D&D on CNN!

[Maggan]

I don't recall Maggan posting so cryptically in the past. Seems to be all over the place.

Heh, well I was wrapping up an offer to a client and then heading out for dinner, so I rushed it a bit.

And yeah, sometimes I am all over the place.

/M

 

[Mark]

Heh, well I was wrapping up an offer to a client and then heading out for dinner, so I rushed it a bit.

And yeah, sometimes I am all over the place.

/M

I could learn to read more closely, too. Good luck with that client. That is the important thing, after all, after the dinner.

 

[Argyle King]

Sometimes I explain rpgs as being similar to choose your own adventure books.

 

[doctorhook]

Sometimes I explain rpgs as being similar to choose your own adventure books.

Pretty accurate, if you're talking to somebody who's old enough to remember those. Do they still make them? I haven't seen any in quite a while...

I've mostly introduced teenagers to D&D, and I sold them on it by saying it was similar to a video game, but played on a board. (Heresy! But I knew the people I was talking to; describing it as "storytelling" wouldn't have made them interested in playing.) FWIW, this was back in 3E days.

 

[Shemeska]

I usually describe it as a combination of impromptu acting, group storytelling, and dice.

 

[nedjer]

I usually describe it as a combination of impromptu acting, group storytelling, and dice.

"all the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players,"

 

[Scribble]

"all the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players,"

With dice.

 

[doctorhook]

I usually describe it as a combination of impromptu acting, group storytelling, and dice.

While I can appreciate the accuracy that statement might convey for some groups, from my own experience bringing people to D&D, I can categorically say that this description of D&D will turn away more potential "new blood" than it will attract. (I'll admit that this description was more effective on potential female players than on males, for whatever reason; we need more women in this hobby, anyway.)

IME, most new players are enticed by the chance to wield fictional power; there's a thrill to be had in decapitating a dragon with a sword, or melting an army of goblins with a spell. More specifically, it's exciting to visibly reap the rewards of your decisions, including decisions about what spells to cast and what tactics to use. Thus, the simplest comparison for D&D to make is to CRPGs, such as Final Fantasy or WoW, because these games use similar mechanics to D&D (derivative of D&D, though these CRPGs may be). Selling D&D to new teen gamers works best on this basis, because CRPGs are something these young gamers are mostly already familiar with and interested in.

That's the most effective strategy I've found for recruiting new players, and I'm certain WotC has figured this out too. After all, how many people here started with CRPGs? I bet a lot did. Myself, I met D&D through Baldur's Gate in 1999.

 

[Stormonu]

Pretty accurate, if you're talking to somebody who's old enough to remember those. Do they still make them? I haven't seen any in quite a while...

Yep, they just recently released the originals, you can order them here. I was lucky enough to pick some up in my local Books-A-Million.

Now if they'd just reprint the old D&D ones...

 

[Shemeska]

While I can appreciate the accuracy that statement might convey for some groups, from my own experience bringing people to D&D, I can categorically say that this description of D&D will turn away more potential "new blood" than it will attract. (I'll admit that this description was more effective on potential female players than on males, for whatever reason; we need more women in this hobby, anyway.)

Maybe that explains why almost half of my gaming friends are female. But actually to be fair that was the description I usually give to relatives who suspect 80s era Satanism games or whatever.

New players to any game I've run have always been people already with at least their toes wet in the hobby. I've never had a total and absolute newbie. Everyone had either played D&D before, or played WoD, or knew about D&D via other media. Before I played the game I knew about it via the old AD&D Endless Quest books from the 80s, the D&D cartoon, and later Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate 2.