TheRPGSite

How old are you?

Old.

/farts dust

Young.
*sneezes angel's dust*

The Finn sighed.  "Shut the fuck up, kid.  I've got shoes older than you."

- Count Zero.

11,897 years. Or days. I forget.

But I'll tell you this, it was bloody boring waiting for RPG's, electronica music, and Nintendo to be invented. Sort your fucking priorities out, humans.

As a group? I think the total age of the board is at least 6,000 years old.

Poll results may change in a few months.... ;)

Too Fucking old to play games of pretend, but I am weak and continue still :)

I'm in my prime!

32.

... Oh wait, I was supposed to come up with some evasive joke answer, wasn't I? Darn.

I frequently wear t-shirts that are older than some of my coworkers.

Us >/= Hills

If the poll is a solid indicator, I predict the banner ads will start to sell Burma-Shave and Geritol.

Hint: i still remember how much of a huge fucking deal it was to get a PC with 256 colors. I couldn't believe how incredibly amazing Civilization (the 1st) looked after playing it in black & white for so long. On the other hand, we had always owned a VCR, so I'm not THAT old, I guess.

Old enough that I didn't see a telephone with a dial on it until I was 8.

Quote from: Old Geezer;744832Old enough that I didn't see a telephone with a dial on it until I was 8.

Respects, Alexander Graham Bell. :p

;)

EDIT: As for myself, I'm old enough to have seen the original trilogy of Star Wars in the theatre, but just barely.

Quote from: Necrozius;744831Hint: i still remember how much of a huge fucking deal it was to get a PC with 256 colors. I couldn't believe how incredibly amazing Civilization (the 1st) looked after playing it in black & white for so long. On the other hand, we had always owned a VCR, so I'm not THAT old, I guess.

My Amiga can beat up your XT! :D

I remember when VCRs were new.  And I saw Star Wars in the theater.

When staring down kobolds,

In the dungeon space,

You'll roll more 20s,

With a smoother face.

Burma-Shave

To make this a little more about games, the first RPG I remember was Moldvay Basic, and I was around 4-5 at the time.

I think I have mentioned here before that it was a very formative experience. :)

Sometimes I miss the Commodore 64 of my childhood. Does that place me?

//Panjumanju

I miss both the VIC 20 and the Commodore 64.

Age: 43.

I remember watching the first episode of Star Trek... "The Man Trap."

I remember watching Alan Shepard's flight.

I discovered D&D in '76 when I was a student, newly able to vote and buy a beer (well legally in GB anyway).

Still got the Amiga in the attic along with an Acorn Electron and a ZX Spectrum.

Just doubled the number of votes in my category single handed!

Dave

I entered my geological age.

Quote from: thedungeondelver;744843My Amiga can beat up your XT! :D

Screw you and your precious Amiga. My STe's blazing fast 8mhz 68000 leaves your puny 7.1mhz 68000 in the dirt, you may as well not bother with a CPU at all.

just don't ask about games. or graphics performance. or two-button joysticks. or usability. or keyboard quality. or expandability. CPU SPEED IS ALL THAT MATTERS!!!

I've never seen a slide-rule IRL.  I don't remember computers not having color monitors.  I fucking loved the Power Rangers.

Quote from: Old Geezer;744864I remember watching the first episode of Star Trek... "The Man Trap."

I remember watching Alan Shepard's flight.

I remember watching the first moon landing (Apollo 11) in kindergarten, only caught "The Man Trap" in reruns...

You know, bragging about how old you are only means you're gonna die sooner, right?  So is it really bragging?  ;)

I was born about ten thousand years from now,
When they landed on the moon I showed them how,
With Goddard, Lee, and Campbell on an interstellar ramble,
I was the one who caught and cooked the chow.

I taught the use to Conan of the short Hyrkanian bow,
I taught the Mouser swordplay where the river Hlal doth flow,
I taught parry, lunge, and counter to young John Carter too,
And that's about the strangest thing a man can ever do!

OG used to have Gaius Julius Caesar's rookie card, but he put it in the spokes of his chariot, ruining its value.

As for me, the only original Star Wars movie that I got to see in a theater was Return of the Jedi, but I did get to see it at the drive-in.

