To go back to Jeff’s earlier point about meeting friends you didn’t know, that’s the essence that is the heart of The Dungeon Run experience. There is no chance to introduce yourself – you meet everyone as is, and people accept you on that basis. It is a pure form of sharing friendship.
“Building our friendship along the way has built a friendship with the audience. We have found wonderful people to make a show that is family-friendly. This kind of entertainment can be accessible to an eight-year old as well as an adult. There’s nothing more wholesome than to sit around a table and play make-believe.”
Role-playing is the simplest essence of play. To share that experience with others who have that same appreciation is what we are missing during this time. D&D is often a game that gets played distantly and already has a track record of geeks like me who are reaching out via the internet to find others who also enjoy this game. The fact that this was happening prior to the COVID-19 quarantine just makes this a natural escape for fellow nerds and geeks to fall into.
The Dungeon Run is the escape others can freely join as well. Not only is it an escape, but it’s a welcome one. Even audience members who send in disadvantage are appreciated and thanked for their contributions to the game.
Right now, during the COVID-19 Quarantine, the cast are all playing remotely. The show has had to re-tune itself to this parameter, but it’s a perfect example of what we all can be doing to re-connect with each other. While the Corona Virus outbreak may be a source of social limitation, The Dungeon Run is providing us with a model of how we can maintain those geek relationships with each other.
Every Wednesday at 6pm PT has become my new ritual. I find myself drawn in with the starting phrase “it began with a simple dungeon run …” and I eagerly look at the chat for what other audience members are anticipating about that evening’s session. Types of drinks are described; the types of love items are shared and the summary of last week’s session begins. I settle into my office chair and turn on the surround sound to get the ambience of sharing the virtual studio the show has recently designed and get my dungeoneering fix.
“This is literally my dream job. I never want it to end.” Jeff tells me.
Neither do I.
… And to think it all began with a simple dungeon run.
