A 1974 Review of D&D 404
CleverNickName writes "Boing Boing pointed me to this 1974 review of the 'new' Dungeons and Dragons game. Some highlights: D&D was subtitled 'Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargams Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures.' The reviewer concludes, 'In general, the concept and imagination involved is stunning. However, much more work, refinement, and especially regulation and simplification is necessary before the game is managable.'"
Ah the good old days (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
believe it or not (Score:5, Interesting)
My poor memory (Score:5, Interesting)
I made my mother sit down and play it with me (she hated it). I found some friends at school and convinced them to play, but no one could really get the hang of it. I wasn't any kind of DM, either.
It took about another two years of me trying to find people to play begore I hit the jackpot, and by the time I gave it up at 17 years old, I had amassed 30 different boxed set games, all of whigh I donated to the gaming club of my university when I went.
I recently found some interest in playing again, and happened across a Open Documentation license game, here [slashdot.org]
If anyone can tell me what kind of edition that blue box was (D&D, not AD&D), I would appreciate it.
Re:My poor memory (Score:4, Informative)
A dragon seen thru a doorway, sitting
on a trasure pile, and a scared mage
with his mouth hanging open with a wand
in his hand
Hehe, forgot about the archer
It was light blue , and so was the box,
and came with a few cheap dice too
Here is a picture
http://www.acaeum.com/DDIndexes/SetPages/SetSca
Ex-MislTech
Re:My poor memory (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Ah the good old days (Score:5, Interesting)
You cannot use about 75% of the spells,
and god forbid the combinations
They are too abstract to emulate in a PC game
Best example is a "Wish" spell, mostly the
PC games are all heal, damage, or enhance
There were alot of creationist spells in the
pencil and paper game
Then there is all the subtlety of playing a
thief, or even subdual combat
The intrigue, and deception, and mystery, and
owning of property, building your castle,
town , fortress, etc etc
Building a fleet of ships on the grander scale,
or the low level beginenrs using small sacks
of flour to see the invisible monsters
So many subtle nuances not available in the
world of the PC . Some I have not even listed
out of the cob webs of my mind and they are
long forgotten
I have been with Ad&d since 1978, not much
of lately but I miss it dearly and have
seriously considered getting back with some
old school gamers and doing some good
old quality gaming on a epic scale similar
to Tolkien, Robert Jordan, or Stephen Donaldson.
The good ol' days, hehehe
Peace,
Ex-MislTech
Re:Ah the good old days (Score:5, Interesting)
Ahh yes the good old days. I started with the silver chain mail rules oh so many years ago. Back then you could pick up the phone, call up and talk to Gary Gygax in person. I had a 30 min. long distance conversation with him over some rules. Hell, dad busted my ass for that one.
Anyway, computer games have a long way to go before they can catch up with pen and paper. Neverwinter Nights seems to be the cloest they have came. But still have a long way to go.
TSR did do one thing I liked, they released just about everything 2nd edition to pdf format. I don't play 3rd editon and have 6 gigabytes of 2nd editon in soft format. When I do have a game I just toss everything on to my laptop and off I go.
Every thing is cross referenced and indexed in acrobat. That to me is the best use for computers in AD&D. I also have the Core Rules software and that can be useful.
Sheesh. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sheesh. (Score:5, Insightful)
I suppose implying an old story is new could be worth a valid complaint, but the simple act of posting something "old" isn't inherently wrong. Slashdot is at it's best when it directs us to links that focus on nerdly curiosities.. I don't care when it was created, if I haven't read it before it qualifies as "news".
good point (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Sheesh. (Score:3, Funny)
How do you know this is not a duplicate article, eh?
Okay, really now (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, I just got back from a date.
With a girl.
Who wasn't inflatable or mail order.
Oh shit, there goes my karma.
Re:Okay, really now (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:4, Interesting)
Not to feed the trolls or go WAY off topic, but it's mostly because Wil is a pretty attractive guy.
I'm gay and 21 and most of the guys my age had a teen-age crushes on the character. Most of them hated Star Trek but watched it just for the episodes in which Wesley was featured.