Old enough that the first PG movie my parents let me go to was Star Wars.  

I remember the kid down the street got a Pong console.  Yes, that's right; a fucking console with the only game being Pong.  

I remember starting college and only two guys on my floor had an Apple II with a dot matrix printer; everyone else had typewriters.

Old enough to want to be young again.

Quote from: Vic99;744783How old are you?

Really? C'mon now a lady is never above 25.

Quote from: Exploderwizard;744886Old enough to want to be young again.

Old enough to look around at my friends the same age and say "Fuck this, I don't have to let myself just to like that.  I still feel like I'm in my 20s.  Time to hit the gym."

I'm 24.

Quote from: Arkansan;744892I'm 24.

That makes 3 of us in the Young & Nerdy age bracket :D.

I look ten years younger, but feel ten years older than I am.

In any case, I fall in the average demographic here, so I'm in good company :D

Quote from: Ladybird;744877Screw you and your precious Amiga. My STe's blazing fast 8mhz 68000 leaves your puny 7.1mhz 68000 in the dirt, you may as well not bother with a CPU at all.

Hah, the first computer I owned was a 520 ST, and I used STs for almost ten years.  Death to Amiga!

That being said, I did own a slide-rule, and remember vividly the sensation on the street when someone's dad brought home an electronic calculator.  (Yes, it was that portentous a matter, this being around 1972.) It was about the size of a laptop.

Funny, actually -- given the number of folks on this board who tout their grognard credentials, I'm surprised how few of us are over 50.  I expected there'd be more of us.

That one kid who is 14 or younger should get the fuck out of here or else he'll be maimed for life. What are his parents thinking letting him trawl through forums!

34.

I grew up outside the US which means my exposure to gringo pop culture was similar, albeit on a slightly delayed timeframe. Case in point: RPGs made their big splash 'round here in the early 1990s. I myself started gaming at 12 with the 1991 D&D Introductory Game ("black box").

Quote from: Ravenswing;744908Hah, the first computer I owned was a 520 ST, and I used STs for almost ten years.  Death to Amiga!

1040STe. Worked great, and I did a lot of school work on it. I'm still blown away that it could run SubStation, a pretty decent Doom clone, at a playable framerate. We've got more powerful hardware now, but nothing is quite as impressive any more.

When I got an A1200 a few years later, it was more powerful and had a better DTP program, so I used that instead... but I still kinda miss the simplicity of TOS.

Quote from: Stainless;744916That one kid who is 14 or younger should get the fuck out of here or else he'll be maimed for life. What are his parents thinking letting him trawl through forums!

Heh, that was me joking - ie, my geological age.

Really, i'm 43. I thought geological age was more apt! :D

I'm a Canadian Centennial Project. Which makes me the same age as many local hockey rinks.

Quote from: Vic99;744783How old are you?

27.

*Sees Poll Results*
WOW, most users are old enough to be my father/mother. That explains a lot. XD

Quote from: thedungeondelver;744843My Amiga can beat up your XT! :D

Oh how I miss those days, hearing PC owners brag to me about what their machines could do, then firing up my Miggy to the sound of their jaws hitting the floor...

When OD&D was published, I had already graduated from high school.

I just turned 30 last Wednesday.

I saw this poll and was like "I can finally not feel like the kid!" because most polls cut off at 19,29,39, etc... but no, I got lumped in with the late 20s :P.

Quote from: flyingmice;744955Oh how I miss those days, hearing PC owners brag to me about what their machines could do, then firing up my Miggy to the sound of their jaws hitting the floor...

Yeah, I remember looking at all the computer game catalogs, and wishing I had an Amiga because the graphics just blew everything else out of the water.

Quote from: Emperor Norton;744962I just turned 30 last Wednesday.

I saw this poll and was like "I can finally not feel like the kid!" because most polls cut off at 19,29,39, etc... but no, I got lumped in with the late 20s :P.

Same here.  I'm 40.  But I don't mind still be lumped in with the middle age crowd ;)

In actuality, I'm 32, I just like lying on polls.

2d game art, in general, has aged better than the earlier 3d stuff; 3d always tried to be realistic, and was then outdone next year, while 2d just tended to try and look good.

