Would you still play RPG:s if...

[Kid Socrates]

I will keep playing RPGs as long as my friends show up to play them too. I will run games as long as my friends, my players, show up and want to play. It doesn't matter if all support for the hobby dries up and goes away -- if I still have friends that want to play, I will keep playing. We've been doing this for seven years. It'll take a lot to make us stop.

 

[MonsterMash]

... the communities disappeared?

... you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?

... the game of your choice was discontinued?

Feel free to answer these questions, or create a question or two yourself.

I'm in two gaming groups already and back in the old days we used adverts in game stores to find players and it can still work.

It'd be difficult to just run prewritten stuff, but I'd find it odd to have time to play, but no time to work on gaming stuff.

Not a problem - I've played Paranoia and RQ2 while they've been out of print without problems and if D&D 3.5 or C&C went out of print I've got enough stuff to keep running them.

 

[Aris Dragonborn]

... the communities disappeared?

Like many others, I started gaming before the internet. If it were to all disappear tomorrow, it wouldn't keep me from playing, but my life wouldn't be nearly as fun without ENWorld and other sites.

... you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?

Well, when I first DM'ed a game, it was because the regular DM wasn't feeling well. We really wanted to game, so I improvised an adventure right off the top of my head. Granted, this was in my 1E days, and it's a *lot* easier to improv 1E than 3E. I would rather be able to do some planning, but I think I could improv in a pinch.

... the game of your choice was discontinued?

Absolutely. Much of our gaming was done in homebrew worlds anyway, with the exceptions of FR and Eberron, so as long as I have the core rulebooks, it's all good.

Over the years, how much turn-over have you had in your gaming group? (Completely new group every X years due to move or other, a new player every year or so, etc.)

Actually, it's only happened about three or four times in the 18 years I've been playing. One of the guys that I play with was in the original group, and is a close friend. Two of my current players were *new* to me when they joined, but had actually gamed with my friend in another group (my original group played 1E D&D and Traveller; the other group played Ravenloft and Rolemaster[Shadow World]). So I would say that turnover, in my case, is low.

 

[Nine Hands]

... the communities disappeared?

... you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?

... the game of your choice was discontinued?

Feel free to answer these questions, or create a question or two yourself.



Honestly I think I wouldn't play D&D today if it weren't for the internet communities and the fact that it's really fun to work with it, create characters and such. Someone said gaming is the best 20 minutes you will have in 4 hours (or something like that) and I must say I agree, although I don't like to admit it. I wouldn't mind much if WotC disappeared though because there are plenty of material already for the game.

Well I run and play using a game system that is mainly off the shelf now (its called Fuzion and Mekton Zeta), so that is not a problem for me. As for no community support, I've was gaming before ENWorld and other places were created so I would continue albiet with less enthusiasm. Gaming community sites and groups make this a much more fun activity.

As for spare time, I don't see how much busier I could possibly get (I work 2 jobs, have 4 kids and a wife). Since my wife is super cool and like gaming as much as I do a chunk of our personal time is alloted for gaming. Heck we run a convention together So unless something weird happens like I get a labotomy, I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[Wombat]

... the communities disappeared?

I gamed long before internet communities; I would continue to game quite easily afterwards

... you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?

Now THIS would be difficult. I am Captain Homebrew, as well as the GM of almost all the games I have been in, so this would handicap me. I don't know if I could continue at this point. I'd be stuck with pre-packaged worlds done on a cold run -- zero fun there!

... the game of your choice was discontinued?

No problem. There are at least a dozen other games out there that I'd be willing to try, some well known, some unknown. More importantly, I already have a large collection of games; I don't need a continuous roll of supplements to keep a game interesting!

 

[fusangite]

Over the years, how much turn-over have you had in your gaming group?

Until I moved cities, my turnover rate was about 0.5 players per year over 20 years, leaving me with one player from my original 1987 group by 2004. Of course, some years had no turnover and others had higher turnover.

And even when I moved to Toronto, I regained one player I'd had in my group from 2001 to 2003.

What do you think the demographics are of the D&D gaming community? Increasing, decreasing, aging?

Increasingly slowly, aging faster. In 20-30 years, the original players will start dying a whole lot faster and the gradual demographic gains we've been making may reverse for a while. Much like the Canadian New Democratic Party in the recent past, excellent retention of fans disguises some genuine problems our movement has had in appealing to certain generations of people.

 

[cmanos]

General - Would you still play RPG:s if...

... the communities disappeared?
By communities, do you mean online communities??? People have been playing role playing games for longer than the WWW has been in existance. Of coure I would still play if the internet communities disappeared

... you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?
WEll lets see...if I didn't have the spare time to game...um...no...I wouldn't game anymore...seems like a fairly straightforward question.

... the game of your choice was discontinued?
Yes. Easy one. Just because one game disappears, doesn't mean there are 10 more that aren't just as cool.

 

[Henry]

... the communities disappeared?

For sure! I would be gaming less, and I'd probably get more work done, but as long as I had friends gaming, I'm good to go.

.. you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?

If I had no spare time, I'd not be gaming. If all I had to game was one weekly 4-hour session, say? Then the games we played would morph to compensate: Say, Castles & Crusades, or Feng Shui.

... the game of your choice was discontinued?

Actually, my gaming through 1996 would have proved the truth of this. If all RPG companies everywhere dried up (which is so unlikely I never think about it - I think MORE about a huge meteor ending civilzation than I do gaming disappearing) then I'd still be playing as long as I had friends and free time. When am I NOT going to have friends and free time? Probably when that meteor hits...

 

[Wombat]

Okay, pondering these as well...

Over the years, how much turn-over have you had in your gaming group? (Completely new group every X years due to move or other, a new player every year or so, etc.)

Hmmm, been gaming for about 30 years now. In that time, I'd say I had four major groups (NorCal, NH, SoCal, NewNorCal). So four total change outs. OTOH, each of these groups had minor change outs on a much more frequent basis, say at least 1 player per year.

What do you think the demographics are of the D&D gaming community? Increasing, decreasing, aging?

(I am taking "D&D" to mean "rpgs" -- I hate getting boxed) The demographic is skewwing older and has shrunk somewhat from the heyday in the late 80s/early 90s. Blame computer games and video games. I have NO hard and fast statistics for this, merely perceptions built on watching many gaming stores disappear, fewer acquaintances and friends-of-friends who seem to play, etc. Then again, I have been approached by several parents out sharing games with their children, which is interesting, but most of the kids (8-12) are far less interested in gaming unless there are bright coloured lights, constant moving action, and a very loud soundtrack. **shrug** Way it goes.

 

[Arnwyn]

... the communities disappeared?

Yes. The communities don't add that much to my enjoyment of the game (since I gamed for many years before any communities [that I knew of] existed).

... you couldn't work with the game in your spare time, at all?

No. That's what will turn me away from the game.

... the game of your choice was discontinued?

Yes, for a little while at least. Once the modules started running dry, though, I'd probably fade away (see "time", above).