There was a time when RPGs was a realm dominated by fantasy-seeking teenagers. But they grew up into fantasy-seeking adults who transformed their favorite genres, movies, and characters into a wide array of RPG products.
But something arrived in the 1980s that created a chasm of creativity in the RPG market—electronic video games. In addition, teens grew up. With adulthood came obstacles to weekends spent playing countless hours of RPG; activites to replace the carefree days of youth—jobs, college, romance, to name a few.
I notice that 99.9% of people who engage in STA are adults. Where have all the teens gone? I know a few proud padres who take time out of their day to show their kids the ropes, which I will be highlighting in upcoming interviews. Fine exemplars are these. But I remember my teen years as some of my most wildly creative; a chance to bond with friends. We created epic characters and amazing storylines that we still talk about three decades later. Is that still happening out there nowadays? What does it look like? (Besides me and my three nephews, of course.) Are there groups of just teens playing this game? They are the future of STA!
We want to hear about these stories at Continuing Mission, including what roadblocks or obstacles keep you from diving into the Star Trek universe. Simply post your thoughts in the comments section below to get the conversation started. (All comments must be PG. Kid-friendly site!)
They don’t have the Trek we did, so their enthusiasm is base on today’s version. And streaming doesn’t build the same love as making sure you were home to see DS9 or TNG when it aired.
Star Trek has often been at its best when the characters are faced with challenges of a moral or ethical stand point. Some teenagers, especially boys (myself included way back in the day), preferred in their RPG sessions, an outlet for their ever present testosterone to involve combat, adventure and more than the occasional tavern. That’s why the Klingon version of this game has been so popular with my sons and their friends. The chance to act boldly and aggressively in the search of glory whilst still curbed by honour to avoid regressing into murdering space pirates.
I’d love to hear how their games turn out.