Ostracism in RPGs...
- Thread starter aramis
- Start date
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Gamers have become so mainstream now. It is a reflection of their diffusion into society. When I started gaming circa 1981 there was caution but not rejection at my Catholic school and local library. Soon they recognized that these games bring in people and they had the space to host them. Our "elders" people in their late 20s & 30s could not understand it...and hence were the most cautious. So I had not so much to hide my gaming proclivities but just not advertize them.
Now, people of that age remember the contraversy but not what caused it. For when I did a display for National Gaming Day on the 30th Anniversary of D&D and then again for Traveller. A few heckles were raised but generally everything was taken in good spirit. The fact that I can openly use gaming images without heckles is big move forward.
To illustrate how mainstream gaming has become...a friend of mine who does IT support for one of the big ISPs routinely has the gang of them 4 programers, a few marketing reps and the president of the company an extended lunch (3-4hrs) to play games whilst at work.
I also wonder if the conservative christian movement that opposed games in the beginning was more of a slow-down movement...for all the things they opposed in the 70s are now more or less part of mainstream christian youth culture today.
Now, people of that age remember the contraversy but not what caused it. For when I did a display for National Gaming Day on the 30th Anniversary of D&D and then again for Traveller. A few heckles were raised but generally everything was taken in good spirit. The fact that I can openly use gaming images without heckles is big move forward.
To illustrate how mainstream gaming has become...a friend of mine who does IT support for one of the big ISPs routinely has the gang of them 4 programers, a few marketing reps and the president of the company an extended lunch (3-4hrs) to play games whilst at work.
I also wonder if the conservative christian movement that opposed games in the beginning was more of a slow-down movement...for all the things they opposed in the 70s are now more or less part of mainstream christian youth culture today.
Last edited:
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I can't say I agree.
Droves of people play WoW on the internet, read Dragonlance, purchased from the local bookstore, and spend hours and hours entertaining themselves with rpg-computer games.
Most of them have no idea how close that is to pen-n-paper role playing.
And, to them, those losers who play, what's that game called? Dungeons and Demons? Yeah, that one. Those D&Ders are just, well, wierd.
Many, I have found, don't even know that there are many different genres of pnp rpgs. They think it's all D&D, not knowing that one can play James Bond, or Twilight 2000, or even Traveller.
But, either way, they think we'll all super nerds who have seen women in 10 years and laugh like Marty McFly's dad.
I once ran a D&D campaign that ran for 6 years with 7 women in it & the occasional male player. Had no problems internally in the game. The game mostly ended when the goal of the game (placing one of the characters on her usurped throne) was achieved. The first Traveller campaign ended because so many of the players got transferred out by the Air Force. My second Traveller campaign was with some of the same people. That ended with the core players except for two leaving gaming, and/or moving to another city. Of course being unemployed for about three years put a damper on gaming.
I've only had two interparty conflicts that escalated. The first was between two players (at the time they were a 4th male assassin & 4th female mage). I let that run its course because the assassin approached me to conduct a coup d'etat against the mage. I allowed it and worked between games to set it up & hire NPC's (note: don't buy bargain basement henchmen like he did). He plotted & refined his plan for 4 months, then dropped it, saying it was wrong. Then talking with the mage I found out the truth-he had been bragging to her about this great plot he was cooking up against her. She had called him on it at her house one night & they gamed out the scenario. She had wiped the assassin & his minions all by herself. I was highly amused, but never let I on to the assassin character that I knew the truth-however he never maligned the mage again during the games.
The other conflict was a clash of personalities. One player had to constantly rant (& defend his right to rant ) against one of the players (who was always outsmarting him), and anything he felt was wrong about the game setting. It killed the Mage/Vampire game another GM ran & the Changeling game I ran. I dropped out of gaming for a while & my wife & best friend both quit gaming for good.
I don't mention gaming at work. The people I work with either feel gaming is stupid or think that is evil. Of course, they also think SF is weird.
I've only had two interparty conflicts that escalated. The first was between two players (at the time they were a 4th male assassin & 4th female mage). I let that run its course because the assassin approached me to conduct a coup d'etat against the mage. I allowed it and worked between games to set it up & hire NPC's (note: don't buy bargain basement henchmen like he did). He plotted & refined his plan for 4 months, then dropped it, saying it was wrong. Then talking with the mage I found out the truth-he had been bragging to her about this great plot he was cooking up against her. She had called him on it at her house one night & they gamed out the scenario. She had wiped the assassin & his minions all by herself. I was highly amused, but never let I on to the assassin character that I knew the truth-however he never maligned the mage again during the games.
