ENworlder: How long have you been gaming?

[CharlesRyan]

Wow. What an interesting curve. This speaks volumes about the ENworld crowd as a representative sample of D&D players. An august company, to be sure, but definitely skewing in the grognardly direction.

Me? 29 years as a D&D player, so that's the category I chose. A few brushes with hobby games go earlier than that, and I played a lot of non-hobby games for years before that, so I might be able to claim the pre-Gygax category depending on how broadly one defines "gamer" and how one interprets the term "before Gygax and Arneson."

 

[Samurai]

Hmm. If ENWorld were really a representative cross-section of the hobby, and if ENWorld polls were really a representative cross-section of ENWorld, I think this poll might be a strong argument that the ≤ 1983 Basic Sets really were a better introduction to the hobby than anything since.

^_^

I don't know if it would work today. The world has changed, and with anime, computer games, ipods, and so many other things grabbing for kids' attention, old fashioned pen and paper RPGs may just not cut it for many of today's kids anymore. Sure, some will pick it up and join the hobby, but I'm not sure if we'll ever see the numbers and the long-term dedication like the gamers from the 80's.

 

[Phaezen]

22 years and change, got the red basic box set on 25 October 86 for my 10th birthday

Phaezen

 

[JDJblatherings]

I was a gamer when I bought my first Avalon Hill wargame, I was hooked then. Of course I can't recall when that was, any time from 7 to 9 years of age and that was a long long time ago when people wore Brady Bunch clothes.

 

[Campbell]

Got my start in 1997 (I was 13 at the time) playing 2e with some of the people in my middle school band class. Man. I thought I had been at this awhile.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Still a Whippersnaper. I am 4-5 years too young to be an Old Coot. Started sometime in 78 or 79 durring either my first or second year at summer camp. I still treasure my 1 edition Dieties and Demigods which got me into Morcock and Lovecraft.

 

[CleverNickName]

Yep, the graph looks about like I expected it to look:

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I've been table-top gaming since 1986. Long live Bargle!

 

[joethelawyer]

I've been table-top gaming since 1986. Long live Bargle!

Jesus, we're a bunch of old bastards.

'84 here. 25th anniversary this year!

I just was talking about Bargle to my brother (the DM) a few weeks ago. I told him he should bring him into one of our campaigns for old times sake.

 

[RFisher]

I don't know if it would work today. The world has changed, and with anime, computer games, ipods, and so many other things grabbing for kids' attention, old fashioned pen and paper RPGs may just not cut it for many of today's kids anymore. Sure, some will pick it up and join the hobby, but I'm not sure if we'll ever see the numbers and the long-term dedication like the gamers from the 80's.

Everytime my son turns off the TV, the U-verse box, the DVD player, the Playstation 2, the Wii, the computer, and his mp3 player in order to play marbles, I think that maybe the outlook for my favorite hobby isn’t quite so bleak.

 

[thedungeondelver]

28 years. First played in 1980 or thereabouts.