[Voidrider]

I like Threshold's point. Socializing has probably been my priority with gaming as far back as I remember...checkers, Monopoly, D&D, Atari 2600, MUDs, MMOs...

Boardgames were a staple for my family and it seemed like it was for everyone else, growing up in a small northern Indiana town. I never considered myself very competitive and, in games with actual "winners," I could care less if I lost, as long as the event was fun. If a game was cooperative, I was even more thrilled. And then came Street Fighter and the endless wave of prehistoric competitive "pwning," *sigh*

I have seen atypical mudders much like I have seen atypical tabletop rpgers, though. One of my best friends growing up was a total athlete and might be considered "lean" in the creativity department. He was, however, *very* competitive and would be damned if anyone would tell him that such RPGs were a waste of time for him. In the long run, he not only developed into a fine roleplayer but he eventually assisted me with a number of self-published RPG projects and learned enough to become a desktop publisher with his own business.

I also had a brother of a friend who proudly declared his tested IQ at 85 (drywall installer by day). Although he might be deemed as lacking creative thought, what he experienced in group tabletop gaming completely fascinated him and spurred his mind. He ended up being one of the most legimately traditional paladins I have ever seen.

In both of these examples, I think it was the social interaction that both kindled and validated the subjects' reason for involvement; the socializing was the true key to the doorway of imagination.