More on the D&D Procrastination

I will get to the rest of the D&D stuff soon, but I'm in the middle of something IRL right this minute. Hopefully, it will be resolved by the new week. I have already started writing the material, it's just a matter of doing a little research and editing.

I'm not like "into" failure, though I've become accustomed to it these last few years, but I truly do hold that every experience teaches you something, and this is very true of the D&D campaign I tried to run. It was inarguably a failure, and I certainly deserve some of the blame, but I'll remind you: the theme is how the current generation lacks imagination and is rendered incapable by lack of specific directions, thus they do not enjoy tabletop roleplaying. They prefer computer roleplaying games, where the path they must follow is laid-out in front of them, and no deviation can take them too far from "the right direction."

At first, I thought it had to do with insecurity and the whole roleplaying aspect, itself; many first-time players feel self-conscious trying to "act" in-character. But as the game wore on, I came to agree with one of the players, who told me, "I just don't have an imagination." Interestingly, the other player - who first entered the situation as a Trouble Player - started taking notes, fleshing-out his character and his place in the world through copious written pages and doodles. These notes are now being integrated into the tapestry I am designing for presentation, but it is interesting to reflect on why he felt more comfortable writing it than acting it out and if that is specific to him or indicative of a group his age, with his preconceptions.

The whole Atlantis setting is aimed at serious collectors. I doubt anyone else will have access to the broad range of products it uses. But this discussion entails the gaming side of the hobby, and has industry-wide implications. None of my observations are ground-breaking, and you've heard them before, but they deserve to be coupled with a IRL case to study.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009