loosing well

I like to play games. Not head games, or drama games or relationship games. I like board games, and role playing games. Of course, playing means loosing sometimes. With board games, I pretty much don't mind loosing, as long as the game is fun. While role playing the loosing is a little different. It basically means you've died. It happens. If there is a challenge, sometimes you just fail it.

I mean, I have a hard time with it sometimes, because there is usually some frustration involved. Often because I can't roll the dice well. I know it too, and I'm not the only one in our group that has the problem. We make fun of ourselves and tease each other about it all the time. Its one way I know we are pretty honest about our rolls. I think that is a nice thing about a gaming group in general.

There is also the time and effort you have put into building a character. In many ways it's difficult to give that up. Usually, you don't have to. Unlike life, there are magical resurrections and the like to allow you to continue playing that character. So even a battle that goes very badly isn't necessarily the end of the line. On the other hand, sometimes starting a new character is just the thing. New skills, new personality, new fun to be had. A character's death isn't always so tragic in the long run.

So, here is what I try to do in those situations. I might sigh from time to time, but I try not to mope. I try not to get mad, either. I know that the ref isn't out to kill my character - or anyone else's for that matter. We are better friends than that, really. It's disappointing that I can't contribute to the group effort in a close fight. I think that is really the worst thing. That, and no more turns for me. Since role playing games are about participation, THAT is the big deal.

So, of course this evening, I spent a good amount of the time mostly dead. It was a close battle, and I was not the only casualty, merely the first (and of course I am the healer). Still, as a group, we met that challenge despite the poor odds and the even poorer rolling of the dice. I managed not to get pissy about it, and stay involved enough to cheer on the good that others could do. Still, I guess, thinking about taking my crochet with me might have been OK after all.