No Gamer Shame Here

1 Comment

1. Lurkinggherkin on 24.11.2008 at 03:48

   ‘Gamer Shame’ seems to be a topical issue. I addressed this recently myself here.

   I think the real shame is that tabletop RP’ers and LARP’ers feel the need to fight their corner by slinging mud at each other in this way. ‘They’re the weird ones! Not us! Go pick on them!’. Meh. Both camps are engaged in unconventional hobbies, and what they should be fighting against is not each other, but the very perception that engaging in an unconventional pastime is wrong.

   I’m not an active LARP’er – Historical Re-enactment is more my thing, I prefer real metal gear to latex foam and moulded plastic. But I’ve been to a LARP event or two, and can appreciate the appeal. Just as there’s a range of quality to expect in tabletop play, depending on the maturity and level of commitment of its participants, so there’s a range of quality to LARP and the LARP events I’ve been to have been a far cry from people in capes lobbing tennis balls. I’ll say this as well to every single male gamer reading this – if you want to mingle with female roleplayers in abundance, go to a LARP event. In my experience (which is UK-centric, mind you) there is far more gender balance in the LARP hobby than tabletop RP. I know this is a generalisation and there will be tabletop groups out there with a good gender balance, but they’re thin on the ground IME.

   Roleplayers should stick together and stand shoulder-to-shoulder against those who denigrate their hobby, whatever particular flavour of RP they enjoy.

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