thread: 2005-11-28 : Closeted
On 2005-11-29, James Nostack wrote:
1. It was a huge, huge deal to come "out" to my girlfriend. Like, I remember being all worried about it, and, telling myself, "Look, I like this girl, I like gaming, it's time to bring up the subject." I even remember being kind of tense when mentioning it. I don't know why. She knows I'm a dork and doesn't mind, and I knew that, and for what it's worth I think gaming is something I ought to be proud of. But there you go: I've been socialized into fearing other peoples' reactions.
2. She totally didn't even bat an eyelash. I'm like super nervous and tense, and she's like, "Really? Okay, what do we want for dinner?" It was funny.
3. Do Europeans have this problem? I get the impression that gamer culture is different outside the States.
4. I totally think the whole "roleplaying game" phrase itself is a mess. It's pretentious, it's a mouthful to say, it has lame connotations, and the substance of a game like D&D or GURPS is nothing like PTA or Universalis.
I'd propose describing most Forge-style games as "Story Games," or—if you don't like using made-up terms in casual conversation—say, "brainstorming a story with some friends." And if they ask how that works, explain that there are some formal rules, depending on the story you're aiming for. And if they ask if you intend to publish or anything, just say, "Nah, we just do it to do it. It's like playing a game."
This makes sdm go "I was lucky"
A big chunk of why Jennifer and I clicked was a common background in roleplaying.
