New Faces (Forked: Its the terminology that kills me...)

[Nifft]

Forked from: Its the terminology that kills me...

Me: New people in the hobby = healthier hobby.

To me it would mean it was getting bigger, not necesarily healthier. Obesity is about getting bigger. Sometimes bigger isnt allways better. Personally i dont want people who think of thier character as a "toon" at my table and i don't think that when WoTC starts making books for those people its gonna improve the quality of the game one bit. So healthier IMHO is a real stretch to describe what those people are doing to the hobby.

So tell me, EN World: are new faces a disease, or a good thing?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nadaka]

New faces mean the hobby does not die. But they are a bit more likely to be clueless or rude from my experience. My vote is mixed bag.

 

[Terwox]

The quote is asinine.

It's fine to not want those people at your table, it's awful to say that gaming should not cater to their style. There are different styles of roleplaying, and if you're keen on being elitist about it, go check out the Forge.

 

[Fifth Element]

I don't know the precise context of the quote given by OP, but it seems to be a "get off my lawn!" reaction. You know, these new gamers don't play exactly the way I do, ergo they are bad for the hobby.

Of course, the great majority of existing gamers don't play the same way I do or enjoy exactly the same things I do in a game. And that's true for everyone, since gamers are a very diverse lot.

So arguing that a bunch of new gamers who enjoy different things than existing gamers is bad for the game is ridiculous, IMO.

 

[Psion]

So tell me, EN World: are new faces a disease, or a good thing?

Let me relate this to my work experience: new people are often a benefit to the team, but some are a real problem and sour the group dynamic.

Quality is more important than quantity.

 

[Desdichado]

Of course, the great majority of existing gamers don't play the same way I do or enjoy exactly the same things I do in a game. And that's true for everyone, since gamers are a very diverse lot.

And that's bad for the hobby too!

Actually, I don't care about the hobby. I care about my group. The hobby could completely disappear tomorrow (except for my group) and I wouldn't miss much.

I guess I don't see the point in worrying about the state of the hobby.

 

[Fifth Element]

And that's bad for the hobby too!

Actually, I don't care about the hobby. I care about my group. The hobby could completely disappear tomorrow (except for my group) and I wouldn't miss much.

I guess I don't see the point in worrying about the state of the hobby.

Well, what's your favourite game? Would that game be around if the hobby had died 10 years ago?

 

[Umbran]

So tell me, EN World: are new faces a disease, or a good thing?

I don't think it is possible to say, in general. Growth is only a positive thing for me if it means that I get more of the sorts of things that I like. And growth, in general, does not imply that.

As an extreme example to demonstrate the logic: if the hobby grows hugely, but the growth is all for players of games like F.A.T.A.L, that isn't going to do anything useful for me.

 

[Henry]

So tell me, EN World: are new faces a disease, or a good thing?

Cheers, -- N

To me, it's a good thing, because the more new gamers 4e brings in, it means the larger the pool of new gamers is who will one day be drawn to check out Pathfinder, Warhammer, GURPS, Savage Worlds, etc.

In fact, IMO every gamer no matter their "pick of poison" should be concerned with the health of 4e for new gamers, because it means THEIR pool of prospective gamers increases. Where else do people think half of those new GURPS or Warhammer gamers come from, anyway? If it weren't for a little purple box in 1981, I'd probably have never heard about RPGs at all.

 

[Scribble]

I don't think it is possible to say, in general. Growth is only a positive thing for me if it means that I get more of the sorts of things that I like. And growth, in general, does not imply that.

As an extreme example to demonstrate the logic: if the hobby grows hugely, but the growth is all for players of games like F.A.T.A.L, that isn't going to do anything useful for me.

Yeah but if the hobby grows there's much more of a chance to get things you want (even if you also have to deal witha bunch of stuff you don't want) then if the hobby dies... (In which case no one gets anythign they want...)

I think growth is a good thing. If it grows in a direction I'm no longer interested in, so be it.