Folks may have noticed fewer blog posts, no upcoming community meetups and a pause on game nights lately. The simple reason is: I’m taking a break for the next several months. To be clear, Knights of the Braille will still be here, there will still be a community to call on for advice and I’ll be keeping things updated.

For anyone new here, I’m Jim, the founder of Knights of the Braille. I started this community about eight years ago and have been running most of the behind-the-scenes work ever since.

I’m taking a break for three reasons.

1. My family is welcoming our second wee goblin…I mean beautiful child, in November. A newborn brings joy, but it also brings plenty of sleepless nights, so I’ll be fully focused on family for a while.
2. I’m enrolled in continuing-education courses through work and they demand uninterrupted reading and study time. So I need what little energy I have left for learning more about assistive technology.
3. I believe breaks are healthy. Stepping back now means I can recharge and come back guns-a-blazing! I’m looking forward to putting down roleplaying games for a little while and coming back with renewed enthusiasm.

So what can you expect when I return? That’s what this blog is for! Read on.

Community Events

Upon my return, I’ll be scheduling community events that cater to everyone: relaxed game nights for newcomers to test the waters and skilled players who want a laid-back session. Additionally, I’ll resume casual meetups as an opportunity for all of us to chat, catch up and get to know each other.

Roleplaying Game

I’ve spent the last year developing a post-apocalyptic tabletop roleplaying game, with lots of playtesting. After each playtest, I end up reworking mechanics, reimagining components and sometimes throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the next test, before simplifying it all back down. It’s a long process.

At the current pace, I estimate at least one more year of playtesting before the game is ready for polishing and publication. While I’m on break caring for my growing family, live playtesting will be on hold. I may be able to run a single play-by-post test in my spare moments, but that’s it for the foreseeable future.

This project is entering semi-hibernation until I’m back up and running. It remains a long-term goal and I believe the game is shaping up nicely. I look forward to diving back into it once I return.

Next Blog

The next blog from Knights of the Braille will be the end of year blog. Typically that blog would discuss what has been achieved during the year and what’s next, but I feel this blog has delivered that. So instead, the end of year blog is going to cover the mission of Knights of the Braille. What was our goal when we started and what is it now? I’ll do my best to clearly lay out our objectives and how I hope to improve the usefulness of this community and the resources available.