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General Category => RPGs => : Maze April 24, 2009, 05:03:25 PM

: Why do you game?
: Maze April 24, 2009, 05:03:25 PM
To continue on this awesome topic:

Ehh... That's one thing I never understood personally. I don't game as a mean to escape from life. 

fair enough, but you do Role play, so you take on a role of another person, otherwise you just there rolling dice at a paper with stats and mods for your game, wich then is just a game of craps. So you still role play you may not go to escape life but to perhaps take on the role of another life? Maybe im just overthinking it why do you game for then?

Well, I use to do improvisation and would very well still do it if I had the time. I love acting, I love writing stories and the creative process in general. My head is always bursting with ideas and it affects every facet of my life.

I mean, some people game because life sucks and this and that, I've come to realize that. My life's fine as it is and I wouldn't change it for the world. I game for the same reason I draw, write, animate and read: because it's fun. If that counts as escapism, then everything and I mean EVERYTHING beside dull work is escapism and calling it so would be pointless. But that's just in my case.

Why do you game?

The ever present option to kill things as a means to solve problems without being arrested or suffer moral side effects.

Or to summarize: for fun.

I enjoy acting, I like to actually roleplay my character most of the session and make choices as my character rather than as myself. It offers me the chance to do things I normally wouldn't, which includes playing characters of exceptional virtue as well as vice.

Playing a neutal good cleric was one of my favorite times around the table.

I game because I used to like to play pretend as a kid and this is just a formal way of doing so.

Also, I love the storytelling aspect of things. I love to problem-solve. I love being inappropriate and making people laugh. I love being thoroughly creeped at during CoC games (the first game I ever played was during a vicious thunderstorm).

I love lamp.

I'd forgotten about that part. God, did I make believe as a kid. My stuff was always way more interesting than anything the real of the world had for me.

Well judging by why you all said you all game to let go of your real life junk and not worry bout work and other things you have to do, you all game to escape your normal life. Your normal life might be great like mine and mazes, dont mean you still dont wanna escape from it, to pretend to be someone else. No one says your life has to suck to want to escape from it.

I think most people watch reality tv so they can see how fucked up other people's life are, and to live threw there experiences with them, so a form of escaping none the less. You, like me, prob don't watch reality tv, the only reality tv I watch is Deadliest Catch because that is one fucked up job that I would never want to do, but I could still watch it on tv.

EDIT: I game for the same reasons, Go and have fun with friends, enjoy developing plot and trying to figure out how to get Threw the encounters, I enjoy Medium roll playing, I enjoy the combat side of it more, but I would like to get into a CoC game where the combat is A lot lighter then what I'm used to.

To respond to Boyos, I don't understand where you get the idea that most gamers have junk life though, seems like here, everyone is gaming to simply express their creativity and have a good time, or am I misunderstanding you?

To others: Why do YOU game?
: Re: Why do you game?
: clockworkjoe April 24, 2009, 05:12:03 PM
matrix has me trying to unplug myself
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama April 24, 2009, 05:24:19 PM
Well to resummarize my point, I do it for fun.

I suppose there's a wide range of other reasons I like different sorts of game, why I DM, why I spend so much time getting together maps and minis and everything else.

They must be a good reasons since I spend, on average, around ten hours a week playing games (as a DM or a player) with another ten or so between sessions planning them.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Boyos April 24, 2009, 06:07:13 PM

To respond to Boyos, I don't understand where you get the idea that most gamers have junk life though, seems like here, everyone is gaming to simply express their creativity and have a good time, or am I misunderstanding you?

To others: Why do YOU game?

Like I said your life dont have to suck, im just saying you escape your normal "junk" (as in stuff you do around your real life wether it be pushing paper work, rasing kids, driving, having a normal reality life.)

