I know the thread title may come off as flamebait but this is a legitimate question. Through my experience in MMOs i've had the pleasure of having met some players who had used gaming as a way to help them overcome physical impairments. Personally, i believe very strongly that anyone's irl circumstances are not something other players should be concerned with (and i do appreciate the trust of those who decided to share their experiences with me) but the issue of players with cognitive challenges may be regarded as different since it can certainly impact their gameplay and the way they socialize with others.

An uncle of mine has Down Syndrome and while i certainly doubt MMOs would appeal to him, his main passion is music and he's been collecting LPs for close to 40 years now, i know he can certainly handle himself on an FPS. This made me curious as to wether there may be some players with similar capacities involved in our comunity or if you think that this would be a good idea in the first place. I know such a player would probably require a small support network of family and friends to be involved, as well as some degree of supervision, specially given the somewhat adictive nature of these game. But it could also mean a wonderful posibility (as it is for us all) to have fun, make friends and keep close conections to people over geographical distance.

I don't see certain roles or games as posing an unsurmountable challenge (not saying which as i don't mean to offend) and i'm sure an understanding and mature guild could certainly benefit from said player. On the other hand i do understand that dealing with certain aspects of online comunities can be trying, and that other players are not required to understand or acomodate what may be seen as special needs. What are your thoughts on this? Do you know of anyone (no names please) that is actually doing this? Would you have a problem squading with them?

I'm sure there are more than you know playing.

Ben X

Well, firstly, my parents have some friends whose son also suffer from Down's Syndrome. he knows perfectly well how to command a pay-per-view film and enjoy his PSP very much. You can have some nice discussions with him about gaming (when he is in the momod).

Secondly, I remember on some thread about young children playing WoW. Someone said it was stupid, because a kid wouldn't have fun there, or wouldn't even know what to do. Some other poster replied something like that: my 5-year-old brother farm for me a lots, he knows where to go, which creatures to attack, which loot to keep or not, and he has fun doing this. So someone who is not fully "mature" or has not fully developed his cognitive abilities can play and enjoy a MMO.

And actually, I don't think I would have much problem. The relation I mention who has Down's Syndrome can have sudden mood swings at times and would just leave a conversation suddenly; I guess he could do the same in-game, and yes that would piss me off. But then, there are also "normal" people who act like that, and I would get pissed at them too! Actually, I would get even more pissed at them, since they don't have the excuse of a special condition.

First off, no offense to anyone that has a disability.

Think about it though.  If someone told you that they had Down's Syndrome or mood swings or something and might leave unannounced during the middle of a raid, what would you do?  You know what you would do, you would boot him/her right then and there no questions asked.

 I found out the hard way my guild leaders child was down syndrome.  They were arguing with some in game rival and I told the people they were arguing with they rode the short bus to school trying to stick up for my guildmates.  It surprised me when the guild leader and wife suddenly turned on me.   They'd later explain and I apologized.  However when you actually look at the numbers 1 in every 500 can be down syndrome, and 1 in 100 is autistic. 

Personally I have no qualms about it... I personally knew people without disabilities who were unreliable when gaming... so it's not disabilities that seem to dictate whether or not a person can play a "game" well or not.

Thank you all for your answers so far, i apreciate the perspective. Yes, it's true some people with Down syndrome may be subject to mood swings, and it's certainly probable that situations may arise that could prove stressing in a game, think we've all been there. On the other hand i know from experiece Down people are certainly capable of concentrating on an activity for long periods of time. From what i know many lead succesfully independent lives. Someone who can handle a job, groceries, cooking, laundry etc. seems to me may be able to cope with the challenges of an MMO, although on the other hand it probably comes down to the individual and a genuine interest to become a part of it. The point about reliability is an interesting one as i've also met people online who were unable to prove themselves capable. I guess in the end we all have to earn the trust of the people we play with.

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Originally posted by Bagguns
First off, no offense to anyone that has a disability.
Think about it though.  If someone told you that they had Down's Syndrome or mood swings or something and might leave unannounced during the middle of a raid, what would you do?  You know what you would do, you would boot him/her right then and there no questions asked.

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Not everyone is an arse.

A person is a person.

If I was told somebody had a handicap that could disrupt my gameplay experience, I would tend to avoid them. Likewise if somebody told me they "might go AFK and not come back for some time, and at random times," do you think I would keep them on board if they're only causing problems by doing nothing?

If you need to rely on people for something, you want people you can rely on.

Originally posted by Nizumzen

 

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Originally posted by Bagguns
First off, no offense to anyone that has a disability.
Think about it though.  If someone told you that they had Down's Syndrome or mood swings or something and might leave unannounced during the middle of a raid, what would you do?  You know what you would do, you would boot him/her right then and there no questions asked.

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Not everyone is an arse.

Well said.

I think 95% of the people would be very supportive. Don't give him MT or MH right away maybe. Or what the hell make him/her MT and have a good time.

It's just a damn game FFS.

I worked with young people with Downs syndrome on and off for 5 years. Most are more than capable of playing mmo's, as much as any human beeing. As has already been mentioned in this thread it depends on the individual and that is the case. Anyway, without meaning to sound like a patronising a&^hat, see the person not the disability.

Quite a few psychologists have been testing the effects of social computer games on those with impairments that effect their social skills.

I think it's perfectly acceptable for cognitively impaired persons to play MMO's or any game for that matter. They are people too. Don't be selfish and only worry how it will effect your game.

