So, after reading another thread, I've been thinking about how to make sure that I'm running at/playing at a table that encourages diversity, and encourages the hobby to grow, not shrink.
I'm looking for honest advice. This is NOT the place for jokes or stereotypes. Sure, maybe you can effectively tell a joke at another's expense, but that's the EXACT opposite of what I'm interested in.
Please just move to a different thread if you're tempted to do that.
So, what are the things we can do to encourage diversity?
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While I'm by no means an expert here, I've slowly learned a few things over time.
1) At a con, I had a father/son combo sit down, ages around 40 and 9. Clearly, the Dad was teaching the hobby to his son, cute.
We got started, and I decided to hang back, and run the game straight up. If the kid needed help, I could jump in at anytime, we had four hours for the slot. Probably, his Dad would help him out.
First fight broke out, and the kid went first on initiative. Without missing a beat, he used his move action to draw a staff, cast a spell with his standard action, and then took a 5 ft step to clear the charge lane.
Dad went second. "Um, can I charge that guy? I have a sword."
me "Sure, roll to hit"
Dad "Does a 19 hit?"
kid "Daaaaddd, you forgot to add +2 for charging!"
Dad "Oh yeah, 21."
I learned later that the kid was the far sharper gamer, and Dad was coming with because it was what his son wanted to do. And it's not like the kid could drive himself to the con at 9 yrs old.
Lesson one: Ask, don't assume
I don't understand what you're asking. What do you mean by encourage diversity?
Also it might have been better to put this in the general discussion thread instead of the advice thread.
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There's all sorts of diversity to encourage. As the OP notes, there is the diversity of age -- welcoming kids and older folks. Anonymous, I loved your example of not assuming gaming ability based on first appearances.
Other sorts of diversity: gender, sexual preference, ethnicity.
I've had the privilege lately of playing at very gender-balanced tables at PFS of late. It's been fun playing games GMed by women, and with strong female players. So far in Minneapolis I haven't hit the assumption that because I'm a girl I don't know the rules. I'll admit that I don't understand how many classes work (especially if they are 100% melee.) But I know how the classes I play work, and I'm a competent gamer. I like that the guys I've played with in PFS treat me that way.
Another kind of diversity: newbies vs. veterans. Figuring out how to reach out to and welcome new folks is an important feature in building diversity in the player population, and having a more interesting mix of folks at the gaming table in general.
Hmm
I don't understand what you're asking. What do you mean by encourage diversity?
Also it might have been better to put this in the general discussion thread instead of the advice thread.
He means encourage diversity in the sense of making people of all social, age, racial, sexual, gaming and economic backgrounds feel welcome at a table, and have fun. This way, we have more people involved in the hobby, with a greater abundance of potentially interesting characters.
Meet people and invite them to play. Be respectful while playing. Try to make sure everyone is having fun at least most of the time.
Aww. That's really sweet actually.
I like what you are looking for in this thread.
Lesson A: Invite friends and people outside your normal comfort zone and/or avid tabletop RPG players.
To expand player base diversity, one way is to reach out to people that normally do not play. For instance, inviting your writer friend, a friend who like strategy games, or even a co-worker who likes fantasy football and also like Lord of the Rings.
Lesson B: Sample games allow players to get a feel for the game and group
People who play Tabletop RPGs for the first time are more likely to continue if they are not pressured to join for every game before having played the first time, or even after the first game. One needs to become acquainted with the game, the fellow players, and the GM's play style. That said it goes against another recruiting strategy that works well - recruit players you like who can commit. It's a trade-off.
Lesson C: Hygiene really matters
I also agree with the deodorant and showers comment. I had a bigger tolerance for smell but my players did not when one guy would always reak (walking outside in FL on campus). He cast stinking cloud and scattered the players from the group.
This is about real world diversity. Age, gender, religion, etc.
I'm not asking about in-character diversity, because I don't see that as a problem. And it's in the advice thread because I'm looking for advice.
problems that I've seen:
Encouraging new players with the right amount of help without either doing it for them, or telling them that their choices are stupid.
Assuming everyone is straight.
Assuming everyone wants male NPC's to look like whatever, but female NPC's need to be hot.
Using the Tolkien standard that 'race X is inherently evil', which usually leads to mass murder and theft from that evil race.
Anonymous, I loved your example of not assuming gaming ability based on first appearances.
Oh, i did make an assumption, it was just the wrong one. But it taught me to be more careful in the future.
So, i feel that I do a decent job of trying to be respectful. I'm certainly not trying to offend anyone.
But it is possible to offend someone by accident. Any thoughts on how to avoid that? It's particularly a thing At conventions where other players are strangers.
smile, don't blame, apologize if necessary, but don't apologize too much.
Assume people are trying to have a fun time and aren't out to get you and be compromising.
If you do this and someone still rages at you, tough, that person must be having outside stress or a mental condition or never learned the skills. Whatever it is there's not much you can do if someone is looking for a problem.