Writing a paper on RPGs - looking for insights

[Willowisp]

Hello,

I am in the research stages of writing a paper on role playing games and communities and am hoping to glean some insight into the world via your forum. Admittedly, I am an outsider and am only beginning my exploration. A little handholding wouldn't hurt. I'm basically looking for ambassadors. If you were going to introduce someone to D&D (or the like) who had never really been involved with it before where would you start? What direction would you point them in? How would you describe yourself, your community, your level of engagement? What do you love/hate about it all and what keeps you engaged with it?

The thrust of my paper is around the history and evolution of the genre and the culture of those within it.

Thanks in advance. I'm really looking forward to hearing what you might have to say.

 

[Umbran]

Well, I've introduced several folks to the game over the years, and there's one basic best way to do it - rather than pointing them to some resource to learn about it, I'd ask them to join in a game. RPGs are best represented by showing folks what it is about, rather than telling them.

We are, collectively, hobbyists. That means as individuals we, and our levels of engagement, vary widely, just as you'd see in any other hobby. There are some baseball fans who merely read the headlines about their favorite team, and others who get deep into the nitty-gritty details about the composition and performance of all the players in an entire league.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

On recruiting.

Introducing someone to roleplaying games, I always tried to find a point of familiarity. For children, this is easy. Children have an amazing capacity to play "pretend" and not be embarassed by it. Most RPGs are designed for ages 12 and up, and by then we are talking about adolescents, but the principle is still there. Many adolescents have a natural yearning to escape greater than adults. So with both groups you can appeal to the escapist nature, of pretending to be heroes, fighting for good, battling evil, and being well rewarded for it.

In my experience, getting adults to try a RPG is more difficult. I've found greater success at appealing to those who are already fans of sci-fi or fantasy.

College age adults, well, moreso than post-college adults, the appeal of the sociel experience works well. Spending a night with friends eating (junk food) and drinking (whatever).

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I would descibe myself as an ordinary person with a social hobby of role-playing games. In the same way some people get a group of friends together for a regular poker night, I like to get together with friends for some role-playing games.

I've been doing this for more than 25 years now and my level of engagement has been up and down throughout that time. Back in the carefree days of primary education, I was most engaged in the hobby, spending a lot of time with my close circle and attending local and occasionally distant gaming conventions. During college my gaming was less frequent and a little more casual as it was used mainly as a stress-buster. After college there was a period where gaming stopped altogether, but eventually it resumed. Unfortunately real life has made keeping a group together and staying heavily involved in the hobby more difficult. When I found this forum, it helped fuel my interest in the hobby again and has allowed me to stay involved and informed even as I game less frequently.

The RPG community: Wow, how can that be summed up easily? The community is as diverse as any I've seen. Other than the fact that we all enjoy playing RPGs, I think there is probably very little that is common within the community. The community is everything from classic uber-geek types to straight-laced professionals who won't openly admit they play RPGs.

What do I love/hate about RPGs and the community? I love the chance to stretch my mind and my creativity in a fun, harmless hobby. I hate the stigma that RPGs carry to people outside the community. I have had friends who have been concerned for my immortal soul because I play. Fortunately they were good enough friends to actually listen to my explaination of the game where they came to accept that it is just a fun pasttime, not an exploration of something sinister.

What keeps me engaged? I enjoy playing the game, especially with my good friends, and through it I have met some wonderful people (admittedly I have also met people whom I hope never to see again, but in that respect it is no different that any other social activity). As long as there are friends to play with, I will continue to excercise my imagination by engaging in a game that creates a story. Several of my best friends, my wife and I look forward to the day when we all live in a retirement community together and can game all day the way some seniors now play bridge or other card games (and as our memory fails we will only need one adventure to go through again and again).

 

[Stormborn]

If you were going to introduce someone to D&D (or the like) who had never really been involved with it before where would you start? What direction would you point them in?

I would invite them to a game and if he or she said yes I would help her make a 1st level character ahead of time and try to have a mix of veterans and neophytes at the game itself. To make an appeal for the hobby I would talk about things the person might like that would be similar, such as video games, theater, or books and movies. I would encourage the person to be familiar with her character and its abilities as well as whatever (limited) player information about the world was needed ahead of time. I would run something that highlighted various aspects of the game including skills, combat, and role-play to give as broad an experience as possible. If possible I would try to emulate a genre of fiction she liked. Later I would try and follow up with questions as to what she may have liked and didn’t like. If over all she didn’t like it I would try to find out specifics and see if she would be willing to give another game a shot.


How would you describe yourself, your community, your level of engagement?
In terms of role playing I am likely typical of the average demographic in that I am a Caucasian middle class male in my mid-30s, but like many of my peers I came to RPGs late in life and have only been playing for the last 5 years or so. I have a master’s degree, am a religious and academic professional and am a freelance RPG writer. I am married and my wife plays in my group, indeed that is how we met. My interaction with the RPG community at large is limited to EnWorld and a few other message boards and professional contacts. As a freelancer, and a bit of an obsessive, I do think about and interact with RPGs and the community almost daily. I am surrounded by piles of books for multiple games (mostly d20) and prefer to spend my discretionary income, modest that it is, on hobby materials. I also collect comics and have an interest in board, miniature, and collectible card games. I prefer genre fiction in novels, tv, movies, and cartoons including anime.

