"older" gamers

[Coreyartus]

San Diego Gamers

I guess I'm just very fortunate then. In the San Diego area, the Living Greyhawk group has got a LOT of older gamers--in fact, I'd venture to say that about half of the players are 35-40 and above. In fact, the definition of "older gamer" is really relative here... It's very obvious when someone joins us that's under 20--there's just a different vibe. D&D is definately a mature sport here. And while it's moderately popular in the military we've got stationed here, those folks tend to be young and run in a different crowd...

I think Aging Gamer Syndrome is going to become more and more common--teens today are interested in different things that take less brainwork and have more visual stimulation. Schedules don't matter when you've got a computer and you don't have to leave the house to join online games. D&D is too much work and too expensive for kids nowdays. Not enough instant gratification.

And I guess that's okay by me. The game won't die--too many people play it--it'll just "morph" into something different. It'll probably go the way of those couples that ritually play cribbage every Sunday night--it was fantastically popular for a short while and everyone played, and now it's not the fad anymore. I look forward to being one of those old folks in their sweaters and newsboy caps gathering around the park chess tables to play RPGs. And those young whippersnappers will look at us quizically and think, "How can they possibly be enjoying themselves? What do they talk about for all those hours?"

I think, someday in the future as we all lose our ability to stay mobile after long years of retirement, D&D will become the ultimate "sit around the living room and keep our minds sharp" kind of game. And I look forward to it.

Coreyartus

 

[Elf Witch]

I am 46 (yikes when did that happen) and the one group I play with is made up of my roommate also 46 and five guys in their 30s most are married and two have babies on the way. We play mainly on Wednesday nights we used to play on Sundays but switched so the married guys could have more time with their families.

I also am DMing a game for my roommate and two friends and we are all in our 40s.

I play sometimes with my son and his friends who range between 20-25 I do notice that younger players ( I play with) are more obsessed with rules and are rather leery of house rules and are more into powergaming and killing things and less developing any story.

I don't have a problem with any of this maybe because I have been involved with various SF groups, Trek groups and the SCA for years and they are made up of various ages. When I was in my 20s I hung out with people my own age as well as older people. The only time age ever was noticed was when I realized that a good friend of mine and a Star Wars fanatic had not been old enough to see it at the movies when it first came out and I was a newly married lady. We had a chuckle over it. I think actual age is realtive I have friends in their 40 just starting families now and my son is 25 and has a daughter so while they are just becoming moms I am a grandmother.

I am going to school and most of the kids are 18-20 and I do notice that at first a lot of them don't treat me the same way they they treat their peers I think this has to do mainly with the fact that they don't know quite how to deal with someone who is more their parents and teachers equal and are unsure with the correct way to respond to me. As time goes on and we talk about class they relax and I do notice that I am always the one they come to, to borrow notes, pencils and scantrons.

As for what nongamers think I don't care, all my hobbies have been looked at as weird. I have never hid what I do from other people if they have an issue with it then it's their problem not mine. I refuseto be ashamed of my hobbies.