So 80% of us here are between the age of 30 and 50; plus 2/3rds are or were wargamers. Not really news, it is the same demographic across most rpg sites; 13mann is releasing a new Traveller boxed set, I replied it's not the kids that are the target demographic, it is people who are playing rpg's, but not playing Traveller.

I think the age brackets should have been broken up a little differently. There are big some difference between the RPG tastes and general social concerns of a 31 year old and a 40 year old.

//Panjumanju

I think it would be interesting to ask this question every year for the next decade... I think that the gaussian curve will slowly move toward the higher age brackets as time moves on... In a decade, probably the bottom end will fall off almost altogether (like it already hasn't)... Are these the death throes of the hobby?

I'm 45 and I no longer have my TRS-80 color computer, but I do still have my VHS tape of Bubblegum Crisis that was subtitled with an Amiga.

Quote from: shuddemell;745008Are these the death throes of the hobby?

No, it will keep going as long as we do.

Quote from: shuddemell;745008I think it would be interesting to ask this question every year for the next decade... I think that the gaussian curve will slowly move toward the higher age brackets as time moves on... In a decade, probably the bottom end will fall off almost altogether (like it already hasn't)... Are these the death throes of the hobby?

Look, different tabletop game places have different demographics. This place is skewed because this board is mostly about OSR games. This is not a problem in any way, but you shouldn't be expecting a lot of young gamers showing up in polls here. Stop being Chicken Little because you mistake your immediate neighborhood for the known universe. Relax! Chill! There are plenty of kids in the greater hobby.

-clash

Quote from: shuddemell;745008I think it would be interesting to ask this question every year for the next decade... I think that the gaussian curve will slowly move toward the higher age brackets as time moves on... In a decade, probably the bottom end will fall off almost altogether (like it already hasn't)... Are these the death throes of the hobby?

I'm very surprised about the demographics on this poll to be honest. In Argentina most gamers I know are below 40, and when we do RPG events most folk is below 30, with newcomers to the hobby between 15 to 25. I'm 27 and most people I've gamed with are either around my age or younger.

Quote from: shuddemell;745008I think it would be interesting to ask this question every year for the next decade... I think that the gaussian curve will slowly move toward the higher age brackets as time moves on... In a decade, probably the bottom end will fall off almost altogether (like it already hasn't)... Are these the death throes of the hobby?

Of course not.

I swear to God, all the OMG GAMING IS DYING!!!!!!! threads and posts seem to come from a string of events:

1) The OP is feeling jaded about the hobby;

2) The OP is having trouble getting a group together;

3) The OP's favorite small-press game's publisher's gone out of business;

4) None of the players in the OP's group are younger than he or she is;

5) The OP's favorite FLGS is either having hard times or has gone under; and/or

6) World of Warcraft players outnumber tabletop players.

That ten, twenty and thirty years ago people likewise felt jaded about the hobby, some folks had a hard time getting groups to commit, a lot of groups were of like age, and small publishers and gaming stores came and went, seems to be forgotten. I concede that WoW's a relatively new phenomenon - however intimidated a lot of tabletop players are about people who call themselves roleplayers but are Not One Of Us and greatly outnumber us - but MMORPGs sure aren't; they've been around for over twenty-five years.

I've yet to understand the hand-wringing. There are more gaming products in print than there ever has been. There's penetration in the big box retailers. PDFs have brought long out-of-print golden oldies back to life. Prices for RPG products have nuked inflation and are a better bargain than they've ever been. Production values are the best ever, and even small-press publishers enjoy slick print runs and full color interiors. The Internet gives us free discussion forums with give and take for every taste, and game finding sites free us from the insular bounds of gaming stores and college clubs.  There are more ideas, more styles, more milieus, more choice than ever before.

And what the heck ... there are a lot of young people in this hobby. Since I started GMing again eleven years ago, I've had three of my old players return, contemporaries of mine. Four other players were over thirty. Twelve others were in their twenties, and my youngest current player is 19.

I guess I just don't understand the pessimism.  It never was that everyone in America played RPGs.  It's that for a few years in the 1980s, a whopping lot of people played AD&D.  Those days have been over for more than half the hobby's history, and it's time we wrap our heads around that.

