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Change in Venue

I waited a day to post this since I like to let emotions cool first.  This might seem a bit off-topic at first, but I think there needs to be a deeper reflection on the impact that gaming every week has on a person.  Its true that it is just a hobby for most, but it plays an important part in their lives, taking up precious time and being an escape from the stress of daily life.
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I was all ready tonight for a cool new section of the dungeon for our Friday night game.  I packed up my Friday night GM backpack, collected together the specific miniatures I was going to use tonight.  I grabbed up the dungeon adventure that I had worked to prepopulate with stats this week.  I packed in my box of dice and shut down my laptop and packed it in too.  I also grabbed my copy of Elder Evils that was going to play a special role in tonight's encounter, if we got that far.  I was also looking forward to maybe buying a copy of the NPC Codex tonight, if they still had a copy in stock at my friendly local gaming store.

It was going to be a good night for discussion too, since I received my Shadowrun books this week.  I got through reading the Runner's Companion, which was going to be a good topic for discussion during breaks with the guys interested in starting a Shadowrun campaign.  One of the player's was looking for a character that flies, which I think is only the Pixie race.  I think he wanted a flying character with a big gun.  Not sure if pixie was going to fit the bill.  I also looked over the rules for the artificial intelligence race in the Runner's Companion.  I was looking forward to discussing how balanced an AI could really be and how it might / might not fit with the setting.

It's been a long week.  Monday I was sick enough to have to go to the doctor.  We had to knock out birthday shopping this week for one of my daughters.  Work was hectic and stressful.  At least two of the nights I didn't get enough sleep, and it's catching up with me.  I wanted to sneak in a nap before gaming tonight, but after getting cleaned up, I just didn't have enough time.  I felt bad that one of the minis I am bringing tonight I missed a spot on and I didn't get a chance to touch it up.

The weather had been bad all day.  We got snow and ice overnight.  The roads were slick this morning.  The side roads were still slick tonight.  It was going to get worse as the temperature dropped to freezing tonight.  It doesn't help that we have to fight through traffic to the game store.  Sitting at the same stoplight for three greens takes too much patience on a Friday.

We finally get to the game store and the parking lot is pretty full already.  We pack up the stuff and ease our way in across the icy parking lot.  I am really hoping a slip on the ice doesn't get my laptop crushed or my miniatures broken.

Once inside, Friday Night Magic is underway.  My gaming group is there but not at the table.  It looks like there is stuff standing up all around the RPG table like some sortof makeshift partition.  Already I can't hear myself think because of magic players.  One of the players tells me our table is taken up by one of the owner's projects and we have a table at the front of the room.  This is going to be impossible -- I won't be able to hear a thing.  And there is no power, and half my stats are on my laptop.  It looks like they might have an extension cord -- annoying since I bought a power strip to leave at the RPG game table just so I wouldn't have to worry about this.  I try to sit down, but the projector they use for Friday Night Magic pairings and scores is blasting right into my face.  The projector is blasting right towards the table.  I can't see anything.  All the time prepping for this game that I really need, and its all for naught. 6 of us taking our time to drive to the store, spending gas and our Friday night for nothing.

My patience runs out.  Our reserved table has been taken over and now we have no place to play.  I emailed in that we would be in tonight for sure.  "That's it.  We're done."  I grabbed up my stuff and left.  I didn't hardly say a word all the way home.

It reminds me of the time we were playing on a Friday night when a massive turnout appeared for Friday Night Magic.  We were back in the corner at two smaller tables shoved together that made up the RPG area.  The tabletops are covered by a map with multiple miniatures all over the place.  The edges of the map and every other bit of the table is covered in books, character sheets, dice.  there literally isn't a space left open anywhere on the tables.  We're all huddled around the table deep in play.  The owner wanders over frantically and asks "Are you using those tables?".  I was a bit shocked by the question, so much so that I hesitated in responding with a "Yes."  He then wanders over a few minutes later and says, "Don't worry, we found some more space."  I though it was odd that he would seem to ignore the fact that we were quite obviously using the tables and we were there first by reservation.  

Two points make a line, so they say.  I guess it should seem obvious in retrospect -- the RPGers don't really matter.

So I sent out an email notice that our table had been taken over and that I was cancelling all games until I find a new venue.  I got an email from the owner apologizing but reiterating one simple truth:  we're going to lose our table any time he has something he feels is a higher priority.  I guess the agreement for our reservation doesn't mean anything.  We're just filler for dead time.

That last thing I have time for right now is finding another place to game.  Really, though, what I have less time for is showing up to game and finding we've been voted off the island.  Maybe this would be a good time to move all my games to Roll20.net.  I guess I'll see what I can find.
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