Feeling like you don't have much in common with someone else or a group of people is not the same as being marginalized.
...
On a related note, feeling marginalized and being marginalized are two very different things.
Aye, that's part of the reason I think it would be interesting to note. If the poll questions are sufficiently granular, it should be possible to see where perception differs from demographics, correct?
Speaking of feeling marginalized, yesterday I was again rudely reminded of how many people smoke, without giving any apparent consideration to how it affects others.
I asked two college girls to step back from a narrow bottleneck I was approaching, mentioned that I have asthma, and got the "B...but we're cool! I thought it was just my mother who doesn't like cigarettes!" looks and small noises in reply. They moved back, but it was an effort to politely thank them. Incidents like this are a big part of my growing discomfort with urban environments.
I wonder what the stats are on smokers vs. non-smokers.
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Speaking of feeling marginalized, yesterday I was again rudely reminded of how many people smoke, without giving any apparent consideration to how it affects others.
I asked two college girls to step back from a narrow bottleneck I was approaching, mentioned that I have asthma, and got the "B...but we're cool! I thought it was just my mother who doesn't like cigarettes!" looks and small noises in reply. They moved back, but it was an effort to politely thank them. Incidents like this are a big part of my growing discomfort with urban environments.
I wonder what the stats are on smokers vs. non-smokers.
That is why i can't wait for my country to implement no smoking in public places law. As in nowhere except in establishments which allow smoking and inside their own homes.
Aranna, I'm unclear as to how not being a member of a minority makes you unwelcome, but that's certainly not the intention.
While I am confused why some groups who believe in Christ are separate and others are lumped together unless it is just to make some groups look larger or smaller on polls... it is not relevant. I am unwelcome because I am being treated rudely. I would have thought that was obvious by now. I have yet to meet anyone who thought being intentionally treated rudely was welcoming behavior.
Now will you please remove my poll post?
Demographic Questions
Which decade of life are you in? (11-20 counts as 2nd, 21-30 counts as 3rd, etc.) 3rd
Are you male or female? M
Aside from geekdom, how many minority groups are you a member of? none
How financially comfortable are you? I'm somewhat poor
In your experience, how big is the typical game group? (Including the GM.) 4-8
Do you play mostly private games, or mostly at public events? private
How often do you like to play D&D? 1/week
How often do you play D&D? 6-11 times/year
Are you mostly a DM or a player? 50-50
Which edition was your introduction to D&D? 2000 D&D 3.0e
I am most comfortable in… suburban/rural, but have to have easy access to urban things (concerts and stores).
Real Life Issues
Are you religious/spiritual? casually, I believe in God, not in religions. Raised Catholic.
How do you feel about sex education in primary school? 1. It should be mandatory and exhaustive.
How do you feel about gun sale taxes?
1. I think guns should be illegal.
How do you feel about personal gun licenses?
1. I think guns should be illegal, even with a license.
How do you feel about gun education in primary school?
1. It should be mandatory and exhaustive.
How do you feel about concealable and semi-automatic guns?
2. Concealable and semi-automatic guns should be illegal.
Note on the guns issue: leftover guns from the war (Croatian) make all sorts of crap happen. I used to be ban all the hunting rifles, but since I've met a lot of hunters on my new job, my view changed a bit. They are usually extra careful, and loose guns for any police related incident, so they tend to be really strict about keeping an stuff.
What do you want from tax reform?
1. smarter taxes
How do you feel about government surveillance?
1. My privacy rights are already violated enough!
Wars to Spread Democracy and/or Protect Foreign Civilians are…
1. thinly veiled imperialism
Unions are… uneffective and usually thinly concealed pro-goverment pushers.
Voter ID Laws are…
2. Fraud-safing against dishonest voters
Global Warming is…
1. Science
Capital punishment is...
1. Never acceptable. I would lean to acceptable in extreme cases if there was a "magical" ability to discern the truth.
How do you feel about immigration?
1. There are ways we can all live together!
How do you feel about racism and sexism?
1. They're alive and ugly in the world today.
What's your stance on abortion? I'm personally against it, but it's not my right to make choices for everyone else, so Pro-Choice I guess.
Do you believe that your government should provide certain necessities of modern life to all of its citizens? (Police, fire departments, schooling, roads, medical care, etc.)
1. Yes, it's their f@%$ing most important job!!
Stem Cell Research is…
1. Science
How do you feel about the separation of church and state?
1. It's a very good thing. Oh, and tax those churches just like the rest of us!
LGBTs are… people like everyone else, but extremely pushy in their lifestyle.
Poverty is…
1. the nation's responsibility
If I had the power to change my country's drug and alcohol laws, I would…
2. Legalize everything, and tax crap out of it!
Game Life Issues
Do you value game balance?
2. Somewhat leaning to very much.
Random Game Stats (Abilities, HPs) are…
1. best avoided IMO, but willing to play anything as long as it applies to all players equally.
Do you value game realism?
1. Very much (IN GAME realism, not real world realism)
Do you enjoy core-only games? (With possible exceptions being occasional.)
2. They have their charm.
Do you enjoy kitchen sink games? (Few to no character options banned.)
2. They have their charm.
Do you prefer individual XP, or group/no XP? I use to run individual (as did everyone else in our gaming group), but for the next campaign will be using no XP for first few levels, and then switching to group XP.
Ideally, alignment is…
1. carefully managed
Ideally, alignment is…
2. descriptive ("Judging by your character's past actions, s/he is alignment X")
Do you like alignment overall?
2. It has its charm
Paladins should be…
2. LG only
Additional character options are best as…
Alternative class features/talents/feats Kirthfinder rules!
PC death is…
2. Acceptable if it results from poor decision-making or a climactic showdown.
What is your favorite level range?
2. 6-10
Low Levels (1-4)
2. "Savor the low fantasy fun!" But it needs a good DM.
High levels (13+) Also need a good DM.
I favor…
1. Simple classes. without the rest of the sentence.
Hit points are…
3. a mechanic that makes the game work -- don't think about it!
Evil PCs are…
1. Interesting role play opportunities.
2. Okay if everyone's on board.
DMPCs are…
3. Best avoided at all costs. In my usual group. When I DMed a bunch of older people, they've always wanted NPCs to drag with them, so encounters don't get scary. So I made a few and had fun along with them, beating myself with them.