I like how Vin diesel describes it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQUEQOyIvf

you can live the most normal life out there in the world you can be a rich person, a poor person, a wel loved person, a hated person, it dont matter when you play dnd you play it to take on a role of another person wich is escaping from your normal life. Again if you guys dont feel that way, they hey you guys are as right as i feel. Never did I say your life must suck to escape reality .
: Re: Why do you game?
: dragonshaos April 24, 2009, 07:01:58 PM
I feel like some anger and distaste will arise from this thread if it continues...
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama April 24, 2009, 07:20:53 PM
Only if people get mad and bad tasting. I think it's better to share why we play than argue about why we play or however you want to place to emphasis.

Just talk about what we enjoy, not that introspective junk. We're gamers, here to roll dice and consume snacks! Which, by the way, is another reason I game. Where else can you roll dice in the middle of a conversation? I tried it in college, it really distracts people.
: Re: Why do you game?
: codered April 24, 2009, 07:36:59 PM
I like to game for many reasons one being  to hang out with people that have crazy imaginations like me also its good for networking.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Maze April 24, 2009, 07:37:51 PM
Only if people get mad and bad tasting. I think it's better to share why we play than argue about why we play or however you want to place to emphasis.

Just talk about what we enjoy, not that introspective junk. We're gamers, here to roll dice and consume snacks! Which, by the way, is another reason I game. Where else can you roll dice in the middle of a conversation? I tried it in college, it really distracts people.

Rolling d20s can get you cockblocked.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama April 24, 2009, 07:44:22 PM
Only if people get mad and bad tasting. I think it's better to share why we play than argue about why we play or however you want to place to emphasis.

Just talk about what we enjoy, not that introspective junk. We're gamers, here to roll dice and consume snacks! Which, by the way, is another reason I game. Where else can you roll dice in the middle of a conversation? I tried it in college, it really distracts people.

Rolling d20s can get you cockblocked.

Well boys, just you, me, and the random harlet tables.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Maze April 24, 2009, 08:32:46 PM
Well boys, just you, me, and the random harlet tables.

Erm. (http://www.toplessrobot.com/2008/06/the_12_harlots_of_the_dungeons_dragons_random_harl.php) Don't forget the random STD table that goes along with it.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama April 24, 2009, 08:43:35 PM
I knew the risks when I picked up the dice.
: Re: Why do you game?
: klaatu April 25, 2009, 06:03:34 PM
One of the many reasons I game is that it's collaborative.  The GM and players can tell a better story together than they can apart.  It's not just expressing creativity, but appreciating others' creativity.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Maze April 25, 2009, 06:14:31 PM
One of the many reasons I game is that it's collaborative.  The GM and players can tell a better story together than they can apart.  It's not just expressing creativity, but appreciating others' creativity.

Oh yeah, of course. It's a great way to get with friends and even meet new ones.

I'd like to hear an alternative version LOTR if the main characters were players. Let's just say that it was better for Tolkien he didn't attempt his plot in a game. Although, with characters like Boromir, I wonder.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama April 25, 2009, 06:22:18 PM
http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=612
: Re: Why do you game?
: rayner23 April 26, 2009, 11:11:22 AM
I game with my students at school because they participate more in class and care more about our school in general since they have felt like they belong more.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Boyos April 26, 2009, 12:42:46 PM
I game with my students at school because they participate more in class and care more about our school in general since they have felt like they belong more.

I like your new avatar haha!
: Re: Why do you game?
: codered April 26, 2009, 01:38:32 PM
I have to say it would have been realy cool if I had a teacher that gamed with me when i was in school....what grade do you teach?
: Re: Why do you game?
: Mason April 27, 2009, 11:29:46 AM
well Im not gonna lie about it. I game to get away for a bit, to escape reality. I have a very stressfull job that doesn't meet its pay, a wife, and son who has entered his "terrible twos". its nice to have one day a week to hang with my friends from college and kill some zombies for a couple of hours. it allows me to keep my sanity.

