Attn: Users under the age of 20 (or thereabouts)

[Rae ArdGaoth]

I feel young. I'm 17, just one month ago. My friend (my age) started me off when I was 13, his dad is/was a fanatic and actually DMed for my friend and his group for their first couple of games. They would always refer to those as "The best games we ever played!" Of course, that was before he met me, so I missed out. I don't notice a lack of players my age, I knew of at least 2 groups in my old school and I've already found one here at my new school.

I think the problem is that the older people don't meet the younger people (and vice versa) because of the generation barrier. First of all, kids don't really feel comfortable "hanging out" with older people, and the sad truth is that when older people socialize with younger people, they are immediately branded as pedophiles. What with the stigmata of Dungeons and Dragons players being satan worshippers (okay, slight exaggeration, but not too far out there... and I know it's true, my mom used to think DnD = bad kids) the whole pedophile stereotype is even worse.

Things are getting better, admitedly. I think WotC is making an active attempt to portray DnD as more kid friendly. But then they have things like the Book of Vile Darkness. I guess to appease the older ones as well? Personally, I love the BoVD. And I love DnD! It's extremely fun and it makes my day... every day. These boards are great, I'm glad I found them. Anyway that's my two cents.

 

[der_kluge]

Generation gap?

die_kluge !=

 

[Andre La Roche]

I'm 21, currently running a game with five players ages 18-20.

 

[demiurge1138]

One thing to consider- I don't think younger gamers tend to hang out at EN World.

If you want evidence of young gamers, start reading the WoTC message boards.

Hey! I take umbrage to that. I tried to get into the WoTC message boards when ENWorld was down, and couldn't get into it since everyone was so immature.

I'm currently seventeen, in college, and don't find it difficult to find new players. Maybe I'm just in a geeky dorm, but there are two full games of D&D going right now, with a third possibly in development. And I am happy to say that I got the whole thing off the ground.

I got into D&D about four years ago. That is to say, I started playing four years ago. I first saw the game in action maybe eight or nine years ago, in Boy Scouts, and I fell in love with the old 2e Monstrous Manual. I bought a copy of that maybe six years ago, and played Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale. What actually pushed me into D&D was my love of the monster books; I got the 3e Monster Manual and Monsters of Faerun, and then decided I should actually start playing. No surprise, I took over the role off DM about six months into the game.

I know plenty of gamers around my age, and I think the hobby's still healthy. Everyone I've played with has been around my age group, and I actually haven't met many active adult gamers where I live.
Demiurge out.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

I'm 21 - the husband is 24. Our gaming group consists of 7 individuals between the ages of 19 and 26 - we're all pretty young.

When I was working at Wizards, most RPG product was sold to the younger folks - with those above 30 making the occasional purcahse... But, then again, that could have a lot to do with the location of the WoTC I worked at...

I started playing when I was 15 or 16. Was convinced to play by a number of people that told me, based on my taste in fiction/general personality, I would love the game. Those individuals included one of my close friends and my youth pastor. My love of the game was solidified around the age of 17 when I met my now husband and began playing more regularly.

I've never found it difficult to find gamers my age - but, then again, I've never gamed with anyone older than 25/26.

My peers are into the same things I am - nerdy movies, books, and other such things.

 

[GandhitheBFG]

I'm eighteen, and have been playing since I was about thirteen. I just find it hard to find players...there are maybe 8-10 people in my area (that I know of), and unfortunately, I've never gamed with anyone else. Heck, three of those were only discovered in the last year...They're all my age, roughly, by the way.

 

[Jdvn1]

I guess it makes a big difference what kind of city you live in. In Houston, the fourth largest city in the nation, I don't have trouble finding players of any age.

 

[Mercule]

I'm 32, but we used to have a teenager in our group. I used to give him crap because started gaming a few months before he was born (when I was 10). He was brought into the group by his step-dad, who thought it'd be a good way for a 16 year old to grow up a bit.

 

[alsih2o]

Prothall, who I haven't seen around in a while, is a gamer of the younger generation. He was just turning 15 or 16 back when I gamed online with him. I would have mistaken him for a grad student or late 20's professional.

He gives me hope for the future of gaming.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I'm out of the target range (as most ENWorlders seem to be) but DM for two players who I know are under 20 and a third who probably is. Four others in the 10-20 range have been in the group over the last year and a half, two with relatives, two on their own. Three had their first pen-n-paper roleplaying experience in this campaign, and to the best of my knowledge none, thankfully, played PC RPGs. Four out of seven played console RPGs. Three out of seven played Magic or other CCGs (the three first-timers).

For my part, I started playing at about 6, homeschooled in RPGdom as in all other matters.