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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mythusmage" data-source="post: 1569113" data-attributes="member: 571">Not what I'm looking for. The problem I see with RPGs is how they are viewed, and used in the RPH as a whole. No need to expand into live-action roleplaying at all. RPGs could gain a wider audience if they did would they do best better, instead of trying to emulate entirely different forms of entertainment. And that includes games as games.It comes down to how designers etc. view the hobby, and how they present their contributions thereto.  That all depends on how you introduce people to the hobby. You don't have to go into great depth when somebody asks what the hobby is all about, all you need do is inform him of the basics. Namely, you play a part in an imaginary world. You seek adventure, solve mysteries, explore new lands. And you only have to get as involved as you feel comfortable with. It's a casual hobby. At the bare minimum all you really need is a character to play, a sheet of paper to record his description on, and a basic knowledge of the mechanics.Remember, there are two types of fishermen, those who treat it as hobby, and those who fish.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Doesn't mean they can't learn.Why give people the wrong impression? Why use the wrong word? People have an idea of what a game is. The typical RPG does not fit that idea. Why limit a player's options—and calling it a game does limit their options in many ways, when a better term can open up the choices available?I'm speaking here of possibilities. Calling it a game limits possibilities. People see games in a certain way, and that colors their thinking. By calling RPGs 'games' you are shaping how they see them, and not for the better.You call it a game what are you telling people? Exactly the wrong thing to help them get the most out of their experience then they otherwise would.What do you do in an RPG?But it tells them the wrong thing. It says you compete. It says you win or lose. It says a lot, and not a dang bit of it is what RPGs are all about.The mechanics, the rules if you must, are not there to make things equal or fair or anything gamelike at all. The mechanics of an RPG are there as descriptors, describing the following:1. Conflict resolution. Where the conflict involves the question, does an action succeed or fail?2. Characters and character creation.3. Setting.4. Integration of characters and setting.So, no, 'game' does not work.What deep end? Who said anything about tossing them in the deep end? Help them create a character, show them the basics, and go off on adventure. This is deep?How do you know this? Words shape how we see things. Much as we may wish to deny this, it's true. Words have meaning. Names have meaning. Change what you call something and you change how that something is viewed. Change what you call something and you change how that something is used, how it is understood, how it is treated.Compare 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter' sometime. They describe totally different things, even when applied to the same subject.It's been a long time since I read that little book on semantics (10th grade), but one thing I remember from it, it matters what you call things. Ask any minority.</blockquote>

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