What do you love/hate about it all and what keeps you engaged with it?

RPGs are a great intellectual exercise for me. I love world building and interacting with well-detailed settings. I love developing characters and mechanics. For me it is all about creation. As such I rarely play or run campaigns for more than a few months, as I want to create something new.

I hate the same kind of narrow mindedness that one finds in a lot of hobbies. People who say things like “My favorite X/way of doing things is the only correct way and what you are talking about is just wrong and now I shall rant about it for an hour or two until you agree or go away.” I hate the stereotypes, and more so that there is a justification for them, which I think leads to a ghettoization of RPGs as an activity. The basic concept of RPGs is as adaptable to any genre, settings, and social group as video games, board games, or music but the tales of devil worship and the general perception of it has resulted in RPGs being forced to both fill and appeal to certain sterotypes in much the same way the vast majority of American comics are about superheroes and are perceived to be for children.

 

[Willowisp]

Thank you... and now for some more questions

Thank you all for your detailed and thoughtful responses. They have sparked a few additional thoughts and questions. If you don't mind talking about it, I'd love to listen.

Gender and RPGs.
My general impression is that the majority of players are male but sense a female community is present if not as vocal. Stormborn, you indicate you met your wife in the community. Do you feel women are equally represented or is that something that is still evolving? Finally, if there are any women in the community here, I would love to hear from you. For whatever it's worth, I'm female.

Religion.
Again Stormborn, you have a religious background and are currently engaged with a Christian community. Given your level of involvement in RPGs (significant by your description), how would you describe balancing the two worlds? Have you come up against intolerance and, if so, how did you navigate it? While my understanding is admittedly limited I do know that certain elements of the Christian community have reacted to RPGs negatively. Your activity in two seemingly opposing worlds interests me. I'd love to hear more about that if you feel inclined to share.

Game Curiosity.
Most all of you indicate the best way to learn about RPGs is to play. I would agree. Are there venues to do this online free of charge and, if so, are there any you would recommend for someone completely green? Failing that, it sounds like I should seek out players in my community. How likely (purely an opinion question here) are people to open up their circles to someone like me? My time is somewhat limited, hence my question about playing online. I suppose I could find the answers digging around the forum a bit more but any way finding help you'd be willing to offer would be greatly appreciated.

Other Gaming Habits.
Are you interested in other types of gaming? Video games, etc. If so, which ones? What platforms? And what percentage of time do you devote to gaming outside the RPG format?

Umbran...
Is that a picture of you? Cause if it is, you're easy on the eyes. Sorry, off topic. Couldn't help myself.

Finally, any resources you might know of to share would be great. Links and what have you.

Thanks again so much for all of your thoughtful responses. I look forward to getting to know more.

 

[Umbran]

Umbran...
Is that a picture of you? Cause if it is, you're easy on the eyes. Sorry, off topic. Couldn't help myself.

Well, to handle the last first... yeah, that's me. Maybe you missed my run on Joss Wheadon's popular TV series Angel....

... okay, no. That's not me. The icon was given to me by one of the other board moderators.

Gender and RPGs.
My general impression is that the majority of players are male but sense a female community is present if not as vocal. Stormborn, you indicate you met your wife in the community. Do you feel women are equally represented or is that something that is still evolving? Finally, if there are any women in the community here, I would love to hear from you. For whatever it's worth, I'm female.

I met my wife through gaming. I moved to Boston, and started a game. She was a friend of a friend, and came to play. We were friends and fellow gamers for years before we started dating, and eventually married. We both still play.

Back in 1999, WotC did some market research on tabletop RPGs. Some of the data is seen here and some basic analysis here. This was some years ago - before the release of 3rd Edition D&D and it's resurgence in the community, and I don't believe anyone has done as comprehensive surveying since. If they have, they've not published their results that I know of.

So, those results have to be taken with a grain of sale. But it is my impression (anecdotal as it is) that women are not a full half of the overall tabletop RPG community.

Religion.
... Your activity in two seemingly opposing worlds interests me. I'd love to hear more about that if you feel inclined to share.

I don't have Stormborn's experience, but I most certainly have played with highly religious folks. While I know some highly religious folks who are not comfortable with the game's depictions of spiritual and mystical material, I think most of the conflict is based more in history and misunderstanding, rather than anything inherent in either religion or the game.

Game Curiosity.
Most all of you indicate the best way to learn about RPGs is to play. I would agree. Are there venues to do this online free of charge and, if so, are there any you would recommend for someone completely green?

If you look at our forums, you'll see a section called "Gaming Action". Some folks play the game by message-board posts there. Others play in chatrooms - there's a chat server allied with EN World where online games are played.

But, honestly, those forms are what I'd call optimal. RPGs are, in part, a social activity, and playing online does not represent that social aspect as well as doing so face to face.

