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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DaveStebbins" data-source="post: 828074" data-attributes="member: 1427">My points have all been brought up by others, but since I had the following essay to hand, I thought I'd post it. I originally composed and posted it on the DnD-L mailing list in December of 1999. Feel free to use any bits that appeal to you. The only change I've made is to add "well over" to the length of time I've been playing.Why I like Role Playing Games (RPGs)by Dave StebbinsLet's face it, the reason most people do any hobby is becausethey enjoy it. There are several main elements inherent to RPGswhich lead to great enjoyment on my part. I'll try to (briefly)discuss each one. Since Dungeons and Dragons is basically theonly RPG I have played, any specific points will refer to that game.The first element of RPGs which I like is storytelling, perhapsone of the oldest and most universal forms of entertainment. Theadmixture of background atmosphere, plots, characters, andconflicts make each RPG session very similar to reading a book.It stimulates the imagination to no end.A second element of RPGs is that the players are activeparticipants. TV, movies, and even books, are passive formsof entertainment where the action is already plotted out. In anRPG the participants actively affect the direction and theoutcome of the story. Active participation is one of theelements that makes video games (and games in general) sopopular.Unlike many games, where your friends are your opponents andthe objective is to win at their expense, RPGs are cooperativeefforts. In most RPGs the opponents are fictional and theplayers all work together to overcome the challenges theyface. Though one member of the group is usually apart from theothers, his role is more that of a storyteller, referee and/orfacilitator than an opponent to the players. If the playersare successful, everyone has a good time; everyone feels likea winner. RPGs combine the positive social feelings obtainedfrom team sports and just hanging out with friends, withoutthe inter-personal tensions that can arise in competitivesituations.In many games, each time you set up to play, you start out inexactly the same way. What happened in the last game makes nodifference in the next. RPGs, on the other hand, evolve andchange as time goes on. Treasure which is found at the end ofone adventure can be used in the next. As the players'characters complete adventures, the characters become betterat what they do. The characters eventually grow from greenbeginners into true heroes, and the challenges they faceand overcome grow with them. Each adventure, each story, isdifferent and a sense of history and familiarity developswith the characters. This is also part of the popularity ofbook and movie sequals, as well as TV drama series andsuperhero comic books. Favorite villians can re-appear inrecurring roles also.To summarize, RPGs combine many of the elements that makeother forms of entertainment popular. These elements havesustained my interest in RPGs for well over 20 years now, and Idon't see myself losing interest anytime soon.-Dave"Be who you are and say what you feel 'cause people who mind don't matter and people who matter don't mind." --Theodor Suess Geisel (1904-1991), writer</blockquote>

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