I first started playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) about two years ago, with an online group. I had experience roleplaying via text for years before that, and I eventually ended up in the tabletop roleplaying genre. Going into it, I wasn’t sure if D&D would be a suitable creative and social outlet for me. In the time since then, I have enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) playing both in-person and online. My current group of online players started off with me talking to a friend I’ve known for years about playing together. We matched our schedules, found some other people who could join, and were off to the land of fantasy. Since then, the group has been playing together for almost a year, and I’m happy to say we’ve all gotten closer over that time. I would feel comfortable calling any one of them my friend, even moreso than some people I’ve hung out with several times in person. Even though we’re simply playing characters, the sense of humor, the jokes, and the creativity we all bring to the experience makes each time we meet up a great time. Finding an experienced, open group of roleplayers online was easy.

In strange contrast, the group I’ve joined in real life doesn’t have this same feeling of connection. I visit a bar where the games are hosted, and I meet up with a group of other foreigners who have all known each other for some time (as they were regulars at the bar already). While a couple of them have experience roleplaying and truly get into their characters, most of them don’t. I’ve gotten to know these people more, but it still feels like I’m a visitor in someone else’s clique rather than a part of the group. I enjoy their company once a week or every two weeks, and then we part ways. I talk to only one or two of them outside of the days we play, and that’s about it. I enjoy these days, and I enjoy playing D&D with these people, but it feels different. I guess it’s a sign of how much the Internet has been a part of my social life. It’s easier to bond with the people I met online than it is to bond with these people I’m drinking and smiling with in-person. It’s a strange realization, but not a bad one. Being able to connect in different ways is a part of a healthy social life.