RPG Research Blog

Now Adding RPG-related Research Documents Daily
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 09:37 AMNow that the 2,000+ blog postings are finished being copied over from the old site, I am now moving the hundreds of various research articles, abstracts, etc...

Where Did RPG Dice Come From?
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 09:41 AMA brief video summary from Grognard Games about the various dice used in RPG...

Role-playing history game gets students jazzed
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 09:52 AMArchived from the USA Today site in case it disappears - USA TODAY visits a class at Barnard College "Reacting to the Past" - Robert Deutsch and Jason Allen.

How “Dungeons & Dragons” saved my autistic son
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 26, 2015 05:40 PM" D&D has always appealed to introverts with rich inner lives. For my boy, it was a lifeline to the outside world. Delani Bartlette, The Good Men Project" Article from Salon.com archived here in case it disappears...

RPG Research Gamers Survey Phase 2 - This Time At WorldCon 2015
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 27, 2020 03:58 PMNow that the 73rd WorldCon / Sasquan is over, the data entry from phase 2 of the surveys of gaming / gamers begins. This project originally began in 2013...

8 foot RPG Research WorldCon Poster At Printers
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:01 AMAmong other activities, I am speaking on 3 panels, and have a poster presentation on "Super Science Saturday" at WorldCon 73 (Sasquan), August 19-23 in Spokane, Washington. For the poster, I have delivered the file to the printers to create an 8 foot by 4 foot poster summarizing my 10+ years (so far) of work on the RPG Research Project...

My 5th Edition Books Stolen
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:05 AMMost of my 5th edition books were stolen last night. 3x player handbooks, 1-2x DMGs, 1x Monster Manual.

Still moving over 2,000 blog postings to new site
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:15 AMAs some of you are aware, the server was completely replaced some weeks ago, after months of preparation. I am still moving the content from the old server to the new one.

Firefly RPG
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:22 AMI ran the Serenity RPG for a while years ago, and we all enjoyed it very much. I was saddened when it they did not renew the license and make more content. Fast-forward a few years, and they produced the Firefly role-playing game. I recently finished running a group through it, and here are my thoughts overall about the differences...

Help Fund Gaming at WorldCon & Future Spokane Area Events
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:27 AMThe 73rd Annual WorldCon Science Fiction convention (aka Sasquan) has a separate gaming portion. The organizer John Welker has a fundraiser to help make the gaming experience at WorldCon the best possible. Please hurry and donate so he can cover the costs of special guests and events!

RPG Research & Hawke Robinson at WorldCon
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:33 AMTwo different groups requested my participation in WorldCon 73 (Sasquan) so as per request here is my short bio and schedule from August 19th to 23rd. I hope to see many of you there.

Hawke's Gaming Areas, Materials, & Collections, for Tabletop, Live-action, and Computer-based RPG
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 30, 2020 10:56 AMHere are photos of my primary gaming room at my house. I also have secondary, tertiary, and quarternary game rooms in the house, plus several at the office. Feel free to post links to your game room photos in the comments.

The Wheelchair Friendly RPG Trailer
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:30 AMI already regularly run (for free) non-modified role-playing games that include players with Autism Spectrum, Cerebral Palsy, and at-risk youth in the Spokane area. I would like to be able to provide these games to a much broader geographic area, including rural areas, and groups that do not have their own facilities. The Role-playing Gaming trailer will make it possible to provide these sessions to many more people over a much wider area and populace.

Submitting Phase 2 Survey on Gender Experiences in RPG
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:36 AMSubmitting to the Washington State University (WSU) Institutional Review Board (IRB) the survey for phase 2 on Survey of Gender Experiences in the Gaming Community and/or Industry this week.

RPG Research Trailer Flyer
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:40 AMA PDF of a flyer for the Role-Playing Gaming Research Project Trailer is now available for those wishing to help spread the word for this gofundme.com/rpgtrailer campaign. Many thanks to those that support the goal that this trailer will help make it possible to provide tabletop and live-action (LARP) role-playing gaming to under-served locations and populations.

