I am a huge fan of tabletop rpgs, especially of the indie variety (PBTA et al.). I think it's one of the highest forms of gaming since it is so responsive to a particular group of people and the stories they want to tell, which creates a lot of potential for cool leftist gaming experiences and stories. However, I haven't been able to find time to run a game for a few years (and I struggle playing solo rpgs since it's basically just creative writing) so I wanted to hear from chapos that are (or have been) in a campaign so I can live vicariously through you.
What game are you playing? What's your character (or favourite NPC) like? Any highlights from your campaign? Are you living out a revolutionary power fantasy or playing a chill "beer and pretzels" type game?
True. I have played some good DnD games but the vast majority of them end in some weird blend of powergaming and "watch me play this setting PERFECTLY to the detriment of the party". I think partially it's because everyone is at least somewhat familiar with it, but also just because I think the DnD ruleset gets people into the mindset of "how can I optimize my turn" rather than "what fun thing can I do". Honestly if I had to boil it down to something it's, as you mentioned, the "video game" aspect of it, specifically the powers. It's all about "how can I use my powers effectively" not "what can my character do in this setting".