Ageism in gaming

[Mark Chance]

Re: Ageism

only drink water at the table

Water!? Blech. It's bad enough my wife actually buys bottled water, but then people drink the stuff. *shudder* I'll buy water when 3/4 of the Earth's surface is covered with beer. Mmmm. Beer.

Not that anyone cares, but I too do not want children (connotation in my vocabulary: anyone under the age of 21) in my gaming group. Teenagers are definitely not allowed.

Now, as Buttercup points out, I:

may be missing some potentially good players, and good friends thereby

But I've got a roomful of good players, and I don't want to be friends with kids. There is just something unseemly about a 35-year-old man being friends with kids.

All IMO, of course.

 

[Buttercup]

...who here wouldn't want to play with Colonel Playdoh? Who here wouldn't want to play with Hellhound's kids...?

Well, but as been said before, EN World may not be representative of the gaming community at large. For one thing, we have had the pleasure of meeting the Gelflings!

 

[KDLadage]

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.

Sorry for the late quoting of the original post, but I just caught this thread so...

I have seen some ageism, but it has not truly affected me, as I managed to find a group that really did not care -- took a while, but I found it. The last big campaign I ran had 11 players and me as the DM. The ages, from lowest to highest were:

• 22
• 26
• 29
• 31
• 31
• 34 << me
• 36
• 37
• 41
• 44
• 52
• 71

And to be honest, the most fun was the 71 year old. This guy was the best Role Player I had encountered in years, and wrote up more background material than I can ever tell you about. ANd, as if that were not enough, was a sculpter and so he built a lot of our set pieces for the miniatures, like a stable, a small store and several pieces of terrain...

 

[S'mon]

I doubt I'd take players at my home game younger than 16, at a Convention or other public game I'd take any age though. Don't think I'd set an upper limit on age either. However generally speaking players within about 10-12 years either side of my own age (30) are probably the easiest to accommodate.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Re: Ageism

...But I've got a roomful of good players, and I don't want to be friends with kids. There is just something unseemly about a 35-year-old man being friends with kids.

All IMO, of course.

My opinion too.

 

[ergeheilalt]

Re: Re: Ageism in gaming

[*] 22
[*] 26
[*] 29
[*] 31
[*] 31
[*] 34 << me
[*] 36
[*] 37
[*] 41
[*] 44
[*] 52
[*] 71
[/list]

This sounds like a great age range. A span of almost 50 years will bring a lot of different outlooks to the table. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Erge

 

[I'm A Banana]

It's all about wanting to play with peers, more or less. It's who you feel the most comfortable around.

And, I might note, 'not wanting to play with kids' is as ageist as 'not wanting to play with gramps'

 

[Ravellion]

I doubt I'd take players at my home game younger than 16, at a Convention or other public game I'd take any age though. Don't think I'd set an upper limit on age either. However generally speaking players within about 10-12 years either side of my own age (30) are probably the easiest to accommodate.

If you do take on youngsters, beware that you don't make remarks about red robes.

*Still shivers when thinking baout S'mon's vivid voice acting of someone who definitely was Chaotic Evil*

Rav

 

[S'mon]

*Still shivers when thinking baout S'mon's vivid voice acting of someone who definitely was Chaotic Evil*

Why thank you.

 

[Mark Chance]

And, I might note, 'not wanting to play with kids' is as ageist as 'not wanting to play with gramps'

Not really. It's a personal preference, and it's common sense given my career. I teach in an inner city Catholic middle school. Avoiding any sense of impropriety is necessary given my position, and having a teenager or two crowded into a room with a bunch of beer-drinking 30-somethings would at least appear improper.

That point aside, it isn't ageism because I'm not legally obligated to open my house up to anyone. Now I were an employer, things could be different.