No, we're never again going to have movies made about our hobby -- and a good thing, too -- and we're never again going to have national media buzz.  We're a niche hobby, just like model railroading or bird whittling or chess clubs or geocaching.  I'm fine with that, because that's a spot we can cheerfully manage for decades and centuries to come.

Glad I could generate a lot of discussion with my first post over such a simple question.

Yes, I could have broken the numbers down more, but I didn't care about data on that level . . . just a general sense.

Although its only been a short while, I did expect more in the 20s.  There's this idea in my profession that lots of young people are really connected technologically and they live and breathe it because they have a knack for it, among other things.    I believe that statement to be a gross overgeneralization.  However, I did think that most of the people here would college-aged or just after.

I'd be interested to see how many people stick with gaming even though life gets more complicated as the years go by and you really have to prioritize what's important.  At age 20, I didn't think I'd still be doing this at age 43, but I'm glad that I can make it work for a few hours once a week (plus prep time if it's my turn to run a campaign).

I imagine its tough to get a good group of like minded people that you can game with when you are settled down and older.  I'm thankful I still can and my wife can watch my young children for me after an otherwise challenging day.

I partly agree with Ravenswing.  There are plenty of young gamers out there.  Look at the diversity of products in all sorts of media.  Last time I went to a Magic the Gathering Prerelease, probably 5-6 years ago, there were plenty of young guys.  Look at the explosion of games like Dominion.  Sure theses aren't RPGs, but there's lots of crossover.

Almost 10 years ago I snagged a few more players from a board gaming group for my RPG group.  They had never role played before.  I said, what if I could run a mystery-themed game, with a touch of horror that would take place in 1920s New England.  This group of young 30 somethings was intrigued.  I did lots of mechanics behind the scenes and had them focus on character development.   Gradually brought mechanics in.  With a slow reveal, I was running a Cthulhu game for non RPGers.  Presentation is everything.  Still have 2 of these guys in the group today.

Quote from: Vic99;745033I'd be interested to see how many people stick with gaming even though life gets more complicated as the years go by and you really have to prioritize what's important.  At age 20, I didn't think I'd still be doing this at age 43, but I'm glad that I can make it work for a few hours once a week (plus prep time if it's my turn to run a campaign).

I've been doing it for nearly two decades and I can't imagine what it would take to dislodge it from my top 5 hobbies list. Of course that's easy to say since I'm childfree by choice.

Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044I've been doing it for nearly two decades and I can't imagine what it would take to dislodge it from my top 5 hobbies list. Of course that's easy to say since I'm childfree by choice.

Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

For an answer, my son has been my co-writer/designer for ten years, since he was 17.

-clash

Quote from: Ravenswing;745028snip

Yeah, you are definitely right about that. I am sure most of my angst about the hobby is because with adult schedules what they are, haven't been able to get a group together for quite a while. C'est la vie.

42. I know the answer to everything....at least for a few months. ;)

Kids disruptive; yes and no.

Just life and responsibilities generally have made it a struggle to keep any regular game going into our 4th decade gaming - tends to be more monthly these days.

On the other hand I keep busy running games for my sons and their cousins and friends. They have tried over a dozen different games to date from Castles & Crusades and Monsters & Magic to Elric and Openquest with diversions into Traveller, Savage Worlds, Marvel Faserip, d20 Star Wars, Wushu and others. They're sold. :cool:

Dave

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

Fuck. Yeah. Right with a six month old baby and a two year old my roleplaying time is close to nothing. Within the next year or so I hope to get a by-weekly campaign rolling, but right now, no way.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

Only when my daughter began to pick up boyfriends through the games I ran. In the early years, daughter took precedence over gaming, always.

I'm 59, who's the bugger that's older than me?

Quote from: Old Geezer;745404I'm 59, who's the bugger that's older than me?

Moses?

:D

Quote from: Old Geezer;745404I'm 59, who's the bugger that's older than me?

I'm a couple years younger than you, so not me! :D

-clash

Quote from: Old Geezer;745404I'm 59, who's the bugger that's older than me?

Nah, I'm 54, not me.

Quote from: Old Geezer;745404I'm 59, who's the bugger that's older than me?

Don't tell anyone, but you can see how everyone answered...

