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I'm just curious...

The stereotype of gamers is that they're all unemployed middle-aged guys living in their mom's basements, but I know that's not (always) true.  Someone in another thread mentioned that they play D&D with a lot of people with PhDs and fancy jobs.  

So...  What kinds of people play LFR?  What kinds of jobs do people have?  (And do you obsessively check the Wizard's boards during working hours?)  Do your coworkers know you play D&D or are you a closeted gamer?



[Gamers are everywhere....  The next thing they know we'll take over the world.  Muahahahaha!!!  ]

I've been married for 17 years (to another gamer!).  I've owned my own home for 14 years.  I work as a strategic planner at an ad agency.  I have a Masters degree in market research.  Most of my co-workers who know me well know that I play D&D, and they find it either amusing or cool.

I am a behavior tech for a special ed. school. It can range from developing classroom reward systems and behvior plans to counsellor to bouncer. I find many in my gaming communtiy are in education as either educator or student and I don't know them through work. We also have alot in computer/IT, HR, retail and medical fields as well as a few of us rotating through our slacker phases.

I have found as I got into LG and con-going, I am playing with more and more professional types. Then again, I have gotten older and a bit more established my self over the same period.

I am a webmaster for a dutch public broadcasting company (Teleac).
I have been married for 14 years to a japanese non-gamer, and we have two cats (no kids).
Nobody at my job plays D&D, but that doesn' t stop me from talking about it.
Being the webmaster means I get to check websites during the day, so I occasionally check the boards during work.
Then again, I work 10 hours a day and get paid for 8, so there.

Gomez

I'm in IT management at a computer gaming company. My co-workers do not express any surprise at my D&D playing ways, although occasionally we have edition wars. My SO plays LFR with me. Life rocks.

I work at an insurance company as a business analyst.

The vast majority of people I game with are professionals. Meeting someone who's voluntarily unemployed and lives with his parents is by far the exception, not the rule.

I'm an Environmental Scientist and currently working towards a masters degree.  In undergrad, a bunch of my professors played D&D. 

My husband convinced me to start playing D&D years ago and now we play together all the time.  (I know, I know, females are an unfortunately rare sight at D&D tables.)

I spend too much time thinking about or working on my characters at work or posting online, but no one's caught me yet.   

I'm still a closeted gamer at my office.  Though I've discovered that it's very hard to talk about D&D on the phone without any of my coworkers overhearing and thinking I'm crazy.    ("Did you see how many guys I killed last night?  That was awesome!" sounds really bad out of context....)

I work as a business analyst and project manager at an energy trading firm downtown. I'm working towards an MBA in entrepreneurship at a top-tier school during my evenings.

Most people that know me don't know I'm a gamer - my friends do. My girlfriend has no interest in D, but thinks my hobby is cute. Good enough for me.

I'm an undergrad in Project management for the construction sector, starting on my Msc thesis in a month. Around here everyone has a rather high education, D&D in the Netherlands atttracts the more higher educated, probably the language barrier.
So I'm used to playing with higher educated persons.

My GF also plays, we met through DnD and she is studying at a University as well.

Feb 3, 2010 -- 9:43AM, Magicstar1 wrote:

I'm an undergrad in Project management for the construction sector, starting on my Msc thesis in a month. Around here everyone has a rather high education, D&D in the Netherlands atttracts the more higher educated, probably the language barrier.
So I'm used to playing with higher educated persons.

My GF also plays, we met through DnD and she is studying at a University as well.

A GF who plays D&D is quite a find Magicstar!

I'm a web developer for a big university myself, and a father of 3.

I'm a father to two great kids. I work from home as a consultant for companies using a specific enterprise software solution to manage environmental compliance. I've had some pretty cool jobs in the past, including managing small departments of really smart people and traveling around much of the world (Asia, Europe, Africa/Mid-East, US). My wife has also traveled extensively, but we both changed our ways to be at home once we decided to have kids. My wife does not game, which I prefer as it provides balance and keeps me in check.

I have long been a closeted gamer but started to open up to my friends about it, making it something I offer up early on. Many of them find it fascinating, but not enough to try it. I don't share it with work colleagues, though Google means many of them ending up dropping hints that they know. I recall one young employee of mine giggling like a schoolgirl as she shared a link with me to a character generation site... I just thanked her and went on to talking about the project...

Many of my DC-area friends were holding down pretty impressive jobs, from high positions in military/defense to legal to business. Many of my Portland-area friends are more mid-tier and lower-paying jobs, and a good number were laid off last year. I've been friends with gamers from all sorts of backgrounds and there are certainly a good share of unemployed and fast-food-type employees. We are a geeky lot and that can translate to not climbing the work ladder particularly well. Self-mage issues can also doom us to feelings of low self-worth. Others are really smart but just see the world a different way and don't see a clear path to being happy within the shackles of corporate culture. Many times, D&D is that escape that allows us to be something else. For others it is just an intellectual exercise.

For me, I just don't ever want to stop being a kid. The more I 'mature' at work, the more I want to play at home. Having kids and playing D&D let's me keep being a kid and also allows me to be creative.

Feb 3, 2010 -- 7:41AM, lorika wrote:

What kinds of people play LFR? What kinds of jobs do people have?

Most of my groups consist mainly of techies with significant others (the SO's often play in the home games).

do you obsessively check the Wizard's boards during working hours?

Yes

Do your coworkers know you play D&D

No. I don't really hide it, but I don't really talk about it. I'm proud of my hobby, but social norms dictate that one not jabber on about one's unusual hobbies (be it D&D, video games, fantasy fooball,  folk-singing, scrap-booking, cat collecting, etc.) in front of others that are not involved (i.e. co-workers).

Feb 3, 2010 -- 8:28AM, lorika wrote:

(I know, I know, females are an unfortunately rare sight at D&D tables.)

IME, not nearly as rare as you used to be.

When I started playing D&D, 28 years ago, it was very true.  These days, it's increasingly common.

At the small con I attended last weekend, I'd guess that at least 25-30% of the LFR players were female.  At one table on Sunday morning, 4 out of the 6 players were women (including my wife).

In my main home campaign, 4 out of the 8 players are women.

Maybe I'm just excessively lucky in this regard.

I am a certified Project Manager for a major financial company.   I have been going to Gen Con since the early 70’s.

Nice thread.

I'm the Communications Manager for a motoring company. Married, two dogs, homeowner, with a wife that loves sci-fi but not gaming. I'm on tv and radio a fair bit as part of my job.

I don't talk gaming at work but that's partly to do with the fact that I'm the youngest in my department. Too much of an 80's mentality of D&D there I'm afraid.

Otherwise, I think Alphastream's social situation and attitude to gaming almost exactly mirrors mine, except I'm in Australia...

I'm an artist, painting and printmaking - my avatar is one of my prints. I teach photoshop, flash, and illlustrator at the college level in NYC. I've worked heavily as a freelance designer, but my wife's schedule and our kids doesn't really allow for it any longer. i.e. employers tend to come up to me during the day, "Hey, I was wondering if you could stay until 11 pm?" - anything other than yes isn't really acceptable. And I'm the one that needs to be home.

At one point, my D&D group consisted of myself, an actor on Broadway, and a writer for ABC news. LG allowed us to change that mix from 3 consistent people to around 5-7. We usually have had writers(one now writes for Dragon), theatre people, etc...the nice thing about living campaigns is that it lets us shuffle our group on a reasonably regular basis even when life events come up.

But having such an artistically focused group really does put the kibosh on the 'aren't you dorks' when I point out that I can get backstage passes to one of the more popular shows on Broadway very quickly...

I'm a Union Sheet Metal Worker. My trade consist of commercial and residential construction in the HVAC, architectual, service and industrial fields. I'm also a certified welder with a specialization in stainless steel.

I regularly game with an Electrical Engineer, a Writer, a Software Developer, a Film Special Effects Engineer (or similiar), a Special Needs Councilor, a college student/assistant working on his PhD, a software developer for the gaming industry, two security guards and many more.

I'm a speech and language pathologist (aka that guy who tells you to drink more water when you're DMing at cons, but knows enough about his own voice that he doesn't have to). Many of my co-workers know I game; I don't really try to hide it, but I've never been one to advertise my hobbies either. My fiancee does not game (at least, not RPGs; she likes board games) and has no interest in trying, but is gaming-friendly and has agreed to commit the entire basement of our new house to D&D and other gaming activities. I'm sure that the fact that she has a physical disability preventing her from getting access to the basement has nothing to do with this.

Software Developer/Systems Programmer/etc/etc.  A few of my coworkers know I game, but I don't advertise it and they generally don't ask.  Game with other developers, bankers, lawyers, and middle managers.

Hibiki54's post reminded me that when I played Spycraft (love that game), the players often had applicable skills. Someone would say "my character wants to intercept the call and...", which would be interrupted by a player saying "well, I work on cell transmission encoding and..."

The same thing would come up for all sorts of crazy intelligence stuff. The game really does attract military and security types.

40 year old gamer, married to a gamer. Two pugs and two cats. I am currently a bookkeeper for my families business and studying to be an accountant (I currently hold a BS in History). I was a phone tech in a previous life for too many computer and tech companies to list. My wife was just promoted to Controller of her company but has a deep background in IT (she also has a Masters in Physics, so yes she is smarter than me).

As for my homegame tables, they generally run 1/3 to 1/2 women. Here in Portland, OR they are not that rare. Added bonus that my wife is a DM or whatever the system she is running calls them. Other players have been: Real Estate, Minatures & Terrian company, Homeless Shelter Services Manager, Receptionist, Students.

In my LG days we had VP from IBM down to unemployed/uneremployed. There is a broad community of gamers here.

The FLGS I use, shout out to Guardian Games, is owned and operated by a woman and participates in the women only Dungeon Divas game group here.

Bryan Blumklotz
AKA Saracenus
Guardians of the Gameday Coordinator

I'm a weekend warrior when it comes to gaming.  By day I am a PC Field Technician in the Cincinnati area doing hardware warranty replacements primarily on Dell PCs.  I technically also do Gateway, Panasonic, and Lenovo PC work, but those service calls are few and far between since Dell holds such a large chunk of the US user base (I would say 98% of my calls are Dell).  I easily put 500 - 1000 miles a week on my car since the territory is about 200 miles in diameter.

I have a daughter who's almost one, but she already has a set of plush dice.  She loves it when I bring up YouTube and play the muppets Mahna Mahna song.

Since I'm on the road for work I can't check the Wizards website.  However, I frequently think about character concepts or article pitches for Dragon while driving between jobs which sometimes can be upwards of an hour long.

Most people who know me know I play D&D.  I don't hide the fact nor do I announce it.  It just seems to come up int he course of conversation eventually.  Then again, I rarely see my co-workers since we don't have an office.

I have played with many people who fit into all walks of life.  From the stereotypical anti-social basement dweller to doctors, university librarians, couriers, janitors, pharmacists, bio-engineers, print shop operators, military personnel, network admins and lawyers.  I find that the "non-stereotypical" players I have met have all been through the RPGA.  Most of the "stereotypical" players I have met through other means and played in home games with them.  Most of them wouldn't dream of playing in the RPGA.  I think the RPGA attracts a more socially open person.  That's one of the reasons I like participating in the RPGA.  I get to meet and play with a lot of people I otherwise wouldn't (sort of geek solidarity I guess).

I am a software developer myself.  However, my local group has included a wide variety of professions, including (other than those mentioned already) a chef, an adult store owner, several psychiatric ward aides, construction workers and a pastor.

I'm pretty open about D&D at work and even occasionally have my Player's Handbook on my desk.  Though I don't talk about it much at work since there's not many tabletop RPGers at work.  Most however at my job are gamers of one sort or another.  There have even been conference calls at my workplace to plan their WoW raids later that evening (I wish I was kidding).  DragonCon happens around here and at least 2 dozen of us disappear to the con.

And I own my own place basically, so yeah, I don't fit the stereotype at all.  And though I do check it daily, I don't check these boards excessively.


Jay Anderson

I have been an escrow officer at a land title company (I manage the money as it moves between real estate sales and refinances) for the last five years. Before that I was in the U.S. Army for thirteen years - four enlisted, nine as an officer, got out as an O3E (captain). My bachelor's degree is in public relations.

I just bought my second house where I live with my wife (non-gamer, but supportive) of ten years and 5-year-old daughter (her birth prompted me to leave the service - it was a very hard decision to make).

Been gaming since 1984 and got started with the red boxed set. Moved on to the blue expert boxed set, than jumped into AD&D after a year or so of the red and blue boxed sets. I was on the Nyrond triad in Living Greyhawk the last two years of the campaign.

