D&D 5E Long time players and 5e’s success

[Reynard]

Well sure, but that only works the way you say if you stop caring. I never stopped caring about the stuff in D&D to which I am now told I am irrelevant.

You have all the things you love from D&D. You may find you love some new element, but you may also find that you don't. That doesn't diminish the things you love. Especially since they are more available now than they have been since their original publication.

And if it isn't the specifics but the feel and flavor, I can guarantee you there is plenty out there to get you that stuff right now.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think whales are more important than long-time gamers.

Some long-time players are whales, but so are plenty of younger people.

I don't think WotC has much of a strategy around retaining existing gamers, unfortunately; they seem much more interested in quarterly earnings reports and what they can say on investor calls. Changing that would be one of many things I think they ought to do, but weirdly, they just don't seem to be asking for my advice.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm one of those whales and haven't bought everything but 30+ books iirc.

Some % of new players will become lifers and they'll be calling the shots in 20+ years.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

There are people that dislike veteran longtime gamers; I don’t think they know as much as they think they do.

The younger players have their own view of the world. I am shocked every time I return to ENWorld because it is so different from Eric Noah's old site and the early days of the forums. The difference is not the growth of ENWorld as a brand but rather the posters. A lot of the current folks would not be able to handle the older posting culture.

That said, young people always have a more self-centered approach. They see the world through a different lens and older players are part of the past. I am sure that many of the original posters from the early days were similar. The site is 25 years old now if you count Eric Noah's original 3e site.

The truth is that older players and DMs continue to drive sales because that crowd had more disposable income and the middle-aged folks are still in charge and creating much of the content.

I am less of a fan of the virtue signaling, the old days were so problematic and must be destroyed crowd though. I hope to live long enough to see the next generation to the same thing to them.

Gee. Can't imagine why some people form dislikes of some veteran longtime gamers.

When they rail about corporate whatever then crow about you being in the minority, and your unimportance, you know what you are dealing with…

Its amazing why a modern company looking to attract new players to D&D might be happy that the people like you and the above poster are no longer representative of the people they are likely to have to play with.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

nope not today

 

[Belen]

Gee. Can't imagine why some people form dislikes of some veteran longtime gamers.

Its amazing why a modern company looking to attract new players to D&D might be happy that the people like you and the above poster are no longer representative of the people they are likely to have to play with.

So saying that the older players probably did the same thing when they were young was wrong?

I have seen people posting about grognards and how problematic older players, like millennials, are in multiple threads in the last few hours. I am sure those folks feel so much more enlightened. I guess veteran players should be happy that those people are representative of the current generation of players?

The reality is that the older players suffered constant abuse from the wider public for being "abnormal." This meant that there was always a comradery within the culture even if you shared radically different world views. No matter what you believed, you shared a common bond.

That has obviously ended these days with a younger generation that seems to actively dislike those who had to endure abuse and hate just to enjoy a hobby and keep it alive for the current folks to enjoy. Imagine a world in which you sat in school while another student presented on how people who play D&D were evil. Or being constantly bullied because you liked Star Wars and RPGs. Of course, those veteran players are "problematic" now.

 

[Morrus]

But I am not a kid anymore so why do they care? They only care about moving units and there are not that many older players, right?

More than there were when you started playing, I'll wager. I'll go further and wager that you were a kid at the time, and weren't worried about what 50 years olds were playing.

Nothing's changed, except you. You got old. And the game remained focused on younger players, just like it always was.

 

[Cadence]

Are old farts still important for introducing kids to the game? I got my son into it and he got several of his friends to try it (in part because they had a parent who had played back in the day).

Back in 1981 I got the game because I saw it on the back of comics and heard others talk about it, and started playing with some friends (was taught by a sitter one night who was only a few years older). But it was a game at a local shop by a DM several decades older that helped get us hooked.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

More than there were when you started playing, I'll wager. I'll go further and wager that you were a kid at the time, and weren't worried about what 50 years olds were playing.

Nothing's changed, except you. You got old. And the game remained focused on younger players, just like it always was.

Sorry. You are not following.

My point is WOTC throws a bone because older gamers are still an economic interest despite being fewer in number.

Secondly I do not think younger gamers are worried about much but the fun their games create.

The new games are suiting me fine so it’s not like I am left in the cold.

Lastly older gamers helped make this game good—-in the not too distant past—-which is usually not acknowledged.

 

[Belen]

Are old farts still important for introducing kids to the game? I got my son into it and he got several of his friends to try it (in part because they had a parent who had played back in the day).

Back in 1981 I got the game because I saw it on the back of comics and heard others talk about it, and started playing with some friends (was taught by a sitter one night who was only a few years older). But it was a game at a local shop by a DM several decades older that helped get us hooked.

I know I introduced my son to it and he got several friends interested and I gave each a PHB. They will start their first campaign this summer. I am proud to see it happen.