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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 3484005" data-attributes="member: 40522">Let me preface by stating that I've been playing D&D and RPGs in some form since the 80's. I have many fond memories of great campaigns over the years. Many of the games themselves (not to mention the wonderful people I've met along the way) are such a part of my own identity that it's difficult for me to conceive of myself as not being a gamer. Rolling dice and drawing dungeons has always been a great deal of fun.The game has changed. The people that play the game have changed. Without getting too much into the specifics of why I don't like the current batch of products (which may be relevant, but it's been beaten to death and not the discussion I'm looking for), the game just doesn't excite me any more. Shortly after 3.5 the products just started falling flat to me. I haven't genuinely enjoyed any new release since Tome of Battle and Magic of Incarnum. The new adventures are good, but still somehow come off as genericized and flavorless.I can understand that my own preferences change. What's really bothering me is how the player base has slowly been changing. It seems to be acceptable practice (or at least expected) to be uncivil to other gamers with whom you do not agree. Uncouth gamers really disturb me- I've worked with democrats, republicans, independents, muslims, christians, pagans, jews, and atheists that can get along with each other on the job (and even develop genuine friendships) even though they can't agree on anything. I've had the impression that gaming is far less important to most people than politics and religion, so why are gamers being so divisive nowadays?Compound this issue with the fact that as a gamer, there's an expectation for you to like anime and video games and all the other "weird kid" stuff that's cool now, and it's difficult to find any common ground for discussion. Am I being unreasonable for basing my games on classical mythology and literature instead of video games and anime? Are there any other gamers out there who run games inspired by the Iliad and Conan: the Barbarian instead of Final Fantasy and 300?I haven't gamed regularly in almost a year now because it's just too many hoops to jump through and too many issues to smooth over to get a group of players that want to actually design characters that are more than a list of powers and meet regularly without the game devolving into either a debate over rules minutiae or devolve into a skulking/shouting match. I'm really disappointed in both the products and the players these days.I'm tired of the sourcebooks that basically amount to more feats/spells/prestige classes. I'm tired of players who whine about me "quashing their creativity" when I ask them why they want to play a half-dragon warlock or a monk/warblade and ask them to come up with a background that justifies their choice of race and class.These experiences have actually made me not want to play the game any more.Is it just me, or are there broader issues with the game and the player base that are beyond reconciliation?Should I just give up the game for good? Or is there hope of finding players that want to make PHB characters and loot a dungeon every once in a while?Sorry if this rambled a bit, but I'm increasingly frustrated with a hobby that was once my favorite pastime. I'd really value some constructive input on why we keep playing.</blockquote>

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