From: lmollett@lunatix.uucp (Laura Mollett)
Subject: Re: Dumb Moves By Game Companies
Organization: Lexington Public Access Unix. -KY- (606) 255-9121
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1993 02:06:18 GMT

In article <STXTNT.93Jan1173016@rs733.GSFC.NASA.Gov> stxtnt@rs733.GSFC.NASA.Gov (Nigel Tzeng) writes:
>
[much deleted]
>>What I find odd about good gamers is that they come from all walks
>>of life, not from "professional" or "advanced mental" sorts of
>>occupations.  Any number (one of the best FRP'ers and puzzle-solvers
>>I've met, for instance is terminally dyslexic) are from occupations
>>that might be considered mentally marginal, but who show their
>>ability to think quickly, carefully, and correctly, while making
>>good strategic and tactical judgements on the fly, every time they
>>play a war game.
>
>Everyone has a talent somewhere...it's nice that he or she can game well.

Dyslexia does not imply or require any lack of intelligence nor "advanced 
mental" abilities.  It is a learning disability.  There is some sort of
interference between information gathered by the eyes and the passing of
that information to the brain.  (In actually, all images are picked up by
the eyes "upside-down" and are "turned around" by the brain.  A dyslexics
brain fails to "turn around" the info).  There is nothing wrong with the
gentle's mental capacity because he or she has dyslexia and these comments
could be construed as insulting to those with learning disabilities or
others who are concerned with public opinion regarding those with LD's.
(Admittedly, the original poster also seems to have a lack of information
regarding dyslexia.  It's not terminal either :)
>
[much more deleted]
>Perhaps American society rewards productive brilliance over gaming
>brilliance.  I'll worry more when we run out of scientists, engineers,
>generals, businessmen or even politicians and laywers than when we run out
>of brilliant gamers.
Really?  You're implying (or possibly stating outright) that the only
careers of any importance are those in the hard sciences.  Would you also
not feel a lack when we run out of artists, artisans, anthropologist,
sociologists, linguistics, historians?  Gamers are often interested and very
learned in some or all of these areas.  And please define "productive
brilliance".  I would certainly feel a great lack if there was nothing in the
world but bridges and buildings, chemistry and biology, wars, sofas and TVs,
laws, and those who argue law.  What about art, inner beauty, touching the
soul, greater meaning, understanding of other peoples and cultures?  I
consider all of these things "productive" and many of them are supplied by
hobbies or outside activities as opposed to careers.  And yes, I would feel
a great lack for the loss of brilliant gamers.  I think I'm sorry you do not
see their contribution.
>
[snip]
>Perhaps...but attacking something is trivial...no thinking required.
>The American public may not be as bright as you might like but you
>certainly have not shown that thinking ability (wrt gaming) is of
>benefit to society (more than any other hobby) or serves as a useful
>indication of general intelligence.

Again, define "benefit to society"?  Gaming provides a niche for many types
of creative outlits.  Writers, artists, and many other creative people come
together and create something that many people enjoy doing?  This is not
of benefit to society?  How many people does something have to benefit
before it counts? 
>
>Perhaps all the truly "thinking" folks have decided use that "thinking
>ability" in the "real world" solving real problems as opposed to
>solving fantasy problems in a fantasy world.  Certainly moving
>cardboard counters around a board is a ton less difficult than moving
>real troops across a battlefield.

I would (personally) just as soon noone were moving real troops across a
battlefield.  If we were all satisfied with moving cardboard counters, maybe
we would live in a better world.  Even so, I'm a "gamer" and I've never moved
a cardboard counter in my life.  I don't play wargames.  I roleplay.  
Roleplaying gives me an opportunity to try out other ways of life, other ways
of looking at things, to attempt to see how someone who is _not_ me might
feel in a situation I have never been in.  It also sparks and encourages my
interests in history and mythology, my desire to know about other peoples
and their ways of life and thoughts.  Maybe if a few people would spend a
little time solving "fantasy problems" (what is a fantasy problem anyone?  one
that never has or never could exist...I can't think of anything like that that
has ever come up in any game I've ever played in) in a "fantasy world", there
might be a few less misunderstandings and thus less "real problems" in the
"real world."  I'd also like to know where, exactly, the real world is as
well.  If gaming isn't a part of it, I don't know what you are going to do
with all those businessmen you wouldn't like to live without who are making
a living from it.  And don't forget gaming as a teaching tool.  There's no
better way to teach values to my children and allow them to make decisions
which only hurt "for pretend" than to game with them.  Or do you discount
teaching as not of "benefit to society" as well?                                                                     
					Laura
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc