is Dungeons and Dragons still Lame

[Jack99]

I have done no research, since I normally don't give a damn, but has there ever been any significant anti-DnD movement outside of the US?

 

[Vrecknidj]

So like a kid who found out santa was real...

Wait, what?!

Dave

 

[eleran]

To actually answer the original question;

Not as lame as you and your brother.

 

[SteveC]

This reminds me of the time when I was coaching debate at my high school. Several of the kids were gamers and had their Magic cards and D&D books with them.

Some of the other kids started to make fun of them, and having to take control of the situation, I asked them if they saw a sign on the door that said "cool high school club" on the door, because I certainly didn't: this was debate. Possibly the least cool activity in school, but at least on the level of the chess club. No one was going to get picked on for what they did as a hobby, because we were already at the bottom of the barrel in terms of coolness.

Debate, and playing D&D aren't cool or hip activities, but they're fun pastimes that can be a great part of your life. And being cool and hip are highly overrated.

--Steve

 

[Wormwood]

Some of the other kids started to make fun of them, and having to take control of the situation, I asked them if they saw a sign on the door that said "cool high school club" on the door, because I certainly didn't: this was debate. Possibly the least cool activity in school, but at least on the level of the chess club. No one was going to get picked on for what they did as a hobby, because we were already at the bottom of the barrel in terms of coolness.

You, sir, are awesome!

 

[GreatLemur]

I still can't understand what the problem with tall elves is. honestly.

I'd prefer tall elves, really. Taller than humans, in fact. I mean, maybe my opinion shouldn't count as I'm usually a major detractor of elves in general, but the standard array of fantasy races is somewhat heavy on the "shorter than humans" end. Also, making elves more alien and less pretty would be nice. Like, no scleras or secondary sexual characteristics. Faces ramped up to more Froudy levels of feyishness.

Sorry, I'm really taking things off-topic, here.

 

[Doug McCrae]

the standard array of fantasy races is somewhat heavy on the "shorter than humans" end.

It's weird isn't it. I was wondering about that myself recently, why are the 1e/3e races so short? Out of six non-human races, five are short-arses - halflings, gnomes, dwarves, elves and half-elves. 2e is even more pro-midget, removing half-orcs to make it five out of five.

 

[helium3]

This reminds me of the time when I was coaching debate at my high school. Several of the kids were gamers and had their Magic cards and D&D books with them.

Some of the other kids started to make fun of them, and having to take control of the situation, I asked them if they saw a sign on the door that said "cool high school club" on the door, because I certainly didn't: this was debate. Possibly the least cool activity in school, but at least on the level of the chess club. No one was going to get picked on for what they did as a hobby, because we were already at the bottom of the barrel in terms of coolness.

Debate, and playing D&D aren't cool or hip activities, but they're fun pastimes that can be a great part of your life. And being cool and hip are highly overrated.

--Steve

Eh, this whole thread is lame, but I can't help chiming in.

IMHO, the definition of "cool" and "lame" that's being used here is so narrow and shallow that the vast majority of people are lame.

Real life is far more complicated than being able to sort people into two simple categories of "lame" and "cool." In fact, the vast majority of people with money and power (which is generally far more important that "coolness" in the real world, are by definition not cool since they're usually old and too busy accruing said money and power to be "cool."

 

[The Ubbergeek]

I have done no research, since I normally don't give a damn, but has there ever been any significant anti-DnD movement outside of the US?

In lutherian scandinavia, maybe in the middle-east and in the west of canada, but not elsewhere.

 

[Deset Gled]

Looks like it's time to pull out this again:

See guys, RPGs are right there, lower than video games, higher than LARPers, and just equal with Trekkies. This chart has been pretty accurate for years now (although the anime branch could be improved, IMO), and there's not much you can do about it.

Being more "mainstream" has little to do with it. The muilti-billions of dollars made by the Lord of the Rings trilogy and merchandising machine didn't change the RPG's status at all, just as the new Star Wars trilogy and it's face on the front of pop culture hasn't changed the sci-fi nerd's status at all. "Religious fearmongers" have little to do with it. No matter what they do, they will both hurt and help us at the same time (publicity is publicity). Video games have little to do with it. Computer RPGs have been around almost as long as D+D, and D+D even has a wide collection of their own video games.

Sometimes, you just need to accept your place in the world.