Author: Grip (---.VANGUARD.COM)
Date: 03-13-2001 09:41
I've read your article and have to agree with a lot of the points. I've been gaming for over 20 years and I've seen everything you've described but I think you've missed stating the obvious. The whole point of gaming for me is having fun. For some people that's the stress-releiving hack-and-slash type game and for others it's the free-form storytelling thing. And I've even had the pleasure of doing some of each giving me some satisfaction in both areas. The problem I have with the storytelling thing is it usually ends up restricting the player characters too much. Sometimes to the point of making it unfun. I've had friends who talked about such games and said that they felt like handing their character sheets to the GM and telling him to let them know how their character does. I've unfortunately been there too. For those people who find this fun I say more power too them but I won't stick around for that game. If I'm not having fun, I don't play. That may sound kind of snobbish but I game to have fun and if I'm not having fun I'm defeating the point. I'll look for another game and hope for a better outcome. I have dropped out of several games (usually run by one of my friends) because I didn't enjoy it anymore for one reason or another. I'm sure my friend wasn't happy but that's the way it goes. I have also seen the other end of the spectrum where the game had no plot, story, flavor, etc.. This is just as bad. There has to be some ground work for the players to interact and work with. Something to get their attention and get them thinking. Without it they just kind of flounder and either do nothing or start destroying everything in sight. I've even seen this first hand in my earlier years of GMing. I try to learn from my mistakes though.
As for the different style gamers bashing each other, I don't see any point to it. Let each gamer do what he/she enjoys. That's what it's all about. If you don't enjoy it, don't game with that group and find another one. The only problem I have is with the fringe roll players that have lost touch with reality. Roll playing is definetely a form of escapism. Unfortunately there are some people who want to escape this reality so badly they start roll playing constantly or take the roll playing to extremes. Even though this is a small minority, this is the group of people who end up giving ALL roll players a bad reputation.
As for the online RPG's, I agree with most of what you said. Computers will not (at least not any time soon) replace role playing with people. It's the interaction of the people playing their characters that give the game it's unpredictability and flavor. Until computers get REAL artificial intelligence (not the crap we've seen up to this point), there will be no substitute.
Lastly, it's a sad day when a gamer hangs up his dicebag. My friends and I are having a more and more difficult time finding fellow gamers. I think that our numbers are dwindling, at least in my neck of the woods so good luck on your exploits and hope you come back to soon.
Grip
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