Why do you play RPGs??

[farscapesg1]

Some recent threads got me thinking about our little hobby and the types of people playing the games

Why do you play RPGs? I'll start with my viewpoint

I game for the fun of the game itself. I don't really consider the guys I game with as friends so much as acquaintances. Friends are the people I invite over, or am invited over, to hang out and watch a movie, go to the pub, play cards, play board games, etc. For example, my wife and I get together with friends for the evening and play "Battle of the Sexes", Scrabble, Skip Bo, etc., and sit around and talk about kids, work, politics, sports, etc. The guys I game with I get together to play D&D and then head home. Now, don't get me wrong, I get along with all of them on a personal level (well, most of them), but there just isn't a "friendship" there that makes me want to get together for drinks or to catch a movie. One or two of them possibly, but it just hasn't happened and I don't see it happening.

I used to game with friends when I was in high school/college and would never game with them again. I'd rather spend my time sitting around and getting re-acquainted and shooting the bull. Too many game sessions were "wasted" as we sat around "yapping" instead of gaming. If we got together to game again, it would be the same way and I would rather not pretend it was something else.

Now, if you prefer to game only with friends, more power to you

I guess it also depends on how you look at the word "friend". I personally look at it as a person that I would want to be around, regardless of circumstance or what we are doing. We have a survey at work every year, and one of the questions is "Do you have a best friend at work?" I used to always answer no until my wife and I became good friends with one of my co-workers. Now we see them probably two to three times a month and go to their kid's birthday parties, have taken some vacations with them, and have been invited over to their family's Thanksgiving (since we don't have any family in the area). That is what I consider a friend, and since I moved to Houston nobody I game with has come close to that.

Another issue is that a lot of people view gaming as "let's just get together and have fun!". I've always looked at it as a hobby similar to remote control air planes. I'm there because of the hobby, not because of the people. I'm also a fairly structured person and treat the game similar to other things in my life. For example, I schedule myself to go to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-6:30 and Saturday from 10-Noon. I'm going to the gym to work out, not shoot some hoops with friends (if I even played sports). Gaming is the same way. I schedule my gaming session for the purpose of gaming, not chatting about the week's events and what-not. Time spent gaming is time I could spend with my wife, working around the house, hanging out with friends, etc.

So, when I join a group, I expect to have a scheduled time to get together and play the game. A short break here and there is okay, but most of the time should be spent focusing on the game itself. If I have planned on gaming for 7 hours, and we only really spend 4 (1 hour out for ordering food and eating, another two hours out for rules arguments, talking about out-of-game stuff, smoking breaks, etc.) I don't feel that it was a productive use of my time.

I guess that shows that I look at things on a more "productive" level. For example, I could never work for a video game company when I know that the majority of games that are being developed will never make it to final production. That would be such a waste of my time (not having a finished product in the end) that I would probably go nuts.

I guess I also look at gaming as "work" in some fashion. At work, you have a job and get paid to do it. In gaming, my "job" is to contribute to the fun of the rest of the group while playing. My "paycheck" is having fun while gaming. If I don't have enough fun (pay doesn't meet my expectations) I am free to leave. If I don't do my job (make things difficult for the DM, cause conflicts with other players, etc.) then they have the right to "fire" me.

Ok, I think I got a little off topic somewhere there

Why do you play, and why do so many people think my way is wrong?

 

[jdrakeh]

I play for fun, which for me, means creating (not telling) stories. Or, if you want to think about it in a different way, 'living out adventures in the land of make believe'. And you know what? other people if they don't approve of how I have fun. I'm beholden to no man's (or woman's) definition of fun, save for my own and you shouldn't be, either (in short, play like you want to and have fun - forget about what other people think).

 

[Odhanan]

I play to have fun with my friends, socialize with them. I also play to use my imagination and use it in concert with my friends' imaginations. I play to create and interact with the people I create things for, so that they can in turn create fantasies of their own. I love the thrill of the critical hit, the painting of minis, the mapping, the interaction with my friends, the slice of pizza we share together while gaming, the geek jokes flying around... really, I think I like it all.

