How many gamers you know post in forums?

[rjdafoe]

I should probably clarify my post -

I read more than I post, and have really just started to post here.

In my 2 groups (10 people total not including myslef), I am the only one who reads and/or posts. Sure, 1 or 2 may look at a forum post or 2, but it is becuase I have sent them a link to it.

 

[Mercurius]

While there are only about 20 posts so far I find it interesting that the majority of responses are one of two general answers: "No one but me" or "Almost everyone." Where's the middle ground? Why isn't anyone (or almost no one) saying "about half."

I'm in the former category. Of my group of eight, only one other guy (my co-DM) has heard of EN World as far as I can tell--I don't think he has a login, though.

My guess is that the majority of ENWorlders (or RPGNetters) are of the same category; those that aren't, well, maybe they play together? But this goes along with my view that you can categorize gamers into three general types based upon how into RPGs they are: Casual, Serious, and Hardcore. If you are reading this right now you are at least "Serious": You think about RPGs on a regular, probably daily, basis, you have more books than you actually use, and you play--or want to play--in a regular game. You've also almost certainly GMed.

The ratio is probably something like 100:10:1, maybe even something like 500:10:1. So if there are a million active D&D players in the US right now there are probably about 20,000 "serious" gamers, and 1-2,000 "hardcore" gamers. This is why, I think, it seems like there are barely any gamers--because there aren't a lot of serious-to-hardcore gamers; the bulk of the D&D playing populace shows up for their once-every-other-week game and doesn't think about it much in-between sessions.

 

[drothgery]

Another guy from my group posts here semi-regularly, though a little less than I do. I think the others are all (except one) members here, but post very rarely.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

AFAIK, nobody in my gaming groups post in forums. One guy posted some opinion pieces at Star City Games, which, in turn, prompted me to post something there, once...and even under my real name.

Besides myself, the only gamers I personally know who definitely post in online forums are 2 guys I met at a Dallas ENWorld Gameday- our very own der_kluge and bento.

 

[Dannager]

While there are only about 20 posts so far I find it interesting that the majority of responses are one of two general answers: "No one but me" or "Almost everyone." Where's the middle ground? Why isn't anyone (or almost no one) saying "about half."

I'm in the former category. Of my group of eight, only one other guy (my co-DM) has heard of EN World as far as I can tell--I don't think he has a login, though.

My guess is that the majority of ENWorlders (or RPGNetters) are of the same category; those that aren't, well, maybe they play together? But this goes along with my view that you can categorize gamers into three general types based upon how into RPGs they are: Casual, Serious, and Hardcore. If you are reading this right now you are at least "Serious": You think about RPGs on a regular, probably daily, basis, you have more books than you actually use, and you play--or want to play--in a regular game. You've also almost certainly GMed.

The ratio is probably something like 100:10:1, maybe even something like 500:10:1. So if there are a million active D&D players in the US right now there are probably about 20,000 "serious" gamers, and 1-2,000 "hardcore" gamers. This is why, I think, it seems like there are barely any gamers--because there aren't a lot of serious-to-hardcore gamers; the bulk of the D&D playing populace shows up for their once-every-other-week game and doesn't think about it much in-between sessions.

I think that the whole alpha gamer theory would explain the lack of a middle ground as being the result of how groups are formed.

The majority of groups are probably started by one guy who wants to play D&D, who then finds a bunch of friends who are also willing to play (but certainly aren't what you would call serious). In this sort of group, only a fraction of the DMs will become forum-going gamers, while almost none of the players will.

The other sort of group (there may well be more than two primary types, but these two help explain what we're seeing in this thread) is the kind that forms entirely of serious D&D players. In all likelihood, this is usually because a) the group is online-only, and thus the player base and the forum communities are one and the same, or b) the group is comprised of those in the local serious tabletop gamer scene (part of a club, or very active RPGA group, or whatever). This kind of group is probably the very small minority; I'd be willing to bet that they meet more often and spend more money on gaming than the sort of group made up of casual players, though.

 

[wedgeski]

I know and game with probably about twenty gamers. I am the only one that posts to RPG forums, that I know of.

 

[sjmiller]

Let's see:
Gaming Group #1: 10 total players including me. Number who post anywhere = 1 (me)
Gaming Group #2: 6 regular players (including me) and about another 5 who wanter in occasionally. Number who post anywhere = 1 (me)
Miscellaneous Gamers: 6 (excluding me). Number who post anywhere = 0
Total number of Gamers I know who post: 1 (again, that's me)

So basically, I am the only one who does this, or cares to do so.

 

[Chrono22]

How are you folks that think you're the only posters sure? Many people keep their internet identity/activities a step removed from their normal lives.
Do you ask? Or are you just assuming you're the only one that posts? Do the other people in your group know you post?

 

[Blackbrrd]

Only the DM's of my RPG group posts on forums.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted