Quote from: jrientsI agree that the climate is a factor.  Wisconsin and Minnesota have pretty long, harsh winters, encouraging the development of indoor activities.  I also think that the more "make love, not war" vibe of the two coasts possibly retarded the development of the wargaming hobby that birthed RPGs.

I think this may be the "inch" that led to the development of D&D. I live in NW PA, west of the Alleghenies and that means anything that the upper midwest gets we get a few days later. I know how general winter can keep the people inside.

Mind it isn't horrible but all things consider why go outside if you don't have too or have something specific to do.

Quote from: JamesVThe two most likely options seem to be nerdy hobbies or functional alcoholism even today.

That's my speculation anyways. Nowadays, things around here are more fragmented, and the most social geeks are anime fans, not RPGers. Kind of a
shame really, I would like to try out an extra person at the table.

There wasn't that many options back in the 70's to keep you and your friends occupied. TV was interesting but unlike today shows were on when they were on and that it. Plus, in my area there was one independent channel that showed sci-fi, little rascals, horror films (dracula, frankenstein, etc), godzilla movies, and three stooges on Saturday afternoons.

Today in contrast you have not only have a lot more options, many of those options are effective at keeping you entertained for hours.

My own kids personally watch a ton of history channel and animal planet, interwoven with the occasional star wars/star trek DVD and Thomas the Tank Engine. What remarkable is that those two channel exist. When I was growing up Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and the occasional Disney special were it as far as animal stuff goes and only if you get a special news program will you have a history channel style show.

The downside is that you still got to watch the hours they spend in front of the tube. But gee the things they find out. The other day we were in Burger King and they started babbling about its history and how they made food because they watched one of food programs that history channel occasionally puts on.

Quote from: Zachary The FirstTrue--you are smack in the really pretty part of Indiana--the south of the state is BEAUTIFUL.  

The funny thing is you could drive an hour north and be surrounded by the flattest farmland in existence.

You mean there's a place in the midwest with actual hills? I remember a place outside of Chicago where someone had built a tiny 15 foot high hill and put a park bench on top. It commanded a vast vista. I felt like a microbe in a petri dish - same as I felt in Florida. The horizon's so far away it takes minutes for light to get to you.

Pittsburgh on the other hand had not spot of level ground larger than a VW bug. The folks there have one leg shorter than the other for better purchase on the slopes. They look with distain on lesser mortals and mountain goats.

-clash

Quote from: SpikeIt strikes me that the midwest is full of down to earth 'do it yourself' sensible people.  

I grew up in Kansas and Missouri, and I took away what I think of as that sensibility.  Two other things crop up often when expatriate Midwesterners get together and talk about being from the Midwest (honestly I think we're worse about this than Texans).

The politeness (or social engagement or playing well together or something) factor contributes to good role playing.  My mom would just think I was rude and showboating if my character bogarted all of the action in a group.  Though she's never tell me about it.  

The other facet is a kind of understated, but reaaaly macabre sense of humor, leavened with a heavy tolerance, dare I say joy in, the magic of scatology.  So many normally nice and sweet people who are way comfortable with grisly beheadings and poo.  Is that part just me?

That's an interesting take on the subject Reimdall.  As a guy who considers himself reasonably well-adjusted but puts some poop in nearly every dungeon he makes, I'm inclined to agree.  

(Seriously, whenever the party finds a latrine or dungheap or just an animal turd, Pat is always like "A-ha!  So there it is!  I was wondering when we'd stumble upon the poo.")

Fertilizer.

Hard to be grossed out by that which you use to grow your food if you are aware of it from a personal connection on a day to day basis.

 I always blamed my scatology on my career field, not my hometown, so who knows....

In the summer I would occasionally step in the stuff, while running around barefoot.  That had to shape my attitude on the subject at least a bit.

There's only so many times you can be attempting to scrape Rover effluvium from the bottom of your New Balance hightops before you start threatening to put it on your friends with a stick.  Add a funny voice and you have the main plot spine of many of my campaigns.  

Yeah... one thing that has me freaked out by living on teh pacific coast is the prevelance... nay! Ubiquity of leash and scoop laws.  I haven't been back to the midwest in over a decade, but I hope to god they don't have such assinine rules there. Serious, I'm expected to carry a spraybottle of vinegar water just incase the dog pees. WTF!?!

