Generation Gap in Gaming?

[DarrenGMiller]

I have several questions I would like to ask. First, how many of you have a wide range of gamers' ages at the same gaming table (ex. we recently had about a 20 year range at the table)? Have divisions in your group ever occured along age lines? Do you find that gamers of different ages at the same table are looking for different things out of the game, or does that transcend age?

My most recent campaign had two age groups with a gap between them. Our player ages were (IIRC): 17, 18, 18, 19, 24, 30, 34, 35, 38. I teach high school, so I am not sure if it is just a lack of separation between work and gaming or if there really is a significant difference in gaming between the age groups (if it matters, I am the 34 yr. old). Our younger group seemed to be much more rules focused, while our older group was either more story focused or social gamers. I am sure that there are many players who do not fit this, so I am just looking for feedback from other. I am not trying to judge anyone based on their age. I am looking for responses and opinions from young and old gamers.

Also, it has occured to me that the divisions could be based on gaming experience and not age. Our group ranged in experience from less than one year to my 23 years. Also, there seemed to be a definite humor difference in the group, with some taking the gaming much more seriously than others, though this did not seemed to be strictly divided by age.

Any thoughts on my thoughts are greatly appreciated.

DM

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

My present group has a similar age range to yours. Previously it was even wider (between 12 and 50).

I've noticed a tendency of very young gamers to gravitate toward hack and slash, but the oldest gamer in the group was just as much that way, and the youngest (his daughter - munchkinism isn't genetic!) one of the least . I'd say the 18-28 range has been the most interested in roleplaying, actually, and it's hardly uniform across them.

 

[Crothian]

ours was only a gap about 16 years (19-35) and for the most part the group had no real age problems in game. Out of game though the "kids" as we older guys referred to them as liked to party and do other things that made them late or not show up to game at all. But the times they did it was fun.

 

[Nightcloak]

We range from 30 to 36. One player has been playing for 8 years, two come in at around 19 years, and me at 26 years. The styles are waaaay different, though. But it works for us. There is no real division. The two players (me and someone else) who like more detailed stories and role-playing just except the game for the styles of the other two more social hack-n-slashers and roll with it. However, we do participate in a different game that happens periodically that fits our style better.

 

[Impeesa]

My current group has anywhere up to 10 people in a very tight age distribution (21-26 or so). In the past, though, I've played with a trio of older gamers (closing in on 40, don't recall exactly). Hard to say whether there's really a gap there, though - it's just a matter of who you know.

--Impeesa--

 

[kenobi65]

One of my groups has an age range of 32 to 60. We do have one munchkiny player in that group, and he *is* one of the younger ones (young being relative), but I think that's just his personality...he'll probably be a munchkin at age 60.

In another one of my groups, the range is 26 to 52. And, the youngest guy is the one that's the most heavily into storytelling.

Generally speaking, we don't run into many style issues that seem to be age related, but then again, we don't have any true "yoots" in the groups.

 

[S'mon]

Current group has a 20 year gap youngest to oldest; previous group had similar or slightly larger gap. I haven't seen any consistent difference in players by age in regards to roleplayer vs rollplayer/hacknslasher or whatever; although I don't accept every applicant to my game. I certainly don't think age necessarily makes hacknslashers into drama queens, if anything with my current group most of the younger players are more towards the roleplay side than the older ones.

 

[MonsterMash]

One of my groups has a fairly narrow age range with about a six year span (35 to 41), and on the whole RP is fairly limited, the other group I game with is S'mon's where I suspect I'm the oldest. I definitely think that age is not really a factor in the amount of roleplaying that people do.

As I came in with OD&D back in the 70's from a wargaming background it can be easy to fall back into a tactical mode of thinking and metagame a bit, rather than look for a way to RP all the time, but I'm trying to do more 'in-character' thinking and avoid saying 'my character does x', instead trying to talk in character.

 

[S'mon]

One of my groups has a fairly narrow age range with about a six year span (35 to 41), the other group I game with is S'mon's where I suspect I'm the oldest. I definitely think that age is not really a factor in the amount of roleplaying that people do.

As I came in with OD&D back in the 70's from a wargaming background it can be easy to fall back into a tactical mode of thinking and metagame a bit, rather than look for a way to RP all the time, but I'm trying to do more 'in-character' thinking and avoid saying 'my character does x', instead trying to talk in character.

Hi Dave - yes, you're the oldest (38?). From very brief impression so far I think you and Ravi (who's about 32) tend towards the tactical side, Arthur (18), Leah (c28) and Marco (30) towards the drama side, and Lars (c23) is hard to pin down, but I'd put him somewhere in the middle - he's very much a 'Real Man' type player, as you may have noticed. It seems like a good balanced group to me - IME going too far one way or the other gives a less satisfying experience all-round.

 

[robberbaron]

Our current group spreads from 26 to 42, but when one brings his lad along it goes from 14 to 42.

Doesn't really change much 'cos we just treat the lad like an adult who hasn't got 20+ years experience. Sure, his style gets on our nerves occasionally, but he's a kid and he'll grow up and we'll help him.