How Old?

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Mar 10, 2008 Posts: 1999

How old do you think is old enough for someone to start playing and really get into duelmasters?

I started when I was 17 but would have definately been playing earlier than that if I would have known about it. I am guessing I got into fantasy/scifi when I was in the 6th grade. My history teacher in 6th grade had D&D after school every day.

My son is 8. But these days with video games and computers he is already playing World of Warcraft and other video games and loving them. He is also an avid straight A student with a 6th grade reading level (in the second grade).

Just curious what others though about how old is old enough? Not for f2f's of course, but to have a team and to get into the understanding of playing?

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:49 pm

I think that if he is old enough to understand the stratagies he should be old enough. You'll never know until you try. If he were interested I wouldn't stop him. I think that all the reading and stratagy thinking will only help develop his thinking power. I wish I had started asking my son earlier. Now that he is in high school and can play against people online, he is not interested in a play-by-mail game. Good luck. I wouldn't push him if he says "I don't know", let it be his idea. But I would plant the seed.

Does he read the fights with you?

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 1316

I'm basing my answer to you upon a sibling relationship...

My brother was exactly 8 years old when he decided he wanted to be like his brother. I went through and got three or four roll-ups and found what I believed to be a great one for him, let him name the warriors and taught him how and why to design based upon what I had learned. With that, his Duelmasters career was born.

Two turns later he bailed on the game even though I was paying for it. It could have been my teaching method or his lack of desire to play a strategy game of any sorts (believe me, there were other attempts at games I loved that he inevitably didn't) but that was the last he ever spoke of Duelmasters.

Tread lightly with it and if he picks it up then wonderful.

Now I do see a D2 dad with his 12 year old son at the F2F screaming from the stands while his son sits in the TC fight seats.... Very Happy

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:18 pm

Age is irrelevant.

Besides, his Dad needs some help. Wink

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:27 pm

My dad started me playing when I was 12 or 13, and that was plenty old enough to get me hooked. He sent me alone to my first FtF about a year later.

I figure in a few years when I'm no longer making the second mortgage payment called "daycare" that it'll be time to start playing again, and to slowly introduce my sons to the game.

Advanced Master Poster Joined: Mar 08, 2004 Posts: 481

I would say that 8 is plenty if he is interested... Mine is 19 days old, and Im thinking about it Very Happy

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 2:10 pm

Well it's an interesting question. Perhaps it's not an issue of age as much as it is of tastes. By the time I started playing at around 17, I had already played another PBM and paper and pencil RPGs for years. If he has shown interest in classic RPGs, likes to read fantasy books, attending the renaissance faire (lol no but you get the point) etc., you may be on to something. But I wouldn't assume that just because he plays WOW or other video games that he'll like a turn-based format, or reading printouts of fights. IMO, these games are far more different than they are alike.

In my 5th grade class there were about 6 of us 10 & 11 year olds who were encouraged to pick up and play D&D during school. We all became avid players, and I'm pretty sure if the teacher had given us Duelmasters as well, we would have played that too. So I think at 8, he could like it. Though I do think it would be easier for him if he had friends to play it with like we did.

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:07 pm

I'm trying to get my 15 and 12 yr. old to start playing. the 15 yr. old is to much into sports, school and girls. Which isn't a bad thing except the seriousness of the girl issue. I might get my 12 yr. old to play and then work on my ten yr. old with my 4 yr. old behind him! I can't really say what age is good. Just as long as they can understand strategies of the game and I believe that will depend on the child.