RPG Research Poster Abstract for WorldCon
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:43 AMSaturday August 22nd, 2015 will be "Super Science Saturday" at WorldCon / Sasquan. I have been asked to present a (4' wide) poster for one of the events. Here is the abstract they have accepted from me...

RPG Research Project Status Update
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:46 AMHere is a video status update for June 25th, 2015 on the RPG Research Project.

Two Bards Podcast Mentions RPG Research Trailer
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:49 AMTwo Bards Podcast Episode #101 mentions RPG Research and the RPG Research Trailer...

SERVERS OVERHAUL CURRENTLY UNDERWAY - PLEASE CHECK BACK IN 24-72 HOURS - THANK YOU
— by admin — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:54 AMThis site is undergoing a complete overhaul. Please check back in 24-72 hours. Thank you for your patience. RPG (Role-Playing Game) Research is an ongoing long-term series of projects that include studies on the therapeutic and educational aspects of role-playing games, with additional emphasis on determining any causality related to participation in role-playing gaming. This research includes tracking any other projects around the world that use role-playing games as educational or therapeutic intervention modalities.

The RPG Research Trailer Updated Information
— by admin — last modified Nov 07, 2020 07:59 AMThis was too long to post in full on some sites such as GeekAndSundry.com, so I have the full-length version here to be linked to.

List of Created Autism Spectrum Program Plans Utilizing Role-playing Games as Intervention Modalities From a Therapeutic Recreation Approach
— by admin — last modified Mar 30, 2018 10:45 AMSo far I have completed 3 different program plans specifically designed for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) toddlers, youth, & adults, and are likely applicable to the broader range of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD).

Study on Gender Bias in Gaming Community and Industry - Some Early High-level Initial Information
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 02:28 PMWhile not ready to release a comprehensive report, there are some numbers that are pretty straight forward and should be of interest to many. This is a self-report questionnaire on experiences and perceptions of gender bias in the gaming community and industry.

Help Make The RPG Research Trailer a Reality?
— by admin — last modified Nov 07, 2020 08:02 AMI am trying to increase the geographic ability to provide RPG sessions for many populations around the North America. This will also later help improve the reach of research efforts, and then after that provide actual therapeutic programs using RPG in all forms to help with development and healing. The studies are the on therapeutic & educational effects of role-playing gaming (tabletop, live-action, & computer-based). Hoping folks see the benefit of helping to make this portable RPG research facility a reality. I know this is a reach, but thought it important enough to at least see if it can be made a reality. If not something you feel you could help with, please consider letting others know. Thank you for your time and consideration! - http://www.gofundme.com/rpgtrailer

Yet Another Example of Inculcated Stigma Regarding Role-Playing Gamers
— by admin — last modified Sep 29, 2016 09:48 AMYet another anecdotal example of RPG related stigma: I was getting a haircut yesterday at a chain in Spokane, Washington. The female stylist was about to speak, paused and then looked over at her co-worker, saying hesitantly "I love playing role-playing games like D&D"...

RPG as Therapy Presentation - Seattle Childrens Hospital WSTRA Con 16
— by admin — last modified Nov 07, 2020 08:09 AM90 minute video of the presentation "The Therapeutic and Educational Uses of Role-Playing Games (RPG) as Intervention Modalities for Individuals and Groups from the Therapeutic Recreation Perspective" at Seattle Children's Hospital for the Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association (WSTRA) 16th annual conference. The live version of this presentation was certified for Continuing Education Units (CEU's) by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA). This the sound fixed, and includes the slideshow added to the video to be easier to read. Closed captions coming soon too.

A Vision of the RPG Research Trailer
— by admin — last modified Aug 02, 2015 01:18 PMI have been mulling over an idea for about half a year now. And it solves a lot of logistics issues in trying to further the research on the effects of role-playing games. An RPG Trailer as a portable facility/office...

Let WorldCon 2015 Know if you Want RPG Therapy Panel
— by admin — last modified Nov 07, 2020 10:55 PMLet them know if you too would like to see a panel on the therapeutic effects/uses of role-playing games at the 2015 WorldCon in Spokane!

