Re: (TFT) back from the olympics

[David Jackson <azog@bellsouth.net>]

On 3/24/10 5:52 PM, Mark Tapley wrote:
>     Trying to catch up on all sorts of things, sorry for the delayed 
> response.
>     One of the reasons I like TFT is that it *does* supply non-lethal 
> options. Several spells (Freeze, Sleep, Drop Weapon, Avert....), 
> "Subduing Blows", and potions and magic items all enable you to 
> overcome your opponents in such a way as to leave them able to learn 
> from the experience.
>     When I'm playing with the kids, I pretty much *insist* on that 
> behavior from them when they have a chance, and when I'm refereeing, 
> well, I make it clear that if they take a kill-or-be-killed mindset to 
> the world, they might well not end up being at the top of the food 
> chain. That seems to help a lot with getting the spousal unit 
> interested in the game, and it presents more and more interesting 
> challenges to the kids than a simple "hack them before they hack you" 
> approach would.
>     Healthier than video games that way too, IMHO.
>     This connects to the "do we have the moral high ground" discussion 
> I allotted in my "ideal gaming session" timeline a few posts back, too.

Healthier than video games?  That's if you buy into the rhetoric that 
violent conflict inside of a video game is un-healthy.

I've been playing video games, of all sorts, for the past 29 years.  
It's my hobby - my devotion - my passion - and my career.   So far, I 
have not become a crazed homicidal maniac, or exhibited any kind of 
antisocial tendencies whatsoever - I've never been in jail for violence, 
hell, I don't even know how to really fight very well.

So, when I see sweeping generalizations like this, it makes me wonder 
what sort of evidence you are using to back up the notion that violence 
in video games is unhealthy.

David Jackson
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