Monday, January 30, 2012

Reverb #2: Why?!?

This is the second in the Reverb Gamers questionnaire. The first question and answer was here.

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #2: What is it about gaming that you enjoy the most? Why do you game? Is
it the adrenaline rush, the social aspect, or something else?



I love it all. Honestly, I love the story-building, the socializing with peers, the tactical intricacies, the delving into geekish lore (e.g., mythology, urban legends, science fiction). Picking just one is going to be difficult.

I'm thinking about it, and trying to tease it out, and the answer is simply that I love gaming because I love it all. Just writing stories on my own doesn't hold my attention. Just socializing is often uncomfortable for me, and I'm not good at it. I'm not a good enough tactician to enjoy war games and board games for long. I do love geekish lore, but I love it more when I get to share it. (And, honestly, when I can compete in Alpha Geek contests, even if I don't often win.)

Gaming is at the heart of the giant Venn diagram of my interests. It is simply broad enough, deep enough, and complex enough to hold aspects of everything else that I want to do.

2 comments:

  1. What attracted me to gaming, and what keeps me here, is somewhere between escapism and lab work. I enjoy leaving the world behind to watch evil be vanquished. I also enjoy using fantasy world to explore philosophical themes and set up cultures and ethical systems that don't exist elsewhere.

    Nice blog, BTW.

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  2. Thanks!

    Ah, yes. World-building. I love it. There is nothing better than being able to play god with an infinite number of variables and no significant consequences.

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