The other conflict was a clash of personalities. One player had to constantly rant (& defend his right to rant ) against one of the players (who was always outsmarting him), and anything he felt was wrong about the game setting. It killed the Mage/Vampire game another GM ran & the Changeling game I ran. I dropped out of gaming for a while & my wife & best friend both quit gaming for good.
I don't mention gaming at work. The people I work with either feel gaming is stupid or think that is evil. Of course, they also think SF is weird.
My wife wishes they had the 'Barbie' mini-gun.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
You asked...
I guess a Barbie Uzi isn't quite enough fire power?
...or perhaps something a little more patriotic?
(this one almost looks real, and there's more than one image of it out there on the internets... )
I guess a Barbie Uzi isn't quite enough fire power?
...or perhaps something a little more patriotic?
(this one almost looks real, and there's more than one image of it out there on the internets... )
Last edited:
Might be that way in the United States but up here...it is mainly just viewed as another pastime akin to videogame addicts, uche players, poker night...all these hobbies do get subsummed as being wierd or particular when viewed against something more concrete. For example, you are going to the ballgame alone? without your son...then you must be a wierdo. Or what do you girls really talk about when you go for poker night? Are you sure you are playing the game...if not that is just weird. So wierdness and quirkiness part of mainstream adolscent culture these days hence the more welcoming reception for RPGs.
For a minority, I did state for the record, especially by the generations after us, we will always be Satan worshippers or deviants but same thing they usually tar gays, lesbians, and ethnic minorities with the same brush.
The other night I ran into an old gaming friend of mine at a local bookstore. He was the epitome of too much gaming, fantasy and sci-fi, and not enough more relaxing and mainstream activities. The guy was a short, paunchy gaming nerd with a full beard and moustache (still has it) with a bit of a comb over, and buttoned his plaid collared shirts all the way up to his neck. And.. AND, Star Trek and D&D used to be his life... his religion, if you will.
He's still somewhat like that, but when I was talking with him he was comparatively relaxed. He still had his plaid shirt, but it wasn't buttoned up all the way to the top. He still had his interest in gaming and Trek, but was a little more critical of them and little more accepting of a larger pantheon of games and entertainment venues.
The first man I was marginally embarrassed to have known. The transformed second man is far more appealing. The kidn of gaming nerd you could take to a cocktail party and not feel embarrassed because he wouldn't be quoting episodes of his favorite Star Trek episode accompanied with sound effects.
He still watches sci-fi, but it's not his soul existence anymore.
Anyway, it was good to talk to him, and good to see that he had grown up. Heck, he may even get married at some point.
He's still somewhat like that, but when I was talking with him he was comparatively relaxed. He still had his plaid shirt, but it wasn't buttoned up all the way to the top. He still had his interest in gaming and Trek, but was a little more critical of them and little more accepting of a larger pantheon of games and entertainment venues.
The first man I was marginally embarrassed to have known. The transformed second man is far more appealing. The kidn of gaming nerd you could take to a cocktail party and not feel embarrassed because he wouldn't be quoting episodes of his favorite Star Trek episode accompanied with sound effects.
He still watches sci-fi, but it's not his soul existence anymore.
Anyway, it was good to talk to him, and good to see that he had grown up. Heck, he may even get married at some point.
Unfortunately, she has a passion for gatling guns-the only reason I have a gauss gatling gun in my game is to keep her happy. But she does like the Uzi.
I guess a Barbie Uzi isn't quite enough fire power?
...or perhaps something a little more patriotic?
(this one almost looks real, and there's more than one image of it out there on the internets... )
Ganidirsii O'Flynn
SOC-12
I've had the same problems in the course of things; Hell, I've probably BEEN the problem guy in a couple of groups I've been in over the years.
I've had the non-gamer girlfriend/wife.
