Drinking While Gaming? Warning -- mature content (I hope)

[ph0rk]

Now in a situation with a recovering alcoholic, if you're playing a friendly game (and you should be, right?), then respecting other people's limitations should take precedence over having a tasty treat of primary choice, people's healths being generally more important than our own fleeting satisfaction. That's certainly sufficient justification for making the smoker take his breaks outside when he's jonesing for nicotine, it should also be sufficient for keeping a lid on the alcohol when the recovering addict is playing and trying to stay healthy.

To wander offtopic for a moment; sooner or later the recovering alcoholic will have to deal with others drinking in a public setting. Shielding them from this doesn't really help much. If they're going to get wet, they're going to get wet.

I do however totally agree with the other point. I think the larger (hidden) issue here is that in the states it is generally assumed that 'using alcohol' == total drunkard. For whatever reason we just haven't grown up with the idea that a couple drinks a day isn't a big deal like some other cultures.

I am of the opinion that responsible adults are able to enjoy a drink or two and still remain competant enough to game; this is dnd, not surgery!

 

[Belegbeth]

It isn't so strange, for a few reasons. Tolerance varies, for one thing. I've seen folks who get pretty darned tipsy on just a couple of beers. For another, if the beer relaxes you in terms of allowing you to role-play, it can also relax your attitudes on further beers. Unless comeone's counting and enforcing a limit, for some folks it is difficult to keep 2 to 3 from becoming 5, or 7. Alcohol is funny that way.

And enforcement can be a pain. Some really nice folks you like to game with may not like to be told that after three beers at a friend's home, they cannot have a fourth. Enforcement of a limit can be annoying and socially awkward, so many find it simpler to ban entirely and avoid the issue.

I think the issue here is MATURITY, and not drinking per se. Most mature people know how to pace themselves, whether it is at a gaming session, a dinner party, or a family gathering.

I certainly would not want to play with people who were so immature as to not pace their alcohol intake. Yes, some people might get tipsy after 2 drinks, while others can down 5 while still remaining perfectly lucid. Best to play with people mature enough to pace themselves, than act in a heavy-handed manner and treat the players like children by banning alcohol altogether. I know I would be annoyed if some patronizing DM told me I could not have a beer in the evening because he was worried that I might get drunk. Give me a break!

Fortunately, I have not had the misfortune of playing with such patronizing and/or immature people in recent years.