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<blockquote data-quote="deinol" data-source="post: 5346741" data-attributes="member: 62536">I have two anecdotal pieces of evidence about how people get into role-playing. First is how I started role-playing. When I was young (just before my seventh birthday) my older sister's friend told me about the D&amp;D game she played in. So when my birthday came I told my mother I wanted D&amp;D. She didn't know anything about it and wasn't certain she wanted to get me something totally unknown. However, she'd read the hobbit and saw the Middle Earth RPG and bought it for me instead. This was back when MERP was based on Rolemaster. Not a light system designed for kids.Of course, I don't think I really played MERP, but I loved the book and eventually convinced my mother to let me get the D&amp;D books. These were the AD&amp;D books, and while I remember the Red Box from those days, I can't say I ever played it back then. &quot;What do you mean I can't be an elven ranger?&quot; My cousin and I pretty much taught ourselves from the two AD&amp;D books (I don't think I had a monster manual back then, but some B modules.)More recently I can tell you that the local university gaming club which I am still tangentially involved in brings in new players every quarter. Some have gamed before, but many have not. Last I heard they mostly play 4E, but they easily teach the new players the game. Of course, we are talking college students, not 7 year olds. Still, I think the hobby grows the way it has for years: learning it from someone else.The reality is there are more ways to get into the hobby now than ever. Any slowing in the hobby industry is more related to the overall economy than anything else. If a group of 6 can get along with a single set of 3 core books, they will.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="deinol, post: 5346741, member: 62536"] I have two anecdotal pieces of evidence about how people get into role-playing. First is how I started role-playing. When I was young (just before my seventh birthday) my older sister's friend told me about the D&D game she played in. So when my birthday came I told my mother I wanted D&D. She didn't know anything about it and wasn't certain she wanted to get me something totally unknown. However, she'd read the hobbit and saw the Middle Earth RPG and bought it for me instead. This was back when MERP was based on Rolemaster. Not a light system designed for kids. Of course, I don't think I really played MERP, but I loved the book and eventually convinced my mother to let me get the D&D books. These were the AD&D books, and while I remember the Red Box from those days, I can't say I ever played it back then. "What do you mean I can't be an elven ranger?" My cousin and I pretty much taught ourselves from the two AD&D books (I don't think I had a monster manual back then, but some B modules.) More recently I can tell you that the local university gaming club which I am still tangentially involved in brings in new players every quarter. Some have gamed before, but many have not. Last I heard they mostly play 4E, but they easily teach the new players the game. Of course, we are talking college students, not 7 year olds. Still, I think the hobby grows the way it has for years: learning it from someone else. The reality is there are more ways to get into the hobby now than ever. Any slowing in the hobby industry is more related to the overall economy than anything else. If a group of 6 can get along with a single set of 3 core books, they will. [/QUOTE]

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