Generation Gap in Gaming?

[nakia]

My present group is all similar aged -- late 20's early 30's.

I wonder if part of the difference may be where gaming fits in to busy lives. Older folks tend to have more going on (family, full time jobs) while teens and college aged gamers have more time to focus more on the game. Before I was married, while I was just going to school, I had more time to spend on gaming and hence, probably knew more about the rules and did lots of extra stuff for the game (story hour, world development). Now, I just don't have that much free time.

 

[JamesDJarvis]

My gaming group has about a 40 year spread in ages typically and I've often gamed with a 20 year spread since my father has been a regular in my weekly games for years.

I really haven't seen much impact on gaming style based on age, it would seem to be much more of an issue of gaming experience (which age has an impact on obviously) in general but even that varies. One of my regulars I've been gaming with for about 20 years and he has probably "role"played two or three times his entire gaming career. i've always like building interesting characetrs myself when i PC (I'm ussually DM) and folks seem tobe able to recall my characetrs years after the campaign is over so i must be doign somethign right there (two of them even have lived on as NPCs in other DMs games). One of the other players really gets into his characetrs and has done so pretty much the whole time.

 

[DarrenGMiller]

I usually play with people around my age, but I love being a player in a game with old-timers (especially for the DM). I learn a lot about story-telling in those kinds of games. I like to DM for younger players, especially those to new to D&D. They seem to have a lot of energy and the excitement of discovery.

I have seen a large number of respondants mention gaming experience as a major determining factor. I agree. Since this also comes with age, there could be some correlation there. My younger players were not full of "the excitement of discovery." They seemed to be pretty jaded for people who have been gaming less than 5 years.

Here are the gaming experiences of my recent group:
1. (me - 34) gaming since '82 - went straight from 1E to 3.x with no 2E, almost no CRPG's
2. (35) started gaming through Storyteller (WW) games and then came over to 2E, now 3.x, lots of EQ experience
3. (30) started late in the 1E days and played some Vampire (including LARP) and went through 2E to 3.x, lots of CRPG exposure
4. (38) started in 1E and came through 2E to 3.x with lots of CRPG exposure
- That is our 30+ club - now for the younger crowd:
5. (24) started in 2E in early 90's and switched to 3.x but still plays some 2E, almost no CRPG's
6. (19)started in 2E right before 3E was released and switched over to 3.x, lots of CRPG exposure
7, 8, 9 (17, 18, 18)- began with 3.x, little CRPG exposure

Thanks for your replies!

DM