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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NerfedWizard" data-source="post: 4563177" data-attributes="member: 68865">the debate continues 1. For several months now I've been regularly playing a Vampire game which uses playing cards. But though that is a valid form of entertainment, I would have to insist that swinging a sword IS more immersive and IS a superior form of activity (albeit it has some drawbacks in terms of limiting what you can simulate and who can participate). On any fair view of the matter, swinging a sword is simply better. Sorry, Vampires of the World! I'm not saying that you suck. You're just not as cool as latex lovers. This is self-evident and does not require independent proof. In fact, it's one of the Grand Axioms of life which the poster I quote has apparently missed. ;-) 2. Biological evolution may be a bit hit-and-miss, and biologists may lack a standard other than pure Darwinianism to judge the "superiority" of one species over another, but I reserve the right to pass judgment arbitrarily on all forms of entertainment! However perhaps I will check out that book, if I ever get time. OK, I'm being flippant. But RPGs involve EVERYONE in telling the story. They are interactive. They exercise not just passive imagination, but also active imagination (creativity), the intellect and social skills - the last of these being perhaps in many players' cases the most sorely needed! LARP additionally often involves physical exercise and is hugely immersive. So, there is an argument that RPGs have the potential to be socially more productive than literature / plays / movies etc., even if it's rare or impossible for the same level of artistry to be attained as a professional author or film/theatre team can achieve. 3. If everyone in the world had my tastes in light entertainment, the world would be FAR more interesting for me, and for them, because all our energies would be concentrated in improving the one superior area of entertainment, instead of wasted on Coronation Street or Eastenders or Poker or Horse Racing or International Cricket (are these things really supposed to be entertainment!?). But I would have to concede that if everyone were like me, probably not a lot of food would be produced, nor houses built, nor sewers operated...  4. Playing a role. Hmmm. Actually I think most people naturally tend towards "playing a role" in many forms of entertainment activity - whether it's karaoke singing (pretending to be a major entertainer, even if not a particular one), or playing soccer (and pretending to be a famous player, even if not a particular one - children often do this), or little girls playing dress-up games, or playing cowboys and indians, or cops and robbers, or nurses and doctors, or whatever. And as humans become more highly evolved (yeah, yeah, yeah I know, I know), playing a role explicitly will become a more widespread form of activity.</blockquote>

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