I have to credit my early D&D years for getting me into reading. Early TSR work, especially Mr Gygax's material, sent me to look words up in the dictionary way more than any school teacher or class room work ever did.

I'm work as part of the business team which oversees online distribution for a major global hotel chain. Ironically, after I quit 3.5 (a level 18 wizard with level 14 healer cohort is a lot of spell preperation each session), getting together with my girlfriend got me in to 4E, as I stated "I'll be damned if I'm going to be a D&D widower". I'm 35 and I'm in escrow on my first home purchase.

My coworkers know I'm openly a giant nerd. Some know I've been to SDCC a few times, some know I play Euro style boardgames, one I've talked about Bioware games with, but only one knows I play D&D (as she caught me playing in a store she was going to play Warhammer at.)

Our local gaming groups seem to have about a 15% female population.

I think we need to remember that this thread is only representative of respondents. If I lived in my parent's basement and worked for a chicken shack, I probably wouldn't talk about it.

Feb 4, 2010 -- 10:49AM, JRedGiant1 wrote:

I think we need to remember that this thread is only representative of respondents. If I lived in my parent's basement and worked for a chicken shack, I probably wouldn't talk about it.

Excellent point. While I absolutely love hearing about successful, well-adjusted gamers (and try to surround myself with them during my pursuits of the hobby), the sad truth is that we have a certain stereotype for a reason.

Ok can't stay behind here.

I am a 28 year old, just recently began studying again after roughly 8 years as a assistent manager.
I have a very lovely girlfriend who is as big a gamer as me. Also she kick my butt in several computer games.

oh yeah and I helped Magicstar meet his girlfriend :P (He would never have met a girl in where he lives otherwise, well not as sexy as his current gf)

Hello Hello, I'm a I work in a NOC at Stanford University. All my co-workers are jocks who think I'm a geek. I spent 6 years in the military 3 of wich were as an Airborne Ranger (I played D&D with my platoon seargent). I've been married for 10 years and have a 10 yr old son who plays dnd with me. My wife won't touch it; however, she has gone from threatening to throw my books away to watching me and asking questions about the game. Maybe in another ten years she'll actually play. I also have an electrical engineering degree though I never worked in the field.

Hmm so if I now claimed I live in my parents basement and am unemployed, financing my D&D addiction by being a volunteer for medical testing (psychoactive drugs), that would not be believable anymore? Dang.
 
Well ok then.

Good thing I am a solutions architect (IT nerd) for a local college, and have been living in my own place for some 20 years.

Work knows, as I have to explain the periodic flights to the USA , but they dont understand and I am not putting time in enlightening them

Feb 4, 2010 -- 11:36AM, dkay807 wrote:

Feb 4, 2010 -- 10:49AM, JRedGiant1 wrote:

I think we need to remember that this thread is only representative of respondents. If I lived in my parent's basement and worked for a chicken shack, I probably wouldn't talk about it.

Excellent point. While I absolutely love hearing about successful, well-adjusted gamers (and try to surround myself with them during my pursuits of the hobby), the sad truth is that we have a certain stereotype for a reason.

fwiw: I've actually been pleasantly surprised at the social adeptness of most LFR players in my own area (which I view as a fairly non-selective sampling). Since D&D is a social game, I figured less socially adept gamers would gravitate more to different venues.

Of course, D&D's genre and the rules heft will still tend attract certain stereotypes (i.e. people that like rules and fantasy, which can sometimes be at odds with liking people and liking to fit in). I don't expect all the LFR gamers I meet to be completely socially adept, but I would speculate that the hobby has made them more socially adept than they would be otherwise.

I'm a software architect and datbase analyst/migration. Basically I do the bits of enterprise level software development that no one wants to know about but hate it when it goes wrong.

I'm married to a gamer also and have a kid en route.

And like Surgebuster I'm also in Australia

Well, let's hope most of us did not end up as the subject of:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgfpJWUYgbg

I am married to another gamer (have been for 18 years) and we met through Gencon. I have a MS in engineering and serve as a technical director for around 80 engineers.  We own our home.  We have 4 cats.  My friends, family and co-workers know I play D&D but I do not access websites or do gaming activities at work.

