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What is gaming?

The term 'gaming' when used in this context does not refer to gambling or any such nefarious pastime. Rather it refers to a grouping of pastimes which share some links in common. There are a number of categories of 'gaming'. Indeed, there is even some contention over what counts as gaming and what doesn't.

Below are listed some of the main types of gaming. To explain each and every type of game would require a vast amount of space, so we have been selective in our focus. This is not meant to imply that any one type of game is more important than any other.

Role-playing
While all children role-play (Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians), the first formalised role-playing game was released over thirty years ago under the name of Dungeons & Dragons. Since then, the role-playing hobby has been subjected to misunderstanding and misconceptions. Despite that it has flourished to the extent that there are now many different breed of role-playing game commercially available.

At its core, role-playing is the practice of pretending to be some one else for a while. Each player creates a character which they guide through events and (mis)adventures which are thrown in their path. The players try to put themselves in the position of the character.

This often sounds very odd to people unfamiliar with the hobby, but isn't really so unusual. Everybody tries to put themselves in someone else's position from time to time. Ever watched a movie and in your head come up with what the lead male *should* have said at the crucial moment? In a way, that's role-playing. Ever noticed how supporters of a football team will say how 'we' are doing well in a particular season? Any pastime is more enjoyable if you can feel somehow personally involved, and at heart the aim of a role-playing game is to allow you to become personally involved with a story.

There are two main types of role-playing game. The first of these is the tabletop role-playing game. In this type of game, the players all sit around a table (or sitting room, or field' it doesn't really matter). One player, commonly referred to as Games Master (although variously referred to as Storyteller, Keeper and Judge to name but a few), relates the current surroundings and events. Each other player then reacts to those events as their character would, except that they convey their actions through words and expression.

There are a number of different genres of role-playing game and endless different types of story to be interacted with. In Dungeons & Dragons, players typically guide heroic characters as they combat monsters and earn renown. Other games may focus on relatively unimportant people who through mishap or misadventure stumble upon some significant events or even on anti-heroes plotting dubious schemes. Anything you can imagine been written as a book or film can be the subject of a role-playing game.

Live Action Role-playing Games (LARP) are a relatively recent development. In games of this type, players leave the table and interact with their environment directly. In games of this type, the role of the Games Master (GM) is not as prominent as there are less gaps in the surroundings to fill in. There tends to be more players involved in LARPS as characters which would usually be portrayed by the GM are now taken by other players.

Within the grouping of LARPs there is a further division between those which focus on combat and those which don't. LARPs which focus on combat typically make use of latex weapons with which the players simulates fights. One of the biggest combat oriented LARPs is an event known as The Gathering which takes place in England every August. Over the course of this weekend long event, players take the part of members of different Clans, who meet to socialise, talk politics and occasionally take to the filed of battle and butcher each other.

By far more common in Ireland, are political LARPs. These games focus on social interaction and, very often, a problem which must be solved. An example of a LARP of this type might be that the leader of a small republic has been found dead. The players are all members of the cabinet and must decide what to do. Over the course of the discussions, each character's personal agenda will influence the course of the game as they try to manipulate others to their way of thinking. A Murder Mystery Weekend is also a good example of a LARP.

What role-playing is not.
As mentioned earlier, role-playing has been the target of a number of misconceptions over the years. Many religious groups feared that Dungeons & Dragons was a form of devil worship. This is no more true than Buddy Holly being an agent of Satan. In fact, even should Buddy Holly turn out to have been an agent of Satan, role-playing is still not devil worship. There are no religious requirements in role-playing at all and it is practised by people of all faiths. Unfortunately, people will always fear things which they don't have sufficient information about. On the other hand, gaming has also found acceptance in a number of walks of life, to the extent that there are even a number of Christian Gaming Groups who see the hobby as a good way to explore their faith.

There are numerous other types of gaming. Miniature games involve players making strategic decisions about simulated battles. There are also numerous different types of card-game, including the hugely popular Pokemon game, as well as a vast array of board games which can take anything from 10 minutes to 10 hours to play. Unfortunately, it is beyond the scope of this site to cover what is involved in each type of game.

Conventions
If you have read the previous page, you probably noticed emphasis being placed on something called conventions. A gaming convention is an event (usually a weekend long) where gamers come together to play a number of organised games. They serve a number of functions. For one they allow people to play games without having to organise and write them themselves. They also allow gamers the opportunity to meet and socialise with other gamers. There are a number of games conventions which run all throughout the year, with each being organised by a different group. Attendance cost varies based on what resources the organisers have to hand and how large an event they are running. If you are looking for more information on gaming, there are a number of places you can go. Most of the larger colleges in the county have a gaming society, as do a number of schools. While they may be technically limited to membership based on attendance to that institution, they are very often happy to introduce other new people to the hobby. If you want to find a society near you, have a look at the links page.