Cire

Autism/Asperger kids: Why do you play with Doom?

I never would have imagined never being diagnosed with autism or aspergers or any psychological condition while being so involved with this community would make me feel like such an outsider.

40oz said:

Autism/Asperger kids: Why do you play with Doom?

I never would have imagined never being diagnosed with autism or aspergers or any psychological condition while being so involved with this community would make me feel like such an outsider.

You're just a Doom enthusiast having fun. Nobody's judging you. Nobody cares about anyone else's conditions.

This is a weird thread. If you don't want people to stigmatize Asperger's, don't contribute to the problem by discouraging discussion about it. In a better world we would talk about Asperger's in the same casual way we talk about other common social maladies, like acne, or chronic height deficiency, of which I am a sufferer. If trolls show up in this thread we can deal with them later.

I don't personally know anyone who uses their autism/Asperger's as an excuse to be a dink. However, I do have a friend with Asperger's whose parents don't really challenge him because of it, which means he's likely to be unemployed and living at home for the long haul. He gets disability support from the government so he's set, but unsatisfied. We get along well since I've spent some time in a similar situation. I'm not "on the spectrum" but a lifetime of suppressing your social needs and seeking stimulation through computation leaves certain traces on your mind.

Doom is definitely a magnet for people who are Asperger's-esque. It has simple mechanics but with enough depth to obsess over it for a lifetime. It's got level design, it's got speedrunning records, it's got engine quirks and new development, it's got history. Pick your poison.