Do you enjoy guns/steampunk in D&D?
2. Sometimes.
Do you enjoy asian stuff in D&D?
3. Not at all. This is one type of a game I would never play, ninja/samurai/high jump/tentacle porn game. Other non-european cultures are not my favorites, but would play in them.
AoOs are…
good, but could be deleted for some actions.
Combat is best as…
2. a great way to break up social, travel and problem-solving encounters
3. the bread-and-butter of my game!
I prefer 2. for playing, 3. for DMing.
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game? (Assume that the GM is your friend, but only moderately skilled, or untried.)
1. Almost never.
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game? (Assume that the GM is a game-only friend or a stranger, but is a highly skilled one.)
1. Almost never. Not that I had any chances for this one.
On the smoking, I'm a non-smoker, and when there was law prohibiting smoking in public places, I was really happy not to come home smelling like an ashtray. But otherwise, smokers are people too and most of my friends smoke, and the thing is, since they couldn't smoke in bars, we didn't go out almost at all that period
While I am confused why some groups who believe in Christ are separate and others are lumped together unless it is just to make some groups look larger or smaller on polls... it is not relevant. I am unwelcome because I am being treated rudely. I would have thought that was obvious by now. I have yet to meet anyone who thought being intentionally treated rudely was welcoming behavior.
While you have been rudely treated on this thread, I've gone out of my way to avoid coming off as judgmental. Which makes your "I'm not welcome here" reaction -- without getting into the religious and psychological imagery that such a reaction conjures up -- look like an overreaction. (As you seem to be treating me as the thread's authority figure.)
That said, I've already read your responses so I have no objection to them being taken down if the mods are amenable -- although I'm unsure why this seems so important to you.
While I am confused why some groups who believe in Christ are separate and others are lumped together unless it is just to make some groups look larger or smaller on polls... it is not relevant.
I linked you to a poll in which groups were broken down into very small denominations, but were still grouped into broader categories. The differences between individual denominations of Protestantism are minor, while the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism (I'd know; I'm Catholic and my father's side of the family is Presbyterian), or Mormonism and any other Christian faith are much more substantial.
It isn't to make groups look smaller or larger. It's to provide meaningful context to what the religious demographics of the country look like.
I am unwelcome because I am being treated rudely.
YOU are being treated rudely?
You posted your response to the poll. I replied, with civility and by qualifying my reply with a note that I was nitpicking, that Protestant Christianity is not a minority. You responded to that correction by accusing me of lying. And you have the gall to accuse other people of being less than civil to you?
You are not being treated rudely. You are being corrected, because you were wrong (and not just wrong, but arrogantly wrong, accusing others of falsifying information or lying to you when what they were saying didn't line up with a personal belief of yours that you had done exactly zero research on). On top of that, you claimed to be a minority when you were the opposite, which someone who is part of a minority might rightly consider a slap in the face.
If you choose to take that as rudeness, that is on your head, and wouldn't paint a particularly flattering picture of you. I suggest that you take a different approach.
Now will you please remove my poll post?
I don't think that would serve any purpose.
Okay feytharn, now's your chance to make this poll a better one. Some of your comments I can work with, but some of them I'm just lost on:
Sigh...Taxation isn't the most important issue regarding separation of church and state, is it?
What is? I honestly don't know.
If I had the power to change my country's drug and alcohol laws, I would…
Sorry...no...I am too involved in this issue (professionally) to accept this 'multiple choice joke'
What do you do professionally, and what's particularly funny about this question?
(Read the next question before answering this one.)
Ideally, alignment is…
1. carefully managed
2. not taken too seriously
3. best ignoredMy stance on this question is not included in any of these answers.
(If you answered 3 to the last question, don't answer this one.)
Ideally, alignment is…
1. prescriptive ("Your character is of this alignment, so s/he must do that")
2. descriptive ("Judging by your character's past actions, s/he is alignment X")A few more 'shoulds' might get this closer to answerable...
Well, I'm open to suggestions.
This one is just a PS:
Seems to be a mostly American issue - I do not believe taxes should be used as a control mechanism, apart from that I cannot answer this question
I can see how you assumed that taxation is a means of control, but I see it as way recoup the losses from the injuries that can and inevitably do result from dangerous merchandise. I admit there's a bit of idealism here, because my government doesn't yet handle healthcare directly. But it's a much more practical opinion in other first-world countries.
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If the questions were all numbered, and we could just post like 1.a, 2.b, 3.c, 4.a, etc. -- then I might consider replying. All that cutting and pasting is too much effort to put people through, if you actually intend them to participate.
Additional character options are best as…
I don't understand this question
This is kinda PF-specific, and definitely 3.x-specific, so I don't think I'll include it in future polls. Anywho, some Paizonians really don't like the non-core classes because they feel those options would have been better as archetypes. And presumably there are Paizonians who feel the opposite way.
This is kinda PF-specific, and definitely 3.x-specific, so I don't think I'll include it in future polls. Anywho, some Paizonians really don't like the non-core classes because they feel those options would have been better as archetypes. And presumably there are Paizonians who feel the opposite way.Additional character options are best as…
I don't understand this question
Oh. Well I'm fine with non-core classes, I use a bunch of them after all. I don't like archetypes though.
If the questions were all numbered, and we could just post like 1.a, 2.b, 3.c, 4.a, etc. -- then I might consider replying. All that cutting and pasting is too much effort to put people through, if you actually intend them to participate.
Definitely will do next time.
To the Mods: If Gamer Talk isn't appropriate for this poll, please move it to the Off-Topic forum. Thank you.
Welcome to my real-life-to-game-life correlation poll! The purpose of this poll is to find out what, if any, correlations exist between opinions of Paizonians on real life issues, and game issues. I ask you to keep a couple things in mind when posting your answers:
1. Please copy/paste the Q/A portion of this post, and answer in the simple numbered or binary format I've specified, and then follow up with your comments. (If you have any.) I'm sure I'll enjoy reading much of your commentary, but I don't want to have to dig thru it when compiling everyone's answers, so I'll simply ignore answers that are buried in text.