Failing that, it sounds like I should seek out players in my community. How likely (purely an opinion question here) are people to open up their circles to someone like me? My time is somewhat limited, hence my question about playing online. I suppose I could find the answers digging around the forum a bit more but any way finding help you'd be willing to offer would be greatly appreciated.

We have a Gamers Seeking Gamers forum, where you might go to look. You may also find your Friendly Local Gaming Store and probably find a bulletin board with folks looking for gamers. Unfortunately, most of the gamers I know are up here in Boston, and we aren't of much use to you unless you like road trips.

Other Gaming Habits.
Are you interested in other types of gaming? Video games, etc. If so, which ones? What platforms? And what percentage of time do you devote to gaming outside the RPG format?

Welll, you'll note I mentioned "tabletop RPGs" above. That is to differentiate it from "Live action" play, which is a somewhat different beast. My wife and I play several live-action games each year. These days, I don't play a whole lot of video-games, or even board games. I don't dislike them, but I don't have the free time to devote to them.

 

[Nareau]

If you were going to introduce someone to D&D (or the like) who had never really been involved with it before where would you start?

I would start by finding out what sort of fiction the person likes. I'd make sure I knew their favorite movies, books, etc. I'd also try to get a sense of why they liked these things. Lots of action? Character development? Complex plots? Doing so will help me craft my game to suit their tastes.

Next, I'd probably invite them to play a game where the rules aren't the focus. Most RPGs have a steep learning curve, requiring a player to spend a lot of time learning the basics. I recently discovered a system called Dread, which requires no dice, no books, no math skills, and no memorization of rules. This is the sort of system I'd want to start someone out with. It would allow them to get a good feel for what role-playing is all about, without having to worry so much about the "game" part of things.

What direction would you point them in?

Depending on the person, their level of interest, and the game system, I would probably point them to some books and online resources. The Player's Handbook is the basic book for players in D&D, and the SRD has just about all the rules online for free.

How would you describe yourself, your community, your level of engagement?

I'm a 29 year-old caucasian male IT professional. I'm friends with all the people in my gaming group. We game every week for about 4 hours. I spend about an hour a week on gaming messageboards.

What do you love/hate about it all and what keeps you engaged with it?

I love the social aspect, the creation of long and involved plots, and the opportunity to create memorable scenes. I hate the complexity of running a high-level game.

Nareau

 

[Nareau]

Gender and RPGs.

From my personal experience, I've come to believe that women are a minority in the gaming community. However, I believe a number of factors are contributing to the increase in women gamers.

Religion.

I am not religious, nor are any of the members of my gaming group. I think this has more to do with the fact that very few of my friends are religious, and my gaming group is selected from my friends.

Game Curiosity.

I try to be pretty accepting of anyone who wants to join my game. If it's not possible, I'm happy to set up a single-session (AKA "one-shot") game to play in addition to our regular sessions.

If you're interested in joining a game, I would recommend you drop by your Friendly Local Gaming Store (FLGS). Most such stores have a bulletin board for gamers seeking games. Some places even have a room set up for gamers to play in. Talk with the people working at the store, let them know what you're looking for, and they can probably help you out.

How likely (purely an opinion question here) are people to open up their circles to someone like me?

In my experience, people tend to be reluctant to accept outsiders who are just there out of curiosity. Especially if they're asked to devote a significant amount of time to helping someone satisfy that curiosity. If you ask, I doubt anyone would mind you sitting and watching a game session (especially if it's in a public place, like your FLGS).

On the other hand, if you're truly interested in playing, there are always people around who are looking for others to join their games.

Other Gaming Habits.

I play computer RPGs and action/adventure games pretty frequently. As they're much easier to just pick up and play for a few minutes, I probably play computer games more than I play P&P (Pen and Paper, or tabletop) games.

Nareau

 

[Nifft]

I am in the research stages of writing a paper on role playing games and communities and am hoping to glean some insight into the world via your forum.

Sadly, this forum is located on the Internet, and as such, it is subject to many of the general issues that one finds on the Internet.
- Sample groups are self-selecting, random, and probably just looking for attention.
- Many responders will be bored, drunk, or both.
- This forum may contain nuts.

Admittedly, I am an outsider and am only beginning my exploration. A little handholding wouldn't hurt. I'm basically looking for ambassadors. If you were going to introduce someone to D&D (or the like) who had never really been involved with it before where would you start?

I'd start by playing the game.

What direction would you point them in? How would you describe yourself, your community, your level of engagement?

Really, I wouldn't. I don't play in a "community", I play with a few friends. This interweb thingy is more of a community than my actual game -- and you can see how it works just by watching it for a while.

What do you love/hate about it all and what keeps you engaged with it?

I enjoy the creativity aspect, but the Satanism is starting to get old. Might switch to Ahrimanism just because Iran is hip right now.

The thrust of my paper is around the history and evolution of the genre and the culture of those within it.

Good luck. Look for a group in your area and try sitting down a the table. Even if you don't play much, the experience will be much more informative than anything a bunch of drunk, anti-social interweebs could tell you -- myself expesially included.

Cheers, -- N