I only turned 50 last year, so I'm still in the age group one step below you. For now.

She never!

Damn, you people are old.

Really wondering about the Pundit's age. Dude showed me around his house but couldn't tell me how old he is.

Getting old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

39 going on 15, via 8 years old.

8 years old is the best. Ever remember being 8? Happy days! No stresses, no jobs or worries (unless you came from a destitute background, YMMV obviously).

Quote from: BarefootGaijin;745483Getting old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

39 going on 15, via 8 years old.

8 years old is the best. Ever remember being 8? Happy days! No stresses, no jobs or worries (unless you came from a destitute background, YMMV obviously).

When I was 8, my school enjoyed recreational violence. I was at both ends of it. Sometimes very exciting, though it could hurt a lot.

Report cards also mattered a lot. Half my class had to repeat grade 2, and none of the survivors wanted to be like them.

Different kinds of stresses really. Of course, we didn't know the meaning of that word then, or thought about stress as a thing. But life had challenges, even at age 8. :)

Least surprising poll result ever.

Young at heart.

Quote from: Old Geezer;745464She never!

Not a she, but I lie on forum polls.

I also lie at Starbucks, when they ask me my name for calling out my order; I've got a vaguely unusual name, so I give them a dull and boring one instead.

Anyway.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

Adorable Daughter was born about the same time I had an exam, so I left the weekly club for a couple of months and because NEW BABY!!!. But both me and Adorable Girlfriend have weekly events (She does folk singing), so we each look after daughter on the night the other one goes out. We also manage similar for weekend stuff, so I'd guess I probably average one and a half weekend games a month.

It's all about time management and sharing the load as a couple, really. But both of us are healthy(ish) and don't work late or unpredictable hours, so we're in a good situation for it.

Quote from: Vic99;744783How old are you?

35, but I'm deceptively immature.

Bunch of crotchety old fucks.

Quote from: Mistwell;745722Bunch of crotchety old fucks.

Heh. Says the guy swimming in the old guy pool with the rest of us. :)

My mind is 21. My body is 20 years older than that. :D

I'm right at the base (31) of the 31-40 band. I know plenty of gamers both older and younger than I am, with more young'uns cropping up all the time it seems, so my own gaming community isn't especially greying.

(http://www.veracityvoice.com/images/dirt-3.jpg)

Older than.

Quote from: Exploderwizard;745749Heh. Says the guy swimming in the old guy pool with the rest of us. :)

Eww, what's this substance floating around in here that's neither red, white, yellow or brown?

It's comforting to be in the largest demographic, here. Kind of.

I am 40.

I can't remember, but I sure hope someone closed the fence so the cows don't get out again.

Quote from: Warthur;745762I'm right at the base (31) of the 31-40 band. I know plenty of gamers both older and younger than I am, with more young'uns cropping up all the time it seems, so my own gaming community isn't especially greying.

Yeah, most of the gamers I know irl probably center around my age (30). I know gamers in their 50s, and I know gamers in their teens. In my personal group, we have everything from 19-34 (and it obviously goes even younger when my daughter plays).

I really don't see that the hobby is getting THAT much older, I think it has more to do with the fact that this site attracts older players.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

I'm 34. I have a six-month old and a nearly-four year old. They were initially disruptive (couldn't play when they were under two months), but given my wife doesn't play and games are a weekday evening when they're usually asleep, it's not an issue any more.

Our hosts (the GM and another player) have a fourteen-month old wandering around and she's often disruptive at a low level (in everything, burbling away), but not usually game-stoppingly disruptive.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044I've been doing it for nearly two decades and I can't imagine what it would take to dislodge it from my top 5 hobbies list. Of course that's easy to say since I'm childfree by choice.

Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

Nah. Other people's kids are usually more disruptive than mine. We play at my house so my kids have their toys, bedrooms, etc all right there.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

Its disruptive, no doubt, but there are a lot of factors that effect this.

My wife is an avid gamer too, we have both sets of grandparents nearby, and we have friends who were willing to travel to us to game (none having kids of the same age at the time).

The result was that we only missed a month or so of gaming for each of my daughters (now 5 and 7). We both had alternate streams of gaming that we would cover each other for.

