"What Happens when we can't play Anymore?" Topic

Not about OUR wargames… but… it's possible?….

"My situation – I have uncontrolled anxiety and what has been described as extreme Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. I have been an AD&D player and DM since I was 14 years of age, but now find that my neurological troubles are making my DM'ing efforts scattered and panicked, to the extent that whatever my intentions and plans may be, I am failing to carry through. Its painful for me and my players and is largely chaos.

Most Dms run a game for the creative enjoyment, and I realize that this would be a big (potentially nuts) ask, but I have to take that step or, in honesty, consider abandoning yet another campaign…."
Main page
link

Amicalement
Armand

Nah. Outside of a handful of campaigns, we don't have that sort of amateur world-building--notes and files to be passed on to the players or the next DM. And miniatures campaigns are notoriously short-lived.

What we DO have is a ton of physical stuff--troops, terrain, rules and reference material. Some of it has cash value. All of it is valuable to our fellow gamers--and frequently our family members have no idea what to do with it if we get hit by a truck or otherwise fail a saving throw. Proposal:

1. Get rid of the surplus now. Get the stuff you don't use to someone who will play with it. If you get money for it, that's great--but even if you just give it to a good home, you're better off.

2. Be sure you've prepared for reduced capacity in later life, and do the prep now and not after the stroke or heart attack. Units which are easy to identify, simple rules and games which can be played sitting down are all good ideas.

3. Make sure your relatives have contact information for some person or group they can hand the wargame stuff over to. Don't "mean to do it sometime." Do it NOW in writing, and make sure your wife or your children have it or know where it is. Otherwise, you may be painting for the trash bin.

Not that hard. How many of us have done it or are doing it?

Done it. I habitually kept a catalog listing of all games, books and figures. All I had to do was add in a list of instructions, who to inform and suggested pricing based on original cost. Family can take it from there.

I think the original post is not to much about facing death, but about facing health issues (including mental health issues) that may prevent some of us, some day, from gaming.

Alzheimer/senility
Blindness
Loss of dexterity to move figures/models
loss of concentration/focus
anxiety/depression

I had a friend who was going through a hard time, and the consequence is that he had to stop gaming because he would become furious if he lost.

our wives throw out our minis and have more room in the house!
happens many times

Actually physical manipulatives (any type of object) are a fairly useful focus for mental exercise, which promotes mental health. As we age, and become less capable to physically interact with our environment which becomes a catalyst for mental deterioration.

So the obvious conclusion is that as we age, we should get more and more minis and spend more and more time playing with them.

+1 etotheipi.

+ 2 Etotheipi….

Amicalement
Armand

I've been running my same AD&D RPG world homeberw setting, since I created it, in 1983. I've been running a friend, and two, of my three, sons in it, for 17+ years.

My youngest son, age 30, wants to begin DM'ing at the FLGS, on Wednesday nights, using my campaign world, mythology (2e AD&D Specialty Priests, custom Sphere access, and custom Granted Powers), etc. We've discussed how he can use a region on the opposite hemisphere of the world, which is, as of now, undeveloped, beyond the continent outline markings on the map, and naming them. He is stoked, and chomping at the bit, to get started.

My sons, and two friends who have run PC's in my game world now, for 3-25+ years, are very familiar with my campaign world, its mythology, its kingdoms and lands… They feel like it is an old, comfortable, familiar friend.

I believe if I became incapable, for any reason, including death or disablement, that they would carry on with it. They know it, they are intimately familiar with many aspects of it, they will likely feel they could take the helm, and run it well enough that the others would continue to enjoy it.

I am pleasantly surprised with my youngest son's interest in using it -- never saw it coming. This development gives me a warm fuzzy, all over, knowing that my world is so believable to them, so familiar, and so beloved by them. I'm OK, with it. Cheers!

Good for you my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand