Though I’m working at a frantic pace on a ton of things I’d love to talk about, I’m afraid they’re all still a bit too confidential. I will say that 2013 is going to be an amazing year for Privateer Press, but that’s about as far as I can go without winding up with a highly redacted Insider Blog. Again.
So instead I’m going to ramble about community. As with any good ramble, I’m going to start completely off topic before making my point.
I’m a pretty big TV show junkie. Sure, some shows are just background noise for other activities, but some shows really draw me into the story. Whether it’s a comedy or a drama about doctors or demons, time and time again I find myself drawn into the web of interpersonal relationships the writers create between characters.
If you think about your own favorite shows, my guess is that at least some of them feature strong themes of loyalty, teamwork, or community. There’s a fundamental human resonance to these themes, so you can expect to see them again and again. As viewers, we can appreciate or even love characters that are truly horrible human beings *if* they have a deep-seated loyalty to another character or group within the show.
Now, I realize that local gaming stores and clubs aren’t TV-perfect ensembles of crazy characters, boundless intrigue, and problems that can be solved in 30-60 minutes (minus commercials). Even so, I’ve met a lot of great WARMACHINE/HORDES and Iron Kingdoms Role Playing Game communities over the years and have even had the good fortune to call myself part of several of them. Mutual interests might be what drew us together, but it’s frequently the friends we make and the sense of community we share that keeps us coming back week after week.
Beyond the local level, there’s also the amazing Privateer Press volunteer community of Press Gangers, moderators, Infernals, etc. Then there’s also the Privateer Press convention-attendee community. Even folks who only get to see each other once or twice a year often have a strong camaraderie built around a sleepless midnight madness event, a hard-fought game they’ll never forget, or the time relaxing after a long day of Hardcore. And we can’t forget about the online community, not only on the Privateer Press forums but also on local forums, blogs, and podcasts.
Anyway, I’ve been pondering this topic during some TV viewing, so I figured I’d share my thoughts. I also want to say that I count myself very fortunate for the good times I’ve spent with many of you over the years. From my original WARMACHINE hangout at Underground Games in St. Louis to the good times I had at Gen Con 2012, I want to send out a very sincere thanks to all those with whom I’ve shared this great sense of camaraderie.
Proudly a member of the WARMACHINE Community,
-DC