Avedon's Interaction Patterns Analysis RPG Summary Page
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 02:36 PMI have found Avedon's Interaction analysis very useful in explaining and developing role-playing games for various intervention goals. I created a "cheat sheet" that summarizes many pages of the concepts into one page, with specific notes for all forms of RPG.
Book announcement - Virtual Worlds for Online Learning: Cases and Applications
— by admin — last modified Jun 21, 2015 06:22 AMI have not had a chance to review this book (I hope to do so after Tolkien Moot is over, too much on my plate right now). Since this is somewhat related, I was asked by Mark Lee to spread the word to others, so here is the press release he submitted about this book. -- Announcing the publication of the following title (now available for pre-order): ---

Summary List of RPG Research Activities of Note
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Sep 10, 2017 12:32 PMHere is a shortened list of just a few key activities I am involved with related to RPG Research...

Enhanced Video - RPG as Therapy Presentation - Seattle Childrens Hospital WSTRA Con 16
— by admin — last modified Oct 15, 2015 02:58 PMHere is the improved and enhanced audio/video of the presentation "The Therapeutic and Educational Uses of Role-Playing Games (RPG) as Intervention Modalities for Individuals and Groups from the Therapeutic Recreation Perspective" at Seattle Children's Hospital for the Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association (WSTRA) 16th annual conference. The live version of this presentation was certified for Continuing Education Units (CEU's) by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA). This the sound fixed, and includes the slideshow added to the video to be easier to read. Closed captions coming soon too.

RPG Gender Bias Research Stage 2 - Status Update
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Feb 02, 2018 02:41 PMJust a quick update to let folks know where I am at on this project....

Raw Video Now Available - at Seattle Childrens Hospital RPG as Therapy WSTRA Con 16
— by admin — last modified Jun 21, 2015 06:30 AMThe raw unedited video of my presentation "The Therapeutic and Educational Uses of Role-Playing Games (RPG) as Intervention Modalities for Individuals and Groups from the Therapeutic Recreation Perspective" at Seattle Children's Hospital for the Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association (WSTRA) 16th annual conference. The live version of this presentation was certified for Continuing Education Units (CEU's) by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA).

A quick summary of my gaming groups & activities.
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 02:36 PMI have a few things going on related to RPG, here is a quick summary of the RPG groups I'm in, and some key events...

The Benefits of Role-Playing Games, and How to Get Started
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 02:35 PMRole-Playing games promote a number of positive social aspects, as this LifeHacker article points out. It also shows you how to get started!

D&D 5th Edition - Hawke's House Rules
— by admin — last modified Jun 21, 2015 07:07 AMFolks have been asking me repeatedly about how to "fix" D&D 5e to tone it down a bit for their campaigns, especially for long-term campaigns, so I have posted my 5 house rules that so far, since last summer, (4 groups using them now) have helped considerably.

Utilizing Role-Playing Games In Social Skills Assessment and Intervention
— by admin — last modified Jun 15, 2016 01:13 PMA presentation put together by Dr. James D. Persinger, PhD., of Emporia Statue University in 2003 provides a summary of the history of Role-Playing in therapy, as well as some basic history of RPGs, and numerous tips in implementing RPG-based therapy in a scholastic setting.

Raw Data from Research on Gender Bias in Gaming Community and Industry
— by admin — last modified Jun 25, 2015 03:09 PMSince it is taking too long to get around to the formal analysis and paper write-up, I am posting much of the raw data here (without the comments for now), without much in the way of analysis. At some point I hope to provide a more formal document, but hopefully the numbers speak well for themselves and will be helpful for those interested in the topic. This is not the complete data set, but the more significant aspects from the very large total data.
Possible to Develop "Road Rage" Treatment Through RPG?
— by admin — last modified Jun 21, 2015 07:20 AMIs it possible to develop an RPG-based program to help modify aggressive/raging drivers' cognitions and behaviors to be safer on the road?

RPG Research Speaking at ZoeCon II - Video
— by admin — last modified Oct 15, 2015 02:58 PMThe video is now available for Hawke Robinson's RPG Research Project discussion/speech at November's 2014 ZoeCon II. ZoeCon is from Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, creators of The Gamers, The Gamers II: Dorkness Rising, The Gamers III: Hands of Fate, Journey Quest, and many other shows.