For regular gaming together, this was initially skewed to the weekends when the girls were 2 or under as they would either sleep during the day or be looked after by grandparents.  From 2 onwards, gaming shifted to weeknights more as weekends become family time and sleepovers at grandparents or babysitting becomes easier.

From 5 onwards, my gaming began to include my children :)

Very old.

QuoteOoh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

No more disruptive than the kids are in general. The little guys just force you to be more organised and consistent with your scheduling. And it gets easier after age 3 as they start to be able to keep themselves busy. IME, careers have been much more disruptive.

I also involve them in GM prep time. So as I'm drawing a map I have them draw a map too. As I flesh out factions, they draw flags or shields. As I'm looking up monsters, they describe their own horrible beasties. They really like designing Rube Goldberg traps and contraptions.

I am 37, but as I don't get old, I only add years and don't have plans of dying, I am not worried :D

People who have (young) children can be disruptive to any social activity, because all they ever talk about is their kids which is extremely predictable and boring as fuck.

(http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/boring.gif)

Just turned 30 a month ago! I actually feel younger than I did at 20-- maybe I'm a Benjamin Button...

Quote from: Old Geezer;745404I'm 59, who's the bugger that's older than me?

I dunno.  What's your birth-month?

Hey - remember when they replaced all the 48-star flags?

Quote from: 3rik;747841People who have (young) children can be disruptive to any social activity, because all they ever talk about is their kids which is extremely predictable and boring as fuck.

(http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/boring.gif)

Alright, I'll show you the photos in silence then. You might want to get a drink first though, as we'll be here a long time.

Wonder why everyone is so self-deprecating about being 40 or 50....?
It is what it is, keep yourself in good shape mentally and physically and roll with it.

Quote from: The_Shadow;747988Wonder why everyone is so self-deprecating about being 40 or 50....?
It is what it is, keep yourself in good shape mentally and physically and roll with it.

After 40 you do start feeling a bit less springy, and some of the activities you used to mock when you were a kid suddenly are kind of nice.

But I understand what you mean; no reason not to keep up the adventuresome spirit at 50 (assuming one ever had it to begin with).

Quote from: Lynn;747997After 40 you do start feeling a bit less springy, and some of the activities you used to mock when you were a kid suddenly are kind of nice.

But I understand what you mean; no reason not to keep up the adventuresome spirit at 50 (assuming one ever had it to begin with).

Exactly! I'm about the average age around here myself, but there's plenty of lead left in the pencil.

Quote from: Ladybird;747920Alright, I'll show you the photos in silence then. You might want to get a drink first though, as we'll be here a long time.

Don't get me started on the pictures... Really, there's a limit to the nice-sounding things I can come up with to say under such circumstances and I reached it ages ago. Nowadays I just sit there with a blank expression until they shut up and put their cellphone slideshow away. The worst thing is they don't realize themselves how boring, uninteresting and unremarkable it all is.

Sorry, pet peeve. Back on topic.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

With a couple young ones, and sharing parenting duties 50/50, I have one or two nights a week when I get a pass to go out or have people over. Otherwise, I can do stuff after the kids go to bed. But since I have to get up at 6 am to handle our crazy work/school schedule, I'm usually too tired to do anything after that.

Problem is, all of my friends are in the same boat, and it's very difficult to coordinate my one or two nights a week of availability with 4-5 other guys. Then there's evening activities - one guy in my group has three sons playing soccer 3 days a week each, and he coaches two of them. Another has a wife who is away with work 10-12 days a months, leaving him to watch three kids by himself.

The upshot is we play once every 3-4 weeks.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

As my kids got older, it got harder as the they became more involved in a range of extracurricular activities - baseball and soccer for my son, dance and cheer for my daughter. My time is spent ferrying them around, attending practices, rehearsals, games, and performances, and socializing with other families with whom we share activities.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;745044I've been doing it for nearly two decades and I can't imagine what it would take to dislodge it from my top 5 hobbies list. Of course that's easy to say since I'm childfree by choice.

Ooh, secondary thread question! - For those of you who have had children, was it as disruptive to RPGs as generally described?

I game every other week and cancel a few times a year for the kids. My wife really helps me out so I can game on a regular basis.

