thread: 2005-04-27 : The Open House 4: Handshaking
On 2005-05-06, droog wrote:
My name's Jeff, and this is the first time I've exposed it in a public forum. The computer is my friend.
I'm 40 years old and I'm a secondary school teacher, teaching mostly English and social studies. I'm married with one child (female, almost 4).
I started on wargames when I was 14, about 1978. I've been roleplaying since Boxing Day, 1980, when I introduced D&D to a group of friends after I'd read about it in 'Games and Puzzles'.
After school I found another group of people with whom I played RQ for the next 18 years or so. I recognised our group when I read this about a year ago:
"The Simulationist, whether GM or player, fights a losing battle against the Gamist, often feeling betrayed and desperate. Simulationist groups which survive this conflict tend to be very insular, clique-ish, and GM-centered, with the GM seen as the conduit or channeller to "the game" as published. Such a GM is usually given carte blanche authority over the social, system, and plot-oriented content of the game, and the players become fairly subordinated to the content of play. The group often Drifts the rules significantly to reflect and reinforce the immediate Social Contract; simultaneously, they become defensive and protective regarding the game title as a subcultural item."
Moving to another city and leaving my old group behind has been a mixed blessing. On the one hand I've had space and time to consider just what it was about roleplaying that had been unsatisfying; on the other, I haven't had much chance to play. I've pushed roleplaying at various non-rpers, with mixed success (ie fun but no long-term converts). Right now I'm trying out a couple of university clubs, on my wife's suggestion.
I like the sounds of your games, Vincent, and I intend to buy them when our limited budget allows. I'm also a rengade from a strong religious tradition, so I can relate to some of the things you write about.
