I've spent a lot of my life as a quasi shut in, mostly because crowds make me a bit anxious and I don't really enjoy public speaking or making a spectacle out of myself. In the past I fought this by participating in small social events where I and a few friends would get together and kill stuff (D&D). Later I graduated to small groups of friends getting emo about killing stuff (Vampire, Mage, Wraith etc). As I hit my 30's I find that I have fewer chances to gather with others and play these games but it hasn't stopped me from investing a great deal of time into game books, mood music and fiction.
I've been getting new RPG books lately and a lot of it is some retro/ old school done well. Like basic AD&D old school. Two games that capture that feel are Torchbearer and Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Both games create a similar feel but are totally different mechanically. Torchbearer uses a tweaked Mouse Guard/ Burning Wheel system and is a game where you play a murder hobo (adventurer) who thinks he or she is trying to get rich, but is actually moments away from grisly death from monsters, starvation or thirst.
LOTFP is described by the creator as a Grindhouse weird fantasy game that uses tweaked D&D basic rules to play murder hobos in way over their heads, who will probably die in horrid horrid ways.
Both games rock but I think LOTFP would be easier to introduce players to because the Burning Wheel system might be less intuitive to play.
My big challenge to myself is getting a regular game of something going even if I have to GM it myself. This could be tricky in Juneau, but it has to get done.
