Wizards aiming younger audience

[nedjer]

So, how about discussing his post? I know, i know: that´s not that widespread on internet message boards. It´s just that i hoped you would either fork a thread or expand on your points in this one instead of being offended and end it with blah. (Admittedly, it began with blah, but still...).

Happy to discuss as I should've explained myself better in the first place.

I've been called all sorts in the forum. However, I have Rhino skin and I wasn't offended. Just pulled a time out on my lawyer friend, as I'd want to know if my posts were coming across as quite that hostile and maybe have a word with myself.

Ridiculously busy with work right now but there are a few comments I'd like to make when I get the chance. First and foremost on the parents who'd like to get their daughters into RPGs. It's remarkably easily done and something a parent seriously would not want to miss out on. Later

 

[MichaelSomething]

Hussar, I think that most of that female MMO audience is responding to things that really don't generalize to D&D. There are social aspects to MMOs that do not map to D&D at all. It's like a social networking website with a game attached, and all the attendant social games come with it.

-body cut due to length-

Again, these social games often take precedence over the "actual" game for these women, and these social games require a substantially large number of players.

That's the type of player known as a heart.

Seriously, please read about the Bartel Test people!

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Bartle would classify all of them as some form of "socializer", but that's about as useful as saying "this apple is red" when you could classify it as "Red delicious", "Macintosh", "Rome Beauty", etc. For one thing, it's sort of useless.

A "red" apple might be a very tasty eating apple or a terrible eating apple.

Some "socializers" are happy in face-to-face interactions. They might prefer it because they're good at the face-to-face thing (more channels of info after all) or prefer to use their social power directly in their real lives. These people are quite distinct from those who prefer larger groups and/or interaction through an avatar.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Oh, ye gods. I just re-took the Bartle test for giggles, and man, it's out of date. Half of the dichotomies are choices between two things I don't care about or that are completely foreign to my experience of MMOs. Several of them require motivations that don't apply in most games. There are strange false dichotomies that are by no means exclusive from each other.

That is a very, very bad test.

 

[Logan Shadowhand]

Anyway, I think the concept is great... marketing a rules-light version for kids is what WoTC (and other publishers) should do. Apart from a couple of indie RPGs (namely, Faery's Tale and Princes' Kingdom) I can't recall other titles designed specifically for kids.

This is a nice adventure, but I'd have wanted to see more emphasis on investigation and role-playing. Still, good work there!

I just finished the Adventure Scenario Book to accompany my Fantastic Adventures Basic Edition rules. I'd like to think the scenarios provide a little more foundation for role-playing, but I'll admit the emphasis is still combat. I do give you four different scenarios instead of just one, though. I'd love to hear some feedback, especially from those who play a game or two with their kids. My 6-yr-old son and his friends love it.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Oh, ye gods. I just re-took the Bartle test for giggles, and man, it's out of date. Half of the dichotomies are choices between two things I don't care about or that are completely foreign to my experience of MMOs. Several of them require motivations that don't apply in most games. There are strange false dichotomies that are by no means exclusive from each other.

That is a very, very bad test.

Well the test was made a long time ago so I imagine that it would become outdated. The general ideas are still useful to know however. A more modernized version would be the BarKol test which provides has more subtypes and hybrids.

Of course, you have to had play Kingdom of Loathing to understand the context of those questions.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

EDIT: Gah! wrong thread.

 

[Mark]

(. . .) a few comments I'd like to make when I get the chance. First and foremost on the parents who'd like to get their daughters into RPGs. It's remarkably easily done (. . .)

Where has this idea been for the past thirty-five years? I think you've been holding out on us. Spill.

 

[Primal]

I just finished the Adventure Scenario Book to accompany my Fantastic Adventures Basic Edition rules. I'd like to think the scenarios provide a little more foundation for role-playing, but I'll admit the emphasis is still combat. I do give you four different scenarios instead of just one, though. I'd love to hear some feedback, especially from those who play a game or two with their kids. My 6-yr-old son and his friends love it.

Well, I don't have kids of my own, but I'm very close to my 6-year old nephew who thinks -- thanks to years of deliberate brainwashing -- that RPGs are something ultra-cool. I might run something for him soon, but as he very likely has Asperger Syndrome (he hasn't been tested yet, but the doctors seem to be sure), I probably need to first find out how he reacts to RPGs and experiences them in general; he might find them boring or difficult to grasp, and even if he didn't, he lacks certain skills we take for granted (so I'll have to run solo games for him). I hope he likes role-playing, because I honestly think RPGs could teach him a lot about empathy, social interaction, and non-violent approach to conflicts.

Anyway, the system seems very nice and light enough for kids, although I'd probably add in class features related to social/role-playing abilities (rogues can bluff their enemies, fighter are good at diplomacy and so on) and some optional role-playing challenges and encounters. The maps are good, and I think It's cool that you're giving it away for free -- I'm also interested in hearing how it goes over with parents running it for their kids.

 

[mgbeach]

Well, I don't have kids of my own, but I'm very close to my 6-year old nephew who thinks -- thanks to years of deliberate brainwashing -- that RPGs are something ultra-cool. I might run something for him soon, but as he very likely has Asperger Syndrome (he hasn't been tested yet, but the doctors seem to be sure), I probably need to first find out how he reacts to RPGs and experiences them in general; he might find them boring or difficult to grasp, and even if he didn't, he lacks certain skills we take for granted (so I'll have to run solo games for him). I hope he likes role-playing, because I honestly think RPGs could teach him a lot about empathy, social interaction, and non-violent approach to conflicts.

That's very interesting.. in a quick Google search it looks like more traditional classroom roleplay is a very successful and recommended method of teaching those with Aspergers about social skills and getting them to think about cause and effect, other peoples' feelings, etc. Especially if he thinks D&D is cool (thanks to a cool uncle) it may be fantastic for him.

Don't people with aspergers tend to be very logical? You might try running sessions with puzzle scenarios and investigative themes.