So most of our Veeky Forums related hobbies can be described as "social activities", because they require a heavy amount of talking to other people at the table.
So, for such a 'social' activity, why is our hobby famously plagued by people who are complete social retards?
Because success in these situations is based on a rigid and well-recorded framework. Talking to people is hard, explaining rules is easy.
Because it's also an activity which requires lots of things going on inside your own head, even if you're in the company of others? Not good for developing social skills, that is.
>Literal autist who want to be their character rather than play them
>Misanthropic losers who like the optimizing aspect
>Misanthropic losers who like the heavy reading and or fleshed out lore
>All of the above
Because the competitive aspect is independent of the social aspect.
Basically, you can feel superior to others despite social flaws.
Usually some inability to fit in elsewhere in conjunction with other socially acceptable hobbies being facefuckingly retarded stuff like fantasy football.
Most Veeky Forums are basic arithmetic rules wise, so people who want to feel good about doing basic arithmetic play them. Most people who want to feel good about that are socially fucked and unable to deal with things that aren't written rules.
it's precisely because of the social interaction aspect that these individuals are so well documented, it means they have to engage with humans instead of staying in their basements/attics and not being visibly strange.
>can act out any character from a noble kight to a cyborg spy
>can't act like a normie and talk to women
Developing social skills requires a baseline of social intuition, which MOST people have to the extent that they never have to consciously develop their social skills, and some people lack. The people who have not developed social skills by 25 will have had enough interaction with family, at least, to develop SOME of those skills unless they lack that intuition.
Oh hey is this the thread where we attack strawmen of rpg players we've built up in our heads and project like our lives depend on it?
It's boring talking about the games that go right
All the people I roleplay with are sexy and charismatic chicks with amazing bodies and tons of "social skills" if you know what I mean
because they are not really social games. you are not talking about yourself you are using the game as a social barrier. its all you really have in common. you have to socialize outside the game to build social skills. its easy though just invite them to the movies or something and be mostly pleasant butt not overly creepy
This, by the way, is how people avoid developing any kind of social skills doing what is, fundamentally, a deeply social activity. You'll see it rationalized in all kinds of cerebral venues. Academia is really similar.
The rules, especially the rigid rules of later D&D editions, appeal to autistic spectrum types.
Imaginative play appeals to people with a poor grip on reality, and social rejects who want to escape from the mess they've made of their lives.
Learning complex rules also creates a sense of elitism, which might make "That Guy" types condescending towards newcomers.
Finally, the massive negative coverage role-playing received in the 80s combined with the rise of videogames stole the mainstream audience from roleplaying games, leaving just the hardcore dedicated fanbase. If roleplaying is to re-enter the mainstream it'll be a long climb back.
>Imaginative play appeals to people with a poor grip on reality
>Learning complex rules also creates a sense of elitism
You have that completely backwards, both are integral to being normal, successful and fulfilled people.
It's just that games provide a controlled environment where people who might otherwise be socially awkward actually have a place to exercise them.
Escapism is a hell of a drug. You're basically dealing with fantasy meth heads most of the time unless you game with well adjusted normies. Same with Vidya, a lot of braindead fucks within too.
They are shunned from everywhere else.
At that point it's either videogames or D&D
Because the social aspect arises from the illusion of infinite choice and rules that govern he outcome of here choices. Those are the elements that these people are attracted to, they wouldn’t just play a game of only role play.
Unless magical realm.
Very few groups are more similar to this set of strawmen than this one.
THIS
Horrible assburgers plague every hobby.