Gaming Geekdom
Since I would welcome comments (from those who feel like it) to some of my recent long-winded emails I've decided to post them here, edited for content just a smidge to keep it on-topic. First up, my post about gaming. My thoughts on pulp fiction to follow if I can find them.
I watched an interesting movie last night. So interesting, in fact, I have to comment on it, as it has direct relation to me and to about half the people who will get this email. It is called Uber-Goober (supply your own umlaut, please) and it is a documentary all about roleplaying gamers-you know, guys like me who played Dungeons and Dragons. I rented it expecting it to be funny and it was, mainly for all the reasons you would think (see below), but it was also a pretty candid look at a very misunderstood hobby in its myriad forms. You can find info on it at www.ubergoobermovie.com, if you're so inclined.
So, to begin, those of you who know me from a social setting other than gaming may not know that I am, in fact, a gamer...although not much of one anymore because all my gaming buddies are scattered to the Four Winds, and trying to get anyone together long enough to get a game going is difficult at best. People I used to game with regularly have other responsibilities like kids and wives now. In fact,out of the dozen or so people I used to play with, I'm one of 3 guys who are still single/childless/ not living with a significant other. We grew up, and real life got in the way of the game. It happens.
Which brings me to the point (or one of several I'll make. Read on if interested). The movie deals with standard misconceptions about roleplaying games and gamers in general-all of which will be every familiar to all the gamers on my email list. One of these is that we all can't handle real life and therefore retreat to a fantasy world where we don't have to worry about things like rent and personal hygiene. Another is that we're all a bunch of losers who can't get a date. Still yet another is that we're a bunch of Satan-worshippers who bring guns to school and torture cats on Halloween. Hey- if Geraldo Rivera says it, it must be true.
One of the gamers in the film said it perfectly. He said that when he tells people he is a gamer, the reactions he gets vary from suspicion to outright hostility. He was one of several gamers who opted to have their faces blurred or appeared in silhouette. At first, I thought this was a joke. Turns out it wasn't-people are really reluctant to be identified as gamers because they feel there will be social consequences. One guy is a cop and is worried that if it becomes known he is a gamer it will affect him in the workplace. Why is this?
Well, let's take a look at the stereotypical "gamer". All of you, whether you're gamers yourselves or not, know who I mean: Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons comes to mind. The average gamer is usually 50 lbs. overweight and has few to no social skills. He smells like old socks or unwashed ass. He wears chainmail (or an elven cloak-depending on the gender of the gamer),to the mall. Perhaps he wears fake vampire teeth and sunglasses indoors. He thinks this makes him cool.
What it does is make him look like an asshole. Unfortunately, these are the people that non-gamers (NG's) think make up the gaming community. And while it is true many gamers have no fashion sense (myself included-I wear jeans and sweatshirts almost every day I'm not at work), most of us don't wear armor to the grocery store or a Starfleet uniform to jury duty. That's just silly.
As I said earlier, a common gamer stereotype that NGs hold is that most gamers become too wrapped up in the game and it becomes their life. Despite what Geraldo will tell you, this almost never, if ever, happens. Gaming is, by nature, a social event (also stated in the film). You can't game by yourself (if you do, please seek help). Everyone I gamed with can all differentiate reality from fantasy very well. Most of them are extremely intelligent people who are well-informed on a wide variety of subjects.
Those who knew me in high school, when I gamed most, know that I was a moody individual prone to exaggeration, but hardly a Satan-worshipping murderous psycho. Say what you want about how I turned out (I'm sure you all have your own theories)...all joking aside, however, I think I turned out ok, and so did my gamer friends.
I truly believe gaming has had a hugely positive impact on my life. First of all, it was and is enormously fun. But it also made me think. It encouraged creativity, imagination and problem-solving. It increased my vocabulary and gave me a love of reading (I would venture to say I read more than any 3 of my friends combined...that's not love-that's bordering on a disorder). It helped enormously with my education.
Some of the current professions of people I have gamed with in my life: lawyer, teachers (2), social workers (3-myself included), scientist, and computer support technician. Of these, 3 own their own homes and 2 are in the process of getting one. We're all of us doing ok. Others I have lost track of over the years, but were doing well when last I spoke to them. None of us killed anyone, went insane, became drug addicts, joined a cult, or dropped out of school. None of us were alcoholics by age 20 (that would take me until age 30...just kidding. Kinda.) None of us lives in our parents' basement, and all of us shower regularly.
