Asking myself "Why?" about gaming lately...

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Well, Eric, try not to feel bad. I and my wife have been happily married for just over 14 years now, and we still don't have any children. We would like to have children, and look forward to it, but right now we are still trying to get other things achieved. (Like me getting my Ph.D, and us getting into a house in a really nice area.) The idea is that we don't want to raise our children in poverty--and while she and I are fine by ourselves--guess how expensive children are?--with children, we would be in poverty for certain! We would like better for ourselves and for our children. And, since family and friends aren't independently wealthy, and they aren't picking up the tab, well, they can just wait, you know? All in good time, my friend, all in good time!

Take a break, and come back to gaming later. There are other things in life, too. After awhile though, you will probably be ready to get back to playing again. Taking breaks are important--even crucial.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

 

[Bianca MarOu]

Hot Crap on a Stick

Eric: All right, you old pirate, roll to hit the beholder!
Piratecat: An 18! Hot crap on a stick!

Okay, this may seem at the peak of randomness, and I'm pretty new to the message boards, but I thought only my freind Moon said "Hot/Holy crap on a stick" and I was shocked by said comment just to discover that she was the only one who said it.

I would be equally shocked to find out someone else in the world said fu**balls or sh**balls besides myself, though.

Anyway... er... go Rune in the Iron Dm thing... Um... Bye

 

[Ace]

Same problem as with dr.midnight here, the game we play doesn't seem to meet what I'm looking for in the role playing experience. While communication would be good, there is a fine line between voicing preferences for play and sounding like you're whining. Especially when the other players seem to enjoy the style of play.

Good points. I quit gaming entirely because all of the local groups are on pure hack and slash mode.

Now my old group is finnally coming around to other things but the setting of choice for them is L5R, not my thing so I am still not gaming.

OTOH I have every bit as much fun online Here, at Pyramid, The Forge and elsewhere so I am good to go.

My advice to those who are facing burnout is take a break, after you come back gaming won't seem so repetitious.

Oh and if the break is five or six years, what of it? You can pick up 4e and start over

 

[Derulbaskul]

I think the key is time off.

I took a few years off, no gaming materials whatsoever, then had a couple of years where it all took place in my brain.

Now, I'm back to my old group (we've been friends since we were teenagers) but we include the next generation as well. Yep, the group ranges in age from 4 to 36. Quite good really: as the DM, I have to keep my descriptions evocative enough to hold the attention of a 4 year old and a 7 year old and that's actually a good discipline, particularly in the video game age.

We expect that we'll all keep playing for a long time simply because we see it as the new "family board game" with the kids and the adults all joining in. Of course, we've had to make one or two changes to keep it child-friendly (eg, Book of Vile Darkness probably won't get a guernsey at the table...) but it's good fun.

And when I'm not there to DM, they all play Heroquest instead!

Cheers
NPP

 

[rounser]

<Not a complete failure, just an evolutionary failure. For millions of years the only reason to exist was to reproduce. Some people apparently believe that it isn't a worthwhile goal.>

I was speaking from an evolutionary standpoint, and from that standpoint, anyone who fails to reproduce is a failure. Your 'feel good' comments that failure is only failure if they see it as such are rubbish.

I'm well aware of what you're implying, and I have a solid background in the arguments you're making - and deconstructing the conclusions to be drawn from them. If you truly understood what your genes stood for, you wouldn't give a damn whether they had their way or not - except from a personal value viewpoint.

It doesn't matter what reason or goals you have, failing to pass on your genetic material to a future generation is an evolutionary failure.

If you don't believe me, read a book, or go to college and take a few entry level anthropology courses. It's a fairly basic concept.

No sirrah, you are the embodiment of "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" and should take your own advice. By implying that "evolutionary failure" necessarily matters to the individual, you are making a classic mistake of confusing the needs of the individual with the "needs" of the genes. Far more knowledgeable (and less rude) people than you have been down this train of thought before - I remember some passages in The Red Queen where Matt Ridley goes down just this track of thought, and finds your views wanting (but I can't find them just at the moment).

Once again, with feeling:
You are not your genes, you are just a carrier, your body is merely a vehicle for them. They simply exist, and what is "good for them" is not necessarily good for the individual who carries them. "Evolutionary failure" may exist, but it may mean nothing to the individual on any level. Dead is dead is dead, descendants or not.

Now, go read yourself, until you grasp that simple, simple little fact - which is not "feel good", but rather soaked in theory. Confusing what is "good for genes" with what is "good for the individual" is a classic mistake - and you've made it.

 

[fba827]

(I don't know if this has already been said, because, frankly, I'm too lazy to read all the posts here)

BUT ... how about just offer the gaming group a "change of pace" and offer that you DM for a game/couple of sessions (presuming you're up to the challenge). Of course, make your offer in such a way that you can do it when the current adventure is on hold so that you aren't just interupting the action your current DM has alreayd put into motion.