I've had several periods and several goals through RPGs. I started as a kid thrilled at the idea of playing the knight somewhere in a "nowhere" that was there reproduced by the dice and so on. Then I wanted to create works of art as an adolescent running games. Campaigns standing out for people just as novels would. Then use it as inspiration for novels. And then, as I grew older, I came back to the fun of the game itself, and realized it's importance in terms of social interaction. Socializing during a game is good too. Not breaking the make-believe aspect of RPGs is one thing, not enjoying the time we have together as fun and spontaneous is another. During the next years, I will probably evolve still. People change. I do too. But somehow, RPGs have managed to stick around and become the passion of my life in the process, because they survived each of my changes in life and focussed some of my centers of interest.

I don't only play with friends per se, mind you. Like I said, I played in convention and would do it again. But I play regularly with people I like, trust, and want to spend some time with. If I am to dedicate a few hours per week playing D&D, I'd better do it with people I like to socialize with.

 

[dcollins]

Why do you play RPGs?

math + play-acting = freakin' crack, man.

 

[Jdvn1]

I play RPGs because they're fun, and an interesting social activity. I don't consider all the people I've gamed with "friends" but I prefer to play with friends--in the same way I prefer to play console games or board games with friends. It's fun and we can joke around and hang out at the same time.

 

[Prince Atom]

A lot of people say they play for fun. I must admit, I laugh at nothing harder than when I'm at a game and am high on the collective effervescence. On the other hand, a round of Magic or a board game works almost as well for me.

No, I roleplay because I am not a hero; I am not a knight in shining armor; I'm an overweight man with poor muscle tone who is holding down a desk job. RPGs allow me to be someone I always wanted to be: a knight in shining armor, whether it's full plate, monocrys, a battlesuit, or the Force. I have strong convictions about what is right and what is wrong, but they mostly apply to my own behavior; I don't believe in bossing other people about how they should behave, unless I'm trying to be a good role model for children.

We once stumbled upon a group of hobgoblins. Our psionicist let rip a mind blast, and stunned them all. Coups de grace for everyone! I refused to take part, because I don't like the idea of killing helpless victims, but I wasn't going to force them. So I took myself off a ways while the distasteful deed was done. Everyone thought that it was a particularly good piece of roleplaying all round.

TWK

 

[amethal]

I enjoy role-playing games. I'll game with almost anyone. I find it an outlet for my creativity, a challenge and an escape all at once.

At the moment, I'm fortunate to game with some of my best friends - although in three cases we only became friends through gaming.

We have fallen into the trap of socialising during sessions a lot more than we game, but frankly we get precious little socialising time together anyway for one reason or another, so I don't necessarily look on that as a drawback.

 

[The Shaman]

It's cheaper than a drug habit.

I think.

And it's more socially acceptable.

I think.

 

[Funeris]

Well, I'll try gaming with anyone as well...acquaintances are welcome. More often than not though the people I let into my apartment and life end up friends in the end. There are only a few that have come and gone...and by friend, I'm referring to your definition of hanging out with/chatting with/etc. outside the hobby.

Still, when we get together for the game, I want it to be productive. I don't want to spend 4 hours arguing over rules or whatnot. I also don't want to spend 5 hours talking about real world politics/religion/philosophy/etc. I want to enjoy the hobby...in the limited amount of time I can spend on it per week/month/whatever. But, out-of-character chatter is bound to happen (I've been guilty once or twice myself)..and as long as it keeps to a minimum, it doesn't affect the "productivity" that much.

~Fune

 

[ZombieButch]

I play for fun, which for me, means creating (not telling) stories. Or, if you want to think about it in a different way, 'living out adventures in the land of make believe'. And you know what? other people if they don't approve of how I have fun. I'm beholden to no man's (or woman's) definition of fun, save for my own and you shouldn't be, either (in short, play like you want to and have fun - forget about what other people think).

Preach on.