I'm a tabletop gamer, and I'm worried about the changes that are occurring in the hobby. I've never felt more isolated.

I love tabletop games. I love the social aspect, building up characters and campaigns, the bonding over the action and the story. For me, it's the perfect hobby, I get to spend time with friends, to express myself creatively, and have a ton of fun along the way.<br><br>But over the past few years, I've noticed a trend that's really gotten worse in the past few months. I've seen numerous posts across the various chambers, Facebook groups and Discord servers I follow, of gamers discussing how they've been made to feel unwelcome in the hobby, simply because they aren't the right flavour of the month.<br><br>Older gamers made to feel stupid for not knowing the latest rules, or for not wanting to play the latest system. Female gamers made to feel inappropriate for not wanting to participate in certain themes in a game. LGBTQ+ gamers being targeted by 'jokes' that aren't really jokes, or being isolated for tabletop gaming sins of the past.<br><br>Now, if tabletop games were like, say, tennis, or basketball, I'd be more understanding. They're mass market, with huge followings, and as such it's sadly inevitable that there'll be people in those communities that are 'problematic'. But tabletop gaming is a niche hobby, concentrated in smaller groups dotted around the country, and around the world. I've always felt that tabletop gamers were a little different, in that we'd all pull together to make sure that everyone who wanted to play could feel included, and that we all had an amazing time.<br><br>Not any more, however. I've slowly begun to see a fracture in tabletop gaming, which has only grown more extreme of late. The recent release of D&D's PHB2 only exacerbated it, with people sharing extracts of the book across tabletop groups. I saw numerous posts, many from people who'd had a long tabletop history, who were sharing the extracts from the book with comments like 'Finally, we can stop feeling so guilty about liking TTRPGs!' and ' tabletop gaming has finally become free from the gatekeepers!'.<br><br>I'm not here to attack them, and I don't want to start a massive argument, but to me, seeing these posts made me feel awful. It feels like I'm being judged for simply being involved in a hobby that I love. The language, the wording, the tone of the posts and comments feel like it's aimed at me, and people like me. I feel like I'm being portrayed as some kind of cartoon villain, as someone who's advocated tabletop gaming being only for a tiny minority of people, which simply isn't true.<br><br>I feel betrayed by the hobby that I love, betrayed by the community that I've always felt was my family. Do I just shut up, smile and tabletop? I've already made plans to start migrating to other hobbies, but my heart still yearns for tabletop games. I guess this is just me needed to get something off my chest.<br><br>Edit - As I've mentioned in a few comments, my first post got a little confusing because it was a mishmash of me venting, and a post for a tabletop group I was going to moderate. I didn't really follow Chambers rules correctly (sorry, I'm still a noob). I've written a more detailed explanation of the issue on an external link, which you can find if you search my profile. I've also written a more detailed 'call to arms' of how us inclusivists can work together to create a more inclusive hobby, which is on the same page. Thank you to the hundreds of people who have reached out, or commented here, in support of me, and of inclusivism in general. Your kindness has kept me safe, and warm. Bless you all.