We had a lecture about ScriptEase in Cmput301... my project group and I were joking around calling it scrip-Tease ... since all of the profs characaters that he was demo-ing with were scantily clad chicks.

Are you playing with anyone right now Ed?

So can I quote you again?

Roleplaying games are definitely social. That was every saturday for me during high school... we had about a group of 6 to 8 people sometimes. Communities of gamers can be pretty tight knit, and can be a lot of fun. I would agree and say that computer games, and especially things like online MUDs should fit the stereo-typing more appropriately...

That's funny, because one of the ideas that's being worked on right now in my lab is ScriptEase, which is a tool that lets you write stories (essentially) for NeverWinterNights, the Bioware video game adaptation of D&D. I don't know if that helps, but it's a twist on the 'safety' of video games.

I know Paras - I wasn't taking it personally, I'm just writing a paper on it right now so I am interested.

And I agree D&D is certainly not alone in this treatment. Almost any pop culture phenomenon (sp?) has been subject to this at some point or another. My prof wants me to argue that the threat of D&D goes beyond just the usual complaints of violence, youth subcultures, and Satanic elements and has to do with the idea that the stories and characters created by the Dungeon Masters and the players are actually created by the kids (or adults) themselves and therefore haven't been "okay-ed" by anyone as video games or music albums are (not that this guarentees moral cleanliness) and also that the content of specific D&D games cannot be monitered. I guess this could be true, but I also agree with you guys when you suggest that the outrage over D&D isn't any different than any other outrage.

Let's first make clear the fact that, indeed, this is just my way of making fun of Jess. Clearly my posting of a Doctor Who quote right after this article destroys my credibility in criticizing anyone's (for lack of a better word) geekdom.

That being said, while D&D may receive this treatment, of only being spotlighted from a negative view, it is not alone. Tony points to music, but this has been true, and will continue to be true, for most societies; something alien is popular among "youth" and feared by "adults" (of course, it's not strictly a generational thing, but that's beside the point.) Look no further than Jack Thompson to see where this is rearing its ugly head today. (Or, better yet, my good friends at the Parents Television Council.) There are certain parts of society that believe media and entertainment have a large influence on our behaviours, and will exploit media when it serves their interest (censorship, religious ideals, classifying soldiers, etc.)

I totally agree with you on the marginalization issue, I was just stating it in terms of the Israeli military and that of other nations.

As for the venomous public attitude to the game, I think this could also be attributed to the tide of moral conservatism that swept the US with the Reagan administration, and is being re-propagated by Dubya. To show an example using the music biz, check out Viral Video's archive of Frank Zappa on CNN's "Crossfire" in the '80s, and you'll see what I mean.

Well, the military, while certainly conformist, is hardly the only segment of the population who has this problem with D&D. While the stigma now is certainly about being a geek, in the 80s there was a whole moral panic about D&D - gateway to the occult, violence, ect. The link Paras put up to Jack Chick is pretty representative of the 80s take on D&D, only imagine that kind of rhetoric everywhere - mainstream newspapers, PTA meetings, tv newsreports, some academic journals; it was everywhere. People thought that D&D players were a physical threat to everyone and a moral threat to youth particularly.

But the argument about D&D simply being different, and therefore feared, could certainly apply to segments of the population outside the military as well.

Alright, here's my take on the scenario, as I see it:

First off, the military is the definition of conformity. Basically, if you aren't a certain type of person, you get singled out. If you've seen Full Metal Jacket, you'll know what I mean. This was even the case back in my cadet days, when I saw it happen to certain individuals at camp.

Basically, my argument is this: it's less because of any problems with detached reality perceptions ('cause there are military people with all sorts of delusions who don't play D&D), it's that it's outsider, it's weird to them and they don't understand it. And in the military, regardless of the nation, difference almost always leads to marginalization.