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"Childish", "Teenage" and "Adult" RPGs?
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<blockquote data-quote="Professor Phobos" data-source="post: 3110006" data-attributes="member: 18883"><p>This comparison isn't actually in Dubious Shards, I think. Ken Hite would pick better wording.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, it's basically correct, just as long as you remember that there is no value judgement on the terms- D&D can be quite "adult" in one sense. It's just that the core themes of the game is one closely related to childhood. D&D characters develop; there's a fairly linear "growing up" phase, and as they do so they face ever increasing challenges. If that's not a metaphor for childhood, I dunno what is. D&D's target "get 'em hooked" age was 11-12, or thereabouts, after all.</p><p></p><p>Many (though not all) World of Darkness games focused on a sudden transformation setting a person apart from their contemporaries, a transformation that carried with it newfound power, responsibility and frightening consequences. If that's not a metaphor for becoming a teenager, I dunno what is. That was their target audience, after all.</p><p></p><p>The metaphor breaks down when you get to Call of Cthulhu, which isn't a metaphor for adulthood. </p><p></p><p>Just divorce yourself from the terms as insults and just look at the central metaphors- most WoD games (especially the oWoD, and Exalted) can be viewed as metaphors for adolescence using horror tropes like vampires. D&D's core ethos is one of gradually increasing responsibility and capability- you go from the 1rst level baby to the 20th level adult, and so on.</p><p></p><p>Also remember, they're just metaphors, they don't really mean anything for gaming...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Professor Phobos, post: 3110006, member: 18883"] This comparison isn't actually in Dubious Shards, I think. Ken Hite would pick better wording. Anyway, it's basically correct, just as long as you remember that there is no value judgement on the terms- D&D can be quite "adult" in one sense. It's just that the core themes of the game is one closely related to childhood. D&D characters develop; there's a fairly linear "growing up" phase, and as they do so they face ever increasing challenges. If that's not a metaphor for childhood, I dunno what is. D&D's target "get 'em hooked" age was 11-12, or thereabouts, after all. Many (though not all) World of Darkness games focused on a sudden transformation setting a person apart from their contemporaries, a transformation that carried with it newfound power, responsibility and frightening consequences. If that's not a metaphor for becoming a teenager, I dunno what is. That was their target audience, after all. The metaphor breaks down when you get to Call of Cthulhu, which isn't a metaphor for adulthood. Just divorce yourself from the terms as insults and just look at the central metaphors- most WoD games (especially the oWoD, and Exalted) can be viewed as metaphors for adolescence using horror tropes like vampires. D&D's core ethos is one of gradually increasing responsibility and capability- you go from the 1rst level baby to the 20th level adult, and so on. Also remember, they're just metaphors, they don't really mean anything for gaming... [/QUOTE]
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