Gaming in the last 10 years, What happened? Options

[ShadowPhoenix]

I've not been around long, probably been actively role playing since 1999 or so, so it makes me a youngin' I thought maybe I could contribute my youthful look on the genre.

White Wolf World of Darkness had it's day, it's niche was the whole horror bent, everything humans have feared in myth, you could be. It presented a special kind of dystopian world, where everything was falling down. Of course Gothics would be attracted to these things, and don't think all Goths are flakey bad roleplayers(there are many good ones that I've met). World of darkness is now doing it's End Times. So that game setting is winding down to a fast Halt.

I started my Role Playing Experience with Shadowrun 3rd edition, and while I only played the game twice, I am enthralled by it, and I GM it every chance I get, since finding a good SR game can be tough.

Gaming in Shops is not as common anymore among most RP'ers (at least where I live) because the more obnoxious RP'ers hang out there and try to impress people, and tend to ruin games.

D&D I think is being stymied a little by the divide of 3.X, a lot of older Roleplayers shun the new system, claiming it is D&D for idiots, which drives new roleplayers from interacting with the older roleplayers. This hurts the community.

In most Roleplaying stores I've been to, D&D is the big game that hogs all the shelf spaces. In one store I used to go to the only things that had a lot of shelf were WOD and D&D, Shadowrun taking up the rest. I think there is a lack of quality "face-time" for smaller RPG's to get out there in the market, and the perception that WOD and D&D is the only ponies in town might lure Potential RP'ers out of the genre if they don't want to be gothic or a wizard. I also think there's more face-time put on CCG's since they are often right at the counter and in places that trade/buy back rare and uncommon cards the cards can take up half a store.

I got into Roleplaying through Computers, I originally began playing computerized RPG's and enjoyed them a little, I hated the fact that my choices were curtailed, and when I discovered Shadowrun in Air Force Technical School, I enjoyed the social aspects as well as the ability of choice that will never been fully realized in a Computer Generated game.

I see computers as pathways to bettering anything, including P&P gaming. I use a tool called RPM(roleplaying master) for my D&D needs, it's a fully comprehensive data organizer and game tracking tool for D&D. I intend to write one for Shadowrun that does the same, which can help automate basic tasks and keep a GM organized.

I think another big killer of Roleplaying at least in terms of the younger side is lack of time. Most in more stress and time constraints are being pushed down the ladder of age. When I was a teenager I didn't have much to do other than play and enjoy life. Anymore kids now HAVE to balance home-work, a job, their love-life, family... and same goes for people in their 20's, they have college, kids(if they have them young, with most RP'ers in my area are.), and a job. Some people are lucky enough to not have the burdens making scheduling a game difficult. I play in 1 game and run in another, and even then I often give up the one I play in because I don't have time or something comes up. I miss the times when I could play 3-4 games a week. Now I'm down to 2. and heck, even meeting up with friends is a challenge, heaven forbid I want them all to come down to game. it becomes impossible. my gaming groups are 2 playing 1 running in our orpheus game, and 3 playing 1 running in my Shadowrun game. the groups aren't as big anymore either, this isn't because I don't know people who would love to play. I just can't find anyone who can play one the times that I can.

Let's face it, Real Life is one of the biggest RPG killers in the world, and life isn't getting any easier :P But still I hold the torch, and I try to convince the younger generation how fun it can be(I got my brother in law(16yo) into Shadowrun), and I hope to teach my child(16 months) how to play when he's old enough. P&P will never die, it'll just evolve as the tools of communication and social gathering change.

Just my 2 :nuyen:

[Stumps]

I can't hold it back anymore....
I'm working on the preliminaries of a program that will make all RPGers rejoice in loud world wide praise!

Think of it this way...Dumpshock meets Diablo.
Tool bars and automated rollers/trackers/exp. counters/damage trackers etc... with the free form medium of conversing over the Forum.

[sable twilight]

When you can get it to the level of .hack//SIGN internaction then I would definately be interested.

[Large Mike]

Stumps: so *that's* your secret project. That's awesome, dude. That friggin wins.

[Stumps]

Well, right now I'm waiting on a programmer to get done with another project (which is also mighty sweet!), and I'm trying to gather a few people who have a way around calculating numbers and formulas in RPG's as well as someone who understands database design.


Hopefully I can find the people I need.
I was thinking that Sphynx might be a great person to have, due to the SR calculations on his site.

But this is going to be a living hell on numbers because we have to make the program capable of "molding" to a majority of popular RPG systems.
D20
D6
D10
%
etc...

....hell.

[Stumps]

I don't know if this would be considered side railing here...kind of iffy...
hmm...
Know what, I'm going to go with my better judgement here and just say that if your interested in helping out on the project explained above go to this Thread