Im also a curious guy, I'll watch a movie where the protagainst does some really cheesey heroic thing and I think to myself "what would my group do if I placed them in that same scenario?" then I set out to find out.

but I've also been gaming since I was seven, with D&D advanced(I'm 23 now). so its also more about something Ive done since I was little, something that has actually become a part of who I am as a person. If someone were to ask me to give it up I dont think I could. Its hard to give something up you've been doing for 16 years.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama April 27, 2009, 11:33:46 AM
I enjoy the social aspect too. How many people can say that they have three, four, or five people who they spend several hours with a week in a face-to-face environment.

I'm one of the only people in my office who has friends that I see for long periods of time, nearly every week.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Phelanar April 27, 2009, 08:44:36 PM
I game for a lot of reasons. For fun is the obvious one, but I can break things down farther than that. I play some games just to let out steam, maybe be a bit of a jerk, and relieve stress by way of doing horrible horrible things to NPCs and sometimes taking their stuff. Gods know that my Shadowrun game turns out to be that way most weeks. For other games, it's a creative outlet where I get to use my imagination and think of cool and awesome things to do and become. I also play games for the social aspect. Let's just say that I'm not good at getting out and interacting people because of medical/mental health issues and roleplaying is a good way for me to get out of the house, interact with people, make friends, and do fun things.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Mason April 27, 2009, 11:13:39 PM
I enjoy the social aspect too. How many people can say that they have three, four, or five people who they spend several hours with a week in a face-to-face environment.

I'm one of the only people in my office who has friends that I see for long periods of time, nearly every week.

yeah everyone says they want to do that but not to many people make the effort.
: Re: Why do you game?
: codered April 28, 2009, 09:52:54 AM
Yea I make my work go  around my weekly game just to hang out and have a good time with the same ppl every week.
bad part is that school is out for the summer so one person moved back to Ohio to live with his parents how lame is that. so the 4 player game went too 3. o well I hated that guy any way...
: Re: Why do you game?
: Shallazar April 28, 2009, 11:19:13 PM
I started gaming because family game night during my formative years revolved around Hero Quest.
And then I got interested in online roleplay- which then directly linked to paper and dice games consequently I found myself back where I started.

Now I game to bullshit, do wizardy things, hang out with friends, and also so I always have wild stories to tell folks on the street.
: Re: Why do you game?
: White Zombie May 02, 2009, 06:52:45 PM
I game because I enjoy the idea of a group of people using some dice and their minds to entertain themselves. Unfortunately I must be the only one because WoW destroyed my fucking gaming group.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Phelanar May 03, 2009, 05:11:34 AM
I game because I enjoy the idea of a group of people using some dice and their minds to entertain themselves. Unfortunately I must be the only one because WoW destroyed my fucking gaming group.

Strangely, about half of my Star Wars (and Shadowrun, since there's now 100% overlap) groups are recovered MMO addicts, though a couple of them still dabble a small bit. The one remaining serious WoW player eventually quit the Star Wars game because of very thin reasons that basically amounted to he wasn't getting enough WoW time. Good riddance to him, I said. He was pretty lazy and kind of a jerk and I hated seeing him slavishly try and recreate the bastard love child of Han Solo and Boba Fett anyway.
: Re: Why do you game?
: rayner23 May 03, 2009, 09:11:27 AM
Did his backpack have jets?
: Re: Why do you game?
: Boyos May 03, 2009, 10:51:54 AM
Did his backpack have jets?

I would think that if he was the basterd love child of them, he would be more finesse about it, like rocket boots.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama May 03, 2009, 11:02:17 AM
Did his backpack have jets?

I would think that if he was the basterd love child of them, he would be more finesse about it, like rocket boots.

I've never connected "Han Solo" with "finesse" before.
: Re: Why do you game?
: codered May 03, 2009, 12:05:41 PM
I just made it t0 80 in wow but I love to roleplay and i technichally suck at wow becuase I don't instance. My friend failed his last 2 semesters in college becuase of wow and lost a full ride to college also.
: Re: Why do you game?
: clockworkjoe May 03, 2009, 12:52:51 PM
Did I mention that I game so I can learn real magic? Because that's why I'm doing it.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Boyos May 03, 2009, 01:10:03 PM
Did his backpack have jets?