2. Don't feel obligated to answer every single question. If you're unsure how you feel about a topic or have mixed feelings, leave it blank. This is a fun informal poll, so I've left out many shades-of-gray answers. If you don't fit neatly into any of the answers I've presented, do your best to interpret my question into an answerable form. Or again, feel free to simply not answer it.
3. If my poll doesn't include an obvious real life or game issue…that's because you didn't tell me about it in my "Let's make a poll" thread! So post it with your commentary, and I'll add it to the poll for next time. (Maybe on a different forum, maybe next year.)
Demographic Questions
Which decade of life are you in? (11-20 counts as 2nd, 21-30 counts as 3rd, etc.)
Are you male or female?
Aside from geekdom, how many minority groups are you a member of? (LGBT, racial/ethnic, physically disabled, emotionally/mentally disabled, religious)
How financially comfortable are you?
1. I'm poor.
2. I'm somewhat poor.
3. I'm more-or-less comfortable.
4. I'm wealthy.
5. I'm rich.In your experience, how big is the typical game group? (Including the GM.)
1. Less than 4
2. 4 to 6
3. 7 to 9
4. more than 9Do you play mostly...
Way too many questions, and why do you have to bring up politics and religion? By Lamashtu, yet again the political issues always being dragged in as if they should have a place in gaming. Where I come from, asking such questions is considered rude, and is inviting trouble/trolls/a flamewar of opinions.
Please just throw around the gaming questions. Urgh.
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Okay feytharn, now's your chance to make this poll a better one. Some of your comments I can work with, but some of them I'm just lost on:
Sorry, those are more or less those I considered snappy. O.K. Let's see
Sigh...Taxation isn't the most important issue regarding separation of church and state, is it?What is? I honestly don't know.
The separation of state and church is considered to be one of the bases of a democratic society, just as the division of the justice system into its three branches or the freedom of the press. Although I not nececessarily agree that it is as important as the latter two for a democratic enviroment, it is essential for a multicultural society, as it enables people of different religions (or non-religious people) to trust in the state not to treat them as second class citizens just because they do not share the states religion.
What do you do professionally, and what's particularly funny about this question?If I had the power to change my country's drug and alcohol laws, I would…
Sorry...no...I am too involved in this issue (professionally) to accept this 'multiple choice joke'
Sorry about that, I will probably have to come back to this one later, I have just returned from a nightshift (second job) and one of the reasons I hadn't put more work in the answer befroe was that I would have to dive into unknown English vocabulary.
For short: I have (hopefully succesful) written my master in a combination of educational science and social working. during my time at the university I worked as a social worker.The most important distinctions regarding drugs don't have to do with the probability of someone getting addicted, the distinctions are more or less the severity of the chemical addiction / the dangers of withdrawal, the long term psychological ramifications and the secondary ramifications (co-addiction, danger to addicts enviroment).
Again, mixing of legalization (an important topic amon social workers in Germany) and taxation didn't sit quite right with me, here. I know, a far more complex question would ly well beyond the scope of this poll, so this would be one case showing how important a neutral / non answer option is.
(Read the next question before answering this one.)
Ideally, alignment is…
1. carefully managed
2. not taken too seriously
3. best ignoredMy stance on this question is not included in any of these answers.
(If you answered 3 to the last question, don't answer this one.)
Ideally, alignment is…
1. prescriptive ("Your character is of this alignment, so s/he must do that")
2. descriptive ("Judging by your character's past actions, s/he is alignment X")A few more 'shoulds' might get this closer to answerable...
Well, I'm open to suggestions.
On second thought, I would probably have to answer 2. not taken too seriously, I would just not have said it so, myself. It really boils down to the secon question. Alignment only typifies 9 'archetypes', but there are (and should be) of course more than nine types of characters (not the rpg term) and behaviors, thus, either prescriptive or descriptive, there can't be one set of rules per alignemnt that the character hs to adher to, changing the 'must do' to 'should do' would soften the prescriptive answer and would have made it workable, if not perfect - again, what is really missing is a 'no anwer' or an open 'different answer:...' option. And that is the most important change I would suggest to your poll. Every question ahould have a 'no answer' option, even crucial ones. If you feel participants answers can't be worked with because of a non-anwer to a crucial question, the set of answers goes to an 'ignore pile' - it happens, the larger your pool of participants is, the bigger the ignore file, but having the visible option to skip a question you can't answer (or can't answer with the choices given) actually improves the chances you answer the rest of the questions instead of ignoring the whole poll.
This one is just a PS:Seems to be a mostly American issue - I do not believe taxes should be used as a control mechanism, apart from that I cannot answer this questionI can see how you assumed that taxation is a means of control, but I see it as way recoup the losses from the injuries that can and inevitably do result from dangerous merchandise. I admit there's a bit of idealism here, because my government doesn't yet handle healthcare directly. But it's a much more practical opinion in other first-world countries.
Thank you for the clarification.
Way too many questions, and why do you have to bring up politics and religion?
Because that's the point of the thread.
By Lamashtu, yet again the political issues always being dragged in as if they should have a place in gaming.
Politics has a place in everything. In fact, I'm positive that politics has reared its head in games you've played and enjoyed (you just don't acknowledge it as "politics" because no one thinks of the behaviors and thoughts they are used to and comfortable with as political).
Either way, this thread isn't about whether politics or religion should have a place in gaming.
Where I come from, asking such questions is considered rude,
Discussion of important subjects like politics and religion should not be discouraged.
and is inviting trouble/trolls/a flamewar of opinions.
Then keep it civil.
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To the Mods: If Gamer Talk isn't appropriate for this poll, please move it to the Off-Topic forum. Thank you.
Welcome to my real-life-to-game-life correlation poll! The purpose of this poll is to find out what, if any, correlations exist between opinions of Paizonians on real life issues, and game issues. I ask you to keep a couple things in mind when posting your answers:
...
Way too many questions, and why do you have to bring up politics and religion? By Lamashtu, yet again the political issues always being dragged in as if they should have a place in gaming. Where I come from, asking such questions is considered rude, and is inviting trouble/trolls/a flamewar of opinions.
Please just throw around the gaming questions. Urgh.
IG, both the title of the thread and the very start of the OP are very clear that what you are decrying is in fact his exact intent ;-)
I must say that I was surprised at first by this topic, but being a statistician, I can see the real value of having theories compared to hard facts.
And the question on whether someone's stance on real-life issues is linked with his stance on gaming issues is both valid and currently debated in other threads.
I consider that this poll has merit, even though I will not participate directly in it by posting my opinions in this thread. I am considering sending my results to the OP by PM though, as I trust him to keep my info confidential.
I consider that this poll has merit,
While I like that it exists, the poll's merit stops far short of being considered scientifically valid. It could (theoretically) be used as a springboard to a more methodologically-sound study (though it's pretty unlikely that it will), but the results of this poll shouldn't be used to draw any conclusions about the gaming community in general or even about these forums.
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Oh dear. Having read through the questions, I am not going to answer. It's mostly my paranoia speaking. However, I have a serious question for you: Have you thought through what correlations you are trying to prove exist? Have you done an analysis of how many answers you will need to support such a finding? I have no wish to be dismissive in this, but the fact is that statistics and polling are serious and complicated matters. Just putting together a bunch of questions and hoping to get something out from it isn't going to help you do much of anything. You know, when you get a serious poll to answer, that it's been a serious amount of work for a good number of people already, just formulating the questions. To be perfectly honest, you aren't going to get enough answers, and further, you can't make an analysis on how many answers you didn't get. Thus, drawing ANY conclusions from this is going to be VERY difficult, if even possible.
That said: Do the work, learn the ropes, and it's a fun idea. I apologize if I come across as an elitist snob.
Oh dear. Having read through the questions, I am not going to answer. It's mostly my paranoia speaking.
If you're concerned about making this information public, you may want to consider taking The black raven's route and PMing Tequila Sunrise with your answers.
However, I have a serious question for you: Have you thought through what correlations you are trying to prove exist? Have you done an analysis of how many answers you will need to support such a finding? I have no wish to be dismissive in this, but the fact is that statistics and polling are serious and complicated matters. Just putting together a bunch of questions and hoping to get something out from it isn't going to help you do much of anything. You know, when you get a serious poll to answer, that it's been a serious amount of work for a good number of people already, just formulating the questions. To be perfectly honest, you aren't going to get enough answers, and further, you can't make an analysis on how many answers you didn't get. Thus, drawing ANY conclusions from this is going to be VERY difficult, if even possible.
That said: Do the work, learn the ropes, and it's a fun idea. I apologize if I come across as an elitist snob.
I don't want to speak for Tequila Sunrise, but I think it's likely that he realizes the limitations of the survey. No one is trying to gather up evidence so that they can go, "Hah, told you so!" Rather, the information this survey gathers would be best used to suggest that certain phenomena be looked at more closely. For instance, if it's found that there is a correlation in this survey between favorite edition and degree of religiosity (not that there is; just an example), it won't actually serve as evidence that such a correlation exists in any larger population but it might suggest that examining that correlation could be a worthwhile topic for a more methodologically-sound study in the future.
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Oh dear. Having read through the questions, I am not going to answer. It's mostly my paranoia speaking. However, I have a serious question for you: Have you thought through what correlations you are trying to prove exist? Have you done an analysis of how many answers you will need to support such a finding? I have no wish to be dismissive in this, but the fact is that statistics and polling are serious and complicated matters. Just putting together a bunch of questions and hoping to get something out from it isn't going to help you do much of anything. You know, when you get a serious poll to answer, that it's been a serious amount of work for a good number of people already, just formulating the questions. To be perfectly honest, you aren't going to get enough answers, and further, you can't make an analysis on how many answers you didn't get. Thus, drawing ANY conclusions from this is going to be VERY difficult, if even possible.
That said: Do the work, learn the ropes, and it's a fun idea. I apologize if I come across as an elitist snob.
Wouldn't you consider doing a small poll a good way to start?
Small amateur poll -> doing an amateur evaluation -> seeing that the evaluation is crippled by the lack of statistical methods -> learning about statistical methods -> doing a poll with an evaluation grid...
That was basically how our professor taught us that statistics are more than just a bunch of interesting questions and that writing down a bunch of questions is actually not the first step in planning a poll.
I am all for learning. However, most don't understand these issues, so could give their responses thinking it would result in proper statistics. It just behooves us all to be mindful of this.
My answers:
Which decade of life are you in? (11-20 counts as 2nd, 21-30 counts as 3rd, etc.)
4th
Are you male or female?
Male
Aside from geekdom, how many minority groups are you a member of? (LGBT, racial/ethnic, physically disabled, emotionally/mentally disabled, religious)
None.
(Including geekdom, which I don't really know what entails. I don't think "roleplayer" is any more of a minority group than, say, "tennis player" or "hobby wine connoisseur". At that point everything is a minority group)
How financially comfortable are you?
4
(Well, closer to 4 than 3 at least. More realistically somewhere in-between though)
In your experience, how big is the typical game group? (Including the GM.)
2. 4 to 6
Do you play mostly private games, or mostly at public events?
Private
How often do you like to play D&D?
3. 2-3 times a month
How often do you play D&D?
7. "I haven't rolled a d20 since…"
(We are currently not playing D&D or PF. But roleplay in general is more like: 5. 6-11 times a year )
Are you mostly a DM or a player?
DM
Which edition was your introduction to D&D?
6. 1983 Basic Mentzer Red Box
I am most comfortable in…
1. urban environments
(assuming this means RL and not game setting)
Are you religious/spiritual?
3. Not at all
How do you feel about sex education in primary school?
1. It should be mandatory and exhaustive.
(or more accurately: 3. I have no idea what sex education in primary school is like these days, and I don't really care either)
How do you feel about gun sale taxes?
1. I think guns should be illegal.
(Also, guns ARE illegal. Is this poll country specific?)
How do you feel about personal gun licenses?
2. Make them hard to get and/or costly, and easily revokable.
(I honestly have no idea how gun laws work, but seeing how you can get a hunting license for crossbows I assume there are ligitimate reasons to own a firearm)
How do you feel about gun education in primary school?
(3. I don't think I live in the right country to answer this)
How do you feel about concealable and semi-automatic guns?
1. I don't even think hunting rifles and shotguns should be legal.
What do you want from tax reform?
1. smarter taxes
(I don't know what a smart tax is, but it sounds clever and/or dangerous depending on HOW smart it is. Dog-like? Dolphin? Skynet?)
How do you feel about government surveillance?
1. My privacy rights are already violated enough!
Wars to Spread Democracy and/or Protect Foreign Civilians are…
1. thinly veiled imperialism
Unions are…
1. the working Joe's leverage
Voter ID Laws are…
3. I have no idea what a "voter ID law" is. What?
Global Warming is…
1. Science
Capital punishment is...
1. Never acceptable
How do you feel about immigration?
1. There are ways we can all live together!
How do you feel about racism and sexism?
2. They're mostly things of the past
What's your stance on abortion?
1. I'm Pro-Choice
Do you believe that your government should provide certain necessities of modern life to all of its citizens? (Police, fire departments, schooling, roads, medical care, etc.)
1. Yes
(Or more accurately: 3. Duh. Why else have it?)
Stem Cell Research is…
1. Science
(Idle note: If Deus Ex taught us anything, it's that 'science' and 'wrong' are not mutually exclusive :p)
How do you feel about the separation of church and state?
2. Yeah, but give the legitimate temples tax breaks
(Religious or not, a high culture output is important to most Civilizations!)
LGBTs are…
1. people like everyone else
(So 2. Weird. Like everyone else. :p)
Poverty is…
1. the nation's responsibility
If I had the power to change my country's drug and alcohol laws, I would…
4. Legalize the stuff that most people can smoke/drink recreationally without getting addicted, and tax the crap out of it
(aka keep as is)
Do you value game balance?
2. Somewhat
Random Game Stats (Abilities, HPs) are…
1. best avoided
(really depends on the game though)
Do you value game realism?
1. Very much
Do you enjoy core-only games? (With possible exceptions being occasional.)
1. Ugh, no, the walls are closing in around me!
Do you enjoy kitchen sink games? (Few to no character options banned.)
3. Ugh, no, too messy!
Do you prefer individual XP, or group/no XP?
Group/no xp
Ideally, alignment is…
2. not taken too seriously
Ideally, alignment is…
2. descriptive
Do you like alignment overall?
2. It has its charm
Paladins should be…
2. LG only
Additional character options are best as…
(5. Uh, a combination of above.)
PC death is…
3. Part of the game. Let the dice fall where they may!
What is your favorite level range?
3. 11-15
Low Levels (1-4)
2. "Savor the low fantasy fun!"
High levels (13+)
1. "I can't wait to get there!"
I favor…
2. Complex classes. If I don't have at least a few spells or powers to pick from, I start getting bored
Hit points are…
3. a mechanic that makes the game work -- don't think about it!
Evil PCs are…
1. Interesting role play opportunities
DMPCs are…
3. Best avoided at all costs
Do you enjoy guns/steampunk in D&D?
1. Yes!
Do you enjoy asian/non-european stuff in D&D?
2. Sometimes
AoOs are…
2. good in concept, if not in execution
Combat is best as…
1. an occasional bit of mayhem
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game? (Assume that the GM is your friend, but only moderately skilled, or untried.)
1. Almost never
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game? (Assume that the GM is a game-only friend or a stranger, but is a highly skilled one.)
3. Almost always
For what it's worth, the poll makes some really odd assumptions in the 'real life issues' section.
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To the OP: Remember that opt-in polling skews your sample from the get-go. This will never be a scientific sample-- your sample includes only those who regularly read and post onto the Paizo "Gamer Life" board, AND are willing to take a rather long poll.
That said...
Which decade of life are you in? 4th.
Are you male or female? Male.
Aside from geekdom, how many minority groups are you a member of? This is a very vague question. In the US, there are some legally-defined minority groups, but "geekdom" is certainly not one of them. For example, is "People over six-foot-six" a minoriy group? For future survey design, I'd suggest making a list of groups with a "Yes/No" option. As for what I think you're getting at, I'll say "none."
How financially comfortable are you?
You're looking for qualitative date with this question, but your answers are somewhat vague. If I were designing this survey, I'd phrase this question as: "Compared to the finaicial well-being of other people in your social group, are you: 1) Much less wealthy; 2) Less wealty; 3) About the same; 4) More wealthy; 5) Much more wealthy"
To your question, I'll say that I'm wealthy; To my own question, I'll say that I'm about the same as my social group.
In your experience, how big is the typical game group? (Including the GM.) 4 to 6.
Do you play mostly private games, or mostly at public events?
Mostly private.
How often do you like to play D&D?
2-3 times per month.
How often do you play D&D?
Once a month.
Are you mostly a DM or a player?
Mostly GM (currently; this changes.)
Which edition was your introduction to D&D?
6. 1983 Basic Mentzer Red Box
I am most comfortable in…
1. urban environments
In a past job, I regularly designed survey questions. To be polite, I will say that your questions need a whole lot of work. They are very poorly worded and designed: Some questions are ambiguous, and many questions present answers that don't allow for some commonly-held positions. I will answer as best I can, and provide feedback on the rest.
Are you religious/spiritual?
1. Yes, and strongly!
How do you feel about sex education in primary school?
This is a poorly-designed question. There are many other positions that could be reasonably taken. That said, I believe that comprehensive sex education should be mandatory.
[several questions about guns...]
That's a lot of questions about guns!
Personally, I think that regular private citizens have no need at all for handguns, submachine guns, or high-capacity magazines. Hunting weapons are fine. (Heck, I own two shotguns and a .30-06 rifle.) Citizens who have a need for a handgun can apply for a license to own one, but those should be rare. Gun taxes-- no opinion. Gun education in public schools? That's a novel concept!
What do you want from tax reform?
1. smarter taxes
2. lower/fewer taxes
Poorly-designed question. I don't understand what you're getting at. Personally, I don't mind paying taxes-- they are what pays for what holds society together! (roads, police, etc)
How do you feel about government surveillance?
