Does Adulthood Change the RPG Experience Much?

[Agback]

Fewer?

Yes, fewer. At fifteen we were obsessed with sex, and thought we were being very sophisticated to mention such adult concepts as prostitution. At forty wre are obsessed with financial security, and discover that mortgage payments and income tax are the truly adult concepts.

 

[Lord Rasputin]

Good Grimace, yes.

When I was in high school, my group would get off school on Friday, migrate to my basement, watch a movie (usually adult), then start gaming (first game was always D&D). We would game until 2 am, watch another movie, then crash in the spare bedroom. At about noon, everyone would be awake again, so we'd order pizza, make a few crank phone calls, watch another movie or some eMpTyV (it sucked worse then, because it bothered to play videos), and game again (usually TMNT, sometime Shadowrun when it came out, sometimes GURPS Special Ops) until the wee hours. Then we would wake again at about noon, play a short game (D&D or TMNT), then everyone would go home and do homework.

Nowadays, my group meets at a gaming store for four hours on Saturday, alternating games (D&D one weekend, GURPS Space the other), then at my place on Thursday night for about three, playing another game (D20 Conan).

My gaming tastes haven't changed as much (I've always tended to be a Real Roleplayer, with a bit of Loonie thrown in), though I GM more. I'm more rules-light than I was -- when I was in high school, I rarely GMed because I'd drive myself silly trying to handle all the rules I thought I should be handling but everyone else ignored. And I don't play any more angst puppies.

 

[Presto2112]

In my experience, the only thing that adulthood has changed in terms of my RPG experience is the decreased availability of players because stupid real life gets in the way.

 

[ceratitis]

while i had several things to say i'm not mature enough to really answer that
Z

 

[fusangite]

At forty wre are obsessed with financial security, and discover that mortgage payments and income tax are the truly adult concepts.

Or maybe you're just playing D20 Traveller.

 

[Mycanid]

For me this is a strange question ... it would seem obvious to me that it does. Ah well!

 

[Arrgh! Mark!]

I also must relate an account of more story, less fighting.

To begin with we played without purpose.
Purposeless, we began to seek a reason
The reason was often hard to find, insoluble
Treasure dripped through our fingers like blood.

Eventually, life became meaningful, though transitory
Those swords of power became a power trip
Though we enjoyed roleplaying real people, with mostly real issues
the joy was gone.

Then came Age of Worms, and we began again
To fight the noble fight once again
To write that bloody poem once again
To seek, to find, to slaughter, and not to care.



*coughcoughsplutter*

 

[Imruphel]

Yes, and for the better:

1. practically unlimited gaming budget;
2. it's easier to find players (surprisingly!);
3. it's easier to find players you actually want to play with; and
4. it's just more fun.

 

[wolfpunk]

I voted Yes. I appreciate the time I get to play more, and I work harder to create a fun character that the DM will be glad to have in the party. I don't mind dying, cause now I do realize that most of the time it is my fault.

However, I still love every new purchase whether it be a book, dice, or a miniature like I was a kid.

And, I still have to find the right paper to write the characters stats on, because not every character concept belongs on plain lined paper in my opinion.

I think that getting together consistently every week for 3-4 hours with the same group of people who you enjoy playing with is one of the best things in life.

 

[diaglo]

It seriously cuts down on your free time, for one thing!

quoted for troof.