Why did you start RPGing?
RPGaDay prompt #12, from The Autocratik Blog
I would think that the answer to this should be self-evident: it was fun! I knew from Baldur’s Gate that I enjoyed what was essentially a fantasy novel where you could make choices for the protagonist and see the story play out from there. Where cRPGs offered a directed and restricted gameplay, tabletop RPGs promised full freedom in interaction between players and DMs. Essentially, tabletop RPGs offered much more than cRPGs ever could (and have to this very day).
Secondary benefits of RPGs ended up being a solid reason to meet up with friends on a regular basis, experimenting with different roles and ideas, as well as escaping from everyday stress every now and then.