greetings!

[zedwardson]

Hello all, complete newbie to Play by mail, with the exception of Chess, which I played for years, but expand my horizons.

[rredmond]

Greetings zedwardson and welcome!

[GrimFinger]

Welcome aboard, Zedwardson!

[Davin]

Greetings! There are a number of gaming choices around here. Are you interested in any particular flavor?

[zedwardson]

I think my main interests are

1. RPGs type gaming
2. 4x gaming
3. Making new games

[Davin]

I think my main interests are

1.  RPGs type gaming
2. 4x gaming
3.  Making new games

Try checking out the older PBM Wiki or more recently the Suspense & Decision Game Index for a list of games that are still around. For my part, I run Galac-Tac which is a space-based 4X game, and until the end of the month I'm giving away a year's free COVID play time. Perhaps you might like to try it out (starting with "solo" practice games), or sign up for any of the other game platforms that you may find interesting.

[Lugh]

I think my main interests are

1.  RPGs type gaming
2. 4x gaming
3.  Making new games

Welcome to the addiction!  You are in for a treat!  In my opinion, PBM (play by mail) gaming can be a wonderful gaming outlet for people who crave a deeper style of game.  An added benefit is the asynchronous aspect...it can take several weeks between turns giving those of us with time constraints plenty of time to carefully analyze the turn results.  Sadly, this asynchronous aspect can be a huge drawback if you are not a patient person.

That being said, here are my recommendations for games to try (based on your interests)...
1. RPG - "The Isles" by Roy Pollard of Wyvern Games.  I have not personally played this game, but I have seen a sample turn.  This is a "hand moderated" game with an amazing RPG flavor.  As of this writing, Roy plans to accept new players in (roughly) one month's time.

2. 4X gaming - I want to second Davin's "Galac-Tac" recommendation.  Galac-Tac is a space-based game with a huge emphasis on tactics (exterminate) and gaining territory (expand/exploit) but it is a little light on the exploration (only one characteristic of star systems) aspect.
Davin is an extremely helpful game moderator who is always willing to help a new player by patiently answering their questions.  Another very favorable characteristic of Galac-Tac is the way information gathering can be customized....the GTac Assistant.  I know of no other PBM game with such a helpful app that allows players to customize maps, checks for input errors, and helps manage the data.  Plus, you cannot beat the price if you are on a budget!

Eventually, you may want to try your hand at the reigning champion of 4x PBM gaming..."Phoenix: Beyond the Stellar Empire".  PBSE is the most complicated, immersive, challenging, and potentially expensive PBM game that I know.  It has been evolving for over 30 years.  Its core players are some of the most generous individuals I have had the pleasure of encountering in the PBM world.
However, I strongly recommend not attempting this game until you have played several other PBM games.  PBSE requires an intense commitment in both time AND money.

3. Making new games - I suggest you get some experience with various types of PBM games before you try to create one.