Community: What We Lost Along the Way

I went to a Society for Creative Anachronism event the other day, and it hit me.

This is what we had in role-playing games, online games, MMOs, and other social spaces where we come together as a community and share that sense of community and companionship. Us as many, we as one.

These days, any online space I go to feels like something meant to hustle people through an 'experience' as fast as possible, queue people up for a bunch of story events, and get as much money from you while keeping the line moving.

Even D&D adventures feel like "tourist experiences" that simulate the actual thing, a best-of experience, meant to let you say "I played Tomb of Horrors" without actually playing Tomb of Horrors. Not like it was intended. This is the "you can't die" version, without 14 levels of campaign build-up and having months of play on the line if your character does not make it out. Every one of these classic dungeons is presented on some "infinite staircase," which is just a level-select tool for playing something, saying you experienced it, and ultimately meaning nothing to you or your character.

None of those level-select dungeons mean anything.

No community in most online games that I log into means anything.

In the SCA, you are at the event, you talk with people, you contribute, and what you put in is what you get out - even if it is just to dress up and enjoy the day, it is a real experience with real people. It isn't D&D or even a place to play D&D; you are actually "doing the thing" as close as you can to back then, and trying to understand and live the life of someone from that time.

The crafts, music, simulated combat, archery, fencing, foods, and ambiance of the era bring back that camaraderie and community that I sorely missed in today's online games.

And there is no "group finder" or "paid progression" in real life. Cosmetics? Find them yourself, or learn how to make period-appropriate garb. Learn a craft. Learn music, for real, not a "skill" that D&D says you have. Learn how to fight or fire a bow. Learn calligraphy or period art.

Meet actual people.

Become a part of a group.

Get an actual skill instead of a game telling you that you have one.

Do something real.