Does age matter?

[Bloodstone Mage]

Age doesn't matter to me, although maturity does. I'm 18 and the people that I game with are roughly the same age (from ages 14 until 19). We're pretty mature about a lot of things. I'd admit, we used to be quite bad, but we're better now. There are a couple of people around our gaming group, though, that have problems with the issues of maturity (one is a few days older than me and continuously acts as if he's a twelve year old kid). The only thing that really gets to us is the barrier of legal adulthood. One of our group members, who is 15 years old, had concerned parents that wanted to meet the 17 and 18 year olds who he spent his weekends with. They liked us a lot and invite us time and again. I think parents get comforted to know that their teenage kid isn't spending his free time doing things that could negatively impact on his life like I know other teenagers are doing.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

My mother had the same concern many years ago when I was a teenager. The guy who was hosting the game and was the older player came over to our house to meet with my parents so that they at least knew the person I was gaming with and whose house I'd be at. They never had a problem after that. I think the big thing was that they knew I was somewhere safe and I wasn't getting into drugs, drinking, or any other kind of trouble. Also, it was a good influence because most of the older players were professional white collar types and it helped me get my head on straight about what I wanted to do with my life. You might volunteer to meet the parents of your younger players just so that their parents don't worry. Heck, have them over for dinner some night.

 

[S'mon]

My player group ranges in age from early '20s to '40s. I'm in the middle of the age range, at 31. I haven't found any age-related problems - we're all adults, basically. I would be reluctant to take on players younger than 18, though. And I might be uncomfortable in a group where everyone else was 18-20, say, although from Convention experience I suspect probably not.

 

[S'mon]

If they are below the age of concent then you SHOULD be concerned. One simple lie can cause you a world of hell.

If the players are not yet adults, the parents SHOULD be concerned for the well being of thier children. If the parents do not know you, they should not trust you.

The 24 year old needs to cut the cord BTW.

Yeah, I find this a bit weird - a man in his mid-twenties has a mother who doesn't want him associating with older men?!

 

[Li Shenron]

A couple of days ago I posted in another thread that the only issue for me in playing within a diverse group is... age!

I have played with people of different nationality, language, strongly different political ideas, religion, sexual orientation, view of life, etc... absolutely no problems at all.

I haven't played with people of very different age, and maybe that is the reason why I am concerned about the fact; if I had already played in such a group, probably I would have discovered that I didn't need to worry at all.

But somehow I feel like I won't like playing with teenagers at all, as well as I won't like playing with my friends' parents. There is some generational difference that concerns me... not in gaming itself but in how to handle some sensitive subjects. Strangely, I don't feel that problem when playing with people of a different religion/culture but of my age for example (but maybe the difference wasn't wide enough).

I think I should try in practice before I understand, but that's how I honestly feel at the moment.

 

[Bagpuss]

Explain to the 24 year old "boy's" mother that if you were sleeping with him she shouldn't worry about you being a pedophile, it's just that her son is gay.

 

[BlackMoria]

Thanks for all the responses. It looks to me like the majority don't care about age. As it should be.

The matter is resolved, I believe. The mother of the 20 yr old (the 24 yr old is the oldest after me and was not the issue) and I met for coffee and talked.

While she didn't outright voice what her issue was (and I didn't go over to confront her on it - I just wanted her to meet me to see that I am just a straight up guy), during our hour long conversation, so facts came out.

The 20 yr old talks about how cool I am - playing D&D and other RPGs, showing him how to do street magic (like the David Blaine thing) and being able to have a discussion with a 20 yr old like I was another guy in his twenties.

I guess the 20 yr old's father doesn't do a thing with his son. Or even talk with him.... I mean, really talk with him - not the everyday social pleasantries that occur in family but don't amount to any real talking.

So, since the father don't do anything with his son, but a 'stranger' does, she thinks something is a little odd. As she told me, she had heard nothing but good things about me, yet, as she put it, she doesn't know me. That, and she doesn't understand about a 'young persons' game that would interest an older person like myself.

She was surprised that I had played the game for 26+ years and have played with hundreds of people over the years (she thought this was some modern recent fad game). She also thought it was a game where people pretend to be vampires and werewolves. I told her, wrong game - then told her basically how and why the game plays.

So after an hour, she knows me now, she knows about the D&D (and she thinks it harmless now that I explained it) and her unspoken fears are put to rest.

 

[Buttercup]

If he's 20, what he does really isn't her business. Unless he's developmentally disabled, of course.

She sounds like a busybody to me.

 

[LazarusLong42]

I wouldn't call her a busybody from the description of the conversation. She sounds, sadly, a bit more like someone who needs to speak with her husband about being a good father--and who was worried about her adult son.

My mom still worries about me (though not to the same level of detail) and I'm 25, married, and just bought a house. I don't consider her a busybody--she's just being a mom.

(And to the point of the original question, at 25, I'm still the youngest in my gaming group, and a DM... and it's never come up as a concern, ever.)

 

[WayneLigon]

Given the conversation with said Mom above, I can see where her concerns were coming from.

Generally, I game with people regardless of age; it all depends on the way they act. I'm aware, though, that there might not be the same feeling the other way around. I have had a fair amount of success advertising for players for our Friday night game.

However, placing a notice to BE a player in the same place has produced zero results for almost six months now. I am beginning to suspect it might be because it says how old I am (42). I'll take down the notice and wait, then replace it sans age and see what happens.