Keith

I have a house in escrow and in 32 more years it will be mine.  Allllll mine!  I earned a B.A. in Anthropology and plan on entering grad school.  I’m the only one in the gaming group who doesn’t have a background in the IT field.  I currently work at a library as a metadata cataloger.

 

Guess I should throw down. 

I'm Dustin, and, I'm a geek through and through.

My primary day job is that of an IT Systems Engineer.  I design the servers, configure the network, and keep all that happy stuff humming quietly in the background for the mid-sized law firm that employs me.  It's a feast-or-famine kind of job as far as actual WORK (projects, etc) goes.  Which is no small part of why I'm sometimes here in the community all day - and other times I'm gone for a week or two (buying 40-odd new computers, building images for them, while also installing a new set of servers and re-configuring the network, for example is a current feast.  When that's all done I'll probably have another month of busywork - training people on Windows 7, then several months of famine and be bothering the forums again. )

I also work part-time in my FLGS.  I started there because I stepped up and introduced them to the RPGA with Xen'Drik Expeditions.  The owner was cold to the idea of D&D in the store (having had some players a few years previous that would play open-to-close on weekends, and turned into a band of wnadering gypsies at the time.  Seriously.  There were croc-pots involved) at first, but when I described the way RPGA play works (4-5 hour slots, 6 players, in, out, done) it turned out to be something he was all but begging another of his employees to envision and create from scratch.  Right time, right place.

From there, he took a liking to me, and now I work at least one day a week there - just to earn myself a nice discount on games, books, etc.  Having a little extra money doesn't hurt either, since the wife is working her way through her last semester of school before becoming a teacher.

At home, I'm rasing an 11-month old, GORGEOUS little girl who, like D9's child, has a complete set of plush dice that she got for Christmas.  She's particularly fond of the D10 and d% dice.  My wife is a minor gamer - enjoying board and card games, especially if they take an hour or less to play.  D&D isn't really her bag, though I suspect she'd get involved in D&D Encounters if we could find someone to take baby off our hands on Wednesday nights.  Otherwise her attention span simply isn't long enough to hand a 3-4 hour game (by her own admission).

I think that covers my "Day Life" pretty well, though I'm willing to answer questions.

Also: Dragon9 - I dunno about Mnah Mnah, but my daughter is a huge fan of (Do You Wanna) Date My Avatar.  You should give it a try. 

I'm a Web Application Developer / Front-End Engineer for a sports entertainment company you probably all have heard of. Pretty much the Web 2.0 stereotype, except that I'm not into start-ups and venture capital.

I've got a master's in information science, which pretty much just makes me irritating to everyone around me, as I point out usability flaws in everything I find (speaking of, have some thoughts on the LFR module format...).

Married to an artist, and since we've met I've gotten my wife hooked on M:tG, D&D and WoW (and a number of other nerdy hobbies, like Geocaching).

When I'm not moonlighting as a gamer, I'm moonlighting as a writer, poet and literature buff. I have too many hobbies.

I was a closet gamer for year, but once I started doing LFR, I brought it home—played with my cousins over Christmas. But between Web development and D&D, pretty much all of my "normal" friends and family that read my twitter or facebook tell me it sounds like I'm speaking another language. Also, work pr0nfilters wizards.com, so none of that during the day, even though a significant chunk of it looks like xkcd.com/303/ 

Feb 6, 2010 -- 10:09AM, RCanine wrote:

I'm a Web Application Developer / Front-End Engineer for a sports entertainment company you probably all have heard of.

There's only one company that I klnow that says "sports entertainment."  That's the WWE.  And I know that because pro wrestling has been part of my geek credentials since I was 5 years old.

Beyond being the local "D&D Guy" for a couple local stores, I have been a restaurant manager for most of my working life.  Not too long ago, the company I worked for - we made burritos as big as your face; you have a couple options - moved my wife and myself to Boston so that I might bring some burrito love to the greater northeast.  Since then, I moved back to Michigan and have assumed general manager and marketing duties for a different restaurant... woot!

While it's true that I got my first degree in the IT field, my favorite set of classes had to be Theatre.  Not to mention it's the only degree I've got that has more than paid for itself (got my first commercial and movie while still in class!). 

... now if only I can convince the powers-that-be to let me add LFR author to my resume.  Aberrations united!

Feb 6, 2010 -- 4:43PM, Dragon9 wrote:

Feb 6, 2010 -- 10:09AM, RCanine wrote:

I'm a Web Application Developer / Front-End Engineer for a sports entertainment company you probably all have heard of.