Solution: Be honest about being a gamer. 'Ok, honey, here is the deal: I Are A Geek. I'm Good With That. If You're Good With Me, You're Good With That Too...' That policy has gotten me a great fiancee who is a gamer too. Our big difference in hobbies is that I'm (sadly) a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan. To her, football is a sign of the coming apocalypse. She likes anime. I think that watching catgirls and ninja children is, um, silly and that cartoons should amuse not annoy.
I've had the One Guy With [insert problem/issue here] In My Game Group.
Solution: Be honest with him. If he needs a shower, tell him. If he curses too much, tell him. I've found that most of us are fairly ignorant of our faults and appreciate someone telling us. You risk hurting the occasional feelings, but most of us would rather have someone talking to our front not behind our backs.
I've had to deal with the Guy That Is Usually OK, but His Characters Always [insert dumb habit here].
Solution: Be honest with him. If you want a highly organized party, tell the guy to play ball or go home.
Anybody seeing a thread here? B)
I've had the non-gamer girlfriend/wife.
Solution: Be honest about being a gamer. 'Ok, honey, here is the deal: I Are A Geek. I'm Good With That. If You're Good With Me, You're Good With That Too...' That policy has gotten me a great fiancee who is a gamer too. Our big difference in hobbies is that I'm (sadly) a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan. To her, football is a sign of the coming apocalypse. She likes anime. I think that watching catgirls and ninja children is, um, silly and that cartoons should amuse not annoy.
I've had the One Guy With [insert problem/issue here] In My Game Group.
Solution: Be honest with him. If he needs a shower, tell him. If he curses too much, tell him. I've found that most of us are fairly ignorant of our faults and appreciate someone telling us. You risk hurting the occasional feelings, but most of us would rather have someone talking to our front not behind our backs.
I've had to deal with the Guy That Is Usually OK, but His Characters Always [insert dumb habit here].
Solution: Be honest with him. If you want a highly organized party, tell the guy to play ball or go home.
Anybody seeing a thread here? B)
ThunderChilde
SOC-13
Okay, got myself back up off the floor. My youngest sister's life long best friend is a hello kitty freak. For a woman who hates foriegn things by and large, reflexily by the way, she latched onto the the first Hello Kitty keychain like a drowning sinner would latch onto the Devils tail. Her house is shrine to Hello Kitty, scary like. Gonna have to print that out in it's full color glory for her.
Trudy is gonna pop a blood vessel.
Trudy is gonna pop a blood vessel.
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Glad I could help.
Darth Kitty
Darth Kitty
We had a moron in our group who was a "psychologist". During the course this psychologist got really wacky. Intolerable kind of wacky. He was pretending to be so insane that he really got under the skin of everyone at the table. When we'd play Champions he'd pretend to be this wacked-out ghetto girl with dual six shooters who fired at the first sign of opposition. I finally left the table when he lost his cool with one of the players. I think we all did with this guy, and finally asked that he not come back. Apparently dude had a breakdown... go figure.
In one of my earlier groups we had a very frugal player who liked to keep tabs on everybody's minutae. During a session of Risk he would swap out and organize other player's men. During a New Year's session of Car Wars he left early to spend time with the family, erased all the damage to his car, and handed it to another player without our knowledge. He and his father were the proverbial "cheap bastards". The guy would drive several miles out of his way for cheap gas, including (but not limited to) driving across the bay. If you live in the SF Bay Area, then you know what I'm talking about. Not a bad guy, as such. But really REALLY annoying. Anyone who's followed my posts may have figured out that this is the rules lawyer jerk who'd invoke a rule to save his own skin, even though said rule had not been used the entire game. I could go on, but you get the point.
We had a GM in a local gaming club that liked to control everything, and if you didn't play by his rules he got really vindictive. I wasn't part of the campaign, but heard all about it. I played NPCs for a campaign he was running, and started to notice how he'd treat his player group as if they were his employees. You guessed it; he was a supervisor at some tech firm.
I actually tried to get myself kicked from a group by repeating (in jest) everything some other guy was saying, only in a deep ethnic accent
The GM told me to shut up several times, but I couldn't help myself. My inner "jerk" had to come out for all the crap I had suffered 
Most of my gaming experiences have been real positive ones. The best group I ever belonged to were ones that included friends. Our old Car Wars and Traveller gaming group, and a D&D group I briefly belonged to after college. We had no bad eggs in either of those groups. Good times had by all.
