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The gaming community: online compared to the physical world
- Thread starter wingsandsword
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Wild Gazebo
Explorer
I think the anonymity and the physically social detachment of online forums allow a certain absence of decorum and temptation for hyperbole of opinion.
I tend to look at some of the strange conversations had on even these boards as a vague attempt at communicating an elemental feeling...not necessarily founded in fact.
So, with the blurring of social barriers and the penchant for extreme expression of abstract ideas you get a strange sub culture of communication that really has only a small bearing on our lives and hobbies.
So. Yes. I agree.
I tend to look at some of the strange conversations had on even these boards as a vague attempt at communicating an elemental feeling...not necessarily founded in fact.
So, with the blurring of social barriers and the penchant for extreme expression of abstract ideas you get a strange sub culture of communication that really has only a small bearing on our lives and hobbies.
So. Yes. I agree.
The important thing to remember is that online forum goers are vocal only on online forums. In this case I picture "vocal" as meaning "practicing their typing skills".
What happens on these forums in my experience has absolutely no bearing on anything in meatspace, but what happens on this site in terms of publishing and the work the staff does resonates in the greater gaming community away from it.
I think it's important to make that differentiation, nuff said.
What happens on these forums in my experience has absolutely no bearing on anything in meatspace, but what happens on this site in terms of publishing and the work the staff does resonates in the greater gaming community away from it.
I think it's important to make that differentiation, nuff said.
That seems right, except replace 3.5e with Pathfinder IME.
Yep. I read things here...points of view...ideas...that I have never encountered anywhere else in 34 years of gaming.
Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
I spend a lot of time here. But I spend as much time at non-gaming forums, too. And I spend nearly as much time at the FLGS, gamedays and conventions, and with gamers and non-gamers offline. I feel that online communities are fairly representative of their offline counterparts. Some of the vocabulary might be a bit different, but I chalk that up to people being able to access sources that can enhance their vocabulary while on a computer more easily. Aside from that, things aren't all that different. It might be that some who don't spend as much time here as I do tend to get the limited view of this community based on only the threads they manage to check out when here. I tend to read a lot more than just what I would think at first glance would interest me.
Glyfair
Explorer
I agree. However, another thing to remember is that someone's local experiences are not necessarily representative of the overall gaming populace either.
I know certain areas where some game systems never caught on. On the other hand, there are some small niche game systems that might have become huge in that area. If there are a couple of skilled GMs who are willing to game for large groups, those GMs will tend to influence the community in which they run and slightly further out.
saskganesh
First Post
ENworld is a very interesting subset of the gaming community. But the community is large, the internet is huge and I think most hobbyists only play with a small number of like minded folk. I think your argument needs more data.
In the physical world I live in a large city in Canada and am playing in a 2E game. We organised through Meet-Up, which is an online tool for setting up offline meetings. There's more interest in this game than spots available. I know through Meet-Up there's other 1E and 2e games in the GTA. Sure, not as popular as 3X or 4x, but popular enough to maintain itself as a subsubculture. And I found a store that has a good selection of 2E splatbooks, modules and other schwag. They don't comment on my three heads.
I think 2E and earlier editions and modern simulacrums are easier ways to get new players into the hobby. In my current game, half the players are new. When I ran a BasicFantasy game last winter, all my players were new. I think we would have lost them all with 3X/4.
All this sounds rather different from the OP's experience. But then again, I live in a large city where incredible diversity is incredibly normal. If I lived in a smaller community, there would be likely one game, or even more likely, no game.
In the physical world I live in a large city in Canada and am playing in a 2E game. We organised through Meet-Up, which is an online tool for setting up offline meetings. There's more interest in this game than spots available. I know through Meet-Up there's other 1E and 2e games in the GTA. Sure, not as popular as 3X or 4x, but popular enough to maintain itself as a subsubculture. And I found a store that has a good selection of 2E splatbooks, modules and other schwag. They don't comment on my three heads.
I think 2E and earlier editions and modern simulacrums are easier ways to get new players into the hobby. In my current game, half the players are new. When I ran a BasicFantasy game last winter, all my players were new. I think we would have lost them all with 3X/4.
All this sounds rather different from the OP's experience. But then again, I live in a large city where incredible diversity is incredibly normal. If I lived in a smaller community, there would be likely one game, or even more likely, no game.
DnD_Dad
First Post
This is just a place to discuss ideas and thoughts basically anonymously. I've been playing AD&D 2nd for 20 years now, and after playing all types and versions of different games my group of the past 6 years still goes back to 2nd edition. We are the canoners. We all read Greenwood, Salvatore, Grubb, etc. and we always play the realms between a specific timeframe(DR 1368-71.) It just works for us.
Jimlock
Adventurer
.......ok I'll say it.....
On the Internet you'll find far more Munchkins than in real life....
(...there... I said it...)
Don't get me wrong, you can find and discuss with very interesting people online... En Wolrd... whatever have you...
But Overall, CharOps are more on the web that they are in real life... perhaps it's because they are trying to find every little piece of rules-tweaking they can get their hands on...
On the Internet you'll find far more Munchkins than in real life....
(...there... I said it...)
Don't get me wrong, you can find and discuss with very interesting people online... En Wolrd... whatever have you...
But Overall, CharOps are more on the web that they are in real life... perhaps it's because they are trying to find every little piece of rules-tweaking they can get their hands on...
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