This thread about Middle Eastern / Islamic mythological setting made me think - how many Arabian RPG players do we have around here? Do you know any such players IRL or otherwise? Are there any differences between American/European and Arabian playstyles and sessions?

(also, despite knowing only a few words in Arabic, I would love to have Arabian D&D character sheet... yet my google-fu failed me)

Quote from: Innsmouther;840708This thread about Middle Eastern / Islamic mythological setting made me think - how many Arabian RPG players do we have around here? Do you know any such players IRL or otherwise? Are there any differences between American/European and Arabian playstyles and sessions?

(also, despite knowing only a few words in Arabic, I would love to have Arabian D&D character sheet... yet my google-fu failed me)

I don't know of any tabletop role-playing in Arabic countries.

I know of tabletop RPGs in North and South America, western and eastern Europe, Korea, Japan, and Australia.  They seem mostly absent from most of Africa, the Middle East, China, India, and southeast Asia, however.

I've heard of a bit of larping in Syria and Palestine, but nothing about tabletop RPGs.

There are 11 "Arabian gamers." I counted them. Had to take off a sock but I managed it.

Googled bout Dubai has at ease one game store as you would expect with Ex-pats - http://www.wizardsofthegulfcoast.com/shops/  

I expect you have small groups in the places with large expat communities which a core of expats with some locals picking it up (which isn't dissimilar to here in Singapore).

Muscat, Dubai, etc

Old thread here shows a player having bugger all luck getting somethign going in Cairo

http://community.wizards.com/content/forum-topic/3113476

FYI Arabian (n.) is a horse or (adj.) refers to a peninsula or 1001 nights. Arab is a person whose language, culture, or descent is Arabic.

Well given there's death metal and black metal bands from the peninsula now, I would be surprised if there is not. That and video games were beloved even during their infancy years while I was ex-pat there. But who knows how much is allowed to seep through from cultural norms. Parental expectations of 'mature' and 'productive' and 'normal' hobbies is likely as hostile to most gaming there as everywhere else.

Around 30 of my 370 RPG subscribers are arabic. Most of them are doing computer RPGs.

The only middle eastern gamers I ever knew of in like three decades of gaming were all Israeli Jews.

Outside of Israel, I am doubtful there is a possibility of a Middle Eastern gaming culture (other than ex-pats).

I don't pretend to know jack shiznack about Chinese and Indian youth culture in their middle class, but based only on the rapid increase of their spending power and purchase of non-essentials and "luxury goods" in the past decade, it would seem to me that China and India would be great targets for RPGs.

From a media consumption perspective, we know China's teens devour scifi & fantasy, so I am surprised we haven't heard about Hong Kong and Beijing gamers.

Anybody have real knowledge?

Quote from: Spinachcat;841520.

From a media consumption perspective, we know China's teens devour scifi & fantasy, so I am surprised we haven't heard about Hong Kong and Beijing gamers.

Anybody have real knowledge?

I have been told by people in China that they have table top RPGs there. Language issues could have created some confusion though so I can't say for sure. There is definitely a huge level of interest in online RPGs.

Quote from: Spinachcat;841520Outside of Israel, I am doubtful there is a possibility of a Middle Eastern gaming culture (other than ex-pats).

I don't pretend to know jack shiznack about Chinese and Indian youth culture in their middle class, but based only on the rapid increase of their spending power and purchase of non-essentials and "luxury goods" in the past decade, it would seem to me that China and India would be great targets for RPGs.

From a media consumption perspective, we know China's teens devour scifi & fantasy, so I am surprised we haven't heard about Hong Kong and Beijing gamers.

Anybody have real knowledge?

Singapore = Afluent 1st world city, 75% Chinese, 15% Malay, 10% India + expats (actually about 30% of toal population if you include Fillipino and Indians). English first language for everyone under 30.
I had to start my own RPG group to find one.
Meetup has a handful of groups.
Of my group mostly Chinese but the difference for people here is negligable.
3 game stors in town all mostly board and minis games (more money in it I guess). Had to order my 5e books from the US via Amazon. But one of my guys got one of the handful of PHBs that one of the locals stores had in stock.
Magic is more popular with a few venues so you would think the base is there.
You also have cafes where you and your mates can rent a boardgame from Monopoly to Settlers to Battlestar Galactica
Computer games are huge. You have Malls where you might have a dozen venues to play computer games on high spec kit over fat pipes (all dark and grungy) - interestingly these tend to co locate with KTV bars (kareoke + hookers) also dark and grungy.

There is a chinese market just the numbers alone woudl guarentee it but .....

Quote from: jibbajibba;841557Singapore = Afluent 1st world city, 75% Chinese, 15% Malay, 10% India + expats (actually about 30% of toal population if you include Fillipino and Indians).

Where do you count the Indonesian workers?

Quote from: Bren;841568Where do you count the Indonesian workers?

Indonesian workers don't make up a very large group(out of 1.3 Million foreigner you have 300K Filipino maids, 500K Indian manual workers and the majority of the rest are Westerners and their dependents)  and typically , owing to cultural and linguistic similarities integrate into local blue collar Malay populations.

But going back to the OP I doubt Indonesians have a lot of interest in RPGs which is a shame as they are the 5th most populous country in the world..

Quote from: jibbajibba;841590Indonesian workers don't make up a very large group(out of 1.3 Million foreigner you have 300K Filipino maids, 500K Indian manual workers and the majority of the rest are Westerners and their dependents)  and typically , owing to cultural and linguistic similarities integrate into local blue collar Malay populations.

Looked up the data later. I was surprised that it was only 200K. And as you say, Malays and Indonesians aren't easy to distinguish at a glance.