It's not that so many people are being self-deprecating about being 40-50.  It's that half the posters here are 40-50 (points upward at the poll numbers).  Misery loves company.

34, but I look like 24. So I hope I keep looking 10 years younger when I am 50.

Quote from: Lynn;747997After 40 you do start feeling a bit less springy, and some of the activities you used to mock when you were a kid suddenly are kind of nice.

But I understand what you mean; no reason not to keep up the adventuresome spirit at 50 (assuming one ever had it to begin with).

I'm 46 years old. A couple years ago I took my nieces on a vacation to New Hampshire where we visited the Cornish-Windsor bridge (2nd longest covered bridge in America.) They were mostly bored with it but I enjoyed walking on it. Then it occurred to me that when I was their age I would have been bored too, it's just a wooden bridge after all. It struck me how much people can and do change over the decades. Maybe 30 years from now they'll go back to it and be as entranced as I was.

Quote from: jan paparazzi;74913434, but I look like 24. So I hope I keep looking 10 years younger when I am 50.

Don't count on it. ;)

Quote from: 3rik;748144Don't get me started on the pictures... Really, there's a limit to the nice-sounding things I can come up with to say under such circumstances and I reached it ages ago. Nowadays I just sit there with a blank expression until they shut up and put their cellphone slideshow away. The worst thing is they don't realize themselves how boring, uninteresting and unremarkable it all is.

Sorry, pet peeve. Back on topic.

An on-topic comparison might be people telling stories about their favorite character - http://dorkland.spreadshirt.com/don-t-tell-me-about-your-character-men-A765056

It's one of those things that's really important to the 'teller' but some of the listeners can't really relate.  Or if they do relate, it's in comparison to their own kids/character.

Quote from: 3rik;747841People who have (young) children can be disruptive to any social activity, because all they ever talk about is their kids which is extremely predictable and boring as fuck.

Attitudes like yours are one of the reasons we tend to congregate with other parents.

I'm 28 and already getting grey hairs.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;749241Attitudes like yours are one of the reasons we tend to congregate with other parents.

Which is fine with me. Mind you, I never said all parents are like that. Many of them are perfectly fine and I don't mind an occasional kids anecdote.

Quote from: mcbobbo;749216An on-topic comparison might be people telling stories about their favorite character - http://dorkland.spreadshirt.com/don-t-tell-me-about-your-character-men-A765056

It's one of those things that's really important to the 'teller' but  some of the listeners can't really relate.  Or if they do relate, it's  in comparison to their own kids/character.

Moderation is key. It's when it gets overly repetitive and predictable that it starts to get annoying and, eventually, disruptive.

Quote from: 3rik;749258Moderation is key. It's when it gets overly repetitive and predictable that it starts to get annoying and, eventually, disruptive.

Like with Monte Python quotes, yep.

Unfortunately gamers aren't always the one with the best social skills...

I am so old when I started gaming you had to walk 10 miles, uphill, both ways, in the snow, with no shoes to roll 3d6 in order.

Quote from: 3rik;749182Don't count on it. ;)

Foei! :nono:

Quote from: Bill;749301I am so old when I started gaming you had to walk 10 miles, uphill, both ways, in the snow, with no shoes to roll 3d6 in order.

I actually did have to walk to school uphill both ways (large valley on the route) to school, and it did snow more than once.  One time I slipped on the ice and the 2nd edition SW book I had just received went sliding probably 50 feet.  Tore up the cover.  I was really upset.

Kids today will never know my pain...

Quote from: mcbobbo;749324I actually did have to walk to school uphill both ways (large valley on the route) to school, and it did snow more than once.  One time I slipped on the ice and the 2nd edition SW book I had just received went sliding probably 50 feet.  Tore up the cover.  I was really upset.

Kids today will never know my pain...

I think it holds true. Today it's just slipped on an uncleared sidewalk and smashed your ipad with all the pdfs on it. Times haven't changed that much. Kids are still walking to school. And slipping. And destroying their things by accident.

//Panjumanju

Quote from: Panjumanju;749328I think it holds true. Today it's just slipped on an uncleared sidewalk and smashed your ipad with all the pdfs on it. Times haven't changed that much. Kids are still walking to school. And slipping. And destroying their things by accident.

