# Why gamers shouldn't read about this attack **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 16, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012 "2001-09-16T20:17:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/1 "2001-09-16T20:17:04Z")
Every time I see the abbreviation WTC, I see it as Wizards of the Coast – the people who bought Dungeons and Dragons. It takes a real effort to see it as World Trade Center, and it’s pissing me off. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/2 "2001-09-16T20:28:19Z")
No No No! Wizards of the Coast = WotC (pronounced “WOT-cee”) World Trade Center = WTC Actually, I thought there might be some comment here about gamers being amused by the massive property damage & turning it into a joke. Or something. (Hey, this could be a new Cheapass Game! “Skyscraper Smash!” Maybe I can sell this to James Ernest!) Of course, I doubt many gamers would be too torn up over seeing WotC collapse. Stinking trading-card-game money. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/3 "2001-09-16T20:48:48Z")
Amused? Good lord, no. But… I do know for a fact that several GMs have been scrambling to rewrite long term plot lines to remove elements of terrorism from them. My own games are on holds for that very reason. My players want escapism, not reminders of reality. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/4 "2001-09-17T00:37:16Z")
Wish I could find a local D&D group. Been trying. Can’t. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/5 "2001-09-17T00:41:16Z")
Can’t help ya locally, but I know someone about to start an online Forgotten Realms campaign and another that’s running now. If you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/6 "2001-09-17T01:00:48Z")
Ask anyone who plays Counterstrike (not me, actually, but I’ve read this) why gamers shouldn’t reveal too much about their immediate reactions. Counterstrike is a first-person shooter game pitting terrorists against counter-terrorists. Quite a few people have said that one of their first responses to Tuesday was: “Terrorists win.” ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/7 "2001-09-17T09:17:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*Wish I could find a local D&D group. > > Been trying. Can’t. ☹ \*\* But you could try finding a local GURPS group at the [GamerFinder](http://www.sjgames.com/gamerfinder/) ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/8 "2001-09-17T09:55:07Z")
Hey **Bosda** , have you tried [Access Denied](http://www.accessdenied.net)? I tried a search for you there for your state (just to make sure that I wasn’t sending you to a place that would have no info) and got 99 hits for gamers in your state, 2 for your town. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/9 "2001-09-17T10:36:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TheNerd \* > \*\*Ask anyone who plays Counterstrike (not me, actually, but I’ve read this) why gamers shouldn’t reveal too much about their immediate reactions. > > Counterstrike is a first-person shooter game pitting terrorists against counter-terrorists. > > Quite a few people have said that one of their first responses to Tuesday was: “Terrorists win.” \*\* This is true. In fact, I can still hear that damned radio-distorted voice saying “Terrorists Win” every time I see video of the plane crashing into the WTC. However, I’m anticipating the day when I hear the voice say “Counter-Terrorists Win”… oooh, that’ll be great. As an aside… I must say that, in Counterstrike, it’s never been more satisfying to by a CT. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/10 "2001-09-17T16:02:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by foolsguinea \* > (Hey, this could be a new Cheapass Game! “Skyscraper Smash!” Maybe I can sell this to James Ernest!) Well, it certainly gives a new perspective to “Devil Bunny Needs a Ham”, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/11 "2001-09-17T23:30:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gravity \* > \*\*Hey **Bosda** , have you tried [Access Denied](http://www.accessdenied.net)? > I tried a search for you there for your state (just to make sure that I wasn’t sending you to a place that would have no info) and got 99 hits for gamers in your state, 2 for your town. \*\* One is for Murfreesboro Arkansas. ☹ The other was posted in 99. Probably no good. ☹ Thanks for trying, though. ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/12 "2001-09-17T23:48:08Z")
I’m really disturbed. I’m one of those DMs that’s taking some time off from the game so I can regroup. The whole long-term focus of my campaign has been the start of a war, preceeded by some massive, world-changing explosions. I hadn’t thought about it last night, when we started to play, but I realized about an hour into the game that… My main recurring villain, a big part of the game for weeks now, is a mage who looks Arabic, and wears a turban and a goatee. To be fair, one of the powerful good NPCs fits that description as well, but still… I’ve got my characters in the middle of a large, peaceful kingdom that is coming face-to-face with the fact that they need to go to war. I’m leading up to the players’ involvement in large military actions… which didn’t disturb me until I looked around at all my players… healthy, draft-age guys. I’m not sure what I’m going to do. It’s taken me two years to get the game to this point. I’m at a loss. ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/13 "2001-09-18T00:06:52Z")
Have they seen the main badguy? No? Then change him. Yes? Then perhaps he is in disguise( If a spy ) or merely a puppet of someone larger. As for the main plot, that is a standard plot and I don’t think you need to worry too much. ---
**Author:** ![Verrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/46a35a/32.png) [@Verrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Verrain)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-gamers-shouldnt-read-about-this-attack/82012/14 "2001-09-18T01:27:03Z")
**Mr. Visible** Ask yourself what every gamemaster should ask, are your players having fun? Some might find to close to reality and want to do something else. So you might have to alter your plans, or even put the game on hold for a bit and play something lighter for a bit. On the other hand, I can see some gamers seeing the parallels and enjoy the opportunity to go kick the bad guys ass or avert the war, or otherwise be the one with the power to solve things. There is no cut and dry answer. Just see how your players are doing when next you game and go from there.