Sad News, the Israeli Gaming Store Has Closed.
— by admin — last modified Jun 21, 2015 07:27 AMThe gaming store in Israel, that also was implementing therapeutic role-playing for at-risk and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) teens, sadly is closing its doors.

Presenting at WSTRA Conference - Role-Playing Games as Therapeutic Intervention Modality from Therapeutic Recreation Perspective
— by admin — last modified Jun 21, 2015 07:35 AMI will be presenting at the 16th Annual Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association - WSTRA Conference, Saturday, April 11th.

RPG Therapeutics Presenting at WSTRA 16
— by admin — last modified Nov 07, 2020 11:40 PMFounder of RPG Therapeutics LLC, W. A. Hawkes-Robinson, will be presenting at the 16th Annual Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association - WSTRA Conference, Saturday, April 11th.

Using Role-Playing Games in Recreation Therapy - Therapeutic Recreation Professional Panel Question
— by admin — last modified Aug 22, 2017 04:19 PMWe have a TR professional panel coming to the university shortly, and we had a teamed class assignment to create questions in advance for the panel, with APA citations, research, etc. Each team member had to create 4 questions. One of my questions was regarding the lack of any effort by the TR industry to use RPG in any format as a recreation therapy intervention modality. It will be a few weeks before the panel meets, but here is the question as submitted to the professor tonight....

The Spartan Show Adventurers Guild Broadcasts
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jul 14, 2015 02:14 PMJoin us for The Spartan Show Adventurer's Guild - Hawke Robinson is the DM as we broadcast live tabletop RPG sessions. Includes new sketch artist drawing scenes real-time during the game! Upcoming features include audience ability to influence events and other factors in future games!

RT / TR, RPG Therapy vs. Therapeutic RPG
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Sep 13, 2018 04:25 PMI was attending the Professional Issues in Therapeutic Recreation course today, we were going over a chapter regarding the history of Recreation Therapy and Therapeutic Recreation, and the ever-recurring battle over TR vs. RT. This triggered some thoughts regarding the use of a role-playing game (RPG) as a therapeutic intervention modality, namely "Role-playing game Therapy" versus "Therapeutic Role-playing gaming"...

Traumatic Brain Injury department volunteer - RPG & Music
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 22, 2015 02:31 PMJust a quick update, As of November 2014 I began volunteering weekly at Saint Luke's Rehabilitation (Spokane, Washington, USA) in their Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) departments (among others).

Upcoming Video - Introduction Talk About RPG Research Around The World - ZoeCon 2014
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 21, 2015 02:25 PMI had a chance to briefly speak, at a high-level introductory level about the current status around the world regarding the use of role-playing games (tabletop, live-action (LARP), or computer-based) to achieve therapeutic and/or educational goals. The video will be available soon.

Please contact me regarding your RPG projects for therapy or education
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 21, 2015 02:28 PMI have spoken with many of you in recent years about your efforts to use role-playing games for achieving educational and therapeutic goals. I will be presenting very soon (possibly this weekend) with an update on the world-wide projects related to this topic. If you have a project you would like me to mention to the world, please contact me ASAP to let me know so I can include more up to date information. This includes tabletop, live-action (LARP), and computer-based forms of RPG.

Volunteers Needed for Cooperative Tabletop Recreation (RPG) Participants Intake and Facilitation
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 21, 2015 02:31 PMHelp facilitating cooperative group tabletop recreation on Monday and Wednesday nights. Training begins October 6th, gaming sessions begin October 13th and 15th.

Volunteers Needed - Spokane
— by admin — last modified Nov 13, 2020 07:39 AMHelp facilitating cooperative group tabletop recreation on Monday and Wednesday nights. Training begins October 6th, gaming sessions begin October 13th and 15th.

RPG Program Plan for Public Transit Education, ASD, PDD, & Others
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Mar 30, 2018 10:51 AMThis program is usable for any populations, and professionals in other disciplines, wishing to teach participants to gain competence and confidence in using their local public transit system. This posting is an older prototype posting, there are now more updated versions of this program.

Using Role-Playing Games for Autism Spectrum Participants
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 21, 2015 04:04 PMI just sent to the program head, the latest draft of a recreation therapy-related activity program plan using role-playing gaming to prepare for and utilize the metropolitan Bus system for Autism spectrum participants.

D&D 5 Review Part 1 - Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Review by RPG Research founder Hawke Robinson
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 25, 2015 03:03 PMPart 1 in a series of reviews of the new D&D 5th Edition (previous D&D Next) Players Handbook (PHB). After the terrible 4th edition, how does 5th edition compare? Same, better, or worse?

Using Role-Playing Games for Autism Spectrum Participants
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jul 02, 2015 01:19 PMI just sent to the program head, the latest draft of a recreation therapy-related activity program plan using role-playing gaming to prepare for and utilize the metropolitan Bus system for Autism spectrum participants.

Join Monthly RPG Research Meeting Broadcast
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 21, 2015 04:07 PMThe monthly RPGResearch.com meetings will begin broadcasting through Google Plus Hangout and Youtube.com/rpgresearch, on the first Saturday of each month from 11:00 am to Noon (Pacific Time). Please join in the conversation regarding the therapeutic and educational uses of role-playing gaming in all forms (tabletop, live-action, computer-based, etc.).

Join Monthly RPG Research Meeting Broadcast
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 04:03 AMThe monthly RPGResearch.com meetings will begin broadcasting through Google Plus Hangout and Youtube.com/rpgresearch, on the first Saturday of each month from 11:00 am to Noon (Pacific Time). Please join in the conversation regarding the therapeutic and educational uses of role-playing gaming in all forms (tabletop, live-action, computer-based, etc.).

Abantey the Roleplay Game Short Documentary
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 15, 2015 02:58 PMRPG Research has been linking to Abantey's RPG workshop for years. Recently I stumbled across a short 7 minute documentary on their efforts to use role-playing games for educational and other benefits from a summer camp approach in California. Well worth checking out...

Now Playing D&D Next 5th Edition Starter Set July 2nd 2014 at Local Hobby Gaming Store...
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 14, 2020 02:42 AMWe're at the local hobby/gaming story, Merlyn's in Spokane, playing the brand new 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons (aka D&D Next).
Various Articles and Discussions on Role-playing Game Stigma
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 14, 2020 02:42 AMSince this has been a fairly lively discussion when I have brought it up on rpg.net and geekandsundry.com forum, I thought I'd perform a brief search on current articles and discussions related to role-playing game and gamer social stigma. This is just a quick list for further research and discussion...

Another (Anecdotal) Example Why The Popular Negative Stereotypes About Role-playing Gamers is Important to Address
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 25, 2015 03:34 PMHere is another example of how pervasive the inculcation of misinformation, myths, and negative stereotypes about role-playing gamers has become in the united states. This person believed D&D caused her relative to commit a double homicide (mother and unborn child) in Idaho, "she thought his (in her view) 'addiction to D&D led to his killing them'".

Why The Popular Negative Stereotypes About Role-playing Gamers Are Important to Address
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 14, 2020 02:46 AMHere is an example of how pervasive the inculcation of misinformation and myths of negative stereotypes about role-playing gamers has become in the united states.

2014 Summer Release Schedule for the New Tabletop D&D 5th Edition - "Free to Play" and Staggered Release (Grumble)
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 14, 2020 09:20 AMWhy is WotC spreading out the release of the Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, and Monster Manual over several months, rather than releasing those core components in the same month??? They are making a free PDF of the Basic set available for download, but the initial download will only be a basic Players Handbook, with no rules to actually run a game. They are planning to emulate the online gaming world's "Free to Play" approach. They will be releasing future free basic versions of the rules via PDF that will include some rules for play, and then also staggering the release of the hardcovers. Internal Correspondence reports the release dates for many of the new D&D products that Wizards of the Coast has announced for the Summer, beginning in July.

