MerakSpielman
First Post
kaiscomet said:
Yeah... I know... Those are the best parts.
Taking away the shame...of Roleplaying!
- Thread starter Holy Bovine
- Start date
Yeah... I know... Those are the best parts.
Lalato
Adventurer
kaiscomet brings up an interesting point... Do you think game "evangelism" sounds better coming from a woman than it does coming from a man? Do you think people would be more willing to accept that gaming is an OK hobby if the person talking about it was a woman?
Personally... I think it all depends on how you go about it... no matter what sex you are... but I can imagine that a woman might have a better chance at convincing other women (and men) of the value of gaming.
Geez... how do you broach this subject without sounding sexist...
Beyond that... I think we've all met gamers with limited social skills. These are mostly men... do you think a few bad apples are spoiling it for the rest? This might be the case... but I know when I mention gaming to non-gamers they don't really equate it with bad things.
Then again... I don't play CCGs with little kids. In fact, I try to avoid the CCG gamedays at my LGS.
--sam
Personally... I think it all depends on how you go about it... no matter what sex you are... but I can imagine that a woman might have a better chance at convincing other women (and men) of the value of gaming.
Geez... how do you broach this subject without sounding sexist...
Beyond that... I think we've all met gamers with limited social skills. These are mostly men... do you think a few bad apples are spoiling it for the rest? This might be the case... but I know when I mention gaming to non-gamers they don't really equate it with bad things.
Then again... I don't play CCGs with little kids. In fact, I try to avoid the CCG gamedays at my LGS.
--sam
Droogie
Explorer
tburdett said:
Sorry to take so long to get back to you guys. Wasn't around this weekend.
I'm 32. I'm a closet gamer, and I'm having difficulty trying to place the reasons why. I work in a fairly conservative business-like environment, although some of my co-workers do have geekly interests; they read sci-fi, they like LotR, they watch the sci-fi channel or Buffy.
In spite of this, I'm still reluctant to come out at work because we all have a tendancy to bust each others b*lls about every single thing. Last thing I want to do is give them fuel, heh.
I guess that brings me to the game itself. Why would this give my co-workers fuel? Why would a guy who has co-workers with geekly interests not want to reveal his D&D habit? Its not the satan-worshipper stigma. Hell, a co-worker claims to be wicca (no offense to you wiccas---yes I know you don't worship the devil). Its not the geek stigma. Everyone knows I'm a geek.
I guess its because I feel Dungeons and Dragons is childish. Telling someone you play D&D is like telling someone you still sleep with your teddy bear. For many, its a pasttime that gets left behind like pokemon cards or coloring books. When I got back into D&D back in the summer of 2001, I started to feel ashamed-- almost like I was regressing back to an earlier version of myself.
When I picked up Dragon 302 at Waldenbooks and the front cover promised "ULTIMATE POWER!!!! Unlock Arcane Secrets!!" I felt really stupid as I plopped it on the counter. When I spend hours reading d20 books I'll probably never use, I feel guilty for wasting time that could be invested in something more important.
THis is how I feel, not how I think, BTW, feel free to argue.
The irony is, the game gets better and better as you age. The more life-experience you have, the richer the game world and the role-play.
So what is it? Is it the artwork? I would never go back to 1st Edition, but that version of the game seemed to exude a certain maturity.
So what is it? You tell me.
Henry
Autoexreginated
Droogie said:
Perhaps it has something with your fellow gamers. Is there a style of play that you all play that you don't necessarily like (whether heavy role-play or heavy hack-n-slash?) Is there someone important to you who tells you how childish these things are?
Otherwise, think of two major points:
1) Most myths and creation tales originated from nothing more than cotributed story telling. These practices have been carried on by adults for years, for the purpose of entertainment, for education, and for understanding of one another's goals and dreams. Homer's Iliad is an example of which I speak. Most literature professors will not tell you that the Iliad is childish - nor are most greek myths and legends.
2) The older one gets, the more real life demands on our time. As our bodies age, as our children grow, and as our lives get more complex, there is a need for an escape stronger than the pull of what holds us here - but only for a short while. The goal of mental relaxation has been sought by every human for Millenia - and frankly, I am fortunate that a simple game of storytelling, wargaming, and make-belive provides the recharge I need to face the situational realities of day-to-day life. Roleplay is not childish - it is a return to a mental place of comfort and strength, to put things in perspective, and to return refreshed. People use Baseball, NASCAR, soccer, and golf for these things every day.
The next time you ever get down on yourself for liking D&D, do a web search for various hobby sites: Needlepoint, Doll-making, wood crafts, basketball, baseball - FREAKING NASCAR! (Which is quite popular where I live.) Take time to realize you aren't alone - everybody in a modern country is taking time to enjoy sports, hobbies, and crafts - and can rattle off statistics the way you rattle off saving throws for fighters. We're ALL out there - we're just hiding from other people our pesky insecurities, hoping someone else will trip up so people can laugh at them instead of us.
Pbartender
First Post
bolen said:
MerakSpielman said:
From someone who resides quite comfortably on that other hand...
So, to adequately compare the Relative Nerd Factor of an average gamer with an average physicist, we must make a few assumptions to simplify the equations.
First, assume that the physicist and the gamer are both perfect spheres...
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Wow, this thread sparks all sorts of emotions in me. I'm 30, and growing up in the 80s as a gamer in Indiana was a huge stigma. Of course it didn't help that I was an all-out geek. I read sci-fi and fantasy, had no fashion sense, was kinda antisocial, not physically fit, a computer geek, etc. I loved the hobby so much I would bring my books to school and work on D&D stuff in class, which would open me to more ridicule.
