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Dungeons & Dragons Inducted Into Toy Hall of Fame (npr.org)
Snowgen writes: NPR reports that Dungeons and Dragons has been inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY: "The nomination process for the Toy Hall of Fame is open to the public -- but to get in, a toy has to be approved by 'historians, educators, and other individuals who exemplify learning, creativity, and discovery through their lives and careers.'" "More than any other game, Dungeons and Dragons paved the way for older children and adults to experience imaginative play," says Curator Nic Ricketts. "It was groundbreaking. And it opened the door for other kinds of table games that borrow many of its unique mechanics. But most importantly, Dungeons and Dragons' mechanics lent themselves to computer applications, and it had a direct impact on hugely successful electronic games like World of Warcraft." The report adds: "The list of 12 finalists for this year's honors had included bubble wrap, Care Bears, Clue, the coloring book, Nerf ball, pinball, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Transformers and Uno. When it emerged in 1974, Dungeons and Dragons was groundbreaking, says curator Nic Ricketts of The Strong. In addition to its own merits, the game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson established a pattern for how similar role-playing games might work -- both on table-tops and, eventually, on computers and other devices."
Most, if not all, of the toys I played with growing up are already in the hall including erector set, tinker toys, lincoln logs, lego and plenty of other examples. A positive story in a week of tension is appreciated even if not purely tech related.
It would have got in last year but it made a terrible roll against CHA.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Obligatory message from Jesus.
So you're saying that toys that neither require nor inspire "learning, creativity, and discovery" should get an award that is specifically linked to "learning, creativity, and discovery". I'm not saying that creativity wasn't required to invent, say, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, but exactly what do you learn playing it? "Hit faster than the other guy and you'll win!" Isn't really that difficult to understand, I'm pretty sure you know that halfway through the commercial.
Clue and Uno at least exercise memory and logic skills, but you do more of that in a single tabletop RPG session (even pure Hack 'n Slash) than is any reasonable time frame of playing either.
A toy. For children. Anyone past mental age of 14 still playing this has BIG issues.
Wow a 9th level Chartered Accountant!
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
Actually, cardboard box is already on the list. :D
Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
I was at most a casual and occasional D&D player in the 70's and 80's, but I remember D&D being blamed for everything under the sun, from teen suicides to cult formation and widespread brainwashing. There was a bit of moral panic in the popular press, and social outrage from certain religious types due to the game's references to demons and magic.
This was all in spite of the fact that D&D players always seemed cooler to me to hang out with and more intellectually inclined and curious than its vocal critics.
I guess there are new scapegoats...
DnD saved my fucking life. Educationally and socially. An environment that is safe for kids, teens, adults to fail in? Games like that should be taught and promoted at a young age. IMO of course.
Adding to that D&D is as simple or as complex as you can make it.
A productised, pre-made adventure for ages 10 and up with some back story, save the world sort of adventure with simple dice rolls...
Or build your own world for adult players; looking into forms of government, currency, trade, dominant cultures, races, deities as well as technology.
Your game can be very logical and futuristic, looking into issues like time dilation when approaching light speed or make it simpler with star trek-like space travel with warp or just give everyone the ability to teleport anywhere all the time. (might be a brave new world with distance not being an issue)
Be inventive, take your favourite bits from anywhere and put them together; Babylon 5, Star Trek, Star Wars, Deus Ex, Dune, The Matrix, marvel or DC comics infinite amount of combinations. Make your own powers, spells, psionic and artefacts.
If anything D&D is one of the most creative learning tools you can have in gaming. There is no map limit, there is no source code to buy no DLC. It's all there if you make it. -cost? zero.
A 'singular oddity' is an event that cannot be explained and only happens when you are alone.
"most importantly, Dungeons and Dragons' mechanics lent themselves to computer applications, and it had a direct impact on hugely successful electronic games like World of Warcraft"
That might be the most popular thing in the past few years but these games definitely lack the imaginative qualities being praised, they just borrow mechanics to create hallow shells that are themed interactive TV. The old tabletop dungeons and dragons games were not a hack and slash run through of canned content with miniatures, they were imaginative journey's authored by the DM and players in collaborative fashion.
Of course, eventually the DM gets writers block and nobody else steps up and the game falls apart. Hack and slash adventures/box modules were the less interesting cruft DM's tossed out for filler between good ideas. Games like World of Warcraft are nothing but the lowest of D&D content, pure hack and slash with no real imaginative content from players and the editions of the table top after WoTC took over were pretty much the same where min/maxing made sense because combat success was overplayed.
I'm a 10th level Vice President!
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
I blame you for not making your saving throw.
Still a more grown up pursuit than golf, in my estimation.
Or more correctly, social activities should be promoted at a young age.
There's nothing special about a D&D group playing than say, a group of kids playing football. They both are playing, and interacting with each other in a social setting. Just because the D&D players aren't making friends with the whole neighbourhood or having big parties doesn't mean the group together isn't interacting socially and being perfectly human.
The only reason we treat it as special is because we don't see it as the same sort of socializing that extroverts do. But it is - you're interacting with other human beings and enjoying the experience.
But in the end, it really isn't. What we should be promoting is the fact that getting a bunch of kids together to play D&D or other indoor introverted activity is just as healthy as getting a bunch of extroverts together playing sports or a party. Introverts don't interact socially the same way as extroverts, but they still have socializing needs, and they choose to express it differently - quiet play for example.
So promote the fact that introverts do like to get together and socialize, and that the form of socialization is different and will always be different. But just because they like to play indoors in small groups doesn't mean it isn't necessary nor are they lacking social benefit. D&D, a board game with friends, etc., are all activities that if you're getting them together, is the introvert equivalent of throwing a big social event publicly.