Study Playing RPG for 5 Minutes, "Alignment" Impact on Real-world Behaviors (Computer-based RPG)
— by admin — last modified Jun 28, 2020 08:02 AMThough this is a computer-based RPG (Role-Playing Game) study, pending testing with tabletop, it seems possible that it could apply in tabletop RPG, LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing), and maybe even CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) forms of RPG as well? I would be interesting to perform the same style study with the other formats to see if the format changes the results (or not). Received 10/26/13; Revision accepted 12/11/13

RPG Research Status Update, May 17th, 2014
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 07:28 PMHere is a status update on some projects from the past month developing tabletop and live-action role-playing games for use as educational and therapeutic intervention modalities for autism spectrum adults.

First Prototype for the PAVE Group of Tabletop RPG as a Modality for Therapeutic / Educational Intervention
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Oct 13, 2019 12:44 PMThis is an early prototype version. There are newer, more complete and updated, versions created since this article was posted years ago. This is useful for various populations and professionals from other disciplines wishing to teach participants how to find and use civic resources (police, fire department, doctor, hospital, theater, etc.). This program is based on work at Eastern Washington University with oversight by Professor Emily Messina and others. It has been repeated with similar success when used other groups in private practice through non-profit RPG Research and the for-profit RPG Therapeutics LLC since.

RPG Research Status Update
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Sep 10, 2017 12:23 PMA lot has happened over the past several months, and there is actually a backlog developing, so I thought I would take a minutes to organize the backlog, update folks on what has been completed, and look ahead to what is coming down the pipe. If there is anything I forgot to include, please let me know so I can integrate it into this article. Many of the items in the queue might unfortunately be stuck until the summer holiday from university. Consider this also my public TODO list...

LARPing as a Form of Therapy - Panel Hangout Broadcast - Wed. March 26 6:00 pm Pacific
— by admin — last modified Jun 01, 2016 11:09 AMJoin the discussion with the panel regarding the therapeutic uses of role-playing gaming, especially LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing). Featuring Dr. Sarah Bowman, Hawke Robinson, Chris Shell, and Jamie Metzger, hosted by Kristin Brumley. Additional details below...

When Does Role-Playing Gaming Become "Bad" For Participants?
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 22, 2017 04:21 PMWhat do you think is a reasonable baseline for "safe" RPG participation? With different populations, when is there "too much of a good thing"? Do you have any anecdotes, or better yet research data that validates any particular stance? I am slowly building up the background for extensive research on the potential therapeutic uses of role-playing games in various formats (tabletop, live-action, computer-based) for various populations (TBI, PTSD, Autism-spectrum, LD's, etc.), with the assumption that there is potential benefit. But what are the potential risks?

Creating LARP Program for Autism Spectrum Toddlers
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Sep 10, 2017 12:27 PMDue to excessively strict NDA of the organization, I am very limited in what I can post, but letting those following the RPG Research, beginning working with autism-spectrum toddlers today from a recreation therapy approach, and developing an activity program that is LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing) quest-style for this population group, that we will actually implement in the next few weeks.

Creating LARP Program for Autism Spectrum Toddlers
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Mar 30, 2018 10:50 AMDue to excessively strict NDA of the organization, I am very limited in what I can post, but letting those following the RPG Research, beginning working with autism-spectrum toddlers today from a recreation therapy approach, and developing an activity program that is LARP (Live-Action Role-Playing) quest-style for this population group, that we will actually implement in the next few weeks.

Original D&D White Books 2013 Reprint Special Collector's Edition Boxed Set - Unboxing
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 07:54 PMA walk down a path of RPG nostalgia / history, Wizards of the Coast has reprinted the original D&D white book set, and bundled it in a wooden box with dice. Here you will find many photos of the unboxing process with a few comments, and a comparison my ancient original of one of the the Blackmoor supplement...

Original D&D White Book Box Set
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 07:57 PMJust received this reprint of the ultimate in retro / nastalgic role-playing gaming, the Original D&D in a full box set.

