Are you in the RPG closet?

[Odhanan]

Everybody knows I'm into RPGs. When I'm asked about my hobbies, I talk about RPGs. I'm pretty much the antithesis of the "RPG Closet gamer", and never had any problem with other people. It's all a question of the manner in which you approach the topic, really.

 

[Odhanan]

We're still allowed to get married though, right?

Depends on the state, I believe.

 

[thalmin]

Do your friends, family and work colleagues know that you play role-playing games? Obviously the people you live with and game with will know, but what about casual acquaintances or family members you only see a couple of times per year? More to the point in my case, what about colleagues from work?

Well, of course, everyone at my work knows, and all my friends and family, but my case is quite different.

Actually, most people knew way back even before it became my vocation. Not that I would announce it to the world, but whenever talk of hobbies or interests came up, I would talk about gaming.

At work, I'm in the RPG closet. Are you? Is it wrong to hide your hobby if you think people will look down on you for it?

It isn't wrong unless you have to lie about it, or worse, you yourself put gaming or gamers down.

 

[HoboGod]

I don't make small talk with people I only know casually, so yes, I'm in the RPG closet. However, I don't tell people the films I like, the books I read, or the live music events I attend. So I'm in the closet about those things as well, though most people guess what live music I like from the way I tend to dress.

As it should be. It's irritating when people are so open about themselves. Sure, if you're homosexual and you're trying to establish an identity within a hetrocentric culture, tell me you're gay. If you're a computer programmer who spends your Saturday afternoons pretending to be a high elf with 22 charisma, you're wasting my time and oxygen by needlessly announcing it. Do you want Halo players telling you how awesome it is to play a game where they get to "frag dudes" between their mountain dew runs?

 

[CrimsonReaver]

I've never been ashamed of or embarrassed by my gaming, so I've never made any effort to hide it. At the same time, I don't go out of my way to inform everyone I come in contact with that I love gaming and insist that they need to try it. So...I'm definitely not in the closet, but neither am I a flaming gamer.

 

[pawsplay]

At work, I'm in the RPG closet. Are you? Is it wrong to hide your hobby if you think people will look down on you for it?

At work, I don't advertise it heavily, although I have mentioned it in passing with coworkers I know well and trust not to be judgmental. In my personal life, I'll mention it at the drop of a hat. I try to keep my game-dar well-honed.

 

[samursus]

All my family knows (and some also play) as well as my friends. Aquaintances and co-workers usually don't, again unless it comes up.

 

[Oryan77]

Back in the day, I thought I was such a great DM that I'd go to bars and use my DM skills to pick up chicks. For some reason girls at clubs don't realize how important DMing is. It never seemed to get me anywhere with the ladies.

I don't bring it up unless I think someone would be interested in it (which is not very often). But I do love to talk about D&D with people that actually care to hear about it.

I don't have much in common with most people at my work. Living in Silicon Valley, they think I'm the weird one because I don't use a MAC. So I know damn well they aren't going to be open-minded enough about me playing D&D. Not that I really care if anyone knows. I just don't care to bring it up and then deal with the hassle of explaining myself to someone that will think I'm weird no matter what I say.

My siblings know I play and I even got them into playing. I think the rest of my family might assume I play, but nobody ever asked me about it so I don't talk about it. They wouldn't be interested anyway.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Closet? No. All of my family knows and most of my co-workers do so, too.

I tend to be very open about my hobby, but don't go proselytizing. In casual conversation we (that is my wife and me) usually start with talking about boardgames, which are very mainstream in Germany and which we play once per week in an open event. Depending on the reaction we may talk about RPGs as well.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Neither ashamed nor overly proud. It's just a hobby. It doesn't really come up in conversations, and I don't try to force it to come up.