Of course, the 80s were also the era of D&D as Satanism, and all the other fun things that were associated with the hobby back then. I remember once I had a neighbor who was a year or two older than me, and a pretty good friend. But his family were Jehovah's Witnesses. One day he came over and another friend of mine and I were playing 'Star Frontiers' (an early TSR sci-fi game). We explained it to him and told him it was like Dungeons and Dragons in space. He pretty much freaked out and ran off. Apparently he'd had it drilled into him that those games were Satan's tool or whatever. Thank goodness we have computer games to take all the flak now! (oh, wait, I LOVE computer games!).
When I left for college, a place where a lot of people do their first SERIOUS gaming, I abandoned the hobby entirely. I wanted to break out of my geek-ness and experience what it was like not to be pigeonholed into the geek category. Unfortunately, my self-image was far behind reality, and mentally I couldn't take advantage of a fresh start. I brought my 'inner-geek' with me, even if I was trying to reform my 'outer-geek'.
Computer games essentially replaced D&D for me for years, until about 3 years ago I visited a friend who was in grad school. He was running a D&D game (2nd edition back then) and asked me to sit in and play an NPC. I had a blast!
Since then I found a gaming group, have run a campaign and am starting another. I've recruited friends from work, and gladly rattled on to my girlfriend about the hobby (she thinks its kinda cool, but also a little wierd, and not really convinced she'd want to play). I'm not afraid to call myself 'a geek'. Yeah, sometimes there is a little shame. When I'm on the subway, maybe I don't want to make it obvious that I'm reading the DMG. But almost every time I do this I realize later that being ashamed isn't necissary. Anyone whose opinion matters, likely doesn't care, or even thinks its cool.
I think what really matters is that the gamer has to be comfortable with themselves. For me, it took 10 years (from when I left high school). Think about it, does anyone think less of Vin Diesel that he plays D&D (though I debate whether he actually does, or just refers to D&D as in 'geeky, fantasy stuff' in general). No, by associatiation he makes D&D cool, because he's cool. I think its the same with non-celebreties. If I am comfortable with myself, and am not ashamed of being a gamer, people aren't likely to hold it against me, and in fact, if they respect me, it will make them more curious themselves.
Of course, the 80s were also the era of D&D as Satanism, and all the other fun things that were associated with the hobby back then. I remember once I had a neighbor who was a year or two older than me, and a pretty good friend. But his family were Jehovah's Witnesses. One day he came over and another friend of mine and I were playing 'Star Frontiers' (an early TSR sci-fi game). We explained it to him and told him it was like Dungeons and Dragons in space. He pretty much freaked out and ran off. Apparently he'd had it drilled into him that those games were Satan's tool or whatever. Thank goodness we have computer games to take all the flak now! (oh, wait, I LOVE computer games!).
When I left for college, a place where a lot of people do their first SERIOUS gaming, I abandoned the hobby entirely. I wanted to break out of my geek-ness and experience what it was like not to be pigeonholed into the geek category. Unfortunately, my self-image was far behind reality, and mentally I couldn't take advantage of a fresh start. I brought my 'inner-geek' with me, even if I was trying to reform my 'outer-geek'.
Computer games essentially replaced D&D for me for years, until about 3 years ago I visited a friend who was in grad school. He was running a D&D game (2nd edition back then) and asked me to sit in and play an NPC. I had a blast!
Since then I found a gaming group, have run a campaign and am starting another. I've recruited friends from work, and gladly rattled on to my girlfriend about the hobby (she thinks its kinda cool, but also a little wierd, and not really convinced she'd want to play). I'm not afraid to call myself 'a geek'. Yeah, sometimes there is a little shame. When I'm on the subway, maybe I don't want to make it obvious that I'm reading the DMG. But almost every time I do this I realize later that being ashamed isn't necissary. Anyone whose opinion matters, likely doesn't care, or even thinks its cool.
I think what really matters is that the gamer has to be comfortable with themselves. For me, it took 10 years (from when I left high school). Think about it, does anyone think less of Vin Diesel that he plays D&D (though I debate whether he actually does, or just refers to D&D as in 'geeky, fantasy stuff' in general). No, by associatiation he makes D&D cool, because he's cool. I think its the same with non-celebreties. If I am comfortable with myself, and am not ashamed of being a gamer, people aren't likely to hold it against me, and in fact, if they respect me, it will make them more curious themselves.
Corlon
First Post
well, I don't really have things like that.
The only thing was after my brother, who is also a gamer, picked me up from NC game day (that was cool, thanks for running it guys!) he said "I didn't expect them all to look like stereotypical gamers."
Just kind of funny I thought.
But neways, it's not really a shameful thing, I personally think LARPs are crazy, but that's just me
Even if it is nerdy, gaming pretty much is, and if you're a nerd, who cares?
And, if all of your friends are strict catholics and think you're a devil worshiper, then you'll always have your fellow devil worshipers here on enworld
The only thing was after my brother, who is also a gamer, picked me up from NC game day (that was cool, thanks for running it guys!) he said "I didn't expect them all to look like stereotypical gamers."
Just kind of funny I thought.
But neways, it's not really a shameful thing, I personally think LARPs are crazy, but that's just me
Even if it is nerdy, gaming pretty much is, and if you're a nerd, who cares?
And, if all of your friends are strict catholics and think you're a devil worshiper, then you'll always have your fellow devil worshipers here on enworld
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