Reinventing Roleplaying Games

[Telperion]

Why not? Because in my considered opinion such as D&D®, Vampire®, and the rest could have a larger audience, as hobbies.

I'm curious as to how the changing of a single word is going to change anything. Please explain it to me. Preferrably by using a real-life example, please.

I know that the public image of RPGs has changed quite a lot since the late 1980's (when I first started with D&D). The articles about devil worship and such in newspapers never really helped, but aside from that is the changing of a single word really going to bring more people to RPGs? IMHO (and a member of a local RPG club at that) it is much more effective to bring this hobby to the publics attention in a more visibility way and by so doing lure more and more people our way. I just can't see how your suggestions would affect things in any significant way.

NWoD is coming out in August. There's also a yearly show to introduce new students to the wonders of RPG at our local university at the same time. I'm going to be running a game of the NWoD there, so if you have any good suggestions as to how I can draw the attention of a maximum number of potential players I would appreaciate them.

 

[mythusmage]

A Rose by any other name.....

Renaming the hobby will do nothing; its totally cosmetic. :\

That's why I propose to reinvent, not rename.

 

[Crothian]

That's why I propose to reinvent, not rename.

But you have yet to offer anything new. You are just suggesting that people play with more description as far as I can see. Guess what? People do that already. Not everyone does, but then there are some wierd people that put money on Free Parking too.

 

[mythusmage]

I hate to break it to you, but they are hobbies now.

But, at their heart they're still games. Baseball is a game. You make a hobby out of playing baseball games.

 

[Etan Moonstar]

Hrmm, top meaning of "game" on dictionary.com is: An activity providing entertainment or amusement; a pastime.

Are you more interested in taking out the entertainment/amusement aspect of D&D, or in making it something other than a mere pastime? Because frankly I don't see either of those options drawing more people than they drive off (if it's no longer entertaining, why do it, and if it's no longer something that merely occupies one's spare time, those of us with lives will be forced to drop it). I've got a better idea--why don't you just find a group of gamers who fit your preferred style and leave the rest of us to enjoy ourselves in peace?

 

[Crothian]

But, at their heart they're still games. Baseball is a game. You make a hobby out of playing baseball games.

Okay then, obviously we are seeing things differently. From your perspective, what needs to happen to Role Playing to make it go from a game to a hobby?

 

[Etan Moonstar]

By the way, the applicable definition of hobby is: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure. Perhaps you could define more clearly for us exactly what this paradigm-shifting change of yours is?

 

[mythusmage]

I'm curious as to how the changing of a single word is going to change anything. Please explain it to me. Preferrably by using a real-life example, please.

A single word wouldn't change a dang thing, except perceptions. I propose a more substantial change, and that is a work in progress.

 

[mythusmage]

NWoD is coming out in August. There's also a yearly show to introduce new students to the wonders of RPG at our local university at the same time. I'm going to be running a game of the NWoD there, so if you have any good suggestions as to how I can draw the attention of a maximum number of potential players I would appreaciate them.

Possible Banner Slogan:

"Can you be true when your world is not?
The New World of Darkness"​

 

[mythusmage]

But you have yet to offer anything new. You are just suggesting that people play with more description as far as I can see. Guess what? People do that already. Not everyone does, but then there are some wierd people that put money on Free Parking too.

Patience, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich was not written in a day. I rather doubt Reinventing Roleplaying Games is going to get done overnight.