Re: Age and Complexity

I'm 33 with two kids, 5 and 3.	My son can't wait to play games with
me, and we do play some, like Battle Masters, simple homebrew skirmish
stuff (everybody can move 6" and hits on 4, 5, or 6), and Heroquest
(my wife and son play the characters, my daughter plays with the
dice).	I've done some roleplaying with my son when he was 3, and
should do it again--we'll try Star Wars sometime.

I definitely prefer simpler rules, and that gets more so as time
goes by.  That's mostly because I don't have the desire to learn
another system, not because I have trouble doing it.  The wargame
I play most often is Epic 40K, and its core rules are more complex
than the old Space Marine (maybe comparable to DS II), though the
extensions of Space Marine made it more complicated.  I have to
make myself try to be interested when a gaming friend wants to
try a new game, purely because I have so many I want to play, and
don't want to spend time learning another.  I'd like to play Epic,
Dirtside II (mostly to see how it feels compared to Epic 40K), Full
Thrust, Stargrunt II (still on order at the hobby shop), and probably
more.  Plus there are board games, regular family games, ping-pong
(when I get all that terrain off my table), and peek-a-boo and ring-
around-the-rosy.  :-)  (At least the last two don't take so long!)
We play a lot of games at my house.

I do wonder if there will be an end to this hobby, when I can't find
anyone my age to play.	Most of the people I know are from work
(I don't know any gamers there) or church (don't think many would
be interested).  The two guys I'm playing games with now are both
younger than me, so maybe I've got some time while they're available.
But when I'm older and my kids are gone, and I have more time on my
hands, will I be able to find an opponent?  I can't see playing
a solo game.  I like computer games, but keep away from them to
try to not let gaming take me away from social contact.  I've got
Ambush! (except I don't have the rulebook), and I've thought about
having that set up on a table and play a turn every now and then,
but I just don't want to play by myself.

Anyway, I relate to some of your issues.  Certainly, playing with your
kids is a great thing to do.  I remember my father not understanding
the roleplaying I was doing in high school at all, and he only made
brief attempts at trying it.  He doesn't like to step outside of what
he understands, though intelligent.  I may have the same problem if
my kids turn into athletes, though.  :-)  But I know to try to be
involved in their interests, and to try to share interests, anyway.

I have seen that I get bored really quickly playing the way my son
does.  Kids don't need rules, as I think Adrian was saying.  They
just drive around the tanks making engine noises and shooting sounds.
That's all they need.  My son does enjoy playing a game, as well as
just playing with toys, though.

I'm really rambling on now.  Better quit.

andy

-- 
Andy Skinner
askinner@avs.com