There’s never a bad time to consider how you could be better, but a new year sparks the mix of reflection and anticipation. A new decade, moreso. And for Pathfinder enthusiasts and players of other d20 based tabletop RPGs, the year 2020 specifically calls us to go for it. 

We asked the Know Direction staff to weigh in with any personal and gaming resolutions they had. Feel free to check in with us as the year goes on to see how our resolutions are coming along.

Ryan Costello
Co-Host – Know Direction , Cast – Adventurous, Blogger – Behind the Screens.

Personal

I owe so much to my wife (from intangibles like happiness to tangibles, like our house and car), and I often tell my friends everyone needs a Tina. They can’t have her, she’s mine, but I wish for their sake they could. Unfortunately, the only person in the whole world who can’t have their own Tina is Tina. So I am resolving to be Tina’s Tina as much as possible. Part of my plan is to cut down on unfulfilling me time. Mostly mindless Facebook scrolling. Even a week in, I’ve been more productive personally and around the house because of it, and I hope to ride this momentum forward.

Gaming

I want to get more 2e in my life. So far the only 2e game in which I have played the same character for more than one session is the We Be Goblins play-by-post I play on Discord. Which has been fun, but that specific kind of We Be Goblins fun. Plus I am new to play-by-post and still pretty new to 2e, so there’s layers of learning going on as I play. By the time the APG comes out, I want to feel not just caught up on 2e, but ready for more.

Alex Augunas
Co-Host – KD Beyond, Cast – Stellar, Blogger – Dev Pit, Guidance, Iconic Design

Gaming — My major gaming resolution is to have a playable version of the Eversaga Roleplaying Game, an RPG I’m writing for my company, ready to play at PAX Unplugged next year. It’s a huge goal that I’m absolutely terrified of not being able to manage, but I’ve decided I need to give it my best shot and go for it!

Personal — My personal resolution is to get my Behavior Specialist certification (or BSC) this year. That license comes with a major pay increase for me and dramatically increases the ways I can personally help kids with developmental disorders like autism and ADHD It’s the next big step for me in my career, and if I’ve played my cards right it’s really just a matter of applying for the license and getting a bunch of ducks in a row now!.

James Ballod
Co-Host – KD: Beyond, Cast – Stellar, Blogger – Code/Switch

Happy 2020 everyone! The future date from so much pulp sci-fi is here and we still don’t have teleportation. I’ve never been big on resolutions for New Years. Resolutions seem like a blood oath, a pact, something requiring resolve, of which I have precious little. Instead, I like to set a direction for myself at the start of the year, using a loose idea instead of a hard goal. 

As far as goals for gaming this year, they include; Finishing the Rise of the Runelords game I’m in, finishing the Mummy’s Mask game I’m in, finishing the Age of Ashes game I’m in, and to finish writing the outline for a Call of Cthulu campaign I plan to run eventually.

For my personal goals; I plan to be the best father I can be. My wife and I are expecting our first child around mid-February! Everything else feels of little consequence after that.

Vanessa Hoskins
Co-Host – KD: Beyond, Cast – Stellar, Blogger – Random Encounters, Craft Adventure

Gaming – I’d like to get caught up on my writing assignments and then do two things:

1. Take a break. I’ve had a whirlwind end of 2019 and a hyper-busy start to 2020. It’s excellent to get so much work, but I’m exhausted. Maybe I’ll take a little time off and just play a Zelda game or something. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really appreciative for the work I’ve been able to do and the contributions to my favorite games that I’ve been able to make. But… I think I need to recharge.
2. Write something truly personal and original. I don’t know if that’s a short story or the potential beginning of a novel… but I’d like to write something new and different that I can call my own. Still gaming related… maybe something that COULD appear in the Starfinder universe or something… but something new and different.

Personal – I want to get into better shape. The other day I went up a couple flights of stairs and was absolutely winded. This isn’t a “lose X pounds” or “drop Y dress sizes” type goal. It’s just a goal to be more physically fit. To be able to feel like I could go up some stairs, run a short way, or do any amount of cardio at all without getting winded. It’s such a dumb goal, but so important. So I resolve to do at least SOMETHING physical each day, even if it’s just an extended stretching/floor routine.

Rob Pontious
Blogger – Investing In

Happy New Year to the Know Direction family!

PERSONAL

1. Keep my primary business that of people. Celebrate, engage, suport!
2. Continue my fitness journey to get in the best shape of my life. This includes more lifting (yay), more cardio (oof), more dancing (always), and constantly improving my knowledge of food while not denying a treat here and there!
3. Professionally I’ll see more enterprise-wide and solution architecture opportunities, especially in the Salesforce arena. I will be learning more to support this. I love working with people to problem solve but also drive a team to projects.  We all have to work so we might as well enjoy it too!

GAMING

4. Write more!  My blog article is helping me do that but I started writing less due to running the Strange Aeons path and ceasing my Play By Post writing.  In Character journal entries might be the way to go!

BOTH

5. Support other peoples’ passions. They’re in a play? Go to it. They’re in a game? Go cheer them on. I want to be investing in what makes others happy and excited as I find that’s the best way to support, but also learn and grow myself!
6. “Be Excellent to Each Other!”

Dustin Knight
Blogger – Fox’s Cunning

Gaming — The same goal I’ve had for years: watch people I don’t know having a blast playing something I’ve made. I want to see all the core class cards out by the end of next year, and at least two of the three products I’m not at liberty to disclose.

Personal — Sort and sell my excess gaming stuff. This has been an ongoing challenge, especially with my vast collection of Magic cards. I’m hoping to have each card sorted by collector’s number in a separate binder for each set, but there’s a good 45,000 cards left to sort and I still find myself building decks.

Randal Meyer
Blogger – Groundbreaking, Terraforming

I am not normally one to make resolutions, at least not for New Year, but I will be moving early this year and it is going to change almost every aspect of my life. As I was thinking about it, I realized that any changes I make in regards to the move are actually viable as resolutions.

Gaming – Meet new people, play new games. Surround myself with a variety of styles of gamers to help me grow as one. Use that growth to enhance my writing.

Personal – Minimize the clutter that I keep in my office and closets. If I don’t have a regular use for something, I don’t need it. I need to be able to teach my kids that they don’t need piles of toys and leading by example is a great way to do so. This is very hard to live and have a game library.

Monica Marlowe
Blogger – Inspire Confidence

Gaming – I will continue to support the gaming experiences that I enjoy running and playing.

Personal – I will be cutting way back on the things that add to my stress load, which means I will be taking a long look at what brings me joy and Marie Kondoing* the heck out of things, as a result, that may affect my gaming resolution.

*I’m pretty sure her name can be used as a verb now.

YOU

What are some of your personal and gaming resolutions for 2020?