I would think that if he was the basterd love child of them, he would be more finesse about it, like rocket boots.

I've never connected "Han Solo" with "finesse" before.

Sure, anyone that can wear a blaster on his thigh and fly a ship like the flacon must have finesse, Lando does too onlly cus he has a cape!

Did I mention that I game so I can learn real magic? Because that's why I'm doing it.

OMG ME TOO!
: Re: Why do you game?
: Phelanar May 03, 2009, 04:31:13 PM
There was nothing finesse about this guy at all. He'd get offered a job and say "okay" without asking what it was we were doing, what we were delivering, where we were delivering it to. This happened about 4 times. The fact that the GM encouraged this behavior and smacked down the other characters who were (understandably) unhappy with this practice didn't help matters any. He practically creamed himself at the thought of carrying spice like Han Solo did and he kept trying to do a Kessel Run as well (even when our ship was so bad that trying the run would have gotten us killed). His first reaction into running into someone is to ask them for a job or shoot them with his super tweaked out heavy pistol. He didn't have jets (nor a Vette), but that's just because the GM wouldn't let him have one.

He was our pilot, yet didn't want to learn vehicle combat stuff or any of the other rules, for that matter. He had to be walked through nearly every action he did, even though this was basically d20 and not exactly rocket science. So when he went back to WoW, I was not unhappy.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Mason May 03, 2009, 05:17:05 PM
Did I mention that I game so I can learn real magic? Because that's why I'm doing it.

talk to cody about that one, hes mastered the yank wish.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Shallazar May 03, 2009, 08:47:25 PM
I guess my previous response to why I gave was real generalized and full of vague vagaries.
Because after about three weeks of my (well previously my) DnD campaign not getting played, I discovered that I game because in a game well you can do anything that you fucking want, and get the experience (points) of doing said thing without having or being able to do it.

For instance I can't really touch a doorframe and suddenly have visions of the forty billion other fucknuts who have touched the same doorframe. And I can't shoot lazers out of my eyes irl either. Although immersion is real important to me as a gamer, I kind of abstain from LARPing but I that hasn't stopped me from bringing in awesome props for my sessions, like Flagos to drink beer from or amulets that I make from belt buckles I get off ebay.

Oh yeah and i love wizards and fairy bullshit.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Boyos May 03, 2009, 10:41:57 PM

Oh yeah and i love wizards and fairy bullshit.

wow i did not relise that fairys had cows!!!
: Re: Why do you game?
: codered May 04, 2009, 02:22:26 PM
one of my favroite char was a pixie he was fun to play *shot sleep arrow then dissapear*"ok the big guy is down whos next"
: Re: Why do you game?
: Tadanori Oyama May 04, 2009, 02:23:36 PM
Did you know a pixie with a vortal sword, sized down for it, still beheads on a critical?
: Re: Why do you game?
: Mason May 04, 2009, 09:24:34 PM
Did you know a pixie with a vortal sword, sized down for it, still beheads on a critical?

of course, you've seen those animes where the character with the big sword cuts through an even bigger monster with one slice. same concept. that and its bulstered by pixie power, only thing that can trump pixie power is flux capacitor.
: Re: Why do you game?
: Shallazar May 10, 2009, 01:25:42 AM
Did you know a pixie with a vortal sword, sized down for it, still beheads on a critical?

of course, you've seen those animes where the character with the big sword cuts through an even bigger monster with one slice. same concept. that and its bulstered by pixie power, only thing that can trump pixie power is flux capacitor.

Coat hanger?
: Re: Why do you game?
: Mason May 10, 2009, 02:46:22 AM
Did you know a pixie with a vortal sword, sized down for it, still beheads on a critical?

of course, you've seen those animes where the character with the big sword cuts through an even bigger monster with one slice. same concept. that and its bulstered by pixie power, only thing that can trump pixie power is flux capacitor.



Coat hanger?

yeah a Flux Capacitor.