|
In the early 1980s, Dungeons & Dragons was accused of
being the source of psychological instability and encouraging cultism and
crime. The role-playing game was also (and remains) popular among many engineering
students.
Yet clinical research has determined that there is no real
link between fantasy gaming and suicide. Studies have shown that role players
do not typically exhibit depression or suicidal tendencies. Feelings of
alienation are not associated with mainstream players, but players who are deeply
and financially committed to the game do tend to feel alienated from others.
Still, according to one study, there is "no significant correlation between
years of playing the game and emotional stability."
People & Players
 It's hard to say exactly what kind of person plays D&D. To
play, all you really need is an interest in the fantasy genre, a willingness to
play a role, and an imagination. And that can be anyone – not just engineering
students! D&D can span all ages and interests.
My D&D group, for example, consists of college students
and recent graduates. We all study different things: physics, economics, and philosophy;
aeronautical, electrical, and mechanical engineering; psychology; and computer
science. In high school, some of us were in the band, some of us were on sports
teams, and some of us were class officers. And we all have different interests.
We also play very different characters.
Ah, the Flexibility
There is a great deal of flexibility regarding what kind of
character you play. You can be good, evil, or somewhere in the middle. You can
also be so lawfully, chaotically, or (again) somewhere in the middle In case
you're wondering about the term "chaotically" here, a popular example of a
chaotic-good character is Batman.
You can play a male or female character, too. And you can
choose from a large number of races and classes. Races include, but are not
limited to, human, half-orc, elf, gnome, halfling, and dwarf. Classes are like
professions and include fighter, cleric, ranger, bard, wizard, and many more.
 The choices don't end there. Your character's reaction in a
given situation depends upon the back-story you've created. For example, my
character never knew his parents and was treated with great disdain in his
youth. He spent a lot of time on the outskirts of the village where he was born,
and traveled all over the continent as a bodyguard. So if you insulted his
mother, he wouldn't be offended. He has a great affinity for nature. He is also
very hesitant to trust characters he meets in his travels, but if you do gain
his trust, he will fight to the death in order to protect you.
You can even decide to become a member of a group of good
adventuring humans whose main goal is to help those in need and to destroy all
things evil and magical!
Most importantly, your character is exactly that – a
character. Your character can be whoever or whatever you want it to be. Your
actions do not need to reflect your character's actions, and vice versa.
Perhaps if some people realized this beforehand, they would not have been so
critical of the game and its players (then again, that might not have changed a
thing).
More Popular Than You Think
As of 2006, D&D was the best-known and best-selling
role-playing game. It's estimated that some 20 million people have played Dungeons
and Dragons, and more than $1 billion (USD) has been spent buying D&D books
and equipment. The game has also been translated into many different languages.
Its popularity and influence has also inspired many other
role-playing games. Some are about knights and sorcerers. Others are about
vampires. Some incorporate space travel, and there is even one based on H.P.
Lovecraft's story, The Call of Cthulhu.
D&D has also had a large impact on many modern video games. After all,
isn't D&D just like a more interactive version of one?
Based on what I've read (and please correct me if I'm wrong
here), average D&D players are in their 30s or 40s and work in varying
professions. So are you wondering how many of your co-workers are D&D
players?
It is a common belief that all D&D players are geeky or
nerdy. Obviously, the truth of this is disputable. I, for one, am proud to call
myself a nerd. I even have a set of dice displayed on my desk at work.
Gaming conventions with one or more D&D tables are held
at colleges, universities, and convention centers all over the world. D&D
is also played widely within Mensa, the world's the oldest, largest, and
best-known high-IQ society.
Some well-known people who play D&D are basketball
player Tim Duncan; comedian Stephen Colbert; and actors Robin Williams, Mike
Meyers and Vin Diesel. Diesel, star of the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious, even wrote the forward to a book called 30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of
Dungeons & Dragons.
 Today, despite all efforts to eliminate it, Dungeons &
Dragons is more popular than ever. Regardless of whether you consider D&D
to be geeky or not, it remains a good way for friends to get together and go on
adventures without ever leaving home
.
Click here to read Part 1!
Here to read Part 2!
And here for Part 3!
Sources:
Wikipedia – Dungeons & Dragons
| 
Users who posted comments:
ffej (1), Gallar (1), Guest (1), unicum (1), Vi Pham (1), Yusef1 (1)