Greetings from La Center of Nowhere...

**TheOtherMonica** · 06-26-2007, 01:07 AM

A forum for introductions, how strange, yet cool. I think I like. Anyway, I am The Other Monica, a name taken from one of my jobs, where another Monica already worked when I started. Naturally I got to be 'The Other One'. On the Wizards boards I am 'Gold Halberdier'

I any case, I say Hello, Hiya, and Greetings to the forum. As noted, I live in La Center Washington, (not Kentucky) which is not exactly the /middle/ of nowhere, being a little ways north of Vancouver/Portland. The Real middle of nowhere is Yacolt. Those familiar with the area know what I mean. We don't have a single traffic light in the entire town, no fast food restaurants, movie theaters or other entertainment for minors except the library. We do have several casinos and access to the Lewis river. It is pretty much a role-playing wasteland. Fortunately, I work in Vancouver and hope to play there as well.

Useless fact: the Fort Vancouver Regional Library (where I work) has a decent collection of D&D books both new and vintage, and many back-issues of Dragon magazine. Do other libraries out there have role playing books? And how many of you have actually bothered to check?

**PhishStyx** · 06-26-2007, 01:11 AM

As it happens, I nearly got tossed out of my local library for attempting to look at the Palladium Books website, so no, I doubt strongly that they have any RPG books.

PS I love Shadowrun. Which version is your favorite?

**TheOtherMonica** · 06-29-2007, 02:11 AM

Ouch, talk about harsh! I'm guessing the ones doing the kicking didn't realize that RPGs are in fact harmless. A lot of non-gamers are like that, sadly.

Once upon a time, I played 2nd edition Shadowrun and loved it to death. We never did get around to converting to 3rd edition when that campaign ended, and I haven't had a chance to play again since. Shadowrun is a great RPG though, we always had fun while playing it.

**Wikrin** · 06-29-2007, 02:50 AM

Originally Posted by PhishStyx

As it happens, I nearly got tossed out of my local library for attempting to look at the Palladium Books website, so no, I doubt strongly that they have any RPG books.

PS I love Shadowrun. Which version is your favorite?

I don't get it. What were the people upset about?

Originally Posted by TheOtherMonica

Ouch, talk about harsh! I'm guessing the ones doing the kicking didn't realize that RPGs are in fact harmless. A lot of non-gamers are like that, sadly.

Once upon a time, I played 2nd edition Shadowrun and loved it to death. We never did get around to converting to 3rd edition when that campaign ended, and I haven't had a chance to play again since. Shadowrun is a great RPG though, we always had fun while playing it.

I don't see how they could think a game was anything but harmless. Unless, of course, it had a pentagram on it and they were religious bigots, but hey, we won't go there... Probably.

**TheOtherMonica** · 07-02-2007, 02:37 AM

The following Paragraph may or may not exist. It is the brief account of the conversion of an Anti-Gamer to the side of Light and Reason. For those not interested, feel free to skip down to the quite enlightening quote at the end.

Begin "not going there"

Religious Bigots being the main Anti-gamers, in my limited experience. I take it you've never been accosted in a public park by an Anti-Gamer because you were talking about a game we were planning to play in a few days (Mage/Werewolf for those keeping score at home). Count yourself lucky. Because there is something almost surreal about having an motherly older lady tell you that role playing will damn your soul for eternity. Situation only gets more surreal when the GM of the proto-game begins to debate philosophy with said Anti-Gamer, eventually getting her to admit that perhaps she had jumped to conclusions. I think the most effective argument was that she shouldn't allow her children to play 'lets pretend' or ever participate in class plays, as these are both "pretending to be something you aren't." As for demons... "You play the heroes slaying the demons and saving the innocent villagers. How is this turning you to the dark side?" Ended in Anti-gamer retreat, hopefully to reexamine mindless prejudice regarding RPGs. See? Happy ending.

End "Not going there"

"RPGs are a bit like sex. Shamelessly promoted by enthusiasts and hated by those who've never gotten to try it." _Me

**Ashtray** · 07-02-2007, 08:21 AM

Here, check this out and you will see why there are those that would commit such crimes against our genre of gaming....

http://www.entrewave.com/freebooks/docs/2136_47e.htm

Just download the pdf and read...I thing it is sad.

**PhishStyx** · 07-02-2007, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Ashtray

Just download the pdf and read...I thing it is sad.

Not just sad, it's also basically fiction. Egbert, the kid at MSU who tried to kill himself in the steam tunnels, had lots of problems completely unrelated to D&D, and anyone who takes a moment to look deeper into him would see that.

**Ashtray** · 07-03-2007, 09:25 AM

Not only is that article pathetic, but so is my spelling.

**TheOtherMonica** · 07-04-2007, 12:50 AM

The problem with that article is that they use aberrant cases as their baseline and several logical fallacies: ie, some DnD players are off their rocker. That doesn't mean all DnD players are, or that DnD had anything to do with it. Similar to the way the statement "Some religious people are clinically insane" doesn't mean that all religious people are nuts. To paraphrase one of my favorite books "A person doesn't need religion to make them nuts, but it often gives them an extra dedication to whatever form their nutdom decides to embrace." (War of Honor, David Weber)

**PhishStyx** · 07-04-2007, 02:16 AM

Oooh, you've taken a logic class somewhere! Cool.

**PhishStyx** · 07-04-2007, 02:33 AM

Say, you ever interested in trying some new games out?

Ed Zachary · 07-04-2007, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by TheOtherMonica

Religious Bigots being the main Anti-gamers, in my limited experience.

They are so easy to get around, and all it would take on your part is about an hour's worth of study. Put in a short amount of time and learn about their religion, then ask them some pointed questions. When it becomes apparent that they are blatantly ignorant of their own faith (90%+ of these nutjobs), then ask them why they use it to criticize others.

**Ashtray** · 07-04-2007, 09:55 AM

Well, I'm a nutjob..i've never known that the word "nutdom" was actually used, much like pistisity or that it was even considered a real word...lol. I just use that article as a reminder of how morons use religion to scare their beliefs into others, and the many that believe they are christian take those words to heart just because another self claimed christian says so.
Ever watch that movie, Idiocracy?
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"I'm not saying that there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but we should remove all the warning labels and let the problem take care of itself." ~Author unknown.

Ed Zachary · 07-04-2007, 10:04 AM

The same justifications Saint Augustine gave the Romans for the massacre of tens of thousands of heretics (ie non-Christians in Europe who owned land) is used today by the neocons to justify our deadly wars of "democratization" for people who have oil.

Perhaps if less people though like Augustinian Christians, this world would be a better place.