Is D&D good?

[Rel]

I can say that to make my D&D games (and other RPGs) more plausible and in-depth, I have taken independant study of:

-History, ranging from Paleolithic to Modern Events.
-Science, Physics, and other theories.
-Politics, Sociology, and Psychiatry.
-Methods of craftsmanship and smithing.
-Warfare, Tactics and Logistics.
-Engineering and Masonry (designing everything from castles in D&D to space stations in Traveler)
-Commerce and Trade.

Ditto.

I'll further add that, in a day when being literate seems somehow "uncool", there are few hobbies out there that encourage reading any more than D&D does. Even those who only read fantasy books or gaming materials as a result of the hobby are keeping their minds active and their vocabularies growing.

 

[mmadsen]

I'm doing a report for school on D&D and have only found extremely negative things about D&D. (all religious) is there anywhere that shows why D&D is a good thing?

I'm not sure how you demonstrate that any hobby is a good thing. Building models? Painting landscapes? Collecting stamps? Writing poetry? Playing bridge? All are widely accepted hobbies; how do you argue that they're good?

 

[Wombat]

I was in a gamestore about four or five months ago and saw a family shopping around. "What's upstairs?" they asked. "The roleplaying game material," replied the shop owner. "Roleplaying games? Like D&D? Oh lord, we can't go there! Those games are like Satan worship and all. Nothing good there. No morality." Then a pause. "Oh look, NASCAR Monopoly!"

At least to that family NASCAR is far more moral and less evil than rpgs; I think that falls into the YMMV category fairly quickly.

But as has been said above, I don't think any hobby is purely good, evil or anything else. I found golfing was far more expensive of a hobby and nowhere near as interesting, but I have a buddy who is just the opposite. OTOH I occaissionally make my way around the holes (9 is my max) and he sometimes pops in to play a character for a bit.

You can find something wonderous and good in any hobby, if you look hard enough and it sparks your interests. You can find aspects of any hobby that go beyond "just being a hobby", moral notions, inspirations, whathaveyou. D&D can spark interests in history, literature, and cooperation, as well as improve social interactions. It can also inspire a player on some fundamental level. Conversely, it can simply be a pastime that kills a few hours with your buds.

D&D evil? Hmmm, hasn't affected me that way in 25 years of gaming, but maybe it has warped some other soul.

Again, YMMV. It's all in what you do with what you have been given.

 

[Phineas Crow]

I'm not sure how you demonstrate that any hobby is a good thing. Building models? Painting landscapes? Collecting stamps? Writing poetry? Playing bridge? All are widely accepted hobbies; how do you argue that they're good?

Easy, hobbies are good for you. They help relieve stress, are a form of self-expression, provide pleasure... things that are vital to mental health.

 

[milotha]

I haven't checked out the links posted, but here is my opinion.

D&D is a form of role playing, and role playing is good creative fun. Role playing encourages:

Social skills: Role-playing allows one to develop and improve on ones inter-personal communication, conflict resolution, and decision making. You do this by working cooperatively towards a common goal decided upon by the group.

Problem solving: tactics and strategy are stressed just as any other game as are creative uses of abilites, items, and ideas.

Acting and Empathy : Think of role playing as akin to acting. One has to empathize with a character, understand their motivations and feelings. This helps a person to understand the plight of others.

Skill Sets and Knowledge: D&D requires learning not only the rules of the game, but also encourages learning the rules of the real world. These include but are not limited to: Anthropology, History, Sociology, Relgion, Philosophy, etc.

 

[zenld]

Tracy Hickman responded to the "evils" of gaming several years ago. Here is his response.

http://www.trhickman.com/Intel/Essays/Ethic1.html

zen

 

[Greatwyrm]

Why RPGs Have Been Good For Me
--by Greatwyrm

It gives me a chance to relieve stress. Rolling dice and pretending to kill things keeps me from doing it for real.

It helps reading comprehension. If you can understand the 3.0 rules for cohort experience, you know I'm right.

It helps with abstract math skills. THAC0, anyone?

I've really expanded my vocabulary. Thanks to D&D, I know what words like obfuscate and atl-atl mean. You'd be surprised how handy a big vocabulary is for stuff like college entrance tests.

It's a social activity. Many gamers, such as me, don't fit all that well into "normal" social situations. A chance to get out and interact with other humans always helps.

It helps with task planning. Remembering to pick up all your supplies for storming the castle will eventually teach you to look for tools you'll need for doing actual work. Many gamers are also very good planners, if not all that organized.

-----

Common Gaming Myths Dispelled
--by Greatwyrm

Not all gamers are Satanists. In my group, we have two Methodists, an Agnostic, a Baptist (daughter of a minister), a "lapsed Catholic", and a firm Atheist. Past members have included a Jew and a Pagan (although he said he was just in it for the chicks, his words, not mine). Not a Satanist amongst us.

Gaming does not lead to suicide and other bad things. In more than 14 years of gaming, my worst gaming injury was a cut to my finger. No evil ritual involved. Just couldn't get into my snack and the knife slipped.

All gamers are not interested in casting "real magic". Most of us realize there is no such thing. If there was, the spell I'd really be interested in is "Banish Paperwork", not "Finger of Death" or "Fireball".

Not all gamers live in their parents' basements well into their 30's. I haven't lived with my mom since I got out of college. My dad doesn't have a basement.

 

[Coredump]

www.pvponline.com

Not only a really funny comic, but the writer has a 'rant' about why gaming is a positive influence on kids and should be encouraged.

.

 

[dougmander]

I hope this isn't considered off topic, I'll give it a try and hope for the best.
I'm doing a report for school on D&D and have only found extremely negative things about D&D. (all religious) is there anywhere that shows why D&D is a good thing?
Hope someone can help.

I've been playing D&D for nearly 30 years, since middle school. Of my original gaming group, all are happily married, successful members of their community. Most are churchgoers. Most have kids. Among us you will find a naval architect, two CEOs, an engineer, a hgh-level federal employee, and an engineer.

It doesn't seem to have done us any harm.

 

[Rel]

I know I'm asking for it to say this HERE, but here goes:

Playing D&D is bad.

Don't misunderstand me. I love the game. But spending time playing it, when all of humanity has SO MANY more important things to do, like helping the hungry and poor and sick, researching cures and advancing science, and so on, is bad.

I think you are being unnecessarily hard on yourself and everybody else by comparing humanity the way it is and always has been to a completely unrealistic ideal that has never existed. We are not angels or robots and the assertion that we should be working 24/7 toward utopia is just silly.

I pay my taxes. I give to charity. I don't litter. I don't punch old ladies. I try and often succeed at being a good husband, father and friend.

I'm damn well going to play some D&D, go scuba diving, buy myself a new computer game or CD once in a while and I'm not going to feel guilty about it for a single, solitary second.

But if that's what you want to do, knock yourself out.