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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "J. Keith Henry" <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Death by Association (was :Re: The Game?)
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 16:04:17 -0400
In a message dated 97-08-22 13:20:12 EDT, ElBandit@***.COM writes:

>
> I got it from an article on the net. Someone did a research paper
defending
> RPGs. I'll see if I have a copy of it.
>
> I thought the number was high myself.
>
Actually, I think I've seen those statistics myself, and that number includes
(IIRC) all deaths caused in association to RPG's of one genre or another.
Please remember, that "Live Action" RPG's suffered heavily in the 80's, more
so than "standard" types. Also, those numbers included people playing out
scenarios in dangerous locales or with -REAL- weaponry, and not mock-ups.

The numbers also include what happened to kids that were fooling around
because of stuff they had heard their friends (in game mode) talk about, and
tried to do it themselves.

Sadly, that 286, though sounding high, isn't beyond the reach.
-K
Message no. 2
From: George Metz <W0lfstar@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Death by Association (was :Re: The Game?)
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 16:26:55 -0400
In a message dated 97-08-23 17:22:49 EDT, you write:

> Actually, I think I've seen those statistics myself, and that number
includes
> (IIRC) all deaths caused in association to RPG's of one genre or another.
> Please remember, that "Live Action" RPG's suffered heavily in the 80's,
more
> so than "standard" types. Also, those numbers included people playing out
> scenarios in dangerous locales or with -REAL- weaponry, and not mock-ups.

Ahhh, the "Second-Hand Smoke" scenario. (Second hand smoke IS worse than
filtered, if you inhale the same amounts, something no one does.) This means
it probably includes death from accidents, medical complications aggravated
by a LARP, and the accidentals I think the SCA has every so often - amongst
the live weapons types.

> The numbers also include what happened to kids that were fooling around
> because of stuff they had heard their friends (in game mode) talk about,
and
> tried to do it themselves.

"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! Huh, oh wait, I can't say that" Beavis, "Beavis &
Butthead"
Most of the things that are covered under this are a result of parents not
paying attention. No one takes responsibility anymore.

> Sadly, that 286, though sounding high, isn't beyond the reach.

No it isn't, but it also stretches over nearly 30 years of organized
role-playing, and is the most minute of a fraction of the total number of
SUICIDES for any other given group out there.

Wolfstar
Message no. 3
From: Jimpy <lowfyr@***********.COM>
Subject: Re: Death by Association (was :Re: The Game?)
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 17:11:02 -0500
George Metz wrote:
>
> In a message dated 97-08-23 17:22:49 EDT, you write:This means it probably includes
death from accidents, medical
complications aggravated by a LARP, and the accidentals I think the SCA
has every so often - amongst the live weapons types.<

Actually, and this may be what you're saying, the SCA has never had
anyone die on the field as a result of being hit by a weapon, at least
that I am aware of. The only deaths I have heard about in my secondary
passtime of hitting people with sticks were related to the prior medical
conditions they had, ie heart problems aggravated by a hot day and too
much physical activity etc.

I do know of two people who were arrested in my local community for
tresspassing on private property at 2:00 AM while playing a Masquerade
game, but they crossed the line between game and reality...it wasn't the
game that made them do it, anymore than booze makes someone drive drunk.

Just my two cents :)

Jim
Message no. 4
From: George Metz <W0lfstar@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Death by Association (was :Re: The Game?)
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 20:28:48 -0400
In a message dated 97-08-24 20:02:21 EDT, you write:

> Actually, and this may be what you're saying, the SCA has never had
> anyone die on the field as a result of being hit by a weapon, at least
> that I am aware of. The only deaths I have heard about in my secondary
> passtime of hitting people with sticks were related to the prior medical
> conditions they had, ie heart problems aggravated by a hot day and too
> much physical activity etc.

Well, there are those too, even though TECHNICALLY SCA isn't a roleplaying
game. And I'm not talking about the Rattan players, but the subset that like
live steel - they don't usually use them at events, but they do in practice.

> I do know of two people who were arrested in my local community for
> tresspassing on private property at 2:00 AM while playing a Masquerade
> game, but they crossed the line between game and reality...it wasn't the
> game that made them do it, anymore than booze makes someone drive drunk.

No, what made them sdo it was their stupidity. I hope whoever is running the
game gets them penalized in the game for breach of the Masquerade...

Wolfstar
Message no. 5
From: "J. Keith Henry" <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Death by Association (was :Re: The Game?)
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 19:32:12 -0400
In a message dated 97-08-25 06:44:18 EDT, W0lfstar@***.COM (George Metz)
writes:

> > Sadly, that 286, though sounding high, isn't beyond the reach.
>
> No it isn't, but it also stretches over nearly 30 years of organized
> role-playing, and is the most minute of a fraction of the total number of
> SUICIDES for any other given group out there.
>
I did some digging on this. The number of "deadly accidents/deaths" that are
-associated- with RPG's is in excess of 260 (I haven't gone the one website
that was mentioned recently), and those numbers are since 77. Believe it or
not, 20 years....
-K
Message no. 6
From: George Metz <W0lfstar@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Death by Association (was :Re: The Game?)
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 17:36:58 -0400
In a message dated 97-08-27 03:09:28 EDT, you write:

> > No it isn't, but it also stretches over nearly 30 years of organized
> > role-playing, and is the most minute of a fraction of the total number
of
> > SUICIDES for any other given group out there.
> >
> I did some digging on this. The number of "deadly accidents/deaths" that
are
> -associated- with RPG's is in excess of 260 (I haven't gone the one
website
> that was mentioned recently), and those numbers are since 77. Believe it
or
> not, 20 years....

Doesn't overly surprise me. And if you're pointing out my comment on 30
years, that's because roleplaying has been around for about 30 years. They
only started taking statistics 20 years ago, and the first roleplayers were
much like the first hackers over at the MIT AI Lab - not considered utterly
wacko. =)

Wolfstar

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