Since its introduction almost four decades ago, tabletop roleplaying has evolved from an eclectic hobby played by only a few thousand into a full-fledged subculture boasting several million members worldwide. The genre began in 1974 with the debut of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and the most recent market research conducted by TSR, the company who introduced it, estimates that over 20 million people have played this tabletop game alone. No longer reserved for the stereotypically underachieving, socially stunted young males playing in their parent's basement, this hobby has gained an increasingly diverse membership which has helped it move past the games themselves to incorporate a wide variety of cultural and social media that are based on gaming including game-specific music, literature, fashion, social events, and an extensive slang dialect. Gaming has also spawned or influenced many microcultural offshoots which blend and overlap with one another; from steampunk to cyberpunk, anime to cosplay, nerdcore to the Goth scene.
When discussing the benefits that a hobby such as roleplaying has in the lives of its participants, it is important to consider how much impact it has on their lives as a whole. My research has shown that even gamers with only an average involvement still invest 4-6 hours each week playing various RPGs, while those who are more deeply involved may average closer to 12-15. Another important consideration is the strength of ties between gaming group members. While gaming certainly does not represent the extent of the social lives of the players, the members of a long-term gaming circle spend a great deal of time together and do grow extremely close. During my interviews it was not uncommon to hear people refer to their primary group as their "gaming family". Also, I frequently observed groups of people who lived in different areas that made plans to attend conventions together. These groups might only meet in person a few times each year, but they still developed strong ties to each other and clearly considered their long-distance friendships socially significant.
The importance of gaming can also be seen in the financial allocations made by the players. While traditional tabletop RPGs require very few materials to play, there is an extensive realm of gaming accessories and supplements for the players to purchase if they are so inclined. These items range from practical additions such as new campaign books, replacement dice, and game maps across the spectrum to status objects like gemstone dice, customized miniatures, and expensive 3-D dungeons. Additionally, attending gaming conventions can be quite an investment. Gaming convention passes range from $50-$150 per person for a weekend pass, and then the player must then pay for a hotel room for 3 nights, which averaged $99 per night at the conventions I attended, as well as any travel expenses required to reach the convention. This does not include the money that is spent on merchandise, costumes, and other purchases made during the event. It is not uncommon for gamers to make attending one of the large national or regional conventions their annual vacation, and members of the same gaming groups will often attend together to share the expenses.
With this in mind, I examined the social and personal benefits that the process of roleplaying has on its players. Roleplaying is a very large concept to address when taken as a whole, so following the 1974 study conducted by Dr. Gary Allen Fine my research addressed three sociologically significant aspects of gaming; a generalized observation and description of the subculture, an analysis of the factors that influence the creation and navigation of the shared fantasy worlds, and the ways in which the participants negotiate the multiple roles and layers of boundaries they are required to maintain while roleplaying. The first area is the influence of the gaming subculture itself. This includes the art, music, fashion, and other cultural influences that stem from gaming and its associated subgenres. It also includes the demographics of the gaming community, as well as the state of the games themselves. The second area is an exploration of the ways gaming groups create the microcultural systems and fantasy worlds in which the games take place. This offers insight into processes like social crossover and the conveyance of status that help shape the player's interpersonal relationships, both on and off the table. The third area, engrossment and identification, includes several important elements of the gamers relationship with themselves. The balance of frameworks, role negotiation, and role conflict are concepts that roleplayers must subconsciously employ on a daily basis, but which take on a unique tangibility in the context of gaming.
Through consideration of these three areas it becomes apparent that, although it is a leisure pursuit, gaming is both extremely important to those who play and extremely beneficial to their lives outside the dungeon. Roleplaying games offer their players a chance to safely explore their developing identities, an escape from normal social pressures, a venue to hone social skills and build confidence, educational opportunities to pursue, and a system that rewards creative problem solving while promoting higher-level thinking skills.
Over the last two years I have participated in thousands of hours of participant observation, conducted numerous interviews, and attended 12 conventions. The stories I've collected over bags of Doritos and Mountain Dew could fill a book by themselves. It has fascinated and frustrated me; burned me out completely on roleplaying only to reinvigorate my original passion for the hobby. In the end, it is my sincere hope that my observations might help my fellow gamers explore the many facets of the gaming experience, find new ways to increase both personal and group enjoyment of roleplaying, and embrace the benefits that come with each roll of the dice.
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