Dungeons and Dragons (Yes, I'm a nerd! So what?)
I find it funny when people accuse of me being such an "otaku" (Japanese for nerd who is overly interested in overly nerdy subjects, or one is obsessive) for loving Dungeons and Dragons. While I thoroughly enjoy role playing around the table with dice and a board, I've had very few opportunities in life to play traditional D&D games. This is normally because I do not enjoy the company of those who typically enjoy playing D&D. I've found that most people I've met in person (not online) who are into D&D are single men who are anti-religion, enjoy junk food too much, lack social skills, and are too worried about the rules and power in game that they suck the fun and creativity out of the game. D&D doesn't have a bad rap because of what it is, but because of the people who tend to play it. People who might really enjoy it tend to avoid it, because of the people who tend to play it.
So why exactly does D&D tend to attract such unenjoyable people? Because it encourages people to live in their own little anti-social worlds, and it encourages them to make imaginary friends to replace the need for real-life interactions.
There, I said it. It can create anti-social behavior and worsen psychological problems. Though these are not concerns for me personally, I've met way too many people who need to take a break from D&D and get help.
So considering all this, why in the world am I such a fan? Well, let me ask you this: Do you enjoy epic movie series or books, such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Underworld, or something else? If so, then I'm willing to bet you've always had some little secret wish that you could be one of the characters in that story, simply because it would be a lot of fun and would allow you to the freedom to live differently than you are now. You probably also love the detailed, immersive world of the story. You can spend hours thinking about the complexities of the world, from the cultures, the choices people in the world have to make and deal with due to the situations they live in, the problems or wonders of the terrain that the story takes place in, and more. You find yourself spending time in that world, simply by thinking about it so deeply and so creatively. And it's fun!
D&D allows you to go beyond just thinking about these epic, realistic worlds that we come to love through other mediums of story telling. It allows you to actually live in the world. You make choices that you would only have to make in that world.
I'm sure this isn't appealing to you a lot of you, and that's fine. It's very appealing to me, as one who loves to create. I love to write and draw stories, and creating characters and putting them in situations that make them grow is my favorite. D&D allows me to cut to the good stuff: it provides the rules, details, and the world, so I don't have to get caught up in all that. I can cut right to the part where I get to create a character and enjoy making the character grow.
While it's possible to play some D&D games alone... it's not as fun, and not as interesting. It's also too expensive of a hobby to do alone. I much prefer getting to enjoy the game with others, because we all get to pool our creativity together and have a good time using our imaginations (within limits.)
So while my love of D&D is really no more than just a sincere appreciation due to inability to find others worth playing it with, I turned to the D&D video games. Baldur's Gate I & II are easily my two most favorite games every made, and they go deep into the D&D world. The story telling is incredible, the character development is satisfying, and the "character alignment" system keeps even the dull parts of the story interesting. The combat can get extremely difficult, to the point of not wanting to bother with it anymore. It satisfies a gamer who loves the challenge of completing a difficult game, but it just annoys gamers like me who are playing for the experience and the story.
I'm looking forward to getting into the other D&D games, though I know some of them are pretty bad (duds.) I might skip those ones.
In conclusion, I have yet to find any other medium that allows a person to be so incredibly creative in a social setting other than music, but I find music very difficult and it's never been nearly as effective as a creative outlet for me as writing stories. It's a game, it's a story, it's character building, and it's social. To me, these are among the best ways to spend free time. So before you think negatively of D&D again, consider what it actually is. You might find you appreciate it, even if you're like me and dislike the type of crowd it tends to draw.
But there you have it, that is my defense of D&D.