Man, playing an RPG is a blast. I’ve been both a player and a DM. I guess I can see not really understanding at first but there are two main things to consider:

1. A large part of the fun is sitting around the table with your friends, laughing, having a good time and a few drinks.

2. Any time you’ve played a computer or console RPG and just really wanted to do something that the game wouldn’t allow you to do. Like punch an annoying guard or steal things.

Oh man, doing things you weren’t supposed to was what made it fun.  One of the best times ever was the time we burned the inn to the ground without ever finding out what we were doing there in the first place.  Warning - Sometimes cooks gained their cooking experience in the army.  A level 5 cook wields a mean frying pan.

Beats the heck of your +3 armor eh??

Crafty Dragon - 07 March 2008 10:12 AM

I love to read sci-fi/fantasy.  My favorite series is The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.  And I do get involved in discussions about that world, I just can’t see doing a RPG of it.
And I’ve got Dave, Berlyn, and her fiance trying to explain all this stuff to me, and I just realized that my mind just will not wrap around it. *sigh*  Dave says he was a DM when he was younger.  And Berlyn and her fiance enjoy playing.  They’re talking about creating a game based on the David Eddings Belgariad and Mallorean.  If you enjoy that stuff, cool.  I just don’t think it’s for me.

Actually, if memory serves, there *is* a Wheel of Time RPG… Probably one for Belgariad, too. But yes, it’s not for everyone.

Reading is passive use of imagination. You sit and let the images and experiences wash over you, gallivanting happily through your brain. Roleplaying requires a much more active mindset, controlling your character in the fictional setting, like a fantasy writer writing in ‘realtime’.

I’ve often explained roleplaying (particularly LARPs) as ‘Long-form improvisational theater, with rules. You have your part, and know what the character’s abilities, limits, and motivations are. Other players have their roles. The Game Master provides everything else in the form of narration, describing nonexistant sets, elements of the plot, and dialogue for the rest of the cast.’

My advice? Give it a try at least. Go for a healer character of some sort. They usually aren’t expected to undertake the more perilous portions of the adventure, and are usually safely in the back of the party. You can always ask for advice and help with the game, as it’s always a bit overwhelming for newcomers.

Crafty Dragon - 07 March 2008 10:12 AM

I love to read sci-fi/fantasy.

What, so you read sci-fi/fantasy books because they’re like, fun? Well that just knocks my next argument into a top-hat, I was just about to explain how sci-fi/fantasy books teach important life-lessons like “Make sure you take one completely untested novice with you on every quest because they invariably turn out to have a fantastically useful undiscovered skill you will need”. [/sarcasm]

Whether it is writing fan-fiction, cos-play or just running around with a piece of of tie-in merchandising, people have always let their imaginations get more involved a favourite story or genre. What is “Cowboys and Indians” if not a LARP with a western theme? Or “Doctors and Nurses” if not pretending to be part of a medical drama?

And if enough people enjoy the same thing it can build into a milieu and create a rich (if strange) social environment for its participants. Human beings are - generally - gregarious, so for some having the same appealing elements in a social setting is greatly desired. It’s like asking why anyone goes out to a bar when they can drink at home? The answer is, of course, that they are both enjoyable activities, but you usually do each for a different reason.

David B. - 10 March 2008 02:38 AM

Or “Doctors and Nurses” if not pretending to be part of a medical drama?

I see someone had a boring childhood.. *grin*

Oh, a pretend ‘bed-bath’ from Susan next door was never boring!

David B. - 10 March 2008 02:53 AM

Oh, a pretend ‘bed-bath’ from Susan next door was never boring!

*closes eyes and holds hand over ears so as not to hear the gory details*