We all have varied interests. I often joke that if I were to lay all my interests out, most people wouldn't believe they were from the same person. For shits and grins: let's do that. I like: Reading; Writing; Bagpiping and Celtic music; Aikido and other martial arts, including Capoeira; Comic Books; Roleplaying; Big, Voluptuous Women; Guinness; Video Games; Cooking, and Learning. Now, you all know me to some extent, some better than others, and so this may not seem all that difficult to believe after all...but my point is I don't think I live in Middle Earth, and my name ain't Frodo.
The second big stereotype is that we're all losers who can't get a date. Now, while I know plenty of gamers who are losers, but none are my friends, so we don't all fall into that category. As far as getting dates go, I never had a problem with that despite my dorky hobby (or hobbies- see above), and as I mentioned, most of my gaming friends are either married or in committed relationships, so neither did they. It is worth noting however (and the film does this too) that many gamers who are in relationships with NGs don't game as much, or stop gaming altogether. One guy even kept it secret from his wife! The problem for male gamers is that not a lot of women play, so finding someone who shares your interest can be difficult. When you do, don't let them go (trust me on this).
And lastly, the theory that all gamers are social misfits who worship the devil and revel in black magic. The film shows people who truly believe this. They're given equal time to explain why they feel the hobby is just one more way for Satan to corrupt the impressionable. All of these folks have, from what I can see, "found Jesus". Now I have no problem with anyone's personal beliefs so long as they don't think it gives them the right to pass judgement on everyone who doesn't believe as they do. Wanna take a wild guess where I'm going with this?
Hear for yourself some of the crap that comes out of their mouths. Rent the DVD. My personal favorite is the guy who "used to be a gamer", but now isn't because he realized that it was the Devil's greatest wish. In effect, his players' characters would rape and pillage as part of their regular adventures, and that was evil. Now, I've played in thousands of games in my life for dozens of systems, and I can't recall any game in which rape(this is imaginary rape for all the NGs reading this who are horrified) played a part whatsoever. Kinda makes you wonder what kinda game this guy ran-he talked about rape an awful lot. He was worried that it might influence real life behavior (just like those damn rock music lyrics).
His friend, another self-proclaimed Christian (again, no offense to those who call themselves Christian ... most of y'all aren't in the same category as this clown, i.e. the Bible-says-so, I'm-always-right-and-you're-going to-hell-cuz-you-don't-agree type) says that roleplaying games are wrong because the game master is setting himself up as a god, which as all of us who graduated from Catholic schools well know (yes, I did), is against the First Commandment. In effect, the Game master has control of an entire world and its population (the characters) in his mind, therefore he is their "god". This is a big no-no.
Following the logic of these jokers, we can make the jump that ANY writer of fiction is setting himself up as a god, because he in effect creates his own world and is responsible for any characters in it (who he also creates). Further, anyone who reads Crime and Punishment or Lolita runs the risk of uncontrollably murdering an old woman with an axe or shagging a 14-year-old, due to the horrible influences contained therein. (I've read both and done neither, in case you're wondering. It was in my Russian literature phase-don't ask.)
The movie really is worth seeing-you'll laugh at the geeks (both gamers and NGs) and learn a lot about the hobby if you don't already know. There's a great interview with Gary Gygax about the evolution of the hobby (Gary Gygax created D&D, for those who don't know) and its unfair media representation among other things. It covers all aspects of the hobby-tabletop miniature games, roleplaying games, and Live Action Roleplaying (LARP-ers), which I'm sure is what most NG's think of when they think of gamers in general.
A final word about the LARPers...these guys are dorks. Now, I am aware of the irony and hypocrisy of a gamer such as myself, who has just spent the last 16 or so paragraphs DEFENDING the hobby passing judgement on one subgroup, but the simple fact is that these people are, plain and simple, dorks. Dressing up and resolving conflicts with rock-paper-scissors is weird. Carrying around foam swords and beating each other with them in public parks is ridiculous. Observe the guy (yes-GUY) in the film who is dressed as a unicorn and carries a pugil-stick. Just in case any NG who reads this thinks this is the kind of "gaming" I take part in, rest assured, I don't.
I would like to take part in some gaming, though. That's a hint to all my gaming friends. You have my number.
God bless Gary Gygax.
-K
I watched an interesting movie last night. So interesting, in fact, I have to comment on it, as it has direct relation to me and to about half the people who will get this email. It is called Uber-Goober (supply your own umlaut, please) and it is a documentary all about roleplaying gamers-you know, guys like me who played Dungeons and Dragons. I rented it expecting it to be funny and it was, mainly for all the reasons you would think (see below), but it was also a pretty candid look at a very misunderstood hobby in its myriad forms. You can find info on it at www.ubergoobermovie.com, if you're so inclined.