Using Therapeutic Role-Playing Gaming to Help in the Treatment of Sexual Abuse Victims
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 27, 2020 02:27 PMA Christian gamers podcast group calling themselves "Saving the Game" recently interviewed a representative of The Bodhana Group regarding A PROPOSAL for using role-playing games for therapeutic treatment of sexually abused children and adolescents, as well as the abusers.

UPDATE: JCAL Special Issue on 'Learning Analytics in Massively Multiuser Games, Virtual Environments and Courses' (clarification of scope and extension of proposal-submission deadline)
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:03 PMDate: Sat Sep 14 14:15:21 2013 - Dear colleagues, Following the posting of the Call for Papers for the abovementioned special issue of the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, several prospective authors have enquired as to what constitutes a 'massive' number of learners for the purposes of the special issue.....

Join the RPG Research Email Discussion List
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:05 PMJoin the RPG Research Email discussion list. Some people find it easier to discuss complex topics via email. We have setup such an option for you if you wish...

Using Role-Playing Games to Treat PTSD at the VA Hospital
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 22, 2017 04:32 PMTimothe Loya served six years as a U.S. Marine, also serving in Iraq, and has proposed using tabletop role-playing games to treat returning veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.

Using Role-playing Games To Assist Recovery of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 13, 2018 05:20 PMOriginally presented as a slide show presentation for Eastern Washington University class "Recreation Therapy for People with Disabilities". This video is a presentation on the hypothetical use of role-playing games to help a patient with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) progress through various recovery stages. This includes Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA), Computer-based RPG, Tabletop, and Live-action role-play (LARP).

Scheduled downtime for all Internet services, Monday, August 26th, 6:00 pm Pacific
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:30 PMCo-location facility is moving my servers from one rackspace to another. This is taking place August 26th, around 6:00 pm (Pacific Time), so all sites and domain emails will be offline during that transition. you can still contact me via the gmail account and my cell of course. Thank you for your patience.

Call for Papers: JCAL Special Issue on 'Learning Analytics in Massively Multiuser Virtual Environments and Courses'
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:32 PMI was asked via email, by Mark Lee of Charles Sturt University, Australia, to spread the word about their call for papers. Please take a look and spread the word to those you think might be interested.

TODO List Backlog
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:34 PMOver the past few months, I've developed a little bit of a backlog on some of the TODO items for RPG Research, here is a short summary of the items I am hoping to catch up over the next few weeks...

RPG Research at Spocon 2013
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:41 PMI will be at Spocon throughout the weekend in Spokane, Washington performing research...

RPG Research at Spocon 2013
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 04:03 AMRepresentatives from RPG Research will be at Spocon throughout the weekend in Spokane, Washington performing research, this August 9th through 11th.

Live from Tolkien Moot IX - Middle-earth Talk Show Episode 50! August 4th at 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 21, 2020 09:23 AMBe sure to join Michael Martinez, Hawke Robinson, and special guest Professor Chris Seeman for the 50th episode of Middle-earth Talk, broadcast live from Tolkien Moot IX, Sunday, August 4th, 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Pacific Time. Live Broadcast of Middle-earth Talk Episode 50 - August 4th at 5:00 pm Pacific Time. Don't miss the 50th episode of Middle-earth Talk, with special guest Professor Chris Seeman, live at Tolkien Moot IX!

Live from TolkienMoot IX - RPG Research First Public Discussion. August 3rd at 1:00 pm Pacific Time.
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:46 PMRPG Research First Public Meeting, August 3rd 1:00 pm (Pacific) - The Role-Playing Gaming Research Project will be having their first public discussion meeting on the therapeutic and educational effects of role-playing games on participants. This will be both in-person, and simulcast live over the Internet from the Tolkien and gaming convention, TolkienMoot IX....

RPG Research First Public Meeting, Saturday August 3rd 1:00 pm (Pacific)
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 04:03 AMWe are going to have our first public discussion meeting discussing the therapeutic and educational effects of role-playing games on participants. This will be both in-person, and simulcast live over the Internet....

RPG Research First Public Meeting, August 3rd 1:00 pm (Pacific)
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:50 PMWe are going to have our first public discussion meeting discussing the therapeutic and educational effects of role-playing games on participants. This will be both in-person, and simulcast live over the Internet via TolkienMoot IX streams.

