provide the engine, allowing the community to source the necessary materials.
In any case, the biggest change is that these services remove the need for travel, or even to have a core group of dedicated players. Now, one can advertise their search for fellow players, and engage them over the internet, instead of needing to trek for what could be upward of an hour for the local game store.
Electronic tabletop gaming will never be able to replace the experience, but it provides a suitable substitute for those who cannot get the real deal.
A few methods of playing tabletop games online:
http://roll20.net/ (RPGs)
http://www.octgn.net/ (Card games)
http://en.boardgamearena.com/ (Various board and card games)
http://berserk-games.com/tabletop-simulator/ (Physics engine that simulates the movement of cards and pieces.)
Tabletop games are so much fun! I love to play Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering, and Dungeons and Dragons. Mostly nowadays I play on the computer instead of in person especially with Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic because it can cost hundreds of dollars for a single rare card. Even the standard decks are becoming more and more expensive... With D&D I usually play on my computer because I don't know anyone who plays (plus the Baldur's Gate series, a two-game with two-expansion pack series of computer games based off of the AD&D rules is super insanely awesome).
ReplyDelete-Sheryl G.