So, to begin, those of you who know me from a social setting other than gaming may not know that I am, in fact, a gamer...although not much of one anymore because all my gaming buddies are scattered to the Four Winds, and trying to get anyone together long enough to get a game going is difficult at best. People I used to game with regularly have other responsibilities like kids and wives now. In fact,out of the dozen or so people I used to play with, I'm one of 3 guys who are still single/childless/ not living with a significant other. We grew up, and real life got in the way of the game. It happens.
Which brings me to the point (or one of several I'll make. Read on if interested). The movie deals with standard misconceptions about roleplaying games and gamers in general-all of which will be every familiar to all the gamers on my email list. One of these is that we all can't handle real life and therefore retreat to a fantasy world where we don't have to worry about things like rent and personal hygiene. Another is that we're all a bunch of losers who can't get a date. Still yet another is that we're a bunch of Satan-worshippers who bring guns to school and torture cats on Halloween. Hey- if Geraldo Rivera says it, it must be true.
One of the gamers in the film said it perfectly. He said that when he tells people he is a gamer, the reactions he gets vary from suspicion to outright hostility. He was one of several gamers who opted to have their faces blurred or appeared in silhouette. At first, I thought this was a joke. Turns out it wasn't-people are really reluctant to be identified as gamers because they feel there will be social consequences. One guy is a cop and is worried that if it becomes known he is a gamer it will affect him in the workplace. Why is this?
Well, let's take a look at the stereotypical "gamer". All of you, whether you're gamers yourselves or not, know who I mean: Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons comes to mind. The average gamer is usually 50 lbs. overweight and has few to no social skills. He smells like old socks or unwashed ass. He wears chainmail (or an elven cloak-depending on the gender of the gamer),to the mall. Perhaps he wears fake vampire teeth and sunglasses indoors. He thinks this makes him cool.
What it does is make him look like an asshole. Unfortunately, these are the people that non-gamers (NG's) think make up the gaming community. And while it is true many gamers have no fashion sense (myself included-I wear jeans and sweatshirts almost every day I'm not at work), most of us don't wear armor to the grocery store or a Starfleet uniform to jury duty. That's just silly.
As I said earlier, a common gamer stereotype that NGs hold is that most gamers become too wrapped up in the game and it becomes their life. Despite what Geraldo will tell you, this almost never, if ever, happens. Gaming is, by nature, a social event (also stated in the film). You can't game by yourself (if you do, please seek help). Everyone I gamed with can all differentiate reality from fantasy very well. Most of them are extremely intelligent people who are well-informed on a wide variety of subjects.
Those who knew me in high school, when I gamed most, know that I was a moody individual prone to exaggeration, but hardly a Satan-worshipping murderous psycho. Say what you want about how I turned out (I'm sure you all have your own theories)...all joking aside, however, I think I turned out ok, and so did my gamer friends.
I truly believe gaming has had a hugely positive impact on my life. First of all, it was and is enormously fun. But it also made me think. It encouraged creativity, imagination and problem-solving. It increased my vocabulary and gave me a love of reading (I would venture to say I read more than any 3 of my friends combined...that's not love-that's bordering on a disorder). It helped enormously with my education.
Some of the current professions of people I have gamed with in my life: lawyer, teachers (2), social workers (3-myself included), scientist, and computer support technician. Of these, 3 own their own homes and 2 are in the process of getting one. We're all of us doing ok. Others I have lost track of over the years, but were doing well when last I spoke to them. None of us killed anyone, went insane, became drug addicts, joined a cult, or dropped out of school. None of us were alcoholics by age 20 (that would take me until age 30...just kidding. Kinda.) None of us lives in our parents' basement, and all of us shower regularly.
We all have varied interests. I often joke that if I were to lay all my interests out, most people wouldn't believe they were from the same person. For shits and grins: let's do that. I like: Reading; Writing; Bagpiping and Celtic music; Aikido and other martial arts, including Capoeira; Comic Books; Roleplaying; Big, Voluptuous Women; Guinness; Video Games; Cooking, and Learning. Now, you all know me to some extent, some better than others, and so this may not seem all that difficult to believe after all...but my point is I don't think I live in Middle Earth, and my name ain't Frodo.
