D&D 5E So, 5e OGL

[Mark CMG]

While you'd usually expect the DM to be more deeply involved in the hobby, you can have casual DMing. In the context of Encounters, for instance, you've had this program for over 5 years now, that has these neat, pre-packaged adventures where each week everyone sits down at different tables and likely plays through the same scenario. A tad railroady for the 'serious' gamer, but perfect for casual play - and casual DMing. Early in the Encounters program, you could very easily walk in 15 or 20 minutes early, read that sessions' 'encounter,' and run it with no problem. Starting with Crystal Cave, and particularly in MiBG and HotDQ, there was occasionally uncertainty which challenge the party would face which week, and you'd have to either make sure it was set up the week before, or be familiar with two or even a half-dozen or so instead of just one. But you could still be /fairly/ causal about it.

But spending the majority (almost all) of the time they devote to gaming, actually gaming? I am seeing that I definitely have a different view of what I would call a casual gamer than some others in this thread.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I'm the only person in my group of gamers who have been doing it since the 70's that is anything more than a casual gamer, depending on how you are defining it I guess. Maybe 2 out of 8 total right now actually look at anything RPG related in between sessions, and one is me the DM. The rest show up and game and have fun but the idea of pouring over books to tweak builds or such things is a head scratcher to them. None of us care in the least about the OGL, I'm the only one that would know what I was referring to if I brought it up.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm sure 'casual gamer' means different things in different context. I consider Encounters to be 'casual gaming,' because it's open-entry/open-exit, you play at one table one week, a different one the next, you can miss a month without upsetting DM 'plans for your character,' etc. That's casual as contrasted to a campaign where the same group games regularly for years on end with a lot of continuity. 'Casual gaming' could also be about choice of game - beer & pretzels silliness like Gamma World, for instance, instead of something more intense or complicated. Or, the 'causal' player at the table could be the one who's mostly there to socialize and occasionally roll dice when he's told to.

Takes all kinds...

 

[Ovinomancer]

But spending the majority (almost all) of the time they devote to gaming, actually gaming? I am seeing that I definitely have a different view of what I would call a casual gamer than some others in this thread.

Flawed metric. People who are serious and casual can both get high ratios of total time devoted to gaming actually gaming. I would actually expect that casual gamers have very high ratios as a expected condition.

 

[Mark CMG]

Oh, I totally get what you mean, Tony.

(. . .) without upsetting DM 'plans for your character,' etc.

On a side note, this never happens in any campaigns I run as a DM. My purview is the setting, the players make plans for their character. But this is another discussion, though it does go to show that it truly takes all kinds.

 

[Mark CMG]

Flawed metric. People who are serious and casual can both get high ratios of total time devoted to gaming actually gaming. I would actually expect that casual gamers have very high ratios as a expected condition.

Naw, not flawed. Percentage of time devoted to actual gaming as a gamer would seem to be an excellent metric since that should be the ultimate pursuit of a gamer. It's the literal definition of a gamer, i.e. a gamer games. If anything, the term "casual" is merely being imprecisely used.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Naw, not flawed. It's the literal definition of a gamer, i.e. a gamer games. If anything, the term "casual" is merely being imprecisely used.

My bad; I thought you tried to make the argument that the definition of 'casual gamer' failed due to a high ratio of actual game time to total time in any game related activity. I must have misunderstood what you were trying to say. I do that.

If I follow now you're saying that the definition of a gamer is having a high ratio of actual play time to total time in game related activities, and also that 'casual' is being misused in some unspecified way? If so, I'd like to point out that I still considered myself a gamer during my hiatus from '96 to '00 as I continued with the occasional gaming purchase and enjoyed occasionally talking the hobby with out-of-town gaming friends when they visited. But perhaps I should reconsider that? What do you think?

EDIT: I apparently ninja'd your edit, but it didn't change what you were saying, so....

 

[aramis erak]

Okay, question:
Right now the big, new game is Fantasy Age, using the AGE system. It's right up there with Savage Worlds, albeit slightly less than World of Darkness and FATE. All four are in the Top Ten of the Hot Games chart.

I know Pathfinder and FATE have an open gaming licence. Is there something comparable for Savage Worlds, World of Darkness, or AGE?

Savage Worlds has a license available - a free fan-pub license, and a low-cost commercial one.
I've not seen similar for AGE, but that's not stopping people.

 

[Mark CMG]

I'd like to point out that I still considered myself a gamer during my hiatus from '96 to '00 as I continued with the occasional gaming purchase and enjoyed occasionally talking the hobby with out-of-town gaming friends when they visited. But perhaps I should reconsider that? What do you think?

No gaming at all? Plans to get back into it at some stage, based on your occasional purchases? I don't know, would you call yourself during that period a dedicated gamer? A casual gamer? Closer to one than the other? I think the test for someone people would be if you were part of an online community.

 

[HardcoreDandDGirl]

would I be considered a casual player? I spend very little time in-between games working on things right now. I get on here once every week or two and only post like once a month or so. I also have been playing for twenty years as of this year. I know most of the rules of most editions, and I have spent more then a month's pay most year on rpg stuff...