There's only one company that I klnow that says "sports entertainment."  That's the WWE.  And I know that because pro wrestling has been part of my geek credentials since I was 5 years old.

That's not it. I'll give you a hint though: this is a pretty big week for us.

I am a Full-Time Gamer whose gaming experience is augmented by playing the role of "Mr. Mom" in the greatest game of all called Real Life 

Feb 6, 2010 -- 11:02PM, RCanine wrote:

Feb 6, 2010 -- 4:43PM, Dragon9 wrote:

Feb 6, 2010 -- 10:09AM, RCanine wrote:

I'm a Web Application Developer / Front-End Engineer for a sports entertainment company you probably all have heard of.

There's only one company that I klnow that says "sports entertainment."  That's the WWE.  And I know that because pro wrestling has been part of my geek credentials since I was 5 years old.

That's not it. I'll give you a hint though: this is a pretty big week for us.

Live in Connecticut, by chance?

Go Duke...

I'm a 40yr old Science teacher in a prestigious private school here in Sydney. I have a Degree in Biology and and a Masters in Education. I am involved in a number of programs with education, such as Tournament of Minds, liaising with University school programs and patron for one of school "houses" (a little like the ones found at Hogwart's for the uninitiated).

I'm married to a current non-gamer (she has played in the past) who happens to be a craft-olic. She also loves literature, sci-fi and fantasy. She still battles to get me to play boardgames. Kids are planned down the track and we both dabble in the property market.

I closet away my gaming habit from most of those I work with, although some of my closer colleagues know I game. I throw elements of gaming into my lessons where I can which appeals to the dramatic leanings of a number my students. My students don't know I game as it doesn't really seem to enter their social mindset although they do know I'm a geek and kind of like it (one got me Star Wars lego last Xmas).

I'm a student full time and I work for a state program where I help Autistic kids with their therapies and other needs.  It's flexible, with one kid I actually get paid to take him to DnD games where we both play which needless to says rocks.  My wife has been playing DnD with me for about a year now also and is about to take on the reigns of dming as well.

Feb 4, 2010 -- 4:32PM, imaginaryfriend wrote:

Hmm so if I now claimed I live in my parents basement and am unemployed, financing my D&D addiction by being a volunteer for medical testing (psychoactive drugs), that would not be believable anymore? Dang.

You are Dutch. The moment you use "basement" and living in one sentence made it somewhat unbelievable (Yeah, I know they do exist, but still...)

I am a software engineer for a large European IT company, although in practice, I have been working almost exclusively for a large Dutch mobilephone company being the incident, problem and changemanager for various software applications involved in getting the bills to the customers. Of course, I probably could also call me a parttime D&D developer considering the time I spend on it and the fact that on occassion I do get a paycheck from Wizards 

My collegues know about my hobby. First of all, I need to tell any secondary income to my boss (to make sure there is no conflict of interest) and secondly, traveling to the States at least twice per year does tend to draw some attention. Most are curious about the game and a few have been poking me to run a trial sesssion sometime during work hours as the next team trip. Note that with the proper wording it can also look great at a resume, after all, I am managing small groups of people as a DM, I am heavily involved with people all over the globe and in my case I edit English texts (although admittedly not perfectly). D&D also does not have the same bad reputation here as it apparently has in the States. Most people don't fully understand what it is, which is something that gives you something to talk about at a job interview and which sets you apart from the rest (just make sure you do in a positive manner by impressing the useful skills you use in a game).

I have been a U.S. federal employee for 9 years, married for 5 years (no kids), living in a home with my wife (ie: mortgage) for 4 years, and most of the people I game with do not meet the original poster's stated 'clique' of the media-presented RPG gamer, except for perhaps the younger players new to the game.

As was mentioned earlier, the people who respond to this will probably not be confirming the stereotype.  However, I have been playing, DMing, and organizing events and conventions for RPGA for quite a while (back to the Living City days), and think this is more of the rule rather than the exception.  As gamers get older, the odds that they have 'moved on' in their lives will have increased.

Not to say I don't know a gamer here or there that has that stereotype.  I just think they are few and far between...which could possibly be said for many hobbies with large, varied memberships.

