De-geeking role-playing games

[benlehman]

This comes up, maybe, every month or so in the online conversations I follow. "role-playing games need to be less geeky!"

I just wanted to record here that I think that the entire idea is ridiculous for the following reasons:

1) Perceptions of role-playing games by our culture at large are generally positive: that they are fun, but very time-consuming and potentially obsession forming. Which is about accurate.

2) Since, oh, 1996, geeky things have been hella cool. Hello gamers? I know that you live under a rock, unexposed to the culture at large. But srsly.

I'm posting here because I don't want to have to write this same post, like, 80 times only to have it fall (again) on totally deaf ears.

Comments

XXXXtreme STREET LUGE!

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Your character is an extreme street luger. He vaguely resembles vin diesel. Pick three characteristics (build, coloring, haircut, attitude, eyes, hands, voice) in which your character resembles Vin Diesel. In all other ways, he does not resemble Vin Diesel at all. Pick which ones apply.

Your character has the following attributes, measured 1-8
Toughness
History
Style
Coolness
Perception
Strength
Speaking

These correspond to the Vin Diesel comparisons. For anything that you have in common with Vin Diesel, go ahead and give yourself an 8. For anything else, roll 1d6.