This will help you in a couple different ways

1) Offers you a chance to introduce role playing and epic elements so maybe it will give the others players and the usual dm a taste for it... if it can be pulled off, it may continue

2) It will give YOU a change of pace and refreshing look at the game from a different perspective.

3) It won't (shouldn't) offend sensibilities because you aren't telling anyone that something isn 't working for you just offering for there to be an adjustment for a session or two.

4) Perhaps the current DM is a little drained , if not bored, of ideas himself/herself so the change may be welcome (at the very least will give him/her a chance to play from the player's side of the DM screen)... something that some DMs don't get to do often, if at all.

If you don't think you are up for being DM, perhaps offer a round-robin sort of thing where each person gets to DM for two sessions or something. so, that will introduce even more perspectives... - just the mixing it up may offer the change you need.

Mind you, as already mentioned by others, another possibility is just taking a break if that is what you need.

This really isn't for everyone, but I find that I do enjoy playing Email games in addition to table-top ones.. why? Because games by Email DO tend to be more epic and role-playing centered where as table-top games have a general tendancy to be combat/dungeon focused. While that is a gross generalization, it is a close match to what you'll find ... of course, finding a GOOD email game may be a trick in of itself

(I'm rambling now, so i'll go to bed

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Re: Hot Crap on a Stick

Okay, this may seem at the peak of randomness, and I'm pretty new to the message boards, but I thought only my freind Moon said "Hot/Holy crap on a stick" and I was shocked by said comment just to discover that she was the only one who said it.

I would be equally shocked to find out someone else in the world said fu**balls or sh**balls besides myself, though.

Anyway... er... go Rune in the Iron Dm thing... Um... Bye

This also may be completely OT, but is that Berea, Ohio you're from? I'm from North Ridgeville, just in case it is...

 

[Voneth]

I am wondering why anyone thinks that D&D isn't capable of more than dungeon hacking?

If the nature of the books is what you are concerned about, take a look at this thread on old RPGnet. It shows how the book you hold in your hand is riddled with less tactical material.:

http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=5&i=61889&t=61846

Oh I agree, but there are two sides to the story, some people who don't like DND because of the perception and then some who are fine that perception and wouldn't have it any other way.

The rough part is that the "default" player that I meet in my area are the dungeon hack version and before 3rd ed I was burned out on ALL roleplaying because of these guys.

"I don't see any roleplaying in your games," these player said.
"What about that whole 'your missing brother storyline?'"
"Yeah, that's my point, quit wasting our time with that stuff, put more roleplaying in it, stuff like collapsing floors if we don't guess the right code!" they said.
"Uh, that puzzle solving, dude, not roleplaying."

None of these guys had a college education, but they were the only roleplayers in the tiny town I was at and they about broke me with their "my way or highway" attitude on gaming. I learned sometimes it's just best to wait for good thing that keep doing something even if you don't like it anymore.

I'm now going though a burn out phase (my gaming store has started running events on the only days I can games and there's nno room for a rpg.) So I'm just taking a break, but I just bought the OA, very cool.

 

[Umbran]

Okay, on the evolutionary hijack...

This idea - that the individual who fails to reproduce is a failure (evolutionarily or otherwise) - is, I am sorry to say, complete bunk. One of the most basic examples of cooperative behavior puts it to bed easily - bees.

A creature need not pass on it's own genes to succeed. If it assists the survival of others with similar genes, or assists the survival of the species as a whole, it can be considered a success.

In a world faced with overpopulation, failing to stress the system with excess bodies can be a help. The race wil not be served by massive famine and pollution caused by overpopulation.

Mr. Noah has chosen a career that without question aids the survivability of the human race. 'Nuff said.

 

[Ace]

I am wondering why anyone thinks that D&D isn't capable of more than dungeon hacking? That's the silliest notion I have ever heard, especially where the much more skill-emphasized 3e is concerned. Our group doesn't to anything special -- it's a fairly normal group on a fairly normal epic quest. Yet the interpersonal interactions of the party are a key point in the game. It doesn't take Harn or Ars to make that happen. It is very much system independant. Roleplaying is in the group. If you want more roleplaying, you will have to nudge the group that direction or find a new group.

If the nature of the books is what you are concerned about, take a look at this thread on old RPGnet. It shows how the book you hold in your hand is riddled with less tactical material.:

http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=5&i=61889&t=61846

It think it is very much a group expectation issue. The majority of the groups I have played with use D&D for "powerup" gaming almost exclusivley.

The same players might be excellent Roleplayers in a GURPS game but they expect D&D to be

get the info
kill the critter
loot
power up
rinse
repeat

This is an artifact of the way most of those groups play not of the system.

While I usually choose GURPS some of the best RP moments I have ever had are in D&D.

OTOH I would not consider D&D unmodified as a skill heavy system. I mean a fighter has what half a dozen class skills and get two points a level?

However, modified by change the cross class skills like they did in the D20 Harn conversion and adding 2 skill points a level to every class, the skill system is quite good and would qualify IMO