Hi, frequently Unemployed Machinist, here. Yes, I have made lots of metal dice.

D&D for a long time. I have also seen other gamers across the career board. IT/Software guys seem common though for some reason!

Feb 9, 2010 -- 7:36PM, Anthraxus wrote:

IT/Software guys seem common though for some reason!

That's because we're geeks by trade. 

This thread makes me feel a bit guilty. I'm a doctor, (GP - even on the national executive medical committee) but I'm not good at telling people I play D&D.

Been playing over thirty years, no question that D&D helped make me LESS geeky, and what I've learnt in handling small groups as a DM has helped a lot when chairing meetings.

Not sure it's helped that much in medicine directly, though the gamer ability to memorize multiple books verbatim has been hellish useful at medical school and continuing education:-)

(Though to stick with the IT stereotype I was a Fortran 77 coder to make money to get through med school.)

I am a contractor for the government teaching computer applications.

Technology Education teacher, 27 years, materials processing lab now, after teaching drafting for 21 years or so. Also have wrked a number of part-time jobs, local retail, golf courses and now Dick's Sporting Goods. Married 20 years this June, 2 step-kids, one grand-kid.

Gaming since summer of '80, played since 1E. Started RPGA in late 2000 or so with LG. Greyhawk is my world of choice. Former LG Keoland Triad who did interactives, special missions, conventio support and eventually plots and scenarios as well. Now Cormyr Event Manager. Also organizer for Regulator Con in Gettysburg, PA.

Oh, and I make a mean lasagna.

Dave Guerrieri

I am posting some of our local play circle:

University Professor
Project Manager at a University
Security Guard
QA for a Software Developer
Fast food
Unemployed x4 
 

Mar 2, 2010 -- 11:40PM, Mind_Flayer_Monk wrote:

Unemployed x4 
 

Several in our circle have that occupation as well...

Let me see

38
Married for 8 1/2 years (non-gamer - like Teos said - helps keep me grounded)
Two kids (girl 6 going on 16 and 2 year old boy multiclassed into demonspawn)
One cat (psycho on speed)
2 1/2 decades of gaming (ya that's depressing)
Own my own home (and one rocking den/gaming room)
Technologies and Accounting for a departement at Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Currently back in school (and man most 18 year olds are dumb - I don't miss being that dumb and not realizing it)
Owner of Baldman Games (www.baldmangames.com)

Joined RPGA in 2000, LG Veluna Triad 2000, LG Circle of Six 2001, and since 2004 to present - RPGA Senior GM for Origins and Gencon and Senior GM/Coordinator of D&D Experience.

I guess since my name is in some books and I've written a crap ton of adventures (some well loved and hated all at the same time) I get to be a designer/developer as well. Cool another hat.

Some at my work know what I do on the side but most just don't get it (even at 38 I'm just about the youngest in my department - lots of  grandma's here).

My hobby has grown into a business and has sent me all around the world. I cannot complain about my life even if I tried.

Dave C
Bald wearer of many hats

Mar 2, 2010 -- 11:40PM, Mind_Flayer_Monk wrote:

Unemployed x4 
 

I love unenjoyment.

Feb 9, 2010 -- 7:53PM, Dragon9 wrote:

Feb 9, 2010 -- 7:36PM, Anthraxus wrote:

IT/Software guys seem common though for some reason!

That's because we're geeks by trade. 

Well I guess I am not part of the new norm either.

Just about 39.
Father of a newborn daughter(3 months this week.)
Married late, only 4 years - non-gamer but I am trying to change that.
Gamer since 1st Edition and lucky to live in Indiana for travel to Gencon and Winter Fantasy (DDXP).
Investment Manager/Advisor for closer to 2 decades than 1.  (Lucky enough to be in a group confortable to discuss the taboos:  religion, politics, and sex on a daily basis.)
Rock climbing instructor (how I met my wife.)
Mortgage owner.
Active volunteer.
No pets, unless you count me feeding squirrels in my tree.
Travel goal to see every current, past, and future 7 wonders of the world. (Seen 6 so far.)

Mar 8, 2010 -- 2:04PM, LOE_Frey wrote:

No pets, unless you count me feeding squirrels in my tree.

Do you feed them like this?

Mar 8, 2010 -- 9:19PM, Dragon9 wrote:

Do you feed them like this?

Doesn't everybody?