RPG Gender Bias Research Stage 2 - Status Update
— by admin — last modified Jun 22, 2015 03:12 PMJust a quick update to let folks know where I am at on this project....

RPG Research at Spocon 2013 - Gender-bias Questionnaire, Stage 2
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:53 PMJust received the good news that I will be allowed to perform the gender-bias questionnaire at Spocon this year, August 9-11.

Should We Create Monthly RPG Research Discussion Group Meetings?
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 12, 2015 08:55 PMJust curious if folks would attend (on site and/or online) a monthly community discussion meeting group, if it was formed, discussing the therapeutic and educational aspects of role-playing gaming?

PBS Off Book Documentary on Dungeons & Dragons
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 13, 2015 12:59 AMDungeon's Master commentary on PBS short 7 minute documentary on D&D.

Common (mis?)-conception that role-playing gamers are also avid comic book fans?
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 13, 2015 01:01 AMI recently received a private message on Academia.edu from a member informing me about a comic-book-culture-related topic he thought I would find of interest. Though I've been an avid role-playing gamer since 1979, I was never really hooked by comic books, graphic novels, etc...

Theory of the Role-playing Gamer "Floater"
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Mar 25, 2019 08:48 AMOriginally posted Jun 04, 2013 02:35 PM: I have a new hypothesis as to why the stereotypes about role-playing gamers have become stronger over the decades rather than being disproved over time (as all the research indicates). I call it a hypothesis of the "Role-playing Gamer Floater"...

Theory and Hypothesis of the Role-playing Gamer "Floater"
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 23, 2020 08:43 AMI have a new hypothesis as to why the stereotypes about role-playing gamers have become stronger over the decades rather than being disproved over time (as all the research indicates). I call it a hypothesis of the "Role-playing Gamer Floater"...

First Send of RPG Questionnaire to a Senator and a Representative
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 13, 2015 01:12 AMI just sent the first two government representatives, on my extensive list, a form of the questionnaire about their views regarding role-playing games and gamers. Will see if they respond, and what the responses are like. The first I contacted were Washington state eastern Washington United States Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R), and United States Senator (for Washington) Patty Murray (D).

My best ICT lesson: algorithms and binary meets fantasy scenarios
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jul 12, 2020 08:40 AMInspired by the book Computational Fairy Tales, Chris Leach created a fantasy world for his ICT class to introduce them to computational thinking - Re-posted here for archival purposes, an interesting article on how an information and communication technologies instructor used fantasy settings, that could be tied into role-playing gaming to help explain mathematical and computer science based concepts in ways that might be more accessible to a wider audience....

Opinion - Big Bang Theory episode on Dungeons & Dragons - The Love Spell Potential
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 23, 2020 10:31 AMLast week, the sitcom The Big Bang Theory spent almost an entire episode on Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). This was episode 23 of Season 6, titled "The Love Spell Potential". If you were not a tabletop Role-playing gamer before, did their representation in any way alter your view of tabletop RPG? Did it increase, decrease, or not at all impact your view of role-playing games and gamers? If you are already a tabletop RPGer, how did you feel about the representation on the show? How did you feel about the sexual rules added? The stereotypes?

Results from first day of Questionnaires on Gender Bias at Gamers Haven
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Jun 27, 2020 03:54 PMThis sample was taken at The Gamers' Haven in Spokane Valley, Washington. I will be adding the results to this page as I work out the calculations. Here is some initial data (I will be updating this specific page), I will comment on this page when it is updated....

Just left Gamers Haven - Research Questionnaire on Gender-bias
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Aug 13, 2015 01:33 AMDay 1 for research on the topic of gender bias in the gaming community and gaming culture.

Comments on Pat Robertson's Style of Christian Stigma Against Dungeons & Dragons and Role-playing games
— by Hawke Robinson — last modified Nov 23, 2020 10:57 AMComments on the recent comments by Pat Robertson on the 700 Club regarding his claims about the supposed harm cause by Dungeons & Dragons (completely disproved by 30+ years of research)...
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