Mark
CreativeMountainGames.com
Please use the the statistics above to support or refute the theory. Keep in mind that Darkness, Piratecat, nemmerle and Morrus are working when they post, quite often, and their numbers are high due largely to that fact. Also, there were only a handful that managed to top 3000 posts on the old boards in just over one year's time, fewer still 4000 posts and I believe only one who topped 5000 (Caliban?). At the posting rates above, a couple of posters will top 25,000 posts in a like period of time.
My contention is that they are quite mad. I believe this is due to their RPGing. Allow me to elaborate...
First let me say that I am a RPGer. This post is not to say that RPGers are bad. Some groups have legitimate complaints about D&D. I am baffled by most of their facts (lack of showering/anti-perspirant usage amongst RPGers not being in that category). I just find it hard to read most of the data and remain conscious.
I know everyone has seen the articles claiming that D&D can lead to insanity. These articles often list psionics rules, particular arcane/divine spells and over-worked DM plot twists as causes though under 3E rules, some of their conclusions are suspect due to balancing issues. I also know that we all disagree with the claims (some of us while channelling voices of dead relatives), but I have never seen any referenced analysis supporting our rebuttal. So here is mine.
Wizards of the Coast market research indicates 2.8 million people play roleplaying games once a month(1). The National Institute of Mental Health claims that the insanity rate (as of 1998, the most current figure) is .1% but further contend that they dislike the use of the words "Bonkers", "Looney" and "Stark Raving Mad" (2). I would argue that education does not effect insanity rates and obsessives (as roleplayers are branded by many of their spouses) are more likely to succumb to marketing schemes so perhaps this rate should probably be higher but we'll stick with it. The rate of RPGers that also collect minis, anime, and bits of string averages about 9 per 1,000 (1985-1999) for white males between 18-40 (a sweeping generalization) according to the Department of Toys in most Department Stores and Malls.(no data easily linked at time of posting) That would indicate that at least 280 RPG players should lose their marbles and 112 would be half off their nut every year as a statistical norm. Yet, the anecdotal evidence exceeds these figures over a decade (according to game store owners). If these numbers are multiplied for a one-hundred year period, you should be able to fill a small country or designate an entire small state in the USA to confine these cuckoos but that just isn't happening or likely to happen. The real insanity rate for 18-40 year old, white, educated, extroverted males would have to be almost zero to overcome the statistical variance of the list of D&D related flip-outs.
So, that is my case. Anyone care to review that data (I know there must be some statistical types here) and respond?
(1) http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article..../br/br20010323a
(2) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/suifact.htm
