Why are people not interested in RPG?

[Elf Witch]

I have more or less completely given up on actively recruiting any new non-gamers to my previous D&D games. (This includes non-gamers and ex-gamers who are heavily into stuff like Star Trek, Star Wars, Games of Thrones, etc ...).

Over the years I have found that actively recruiting non-gamers to D&D games, can be very detrimental to the game if the recruiting methods are very high pressure. The more high pressure the recruiting tactics, the less likely somebody will want to play again.


In another scenario, I have found that individuals who owed me some favors, frequently used my D&D games as the easiest most passive-aggressive way to pay me back for previous favors I did for them. Typically these "obligation" type gamers, would just sit there tuned out and not really wanting to be there. As far as they're concerned, it's free pizza and they're just biding their time away until the favor is "repaid". After awhile they just let their character die in a combat encounter or a "save vs. death" type situation, where they subsequently just walk away from the game. After that, I can't argue anymore that they "owe" me for a past favor. (ie. I can't prove conclusively it was all a charade, where they were "tuned out" and just "biding their time" over several months).

I don't think using a lot of pressure to get someone to try something really works well for example take me it is more likely to get me to become stubborn and dig my heals in even if I was interested before.

The gamers I have introduced were people I met through other hobbies like the SCA or Cons. And it was more of just talking to them conversation wise what I had done the past weekend or talking about a book and making an off hand comment that I was going to introduce elements into my game.

I have been at the book store with my gaming books out working on my campaign and had people ask me about it so I tell them about.

I was taking an art class for fun a few years ago and we had to bring in something we collected and talk about it I brought in my gaming books. After class three people came up to ask about it one of them still games.

 

[ggroy]

I don't think using a lot of pressure to get someone to try something really works well for example take me it is more likely to get me to become stubborn and dig my heals in even if I was interested before.

I suspect in many genres, the bad apples end up pushing away many potential newcomers. The high pressure recruiters are just one of many terrible "ambassadors" for the hobby.

This may not be as big of a problem for niches which can pursued in an almost solitary manner (ie. watching Star Trek reruns, etc ...). But for niches which require getting together with other people, this may limit or even shrink the size of the pool of potential players.

 

[Lwaxy]

I just remembered what's the biggest obstacle around here now. The normal sized FLGS do not really have the space anymore to meet up and game, or even to sit down there with some books and a coffee to wait for possible players. A lot of the comic book/SW/ST/Tolkien fans would give it a try if represented right.

Back in the 90s I could still do that in one or two of the bigger stores but they are either gone or changed owner and now that does not work anymore. Around here, there are only 2 stores to begin with, all too far away for me to even try, too.

 

[Mallus]

I suspect in many genres, the bad apples end up pushing away many potential newcomers.

I suspect while that's true in some cases, the simple unavoidable fact is some people --make that 'many people'-- simply aren't interested.

Likewise, I suppose it's true that some teetotalers avoid drinking alcohol because of the behavior of certain drinkers/drunks.

But I'm fairly confident that majority of people who abstain from alcohol --a mind-boggling choice from my perspective -- do so because they don't like what it does to them.

As much as I tempted to temp non-drinkers with booze in all its myriad life-enhancing (and, to be fair, sometimes life-wrecking) glory, I refrain from doing so. I'll offer any guest in my home a drink. If they decline, so be it (more for me!).

 

[Derren]

It always amazes me when people and companies can only come up with "make it simpler" or "dumb it down" when it comes to reaching more customers, be it in gaming or movies.

As if people have become dumber since "the good old times" where there were enough customers around. (Sadly that might actually be the truth).

 

[ggroy]

It always amazes me when people and companies can only come up with "make it simpler" or "dumb it down" when it comes to reaching more customers, be it in gaming or movies.

As if people have become dumber since "the good old times" where there were enough customers around. (Sadly that might actually be the truth).

Idiocracy becoming a true "prophecy".

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Idiocracy becoming a true "prophecy".

See also C.M. Kornbluth's classic story, "The Marching Morons."

 

[WildWestGM]

I think RPGs were for a generation that grew up in the 1980s. Today's kids have computer-based RPGs that have replaced dice/paper based games. What is World of Warcraft if not a D&D setting.
As for 5th edition, I think people are turned off by the companies changing rules just for profit/turnover. I invested hundreds and hundreds of dollars on 4th edition. Why would I switch to 5th edition?

 

[Li Shenron]

It always amazes me when people and companies can only come up with "make it simpler" or "dumb it down" when it comes to reaching more customers, be it in gaming or movies.

As if people have become dumber since "the good old times" where there were enough customers around. (Sadly that might actually be the truth).

Personally I've become smarter and wiser And in fact that includes like [MENTION=172]Psion[/MENTION] used to say, the realization that "the rules should serve the game and not viceversa". A more complicated ruleset to represent the same thing and achieve the same results is more stupid, not dumber.

It's not only newcomers who want it simpler. When I was a newcomer myself, I was enthralled by the game's complexity. I wanted to learn to play D&D also because I was amused by its high entry barrier.

But now I've already done that, a few times (different editions), and had my fun. Now I want to dm/play more and study the ruleset less, dedicate more time in trying to write a cool and complicated storyline (something I've never been good enough at), design challenges that requires more real-life reasoning rather than in-game reasoning, and I have to be able to fit all that in a work'n'family life.

 

[Derren]

A more complicated ruleset to represent the same thing and achieve the same results is more stupid, not dumber.

Ever got the idea that "the same result" is the problem instead of the rules being too complicated? That maybe they should try to change/expand the things their RPG can do instead of "streamlining" the game to do exactly the same thing the previous edition did?