Something wicked this way comes!!!!

[Henry]

Enough whining! Away I say! I shall gladly and with joy take my demonically themed issue, as well as Monte's Book of Vile Darkness, and I shall with glee peruse its pages, searching for tidbits of true evil and vileness to add to the evil-doers of my campaign!

In other words, I'm gonna enjoy it, and I long ago gave up trying to defend my hobby from simple-minded people who believe everything they read without looking into the facts. This is yet another case of something that does not conform to another's worldview on the surface, and a refusal to delve further to see the actual benefits therein.

Note that I'm not referring to my fellow posters, of course.

 

[Desdichado]

Hear, hear! I think us old-timers are way to sensitive about "the image of gaming." My wife just played this last weekend for the first time ever (see my other thread! ) and she almost appalls me sometimes with how she'll just drop out all this stuff about us playing. Surprisingly, to me anyway, nobody seems to think it's weird.

So I guess we just got that Pavlovian response back in the day when gaming was kinda "bad" or at least really nerdy, and we still carry to emotional scars of it. My wife, on the other hand, is oblivious to that whole problem, so she hardly feels the need to defend gaming, or worry about the portrayal of gaming to non-gamers or anything like that.

 

[Maraxle]

I rarely mention gaming to non-gamers. I don't appreciate the looks it gets. If they mention it, I don't hide the fact that I'm a gamer, but don't count on me to bring it up. Most people already know that I'm a video/computer gamer, but that seems to be more socially acceptible. I don't want to ruin their image of me as a whisky-drinking hard-rocking somewhat rebellious mofo.

It used to be so bad that I was embarassed when going to the RPG section at the bookstore. Now that doesn't bother me. I still avoid the sci-fi section like the plague, but that's for other reasons.

 

[Darkness]

Enough whining! Away I say! I shall gladly and with joy take my demonically themed issue, as well as Monte's Book of Vile Darkness, and I shall with glee peruse its pages, searching for tidbits of true evil and vileness to add to the evil-doers of my campaign!

In other words, I'm gonna enjoy it, and I long ago gave up trying to defend my hobby from simple-minded people who believe everything they read without looking into the facts. This is yet another case of something that does not conform to another's worldview on the surface, and a refusal to delve further to see the actual benefits therein.

Note that I'm not referring to my fellow posters, of course.

Couldn't have said it better...

 

[SSS-Druid]

Yeah, it makes the hobby harder to defend that's for sure.

Hoo boy. Here we go again.

C'mon, folks. Can we not bring this up each and everytime something vaguely unsavory comes up?

The people you claim are ready to burn us at the stake will not change their minds about our hobby regardless of what we do. Nothing we do will change their minds about our hobby. Nothing.

So, we might as well branch out and go into areas that some people may find offensive, but others may find compelling, and quit worring what the Religious Reich is going to say. Who cares?

 

[Largomad]

Whoever thinks badly against roleplaying games won't care if the thematic talks about Singing birds, landscapes or chocolate or other themes.

They would mantain their point of view, i will mantain mine, and no book of vile darkness or tome of sainted light would change this.

 

[Olive]

Hear, hear! I think us old-timers are way to sensitive about "the image of gaming." My wife just played this last weekend for the first time ever (see my other thread! ) and she almost appalls me sometimes with how she'll just drop out all this stuff about us playing. Surprisingly, to me anyway, nobody seems to think it's weird.

i have this same thing. my girlfriend started playing last year, and is really into the role playing (but given her character has a strength of 8 thats not surprising) but she keeps telling all her friends about it. i tell no one, pretty much. mostly cause i can't be bothered explaining it all...

as for issue 300, bring it on...

 

[Olive]

also, i really liked the ecology articles, so the ecology of the mummy sounds cool...

 

[Slacker]

*gasp*

Evil?! A Dragon issue all about evil?! You think we might get a new Chick tract from it?

The only thing I find offensive is the fact that Dragon relies on themes too often. Sounds like a great issue, though.

 

[William Ronald]

The people who condemn gaming as evil would likely continue to do so if the Almighty spoke in defense of gaming.

I think we can perhaps educate the people who may have some negative views of gaming with better information. Most people will respond well to reasonable arguments, and a good converstation.

I try not to let social prejudice against gaming bother me too much. There are a lot bigger issues in this world.