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1775
Wars to Spread Democracy and/or Protect Foreign Civilians are…
1. thinly veiled imperialism
2. worthy endeavors
Poorly defined question. You're leading the answer by the phrasing of the question, and you're foring a false dichotomy in responses. There are other positions. Mine is nuanced, and would probably take a paragraph to explain.
Unions are…
1. the working Joe's leverage
2. corrupt bullies
Wow... Just, wow... So far, this is the worst poll question yet. I'm generally pro-Labor.
Voter ID Laws are…
1. Underhanded political scheming
2. Fraud-safing against dishonest voters
Now, I'm starting to think that you're deliberately trolling with these questions.
Global Warming is…
1. Science
2. Science Fiction
Again with the terribly designed question and choice of answers. How about two simple, Yes/no questions: "Do you believe that global temperature averages have been generally increasing for the past century?" and "Is human activity to blame for the increase in average global temperatures over the past century?"
Capital punishment is...
1. Never acceptable.
How do you feel about immigration?
1. There are ways we can all live together!
2. Stay on your side of the border!
Again, a very poorly-designed question. You are forcing a snarky response to a very real and very important question that needs a very reasoned and nuanced response.
How do you feel about racism and sexism?
1. They're alive and ugly in the world today.
What's your stance on abortion?
1. I'm Pro-Choice
Do you believe that your government should provide certain necessities of modern life to all of its citizens? (Police, fire departments, schooling, roads, medical care, etc.)
You're lumping a lot of things together into a "yes/no" question. Resonable people might have different responses to the specific examples. I would imagine that most member of Congress that are trying to hold the government hostage rather than allow the Affordable Care Act take effect are pretty OK with public roads.
Stem Cell Research is…
1. Science
2. Wrong
Again with the badly-designed question and responses. Whether or not this is science is a statement of fact. (And the answer is an unambiguous "Yes.") Whether or not it's wrong is a value judgement. It's certainly possible to hold that it is science AND that it's wrong.
How do you feel about the separation of church and state?
1. It's a very good thing. Oh, and tax those churches just like the rest of us!
2. Yeah, but give the legitimate temples tax breaks.
3. The Holy Book belongs in every government office, and God forbid the day should come when my nation's leader isn't a God-fearing man/woman!
From how you have phrased the responses, I get the feeling that you don't actually understand what is meant by "separation of church and state."
LGBTs are…
1. people like everyone else
2. weird
3. practitioners of a deviant lifestyle
Okay, I've changed my mind: This question is even worse than the one about unions.
Poverty is…
1. the nation's responsibility
2. the individual's responsibility
You're presenting another false dichotomy. It's possible to be both, but I would blame society rather than the nation itself.
If I had the power to change my country's drug and alcohol laws, I would…
4. Legalize the stuff that most people can smoke/drink recreationally without getting addicted, and tax the crap out of it.
I would use a differnet phrase than "tax the crap out of it."
Do you value game balance?
1. Very much
Random Game Stats (Abilities, HPs) are…
1. best avoided
Do you value game realism?
2. Somewhat
You might want to define what you mean by "realism."
Do you enjoy core-only games? (With possible exceptions being occasional.)
3. Nice and cozy, just the way I like it!
Do you enjoy kitchen sink games? (Few to no character options banned.)
3. Ugh, no, too messy!
Do you prefer individual XP, or group/no XP?
No XP.
This is very specific to the D&D family of games. If you intend this to be more applicable to players of other game systems, you might want to rephrase.
Ideally, alignment is…
1. carefully managed
2. not taken too seriously
3. best ignored
I don't know what you mean by this question. I think alignment is both a very important role-playing tool in the D&D family of games, and is so baked into the system that it cannot be ignored without a fair amoutn of system redesign.
Ideally, alignment is…
2. descriptive ("Judging by your character's past actions, s/he is alignment X")
Do you like alignment overall?
3. Almost without reservation!
Paladins should be…
2. LG only
Additional character options are best as…
1. base classes
2. archetypes/ACFs
3. prestige classes
4. feats
E... all of the above, depending on the concept!
PC death is…
1. Best avoided without player consent!
2. Acceptable if it results from poor decision-making or a climactic showdown.
1 & 2. They are not mutually exclusive!
What is your favorite level range?
1. 1-5
2. 6-10
Honestly, I'd say 5-8 is my favorite level range.
Low Levels (1-4)
2. "Savor the low fantasy fun!"
High levels (13+)
2. "Ugh, let's start a new campaign…"
I favor…
1. Simple classes. If I have to do much more than decide what to attack on my turn, I start losing interest.
2. Complex classes. If I don't have at least a few spells or powers to pick from, I start getting bored.
Depends on the character concept, the GM, and the particular group of players!
Hit points are…
1. an abstraction of luck, stamina, divine favor, skill, etc..
3. a mechanic that makes the game work -- don't think about it!
1 and 3. Again, not mutually exclusive!
Evil PCs are…
1. Interesting role play opportunities.
2. Okay if everyone's on board.
3. Best reserved for Paranoia.
All three are true in my book!
DMPCs are…
3. Best avoided at all costs.
Do you enjoy guns/steampunk in D&D?
2. Sometimes.
Depends on the campaign and flavor of the game-world.
Do you enjoy asian/non-european stuff in D&D?
2. Sometimes.
Ditto.
AoOs are…
1. great!
2. good in concept, if not in execution
3. a pain in my ass!
...4. a game mechanic that's central to the game that I can live with.
Combat is best as…
2. a great way to break up social, travel and problem-solving encounters
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game?
1. Almost never.
2. It depends.
My participation in a given game depends more on the GM and the other players than the system. I can usually have fun with any system. It's all about the role-playing for me: If I'm playing in a system that I don't know very well, I'll just describe what I'm doing and ask what dice to roll. I prefer to play with a GM who knows the rules, but I'd take a GM that can role-play well, knows how to pace a game, and can tell a compelling story over one who is a rules master but poor storyteller.
Some of these responses (not yours in particular, Syssyl) give me the impression that others think I'm some kind of professional pollster.
I'm doing what I can to improve this poll. But at the end of the day, it's just a fun and informal poll, folks. I don't expect it to be accurate, and I don't have an agenda; heck, I haven't even sketched out which political issues might correspond to which game issues.
