h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not sure this is in the same spirit, entirely, but there's a collection aspect to it. Although I have a bag of dice of various shapes, there's always the urge to buy new ones. They're like jewellery, functionally quite useless but very pretty...
It's done with like minded individuals, yeah. I play a lot of single player RPGs on game consoles, but the story will normally stay the same from one play through to the next. I've never had two identical roleplay sessions. They're genuinely funny, too, it brings people together in quite a wonderful way.
Hobbies aren't a male thing, no. Mine is... sort of populated mostly (not entirely) by guys.
I'll agree that a hobby helps keep you in full possession of your marbles, but yeah, being too into it can be a good way of alienating you from people. It helps if you don't let yourself take it too seriously.

I find the worst thing about a hobby that's not necessarily popular is trying to explain to people what it is. Usually it eventually becomes:
"Well it's like dungeons and dragons"
"Oh"

Which is usually the same sort of response I get from "I'm a computer programmer". Go figure.

Whilst I've never done tabletop, I do enjoy the Live Action Roleplaying that I do. It's not just the roleplaying that I like, it's all the stuff that comes with it, like making the costumes and props, or writing stories to tell around the campfire or composing tunes to sing, or structuring a really good prayer to your gods.

It can get quite absorbing though.

Absorbing? Yeah, I know a lot of LARPers. I've been to a few events myself, but I can't seem to get into the spirit enough to really do justice to a crowd of people who have been investing a LOT of time and effort for months or even years into one character. I just turned up in a silly hat and got drunk...
In my experience, tabletop is like LARP but less in some ways and more in others, if you follow.
You get more rules, more skills that you really couldn't transfer to LARP (I jump 20 feet, bounce off the copper dragon's head and land on his back) and more reading to do.
You get less adverse weather, less drinking (usually) and maybe a little less immersion.

But then no two systems are alike, I guess. I've heard of diceless systems before now, I've just never seen one. And I'm slightly afraid of them.