experiences role playing?

Question

Has anyone had any experience roleplaying in a pen and paper rpg like Rifts or i guess Dungeons and Dragons. Could you tell me a little bit about it. Just wondering if it would be interesting to start a roleplaying group in like the middle of college or is it kind of out of phase now? I've never had any past or previous experience with roleplaying pen and papers and I have always wanted to play one. Mainly wondering if anybody else would think it is a worthy idea and worth the time in investing (cuz its that much fun) or if it woudl be kind of a waste and id need to be younger to fully enjoy it. Any thoughts or opinions? Otherwise i'll probably just kick back up with xbox.

Answer 1

What I most get out of roleplaying is the enjoyment of trying to create a truly unique character that is as very close to a real, whole person that can possibly be done. That means every aspect of them, from liking or disliking fennel to the choice of whatever vocation that they have all seems like something you would find if the world we lived in was like the world of that setting.

Roleplaying, like acting, is to hold the mirror to life itself in the aspects of being your character. The difference therein is that the world is from imagination. It allows you to, at least for a little while, immerse yourself into a creative art that lets you create interactive stories. This is how the ancient Greeks created their myths, with a base idea that others thought about and added onto, making pieces and parts of it their own as they went along. This is why Greek myth is so complex and imaginative, and why it changed over time to be more inclusive and to elaborate on things that people wondered about. You can explore any facet you want, and you can learn to put yourself into the shoes of someone else to try to fully understand and empathize with something of your own creation.

You can start at any age, as long as you come to the table with an open mind. I've known roleplayers of every age bracket, and it's never inhibited the fun to have older players. Younger can be a troublesome thing when they get too young, but older? Never a problem! I would say give it a shot.

Answer 2

Heck no. I'm 25, and my regular gaming group consists of ages 18 up through 26. I didn't start gaming until I was about 19, and I can't ever see *not* doing it. (Funnily, I'm right now writing up a D&D campaign for a few of our folks who haven't played that particular game before to get their feet wet in that system before jumping into the huge campaign my boyfriend's planning for the summer...)

It does involve a lot of time, yes, but the return is fabulous. It's like watching a great movie or reading a great book, except you're one of the characters and the sky's the limit as to what you can do. Plus it leads to just general good fun with your friends.

ETA: And though D&D is suitable for all ages, there are some more "mature" games as well--the D&D setting of Ravenloft is very horror-oriented, as is the separate game Call of Cthulhu, and I've always been a fan of White Wolf's line of games, where you can play a vampire, a werewolf, a mage, or many other things--and the books themselves recommend no players under the age of 18.

Answer 3

I used to role play with my friend. It wasn't a set game. We'd just write out our posts on a piece of paper and pass it back and forth.