ORC Edinburgh (Open Roleplaying Community Edinburgh) is the RPG community website I’ve been running for several years. It has been a challenge. The RPG scene in Edinburgh has grown exponentially, along with other tabletop games. Over the last few months, I’ve realised I can’t keep track of the various games and groups, not to mention the various venues. In the past, people have assumed things just happen.
Over the last year, there’s been a significant number of changes in my life. It’s impacting my ability to coordinate the activities. So, I’ve stepped back from trying to be a “Gaming Ambassador” for ORC Edinburgh. The community has built to such an extent I can’t keep track. This is a good thing. Like Lorien, the First One from Babylon 5, time for me to step aside. Last year, I “reached out” (urgh, hate that phrase!) – to the other gaming communities too, and made some inroads. But it’s just too much time to spend on it.
I’ve appointed a number of volunteer moderators for the ORC forums in this respect. This should alleviate the pressure to the extent I can concentrate on other things than RPGs. As well as running ORC Edinburgh, I also have a long daily workday which is becoming increasingly challenging. As well as doing the freelance work for Modiphius (which I love doing) and a few other personal changes, the time commitment just isn’t possible. I’ll still keep the site maintained and active. The training wheels have been removed, and ORC Edinburgh will now sink or swim on its own.
As I taught you and stepped aside, now you must do the same. Our age is past. This…belongs to the younger races now. They have learned to stand on their own. They have learned…to understand. Time to let them go – Lorien, Babylon 5: Into the Fire
Many of ORC’s members have moved on, yet many more have signed up. They’ve left Edinburgh, formed their own permanent groups, or just haven’t the time. It’s time for me to move on like the others before me. Do I think I’ve left a legacy? Well, so many groups wouldn’t exist for ORC. Some of ORC have formed permanent relationships – even dated – from their time in ORC: so, yes. Like Morgue and Dave before me, it’s time to expand my horizons.
… Now, like the others, I find I hate to leave. But none of us can stay behind this time. That was why it was necessary to find all the remaining First Ones. This…is yours now. And you have an obligation…to do as we have done. To teach the races that will follow you and, when your time comes, as ours has, to step aside and allow them to grow into their own destiny. If your races survive, if you do not kill yourselves, I look forward to the day when your people join us…beyond the Rim. – Lorien, Babylon 5: Into the Fire
So what’s next for me?
Despite the (slightly!) maudlin nature of the early part of this post, I look forward to the future. I remain committed to running Achtung! Cthulhu every fortnight. The extra time I now have allows me to focus more on my personal life. Plus, I will have a Saturday free. I can also find more time to concentrate on freelance work. It should be possible for me to catch up on running (and playing) demonstration games too. There’s the novel and all the other stuff I wanted to get done, but had no time. I’m not saying this is ALL going to happen, but it’s a start!
Leave a Reply