What has gaming done for you?

[Buzzardo]

Hmm. Interesting question. While I would credit the game with much that is good in my life, and very little that is bad... I would guess that the biggest thing it has done is to make me smarter.

Seriously. The average IQ score of americans is 100. Keep in mind that Forrest Gump was 85.

I would bet that the average IQ of long time gamers is easily north of 120. DnD teaches you how to read. It teaches you how to actually think, as opposed to having a head full of facts... It excercises parts of your imagination that most people don't know they have. Puzzle solving? Don't even get me started on that!

Bottom line. My Int score is definately 16. Maybe even a 17. Without DnD. Definately a 14. Or worse.

Some might argue that while DnD improves INT, it causes equal and opposite effects on WIS and CHA. But that is a topic for another string.

 

[David Howery]

Hmmm... well, as with so many others here, I met some great people who were great friends.. .sadly, I lost track of most of them when I got out of college. It sparked an interest in history that had been almost nonexistant before gaming. It also gave me a badly needed creative outlet; as a kid, I used to write dozens of short stories (mainly fantasy Conan type stuff)and constantly plotted out how I was going to write the 'next great fantasy novel'.

Of course, D&D also taught me how to summon great demons of the underworld to do my bidding and smite my enemies. Handy...