Ageism in gaming

[Elf Witch]

So run them. Once you build up a body of players, then look to make additional GMs.

I don't know if I am ready to run a game I ran one a PBEM when the DM got sick. We were using a module and one that as a player I had already been through. I was going to by table top DM for advice everytime I turned around.

I don't know if I could handle troublesome or even very strong willed players. In our group I often find myself playing peacekeeper wanting to keep everyone happy.

 

[Larry Fitz]

Here's something you might enjoy, run annual South Florida Vacation Game Weeks! Picture inviting say, PirateCat and Doc Midnight to come and run two or three games each and let the stay at your place in... I don't know... say February/March? I suspect with the right kind of planning you could have different high profile GM's for whatever you want to play through the winter months, heck even if it was just long weekends.. in fact, want to play in a Twin Crowns "Pirate" Game? Heck I can run just about anything, but I'm best known for D&D and V&V...

 

[Piratecat]

Larry, you run V&V? You are SO running that next EN World game day.

I haven't found much ageism on the upper end. I've found a moderate amount on the lower end, as younger players still tend to have evolving play styles. I think it really needs to depend on the player, instead of his/her age as a whole.

 

[hong]

I haven't found much ageism on the upper end. I've found a moderate amount on the lower end, as younger players still tend to have evolving play styles. I think it really needs to depend on the player, instead of his/her age as a whole.

Yeah. It took me ten years to realise that what I really wanted to do was KILL MONSTERS AND TAKE THEIR TREASURE. But in a good way.

 

[Piratecat]

Yeah. It took me ten years to realise that what I really wanted to do was KILL MONSTERS AND TAKE THEIR TREASURE. But in a good way.

Duh. But it's how you express your angst about this inbetween the monsters that marks you as a mature player.

 

[MEG Hal]

I was wondring if other people have experianced this. I have been searching for another game to play in and on several of the boards and few gaming store notices the signs say seeking players mid 20s to mid 30s. Since I am mid 40s I don't respond but I have wondred what would happen if I did and why the age cut off? Just because I am in my 40s I am not yet senile.

I can understand not wanting to play with kids though I have found some very mature kids who play.

[edit]
Saw where you lived--Tamarac-never mind, Tampa too far away.

 

[Praeco]

I imagine a day when there are enough old-timers in gaming to warrant a gaming table at the retirement home. Now that's a retirement worth looking forward to.

I haven't found much ageism on the upper end. I've found a moderate amount on the lower end, as younger players still tend to have evolving play styles. I think it really needs to depend on the player, instead of his/her age as a whole

This is kind of a shame really, as I bet there are a lot of younger people who don't get the chance to game if their friends aren't interested. However it is understandable because a young person could potentially unbalance an established game, so people are often trepidacious. On the other side of the coin I doubt most parents are really keen on the idea of sending their kids to game with a bunch of human oddities, even in a controlled environment like a game store. That is why I intend to game with my kids when I eventually have them.

 

[ergeheilalt]

Re: Ageism

Three years ago, I was eager for a game. I had managed to procure the 3e books by bugging my parents and doing extra chores and such. Now all I needed was a game. I also had no car, so this meant the game had to be in the area. I looked online.

Okay, up until then, my online experience was Britanica and Websters. I went to WotC's and found a few games that were played in a chat room. I made the number one mistake of announcing my age in the emails (15 at the time). I got too many letters that said, "Uhhhh, we're looking for - uh - older people".

Eventually I found two games. I conveniently forgot to mention my age in passing and got in to both game. I must say, for being a teenage player - you know, the ones who don't care about emailing or calling on the phone when they arn't gonna make it - I was the only guy who was consistently there and ready to game.

Moral of the Story: Ageism is a very stupid way of going about picking players. At 16 I was DMing people 10 years older than I was, I had a webpage for my game, and a convincing story with a lot of background color. The same is true for older folks; if you want to play, come one come all.

Age is only an issue when you've got overprotective parents trying to keep you away from "those older wierdos with nothing to do". The great majority do not care if you can keep your grades up, and if you as a DM are afraid that you game may be too mature - watch the nightly news, its almost always more graphic, more depressing than a game.

Keep in the Elf Witch. You might have better luck going with online game...

Erge

BTW: The two games I found originally are still running (with the same players mostly). Friday night game has been running smoothly for 3 years. The Saturday game of heavy role playing is under my Iron-Clad DM's fist while the original DM takes a breather to plan the new plot line. See ... my age hasn't ruined anything.

 

[Kusuf ibn Zaid]

About a year ago I was looking for another player to round out our local gaming group. Using the gamers meeting gamers forum right here on ENWorld, I contacted a couple of guys from the University of Colorado. All seemed to be going well in the recruitment until they decided that we were too old for them (we were all in our 30's and 40's at the time). When I told the others in the group, they all thought it was immensely humourous and we started referring to ourselves as decrepit old gamers. The name stuck and we are officially labelled DOGS (Decrepit Old Gamers Society).

- Kusuf

 

[mmu1]

Re: Re: Ageism

Moral of the Story: Ageism is a very stupid way of going about picking players. At 16 I was DMing people 10 years older than I was, I had a webpage for my game, and a convincing story with a lot of background color. The same is true for older folks; if you want to play, come one come all.

There are exceptions to everything, but in general, "ageism" is a very sensible practice of simply looking for people you feel are going to be the most compatible with your gaming group.

Right or wrong, a group of (to use a game I was in last year as an example) 25-30 year old foul-mouthed guys with jobs and families that like to grab a few beers during a game once in a while and require regular smoke breaks isn't going to feel comfortable playing with a 16 year old around - and definitely aren't going to want to change the way they act or to have to (even if only potentially) deal with a pissed-off parent. Might not be fair, but it's definitely not stupid.