//Panjumanju

We started the oldest off as a walker.  It was only two blocks to school.  Still the helicopter crowd looked down their noses at us.  His current elementary school forbids walking outright.

Crazy, right?

Quote from: mcbobbo;749330We started the oldest off as a walker.  It was only two blocks to school.  Still the helicopter crowd looked down their noses at us.  His current elementary school forbids walking outright.

Crazy, right?

Madness. If one had deep pockets, it would almost be worth it to bring a lawsuit against the school board: get some health experts to testify about the importance of exercise to young children, and how banning walking puts a child's health at risk.

Quote from: mcbobbo;749330We started the oldest off as a walker.  It was only two blocks to school.  Still the helicopter crowd looked down their noses at us.  His current elementary school forbids walking outright.

Crazy, right?

That is insane. Just. Outright. Insane. When you're talking two blocks, the potential bullying and/or horseplay on the bus is *more* dangerous. Bussing it two blocks wastes, gas, time - driver's time, student's time, schools time - and...I'm reaching a boiling point, here...I just can't believe this.

//Panjumanju

Quote from: Haffrung;749332Madness. If one had deep pockets, it would almost be worth it to bring a lawsuit against the school board: get some health experts to testify about the importance of exercise to young children, and how banning walking puts a child's health at risk.

Ha, that reminds me.  They took recess off the schedule permanently and replaced it with Study Hall.  He is in sixth grade now, so it's only one grade early, but the poor boy gets almost zero exercise at school now.

Quote from: mcbobbo;749330We started the oldest off as a walker.  It was only two blocks to school.  Still the helicopter crowd looked down their noses at us.  His current elementary school forbids walking outright.

Crazy, right?

You're kidding, right? I didn't think a school would have anything to say about your mode of transport...

Would a bicycle be acceptable? Or is that too dangerous regarding traffic?

Quite the fucked-up country you've got there.

Over here in the third-world, kids stay up till after midnight, are welcome at restaurants and bars alike, walk or go to school by themselves as a rule, and start drinking socially with the family in their early teens.

Jesus Christ.  When I was a kid, they wouldn't even consider a bus for anyone living within a mile of school.  Of course you walked to school.  That was how it worked.

Quote from: RPGPundit;749900Quite the fucked-up country you've got there.

Over here in the third-world, kids stay up till after midnight, are welcome at restaurants and bars alike, walk or go to school by themselves as a rule, and start drinking socially with the family in their early teens.

It's like if you treat your children with respect and let them learn from their own mistakes, they can sort out their own shit! A shockingly revolutionary idea, that too many parents seem to have forgotten from their own childhoods.

(I didn't walk bus to secondary school, because my secondary school was about seven miles away. My parents freaked the hell out the first time I walked home from primary school on my own, but I was only eight and it involved crossing the main road through our village, twice.)

Quote from: Ravenswing;749908Jesus Christ.  When I was a kid, they wouldn't even consider a bus for anyone living within a mile of school.  Of course you walked to school.  That was how it worked.

Here if you live within a mile of the school, they do not provide transportation.

Quote from: Ravenswing;749908When I was a kid, they wouldn't even consider a bus for anyone living within a mile of school.  Of course you walked to school.  That was how it worked.

This is my memory, too.
I actually liked walking. In High School, they provided a bus to our area, but the only time I took it was when it was raining.

The law in Ohio is the student has to be at least 2 miles away from the school before the school is required to have school transportation.

Quote from: ptingler;749983The law in Ohio is the student has to be at least 2 miles away from the school before the school is required to have school transportation.

You can easily travel two miles by bicycle, provided the infrastructure makes it possible. We used to do all our mid-distance travelling on bicycle.

Quote from: mcbobbo;749336Ha, that reminds me.  They took recess off the schedule permanently and replaced it with Study Hall.  He is in sixth grade now, so it's only one grade early, but the poor boy gets almost zero exercise at school now.

You live in Texas. Doesn't it get really hot during the day in Texas?

Quote from: Lynn;749961Here if you live within a mile of the school, they do not provide transportation.

My son's school doesn't have a bus that comes here. We live about a third of a mile from the school. He walks. I go with him though, but he's like, 8 and he has to cross several busy streets to get there.