I am all for learning. However, most don't understand these issues, so could give their responses thinking it would result in proper statistics. It just behooves us all to be mindful of this.
You mean most don't understand polling issues, or most don't understand political/game issues? If you mean the latter, I of course agree, but polls aren't about informing people. To be cynical, polls are about measuring how deep the ignorance is rooted. ;)
If you mean the former, well, I'm not going to take a class just to write a pro-grade poll. But I am open to suggestions.
Aranna, I'm unclear as to how not being a member of a minority makes you unwelcome, but that's certainly not the intention.
While I am confused why some groups who believe in Christ are separate and others are lumped together unless it is just to make some groups look larger or smaller on polls... it is not relevant. I am unwelcome because I am being treated rudely. I would have thought that was obvious by now. I have yet to meet anyone who thought being intentionally treated rudely was welcoming behavior.
Now will you please remove my poll post?
I didn't see anything that struck me as rude (disagreeing with you is not the same as being rude to you) until you suggested that Scott was making up data, but your interpretation is, of course, yours to make. Removed your poll.
Some of these responses (not yours in particular, Syssyl) give me the impression that others think I'm some kind of professional pollster.
I'm doing what I can to improve this poll. But at the end of the day, it's just a fun and informal poll, folks. I don't expect it to be accurate, and I don't have an agenda; heck, I haven't even sketched out which political issues might correspond to which game issues.
I am all for learning. However, most don't understand these issues, so could give their responses thinking it would result in proper statistics. It just behooves us all to be mindful of this.You mean most don't understand polling issues, or most don't understand political/game issues? If you mean the latter, I of course agree, but polls aren't about informing people. To be cynical, polls are about measuring how deep the ignorance is rooted. ;)
If you mean the former, well, I'm not going to take a class just to write a pro-grade poll. But I am open to suggestions.
I understand that. My point is that there is an ethical part to polling. People will give different answers depending on what they assume will be done with the numbers, who they think will handle it, and so on. Thus, I feel that one of the most important things to do when polling is to be clear about what the data will be used for. I don't care one whit if the government, mother Theresa or whoever does it, gathering data "just because" is always a bad idea. I have archived several polls the government sent to me in the round file archive because the purpose wasn't clear. And no, "it's part of our yearly polling" is not an answer.
I admit I was a bit harsh with you. I see you're doing this for fun, and I assume all who answered did so knowing this. Still, remember it, and you'll avoid issues later.
Taking a statistics class is not a bad idea, though. In some ways, it's really eye-opening.
I never trusted statistics in the media, statistics class just took that mistrust to whole new level. Also gave me plenty of reasons to refute forum posters useing statistics to back up their opinions.
Ill post my poll answers soon, my last attempt locked up my browser.
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I don't want to sound like a jerk, but that survey was kind of...
How do I put this.. I don't mean to be tactless but those questions made my marketing degree hurt. There's a lot of situations on there where the offered options were clearly designed to provoke specific responses, as well as what I'd describe as 'beat your wife' style questions.
Like the one on the global warming.
"Global Warming is…
1. Science
2. Science Fiction"
There's a panoply of views between there. Also, since I'm a pain in the ass, a lot of people don't deny global warming, but deny man caused global warming. Some deny that the sun has anything to do with it. Some people might think that we need more blood sacrifices to Tlaloc.
And..
"How do you feel about racism and sexism?
1. They're alive and ugly in the world today.
2. They're mostly things of the past."
I really don't think any rational human being would pick 2 if they really examined this question. If the question is 'is it as serious in country A,' or effects on policy, or the like, there's a different approach. Its not a useful question since everybody is going to pick 1 even though they probably have widely divergant opinions regarding 'racism.'
Ditto
"Do you believe that your government should provide certain necessities of modern life to all of its citizens? (Police, fire departments, schooling, roads, medical care, etc.)
1. Yes
2. No"
Its another one thats going to result in false positives, or bad data.
The earlier demographic questions were a lot better defined and spelled out. They had a wider examination, and better opportunity for diverse information. The 'viewpoint' ones, the ones you're ostensibly trying to survey are very, very poorly designed for gaining responses unless the taker 'fills in' the details themselves.
I can promise you that the folks on this thread are going to want to see you compile these results. I'm actually debating going through this and trying to revise the survey for you. But that makes me feel like a jerk. :/
Demographic Questions
Which decade of life are you in? (11-20 counts as 2nd, 21-30 counts as 3rd, etc.) 4th
Are you male or female? Male
Aside from geekdom, how many minority groups are you a member of? (LGBT, racial/ethnic, physically disabled, emotionally/mentally disabled, religious)Mentally disabled (Bipolar disorder)
How financially comfortable are you? I'm more-or-less comfortable.
In your experience, how big is the typical game group? (Including the GM.) 4 to 6
Do you play mostly private games, or mostly at public events? Private only
How often do you like to play D&D? As often as possible
How often do you play D&D? Once a month
Are you mostly a DM or a player? DM
Which edition was your introduction to D&D? Red box
I am most comfortable in… Suburban and Rural environments
Real Life Issues
Are you religious/spiritual? Not at all
How do you feel about sex education in primary school? It should be mandatory
How do you feel about gun sale taxes? No comment
How do you feel about personal gun licenses? No comment
How do you feel about gun education in primary school? No comment
How do you feel about concealable and semi-automatic guns? No comment
What do you want from tax reform? No comment
How do you feel about government surveillance? My privacy is violated enough
Wars to Spread Democracy and/or Protect Foreign Civilians are… No comment
Unions are… No comment
Voter ID Laws are… No comment
Global Warming is… Science fiction
Capital punishment is... Acceptable in VERY extreme cases
How do you feel about immigration? As long as immigrants can prove that they are an asset, respect the culture they are brought into learn the language, and is refused access or are thrown out at any sign of criminal behavior, I'm all for some diversity.
How do you feel about racism and sexism? They're alive and ugly in the world today.
What's your stance on abortion? Pro-choice
Do you believe that your government should provide certain necessities of modern life to all of its citizens? (Police, fire departments, schooling, roads, medical care, etc.) Yes
Stem Cell Research is… Science
How do you feel about the separation of church and state? It's a very good thing. Oh, and tax those churches just like the rest of us!
