Rolegaming and or is it vs Wargaming?

Aries

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Just actually fully realising, that there is truely a "rolegaming" sub forum on the premises, and not just a spot where an occasional roleplaying thread winds up.

Anyway, I am clearly a wargamer, even though some days I wonder if I am something else, and just look a great deal like a wargamer.

I am also a rolegamer, although I occasionally can go months or years with no rolegaming. Not by choice though, groups occasionally evaporate.

The question on my mind this morning though, is, are wargamers and rolegamers, more or less the same sort of person, even if on occasion there seems to be two distinct types of person?

I have noticed, that most wargamers like to play rolegames.
I have also noticed, getting a rolegamer to play a wargame, is usually not very hard.

That wargamers occasionally don't rolegame, and rolegamers occasionally have no wargaming experience, how much of that is just that they were never given the chance to try?

Rolegamers have a disgust for what is called a "rules lawyer"
Wargamers though, likely would balk at the idea of purchasing a 4' high stack of rolegaming "guides" as being too obsessed with detail "options".

Notice something comically similar there? :)

I've been recently able to get back into some decent rolegaming.
"Decent rolegaming" is defined by me as a group that truely will spend the effort to meet on the planned day. Will actually spend the effort to make a "good PC". Has a group with at least one female player (we are blessed with two, wives can be a handy asset :)). And one aspect that matters, but is not always open, has members that don't require permission from a parent to go to the game hehe.

We are currently playing the D&D3.5 design, with a group that has a small fortune in the D&D3 minis as well. We are running a game based on a 1st edition module, that was editted to D&D3.5 specs. All things considered, it's been a refreshing option for late saturday nights (8-1ish) in a well outfitted room (means decent table, and comfortable seating).

I think over all, I could get some of the guys to sit down and play a wargame if I picked the right title. Likely would have to be something one sitting oriented though. Axis n Allies, Up Front, something multi player more or less though. And I doubt I would need to molly coddle them into how to actually play a wargame for the most part.

I've watched these guys roll up their Player Characters though, and they gladly wade through a stack of manuals, that collectively are easily as much detail as an ASL experience. These people are not concerned that they might actually have to read some considerable amount of print to get the right slant on their paper person. And they can usually tell you the benefit of concentrating on a style of combat, and what race is best suited for that line of thinking and what feats will max out its performance.
That's the same sort of behaviour you get from a wargaming grognard.

It makes you wonder, if you are in a dry spell for a wargame/wargamer partner, should you spend some time browsing the local rolegaming scene for potential cross over candidates?
 

Palantir

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I would suspect it's a combination of the two. Most people grow up playing some various "kid" games and those that like the human interaction continue on playing as adults. Somewhere in between they determine if they like the interaction surrounding the game more or the game itself. Those that like the human interaction probably like RPG's better. Those liking the game turn to those that offer more "game itself" skills and challenges.

I agree that either type of player will at least try the other form of gaming because they like gaming in general. RPG players will play most games but it's hard to get them to try a "historical war game," getting them to play general boardgames is easy.


From MY experiences RPG groups with female players are much more lively, entertaining and the game more elaborate than just all male groups. An "All guys" group tends to lead to (and want) hack & slash as being the core of a world while those with women have deeper story lines & NPC/PC interaction.

At one time I had 3 women & 2 guys in a group and currently have 2 women & 4-5 guys. (yes wives make for some good players) Although for good character development & personal story-lines/adventures a group should be 5 players at most. At one time I advertised for female players only to join to balance out an all guy group I had. With the coming of PC games like "Everquest" getting women to play a RPG paper & pencil game is easier.

A difference between a male "wargamer" and a female "fantasy PC" player was revealed just recently to me. The guy (an adult) wanted to get going & playing, his character was generated in record time since he just wanted to get out & kill things (as in World of Warcraft). The woman having played "Everquest" (I guess it's more about storylines?) spent a long time getting everything just right for her charatcer including siblings names etc.

My following attempt to get the adventure storyline in order, understood and reasons for the adventure, interaction fell on deaf ears to the guy who got bored with all the "talk" and didn't really care about "background." The woman & the rest of my players got involved & into the storyline & "played" their characters. He eventually left early (never to return) as I was unable to "force" in enough random "encounters" (just for him by the way) to satisfy his "battle-lust." After he left I returned the scenario to the "correct" path & tempo.

My current group meets 1 or 2 times a month enough for everyone to have a break but not so long for everyone to forget what is going on. Although there was the one time they did jump into a 300' deep well/chasm having forgotten the previous session that the creature they were chasing had jumped in with "glide wings..." :whist:
 
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Dr Zaius

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I really hope we will have some individuals step forward and get some roleplaying going in the new forum we have here. Text-based roleplaying using the D&D rules (or whatever other system the players want) is fairly popular on the Intenet. I must admit, I have never participated in a text-based roleplaying adventure on the Internet. I have read what others have done and it does look interesting.

Finding good players and groups is, of course, a major challenge for role-playing gamers just as it is for boardgamers. Text-based roleplaying offers a solution that may be an interesting solution for some gamers.

If we have any experienced roleplayers here that have participated or run Internet-based roleplaying adventures before, please chime in and provide the rest of us with hinds and suggestions of how we can improve this section.
 

Aries

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I might actually take a run at the idea Don, hell everyone knows Les has all frickin day to post on forums :) I likely could manage an RPG thingy. I'd have to check into the usual methodology of the whole idea though.

Assuming anyone cared a hoot to have me involved of course hehe.
 

Palantir

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I've heard of the text games but have never been involved with one. Plus the time commitment problems...
 

Wik

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Have gone MUDding with groups of friends, and when our regular gaming group at work split due to a number of people moving away, we all bought licenses to Kloodge Werks, but we never got around to using it. I have for some time wanted to play some Neverwinter Nights coop, but haven't gotten around to that either. (Terrible crappy dialup internet access at home...)

- Chad
 

Whizbang1963

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Aries said:
Just actually fully realising, that there is truely a "rolegaming" sub forum on the premises, and not just a spot where an occasional roleplaying thread winds up.

I got into D&D because of Wargaming...I've seldom seen it go the other way, although given the attention to detail most wargames require you'd think it was a natural jump...
 
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