Does "Fantasy Role Playing" attract people who have a hard time in reality?

[Blood Jester]

I agree that MMORPGs attract the less socially adept, on average. However, I have not found that to be the case with sports. For both playing sports and watching sports, in my experience those people on average tend to have better social skills than the average, not worse.

Having been a "letterman" in multiple sports in High School, and competed successfully at the National level in college, I have to completely disagree with the idea that participants in sports are particularly adept socially. In fact many of my peers were constant sources of discomfort and embarassment for their lack of social skills and often any sense of maturity.

So I put RPGs as just a form of interactive social entertainment, no worse than a bridge club or an Elks Lodge for example.

 

[Nifft]

Every hobby accretes crazies, because you can't get fired from a hobby.

Some hobbies also kill them; in those hobbies, they tend to spend less time.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Bagpuss]

I was thinking about this today.

"Does 'fantasy role playing' attract people who have a difficult time in reality?"

Does it attract people who are passive aggressive, or who would like to control EVERY aspect of their lives?

But instead of playing the line, do you think there is an identifiable amount, that is large enough to warrant this observation?

Not from my experience no.

Most of the gamers I've met are pretty normal. I would say I've a pretty wide experience of gamers as well, having been in more than a dozen groups over the years and attended several conventions. I've rarely come across passive aggressive types or control freaks. It would be hard to judge from brief encounters at conventions but at least the people I met there didn't show it at the game table.

 

[Mark Chance]

Yes, but only by default. Way too many people (note the lack of qualifiers) have a "hard time in reality." Just pick up an issue of TV Guide for numerous evidences. IOW, D&D attracts "people who have a hard time in reality" for the same reason D&D attracts people who have ten toes.

 

[Set]

Given the social interactions required, I've found that the 'weirdos' tend to get weeded out pretty quickly. If anything, going out with a bunch of gamers, as compared to going out with a bunch of co-workers, I am *less* likely to be embarassed, or have to worry about police intervention, or having to take Bob's keys away, or trying to convince the girl he's bothering from kicking his butt while he's struggling to punch her for the heinous offense of having the good taste to tell him to go pound sand...

When I was working at the post office, I saw a *heck* of a lot more social maladjusts shuffling through their lives who aren't nearly 'together' enough to go over to somebody's house and sit around a table for four-eight hours playing make-believe. I've seen gamers with issues, but they don't get invited back. I don't babysit (grown-ups anyway), or offer sage counsel or a shoulder to lean on (for people I don't know).

I'd rather hang with people who get in fights in their imaginations than the ones who do it in real life, yanno?

 

[gizmo33]

I agree with Set (I don't often say that , I'm more of an Osiris-guy myself). The best way to escape from the real world is to retreat to a cave somewhere, not play an RPG. RPGs take cooperation and organization. As a DM, if I don't want to deal with the real world the last thing I want to deal with is a half-dozen people trying to lean on me for extra experience points. As has been said, I find that the most anti-social people I come across don't return to the game.

 

[S'mon]

Sure... I've seen a few.

But I think the ivory tower of academia attracts more of them.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

 

[S'mon]

Not from my experience no.

Most of the gamers I've met are pretty normal. I would say I've a pretty wide experience of gamers as well, having been in more than a dozen groups over the years and attended several conventions. I've rarely come across passive aggressive types or control freaks. It would be hard to judge from brief encounters at conventions but at least the people I met there didn't show it at the game table.

Most of the gamers I met at the two Gencon UKs I attended were strikingly normal - including Bagpuss. I've had a few players with issues at my game table over the years, but not a high proportion considering I've been doing open recruitment.

 

[Mistwell]

Sure... I've seen a few.

But I think the ivory tower of academia attracts more of them.

Oh heck yes!

I sell graduation caps and gowns. In my experience, the higher the degree, the less socially adjusted the person, on average (and as someone who has a higher degree, and is friends with three professors and has a brother who is a professor, I can say that obvious it's not a rule just an average generalization).

Calls from people with new PhD's are some of the scariest customer service calls I get (right below judges). I cannot even count how many new PhD's genuinely think they are my only customer, and their graduation is the most important graduation on the planet, and everyone should stop everything they are doing to gather information for them and work day and night just on their gown, tam, and hood, and desire to ship it for free next day air for them to inspect.

Sorry. I am ranting. It's graduation season. I've gone a wee bit temporarily insane.

 

[PwrMnky]

Hmp.
I do agree with everyone. In a certian sense. I mean it's not like I game with a bunch of looney-bin, insane people. But in the same vein I don't game with mainstream type crowd either.

It isn't a clear dichotomy of "MAINSTREAM-BUBBLE-GUM-POP/FRATBOYS" or "INSANE-UNKEMPT-NEVER-DATED" people. It would be hard to argue for either side.

I've notice though, that the people I game with ... aren't very direct. Or that they seem to want to push their view through so that everyone must agree with it. And to be honest ... not even in gaming, I guess, your typical Joe Schmoe is like that.

I don't have to be rolling dice with people to find passive-aggressive people. Or control whores. I can find them at work. Or in college, as you guys have pointed out.

I typically get along with a bunch of actors ... until I recognize how flakey they are, attention whores, or how emotionally needy they are.

And that's truly the point.

Each group is comprised of people.
And people have strengths and weaknesses no matter where you find them.
Thanks, e'erybody!