LGBTs are… People like everyone else
Poverty is… The responsibility of both the nation and the individual
If I had the power to change my country's drug and alcohol laws, I would… Legalize the stuff that most people can smoke/drink recreationally without getting addicted.
Game Life Issues
Do you value game balance? Somewhat
Random Game Stats (Abilities, HPs) are… Sometimes fun
Do you value game realism? Somewhat
Do you enjoy core-only games? (With possible exceptions being occasional.)Sometimes
Do you enjoy kitchen sink games? (Few to no character options banned.Sometimes
Do you prefer individual XP, or group/no XP? No XP just level up when appropriate
Ideally, alignment is… Not taken to seriously
Do you like alignment overall? No
Paladins should be… LG only (or at least adherent to its code as described in the core book, don't mind variants however)
Additional character options are best as… all of the below
1. base classes
2. archetypes/ACFs
3. prestige classes
4. feats
PC death is… Acceptable if it results from poor decision-making or a climactic showdown.
What is your favorite level range? 1-5
Low Levels (1-4) Savor the low fantasy fun
High levels (13+)Fun if its deserved
I favor… Simple and complex classes as long as they fit my concept
Hit points are… an abstraction of luck, stamina, divine favor, skill, etc..
Evil PCs are… Best reserved for Paranoia
DMPCs are… Acceptable if they stick to support roles.
Do you enjoy guns/steampunk in D&D? Sometimes
Do you enjoy asian/non-european stuff in D&D? Sometimes
AoOs are… good in concept, if not in execution
Combat is best as… a great way to break up social, travel and problem-solving encounters
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game? (Assume that the GM is your friend, but only moderately skilled, or untried.) Almost never
Do you turn down opportunities to play rpgs other than your favorite edition of your favorite game? (Assume that the GM is a game-only friend or a stranger, but is a highly skilled one.) Almost never
I understand that. My point is that there is an ethical part to polling. People will give different answers depending on what they assume will be done with the numbers, who they think will handle it, and so on.
This fact has been completely lost on me. I don't ever remember seeing a poll and thinking anything other than "Ooh, an Elton John poll!" or "Miley who? Whatever, I've already lost interest..."
I'm not doubting you, I'm just saying that I could use more specific suggestions about what to tell poll takers about my poll. "It's for the greater glory and betterment of our illustrious hobby"? Should I be writing a short essay about the value of statistics and public opinion? I honestly have no idea what makes people want to answer polls, if many of them have the suspicion you describe.
Taking a statistics class is not a bad idea, though. In some ways, it's really eye-opening.
Within two semesters, I have to take a statistics course with a professor who subtly but undoubtedly reminds me of Hitler. So I'm sure it'll be eye-opening in more than one way. ;)
I don't want to sound like a jerk, but that survey was kind of...
Yeah, I've been refining this poll as I read thru everyone's comments. I'm treating this one as a learning experience, and my next one will be much better. Though probably not quite up to the standards some seem to expect. ;)
Thanks for your comments.
Within two semesters, I have to take a statistics course with a professor who subtly but undoubtedly reminds me of Hitler. So I'm sure it'll be eye-opening in more than one way. ;)
"Statistics" is my go-to answer to the question of what single college level course I would require everyone to take if I ruled the world.
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Within two semesters, I have to take a statistics course with a professor who subtly but undoubtedly reminds me of Hitler. So I'm sure it'll be eye-opening in more than one way. ;)"Statistics" is my go-to answer to the question of what single college level course I would require everyone to take if I ruled the world.
I just dumped that course in favor of more programming. I don't regret it one bit. Never liked probability or statistics myself.
I just dumped that course in favor of more programming. I don't regret it one bit. Never liked probability or statistics myself.Within two semesters, I have to take a statistics course with a professor who subtly but undoubtedly reminds me of Hitler. So I'm sure it'll be eye-opening in more than one way. ;)"Statistics" is my go-to answer to the question of what single college level course I would require everyone to take if I ruled the world.
You should take statistics, less to learn how to do ityourself, and more to learn how idiotic other people are when citing statistics, and to know what to look for so you know when and how far to trust statistics on the rare occasions when they get presented properly.
Think of it less of a math course and more of a "consumer/taxpayer/voter beware education" course.
Think of it less of a math course and more of a "consumer/taxpayer/voter beware education" course.
Nine out of ten dentists disapprove of this message!
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"I only believe in statistics that I doctored myself". W. Churchill.
As someone with a major in Statistics, I approve 200%.
Also you would not believe the number of respected economists who doctor the statistics so that the numbers seem to support their theories. Which are then oversimplified and taken and used as gospel by politicians and their advisors :-(
Think of it less of a math course and more of a "consumer/taxpayer/voter beware education" course.Nine out of ten dentists disapprove of this message!
Ahhh! But 19 out of 20 [redacted] approve this message!
Brought to you by [redacted], making you happy and poor, and us happier and rich!
:)
I know statistics, i just don't have an intention to listen to some dude ramble about it for a semester.
Without knowing very much at all about you or your situation, I can almost guarantee that you don't actually know statistics in anything resembling a proficient capacity. It takes serious study to be able to successfully conceptualize (and, far more importantly, internalize) an understanding of statistics.
For example, something as fundamental to all of statistics as confidence intervals is actually a very subtle concept that many people who complete a full course in statistics still don't truly understand, and its importance is such that even a minor misunderstanding of what confidence intervals represent can result in a critical misunderstanding of what a given statistic actually means.
there is a 13% chance Betts is right
Being "right" isn't binary, though! I'd say there's a mean 13% chance that he is 42% correct, for any given statement in a population consisting of all his statements on the Paizo boards.
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there is a 13% chance Betts is rightBeing "right" isn't binary, though! I'd say there's a mean 13% chance that he is 42% correct, for any given statement in a population consisting of all his statements on the Paizo boards.
I can state, with p < .05, that reading through a population consisting of all my statements on the Paizo boards is associated with a significant increase in risk of brain aneurysm.
I'm 100% certain I'm not going anywhere near statistics, ever again.
I'm 100% certain I'm not going anywhere near statistics, ever again.
They will find you.