Mac saves teen from D&D

[Bloodstone Press]

So it's really no wonder I ended up getting into RPGs and D&D and such. And I suspect it's at least part of the reason I've been in absolutely no hurry to get a boyfriend or get into the sorts of trouble that other teens were. Much safer to be inside at all hours of the night playing D&D than going out and getting in trouble with the police.

Absolutely. I know playing DnD kept me out of trouble as a teen. A lot of my friends that weren't into gaming as much as I was all ended up dead, in jail, or in mental institutions. Most of my teen years were spent "working on the game." My friends would call and want me to go do crazy stupid things with them. sometimes I'd go, but most of the time I'd tell them "no thanks, I'm going to stay here and work on this stuff." And because of that, I didn't get shot, or killed in a car accident, or arrested, or messed up on drugs.

When I look at how things have gone for a lot of my high school buddies, I think gaming really saved my life.

 

[Mercule]

OR I could be proactive about finding my dream girl without changing. Because my dream girl wouldn't want me to.

No, but you should want to change for your dream girl. Unless you don't think they deserve someone who is responsive to their needs.

Honestly, if that's your attitude, it's probably for the best if you never get into a serious relationship. No one would enjoy it.

 

[Kanegrundar]

Exactly. Hell, I even watched The Batchelor for three or four seasons with my wife before I told her I couldnt' stand it anymore. Being with my wife, believe it or not, is usually funner than gaming, even if we're watching a really retarded show.

My thoughts exactly. Even though my group consists of old friends who I love dearly and have a lot of fun with, I would sometimes much rather just sit on the couch with Kim and watch anything really.

Heck, sometimes she surprises me and wants to play a round of Zombies!!! That's good enough for me.

 

[Kanegrundar]

Just trying to understand how people think... but are there a lot of people with this kind of perspective? The people I grew up with playing DnD (11 years old to present, 21 so 10 years of gaming) are the ones who have ended up in jail due to alcohol and drugs. While the people that I have been hanging out with in my social life (football games, drinking parties, beach trips to get ladies, etc) have for the most part, never been arrested, go to college and will make something of their lives. Having a life outside of your house is a vital part of growing up. If you've never experienced a night on the town with some of your girlfriends, you really are missing out on a lot of fun. I really hope you try and get out just to experience instead of sitting at home. Good luck, hope I'm not off base here.

Nik

To be honest, my gaming friends and my non-gaming friends (many of whom have filled both columns over the years) have ended up all across that spectrum. Some of the gamers are doing extemely well for themselves, while some of my non-gaming friends have ended up in jail and vice versa. That's likely going to be different for everyone.

I do agree with your points of getting out and having some fun away from the dice. Just because you go to a party or out to a bar or a concert or whatever doesn't mean that you have to get stinking drunk or act like an idiot (though that can be fun as well ). Some of the most fun I've had at parties is when I was a DD. I got to remember night perfectly, wake up without a hangover, and laugh at the silly crap my friends did. Not to mention the fact of meeting new and interesting people and being exposed to things (both good and bad) that have helped shape who I am and made me more well-informed to how things are beyond the games and my computer.

Kane

 

[Desdichado]

To be honest, my gaming friends and my non-gaming friends (many of whom have filled both columns over the years) have ended up all across that spectrum. Some of the gamers are doing extemely well for themselves, while some of my non-gaming friends have ended up in jail and vice versa. That's likely going to be different for everyone.

I can say the same for the guys I was a teenager with at church. One of them's in jail for armed robbery; one's shacked up with a drug dealer, having malformed babies due to her own drug use while pregnant, one's essentially a prostitute, although I think she manages to skirt the legal definition of that.

And a bunch of them are happily married professionals, getting ahead with their lives, living in suburban houses with white picket fences, and having beautiful kids.

I don't think the fact that your friends were gamers has anything to do with the range where they ended up; I think that's just human nature.