Thunderfoot
Hero
Good point, I started playing at the age of 8 in 1978. If the 'old folks' had treated me like the proposed treatment of new players. I never would have been in the hobby to start with. Remember, you came into the hobby from a different place than role-player (for the most part). Whether you read fantasy fiction, liked sci-fi movies or were a history or miniatures gamer. We all came from different places and adapted to create a hobby worth playing. In the ensuing years we've added anime junkies, video gamers, goths, etc and have managed to fold them in just fine. WoW is not and will not destroy the hobby (think about the number of DnD players that played WoW because it was the only thing close to playing when they couldn't). And if it alters the game a bit, so be it, you can always choose not to play with them or the current version of the game (ask diaglo). But the get off my lawn you whipper-snappers attitude is just plain wrong.I have been playing on and off since 1980, and I have in all that time seen way, way more positive energy, great ideas, enthusiasm, innovation, and just plain good table-mates among "those damn kids" of all the "new kids who'll ruin the hobby" waves than I have among the guys (and they're always guys, for some reason) who figured out the Right Way when they were 15 and never, ever want anything or anything that isn't Just Like Them in Their Personal, Private Hobby.
I am 40 years old, and the day I look at the 12-year-old kids in my hobby and scowl and sneer is the day I should hang up the dice bag for good. I have a lot to learn from them, just like (I hope) they have things to learn from us old dinosaurs.