The second big stereotype is that we're all losers who can't get a date. Now, while I know plenty of gamers who are losers, but none are my friends, so we don't all fall into that category. As far as getting dates go, I never had a problem with that despite my dorky hobby (or hobbies- see above), and as I mentioned, most of my gaming friends are either married or in committed relationships, so neither did they. It is worth noting however (and the film does this too) that many gamers who are in relationships with NGs don't game as much, or stop gaming altogether. One guy even kept it secret from his wife! The problem for male gamers is that not a lot of women play, so finding someone who shares your interest can be difficult. When you do, don't let them go (trust me on this).
And lastly, the theory that all gamers are social misfits who worship the devil and revel in black magic. The film shows people who truly believe this. They're given equal time to explain why they feel the hobby is just one more way for Satan to corrupt the impressionable. All of these folks have, from what I can see, "found Jesus". Now I have no problem with anyone's personal beliefs so long as they don't think it gives them the right to pass judgement on everyone who doesn't believe as they do. Wanna take a wild guess where I'm going with this?
Hear for yourself some of the crap that comes out of their mouths. Rent the DVD. My personal favorite is the guy who "used to be a gamer", but now isn't because he realized that it was the Devil's greatest wish. In effect, his players' characters would rape and pillage as part of their regular adventures, and that was evil. Now, I've played in thousands of games in my life for dozens of systems, and I can't recall any game in which rape(this is imaginary rape for all the NGs reading this who are horrified) played a part whatsoever. Kinda makes you wonder what kinda game this guy ran-he talked about rape an awful lot. He was worried that it might influence real life behavior (just like those damn rock music lyrics).
His friend, another self-proclaimed Christian (again, no offense to those who call themselves Christian ... most of y'all aren't in the same category as this clown, i.e. the Bible-says-so, I'm-always-right-and-you're-going to-hell-cuz-you-don't-agree type) says that roleplaying games are wrong because the game master is setting himself up as a god, which as all of us who graduated from Catholic schools well know (yes, I did), is against the First Commandment. In effect, the Game master has control of an entire world and its population (the characters) in his mind, therefore he is their "god". This is a big no-no.
Following the logic of these jokers, we can make the jump that ANY writer of fiction is setting himself up as a god, because he in effect creates his own world and is responsible for any characters in it (who he also creates). Further, anyone who reads Crime and Punishment or Lolita runs the risk of uncontrollably murdering an old woman with an axe or shagging a 14-year-old, due to the horrible influences contained therein. (I've read both and done neither, in case you're wondering. It was in my Russian literature phase-don't ask.)
The movie really is worth seeing-you'll laugh at the geeks (both gamers and NGs) and learn a lot about the hobby if you don't already know. There's a great interview with Gary Gygax about the evolution of the hobby (Gary Gygax created D&D, for those who don't know) and its unfair media representation among other things. It covers all aspects of the hobby-tabletop miniature games, roleplaying games, and Live Action Roleplaying (LARP-ers), which I'm sure is what most NG's think of when they think of gamers in general.
A final word about the LARPers...these guys are dorks. Now, I am aware of the irony and hypocrisy of a gamer such as myself, who has just spent the last 16 or so paragraphs DEFENDING the hobby passing judgement on one subgroup, but the simple fact is that these people are, plain and simple, dorks. Dressing up and resolving conflicts with rock-paper-scissors is weird. Carrying around foam swords and beating each other with them in public parks is ridiculous. Observe the guy (yes-GUY) in the film who is dressed as a unicorn and carries a pugil-stick. Just in case any NG who reads this thinks this is the kind of "gaming" I take part in, rest assured, I don't.
I would like to take part in some gaming, though. That's a hint to all my gaming friends. You have my number.
God bless Gary Gygax.
-K
posted by The Angry Piper at 9:03 PM
2 Comments:
an I keep tellin ya....Crys and I are nearly always available for gaming with enough advance notice. :P Mikey too. I still say you ran a most excellent VtM game (despite trying to compell me to be subtle and dive into intrigue, which I am just NOT capable of). Oh that and the female whore of a sire you gave me. ;P
Altho...my main reason for mot bugging you about VtM, is because I loathe playing any other clan than Tzimisce and you won't let me. *stamps foot* ;P
Hell...I even live a half hour's walking distance from you :P
We don't have a game going at the moment because when Mikey's mom moved back in, she stuffed all her shite in the dining room! >:(
Yeah...and I know some women who like to game...I have no trouble finding them. Than again, I have no interest in dating any of them either. :P heheheh
Thanks. But I don't want to RUN anything...I want to PLAY, which requires someone else to put in the effort of GMing instead of me. sigh...
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