No wonder the poor bastard never gets out on a walk.... he might, you know, have the call of nature somewhere.

Quote from: flyingmicePittsburgh on the other hand had not spot of level ground larger than a VW bug. The folks there have one leg shorter than the other for better purchase on the slopes. They look with distain on lesser mortals and mountain goats.
-clash

When I helped with a LARPS Group the leader's house was in the south hills of pittsburgh. He was on Happy Hill Drive. I was taking a friend there one time and he mused "I wonder why they called it happy hill?"

I quipped "Because they were happy just to get up the damn hill."

Quote from: estarWhen I helped with a LARPS Group the leader's house was in the south hills of pittsburgh. He was on Happy Hill Drive. I was taking a friend there one time and he mused "I wonder why they called it happy hill?"

I quipped "Because they were happy just to get up the damn hill."

Hehe! I know the feeling! There are places in Pittsburgh where it's exceedingly difficult to go from one one neighborhood to the next because they are on totally different levels. It's easier to go to the next neighborhood beyond over some bridge or viaduct.

-clash

Quote from: SpikeYeah... one thing that has me freaked out by living on teh pacific coast is the prevelance... nay! Ubiquity of leash and scoop laws.  I haven't been back to the midwest in over a decade, but I hope to god they don't have such assinine rules there. Serious, I'm expected to carry a spraybottle of vinegar water just incase the dog pees. WTF!?!

No wonder the poor bastard never gets out on a walk.... he might, you know, have the call of nature somewhere.

We've had leash laws in Hillsboro, IL forever and they just passed a scoop ordinance.  I can't speak for the rest of the region.

Quote from: SettembriniThere´s an intrigueing difference between the games from the Midwest [TSR!, GDW!] and those from California [RQ, Champions etc.], when you go back in RPG history.

Why is that?
What happened in the Midwest to enable such a rich culture of Wargaming and derived RPGs?

I hope the distinction here is not between a rich gaming culture and an impoverished one. Bay Area stuff was rich too, but rich different. I don't want to revive some age-old debate, on which Cali will correct me anyway, but if RQ is above all Glorantha (rather than realism), and if Champions is above all build, and if we add Arduin to the mix... then we're looking at a pretty diverse scene, no?

You've been to Virginia Beach? For a jam session with N.E.R.D.?

Quote from: jrientsI agree that the climate is a factor.  Wisconsin and Minnesota have pretty long, harsh winters, encouraging the development of indoor activities.  I also think that the more "make love, not war" vibe of the two coasts possibly retarded the development of the wargaming hobby that birthed RPGs.

People are settling on climate, and it's plausible. But it's not just the midwest: most of the northeast, at least down to Maryland (which is the Mid-Atlantic if you want to get picky), has cold winters--often rainy and cold, far worse than snow--and stiflingly hot summers.

What's more--wargaming not a coastal thing? SPI? Avalon Hill?

If you have to generalize, it might be more of a California vs. everyplace else thing.

Quote from: SpikeYeah... one thing that has me freaked out by living on teh pacific coast is the prevelance... nay! Ubiquity of leash and scoop laws.  I haven't been back to the midwest in over a decade, but I hope to god they don't have such assinine rules there. Serious, I'm expected to carry a spraybottle of vinegar water just incase the dog pees. WTF!?!

No wonder the poor bastard never gets out on a walk.... he might, you know, have the call of nature somewhere.

I've never heard of the vinegar thing, and I suspect it's probably lame, but scoop laws are necessary because some people are idiots who won't clean up after their dogs in public areas.  I don't care what people do in their own yard, but on walking trails, in parks, etc. you damn well better clean up after your dog as far as I am concerned.  It's not just gross, it's also because things spread that way, and I don't want my dog getting sick due to somebody else's laziness.

Leash laws -- it depends.  If someone's dog is very well-behaved and responds to voice commands, I'm okay with them being off-leash.  But honestly, this isn't most dogs (including my own -- when he's outside, he is always on a leash or in a fenced-in area), so I think they should be leashed unless they meet the above criteria or it's in a secure enclosure like a yard or a dog park.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand...