People who read games but don't play...are there more than me...

[Nikosandros]

I buy far more than I can play, but I try to play a lot since I love it. Having said that, since I still buy and read several games that I have little hope of playing, I can definitely see some of the draw described by the OP.

 

[Hussar]

I've joined this club of late. I have been reading a lot of RPG's ((although I am still playing regularly as well)) and trying to see how different games handle different ideas. When DriveThruRPG did that Haiti relief thing, I bought the package and found myself with a couple of dozen RPG's that I've been reading through on and off. Every one of them, whether its a system I would never play or one that I think I might like, has something that I'd love to use in a game.

I remember listening to an interview with Ryan Dancey on Fear the Boot where he mentioned reading a new RPG every week. I think it's a great idea.

 

[cdrcjsn]

This was me for most of high school and college. I just didn't have people nearby that wanted to play. I still bought most of the rule books though and read them for fun.

After college, I found the RPGA and was able to play regularly. Having a shared-world campaign means I can play whenever it's convenient to me. Now, I'm pretty much confident I can find people to play wherever thanks to the group (as well as the nature of the internet in general).

As for that survey, I've heard that too. It was done prior to 3e, I think, saying something like the group that bought the most books were the ones that played the least.

 

[ggroy]

At the present time, I'm not playing nor DM'ing any regular rpg games at the moment. I've only played several one-shot pickup games (mostly Castles & Crusades and Runequest) since my 4E D&D game ended awhile ago.

But nevertheless I still regularly pick up the Pathfinder AP books and some of the Golarion setting titles, mostly to read. If I had to choose one new rpg book every month just to read casually without ever playing it, it would definitely be the Pathfinder APs. They've sort of been like a replacement for Dungeon Magazine for me, since WotC made Dungeon Magazine digital-only.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I read much more than I play, but that's mainly for lack of players.

I prefer the face-to-face play experience, but I can certainly understand why one might prefer reading & gedankenspieling rather than playing in a group. Sadly, a great game can be ruined by a crap group.

Also, some games I've read I'd love to play, but can't even imagine what kind of group to play with, much less actually find such a group (if that makes sense?)

 

[Dire Bare]

What I am wanting to ask is--are there more of us like that out here? I remember hearing from somebody at TSR or WoTC said that there was an audience of people who just read and collected the games and didn't play them.

There is definitely a subset of the fandom that are readers more than players. Not sure how big it is . . . . but as the above replies show many of us fall into and out this group.

It is how I started way back in the early 80s! I had a friend who had an absent father (divorce and cross-country move) who gave him tons of money to collect comic books and RPG books. He introduced me to D&D, but he didn't actually play the game because he didn't like all the rules! So I didn't either, I just read all of his books.

Later I got my parents to get me the classic Red Box . . . but my shy and weak attempts to suss out other potential gamers in elementary and middle school failed. The few I did meet were of the smelly gamer subtype and I didn't want a part of that, so I continued to use my allowance to purchase various D&D and AD&D rulebooks but not play.

Finally, in early college, I met some fantastic gamer friends and ran a short-lived AD&D 2E campaign for them . . . that plus way-too-easy-to-obtain credit encouraged me to buy practically the entire AD&D 2E collection, plus the classic D&D Mystara products! I spent way more money on books I read than I ever played AD&D.

All that finally changed with 3E in 2000. I loved the new game, I found ENWorld, and my gamer friends also got excited about 3E. I continued purchasing all the books, but I finally ran a regular campaign that lasted over 2 years, almost 3!

Now, I'm backsliding (for a while now). I love 4E more than any previous edition and I've been purchasing most of the books . . . . but for various reasons I don't have a lot of free time and all my college gamer pals don't live where I do . . . I play and DM 4E, but not nearly as much as I'd like to. My FLGS has finally signed on to do D&D Encounters, and I'm excited for that!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I can't say I've met any people who enjoy RPG books but don't play.

I know people who don't play as often as they like, and I know people who don't play all the games they own- I'm one. But that situation usually arises because they can't find a group that will play what they want, when they want.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'm so lazy these days I don't even read the games I do play.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I see nothing strange about reading roleplaying books but not actually playing, though I do not think there are legions of people who do so. If anything, the opposite is far more prevalent, including loads of my players.

If reading roleplaying rules gives you satisfaction, do not stop.

I sometimes read rule books for games I cannot play, like modern and sci-fi games that I cannot find players for locally (or my group is not interested in)

But it is a minor thing.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

I read all the time....and I play once a month (maybe)

I'm 33 and a parent. As such, it's really hard to keep a regular game going more than once a month (especially since my group is full of other people my age, some of whom are also parents).

I love reading the books...the RULES books, not novels. I can snag a rules book for 3 minutes here and there and not feel slighted or lost (unlike with a novel). So I spend a lot of time reading for the game I play.

However, I had a time with no group (about 2 years) when all I did was read...with the hope of playing once again.


But also, my group plays D&D. I am interested and inspired in all kinds of games. I enjoy reading about games I'll likely never play. i've read Agone, Cthulhu, Og Unearthed, Mousegard, Star Ship Troopers, Buffy and Angel, etc. I've not played any sessions of those.


So, I guess what I'm saying is that for me, the reading is a joy with it's own (intrinsic) value...but that there is also a blurry zone in between reading for it's own sake, reading to use it in a game eventually, reading to use it in the very next game, and actually playing.