 If everyone didn't take these games so literal and serious, this question wouldn't even need to be ask. The few negative responders obviously take games too serious. These are only meant to be for fun, you know "enjoyment"? Or has everyone long since forgot what that is all about..

 Anyone should have equal rights to do what they enjoy. Simply because they may have a disability shouldn't stand in the way of that, and no person should either.

Originally posted by just2duh

 If everyone didn't take these games so literal and serious, this question wouldn't even need to be ask. The few negative responders obviously take games too serious. These are only meant to be for fun, you know "enjoyment"? Or has everyone long since forgot what that is all about..

 Anyone should have equal rights to do what they enjoy. Simply because they may have a disability shouldn't stand in the way of that, and no person should either.

They react negatively because they are behind computers. In reality, I don't think many people would have the stomach to deny someone a pleasure which doesn't effect you in any way. Such is cruelty over the web.

Originally posted by xanphia

 They react negatively because they are behind computers. In reality, I don't think many people would have the stomach to deny someone a pleasure which doesn't effect you in any way. Such is cruelty over the web.

 Exactly, the things I see people doing/saying in games would never exist in the real world. They would litterally be locked up for life. I don't know why most people fail to see that they are still interacting with people even if it is over the internet. Your actions still create the same reactions, only difference is you don't have to deal with them face to face.

Originally posted by just2duh

Originally posted by xanphia

 They react negatively because they are behind computers. In reality, I don't think many people would have the stomach to deny someone a pleasure which doesn't effect you in any way. Such is cruelty over the web.

 

 Exactly, the things I see people doing/saying in games would never exist in the real world. They would litterally be locked up for life. I don't know why most people fail to see that they are still interacting with people even if it is over the internet. Your actions still create the same reactions, only difference is you don't have to deal with them face to face.

Right. They may not see the results of their insults or cruelty or lack of empathy. Thus, they have no remorse. If they knew how their behavior effected the other, they may have a change of heart. As it stands, that rarely happens.

Originally posted by xanphia

Originally posted by just2duh

Originally posted by xanphia

 They react negatively because they are behind computers. In reality, I don't think many people would have the stomach to deny someone a pleasure which doesn't effect you in any way. Such is cruelty over the web.

 

 Exactly, the things I see people doing/saying in games would never exist in the real world. They would litterally be locked up for life. I don't know why most people fail to see that they are still interacting with people even if it is over the internet. Your actions still create the same reactions, only difference is you don't have to deal with them face to face.

 

Right. They may not see the results of their insults or cruelty or lack of empathy. Thus, they have no remorse. If they knew how their behavior effected the other, they may have a change of heart. As it stands, that rarely happens.

You really don't know what you're saying.

Human beings are not inherently good or evil, so anything goes in this clusterfuck of neutrality we call life.

If empathy or guilt were not taught to somebody in their early years, they will not care how people feel. Where do you think murderers and rapists come from? They weren't taught societal norms or how to restrain themselves from such actions. And in fact, they could have been taught that such behavior is completely fine.

A man will operate on impulse and primal emotion until he learns why or why not to do something. The consequences aren't important to them when it doesn't affect them, or at least if they perceive it doesn't affect them.

Guilt and any social-related reactions are responses trained via mimicry and consequence. You'd be surprised how many people out there don't give a damn about your well-being or state-of-mind and will happily say it to your face.

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Originally posted by just2duh
 If everyone didn't take these games so literal and serious, this question wouldn't even need to be ask. The few negative responders obviously take games too serious. These are only meant to be for fun, you know "enjoyment"? Or has everyone long since forgot what that is all about..
 Anyone should have equal rights to do what they enjoy. Simply because they may have a disability shouldn't stand in the way of that, and no person should either.

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Hum, if someone else playing "my" game impairs my own enjoyment (e.g. quit a raid suddenly), I can understand why they would not want to play with the "quitter" again. It's, at the very least, a very human reaction to have.

In a way, it might even be good to people with impared cognitive abilities: yes, they are persons, and yes some leeway or amenagements should be conceded for their disability. But they still need to learn to interact with people: they need to know that if they commit to something, they have a responsability to carry it through, that it's simple politeness, and that, while they do have a bit more leeway, not everything will simply be excused on their disability. Otherwise, that's spoiling them.

But once again, it's a question of personalities. As a general rule, I might not like to group or play with a certain type of players, simply because that,s not my style of gaming. The competitive type will avoid any "unreliable" element in a raid, but someone who likes guiding and helping people would probably enjoy playing with "newbies".

Because someone does not want to play with someone with a disability, does not mean they are against the latter or discrimmining. They may simply choose to have their own fun and go their own way. "Normal" players also have the right to enjoy their game, and once again, indulging systematically anyone will spoil them.

My cousin has Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning autism) and plays both EQ2 and WOW. He is freakin awesome, but I am not sure if aspbergers fits the criteria of an impaired cognitive ability. He has some strange social issues, but he is definitly not impaired. I don't personaly play with him often becouse he does not like waiting for anything. he honestly doesn't like playing with me since i dily dally around. He levels extremely fast and has a huge interest in his charicter progression. He is also a strait A student and takes mostly advanced classes.

This disorder runs in my family. I also have an uncle who has it, but he has no interest in Playing games. He is a physicist and is a married father of 2. he wasn't diagnosed until he was 52 years old.

It is a strange disorder and the effects varry dramaticly from person to person.