I'm not saying Wil is gay. He's married IIRC, but he sure is cute.
Re:Okay, really now (Score:2)
Re:Okay, really now (Score:4, Funny)
I'm going to go try to get laid now. Good luck to you all.
Re:Okay, really now (Score:5, Insightful)
scripsit jericho4.0:
I wouldn't bet too much were I you. If you compared, say, English majors and CompSci majors at the typical American university, the English majors just might win. However, if you took the university as a whole (i.e., including business, communications, nursing, leisure studies, etc.) I think you'd find that the geeks win. And if you took a random sampling of an urban population, you'd get a whole lot o' blank stares. Hell, you'd get a whole lot o' blank stares asking about Chaucer.
My own experience is a bit different. I am a geek whose home is currently in the humanities, so I've seen both sides of the fence. The absolutely most arrogant insistance that there's nothing to be known outside of their own field, surprisingly enough, seems to come from literary criticism and similar types.
A more typical geek problem, in my experience, is assuming that their knowledge of ``soft'' fields is definitive. This is understandable in that you will find many more physicists able to converse on surrealist painting than you will find art historians able to converse on neutrino mass. However, the geek problem is sometimes mistaking an ability to make cocktail-party conversation with the ability to write and publish scholarly works. Where the general population knows squat about history, the geek typically knows much more -- sometimes just enough to be dangerous.
Disaster could have been averted (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Disaster could have been averted (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Disaster could have been averted (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, back then (yes, I know I'm old) I knew several women who were D&Ders, and at least two male players who met their future spouses playing the game. I'm not sure when role-playing games became a guy thing, but they didn't start out that way.
Re:Disaster could have been averted (Score:3, Funny)
I still play, and my wife used to.
Sounds good for the geeky multitudes out there, eh?
I asked her why she stopped. Her answer:
Puberty.
Ouch.
Cheers,
=Blue(23)
Re:Disaster could have been averted (Score:5, Funny)
That's bullshit.
Re:Disaster could have been averted (Score:5, Funny)
No it isn't!
Much more regulation? (Score:5, Funny)
And 19 years and dozens of rule books later, the quest continues..... :-)
Re:Much more regulation? (Score:3, Funny)
"Can I use this supplement?" "No! Bad Player!"
"My old DM said..." "Bad Player, No XP."
"We should so do this in GURPS." *DM does a Shadowrun and shoots the player*
See? Simple.
Re:Much more regulation? (Score:2)
It's only funny 'cause it's true....
I have no D&D experience... (Score:4, Interesting)
Still, I did collect a large number of AD&D cards, though I lost those after some water damage.
I've played Baldur's Gate, and it's pretty decent, but how much better is an actual D&D game?
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:5, Insightful)
A lot depends on the referee / game master.
sort of like how a joke can be messed up or great depending on who tells it.
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:4, Informative)
A lot? Try everything. D&D gives you a framework, and consistent rules for engagement so you don't think you're at the GM's whims, but without someone who
- has imagination
- is organized
- is able to keep a group of unruly nerds in line
the game is still unplayable. This was proven to me time and again in a group of us with rotating gamemasters a long while back. Only one GM was worth playing with....Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:3, Informative)
However if you've ever played Taboo or any of the drinking games, or even doing charades, then it's very similar to that. You can have as much fun as you put into it. You are only limited by your imagination.
If you happen to have a good DM then you're gonna have tons of fun.
I play D&D ocassionaly, and a lot of the times it basically is a chance to just get together talk, and have fun. For an avg session that goes for about 6 hours, we only have about 2 hours of serious game time and the rest is just goofing off and having fun.
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:5, Informative)
With CRPGs, you normally drastically cut down on the personality and interaction aspect -- you're normally restricted to preplotted conversation trees or keyword systems, for instance -- that make pencil-and-paper RPGs shine.
It's not about the dice. It's not about the system, although choice of system will affect style -- e.g. players in the Middle Earth RPG system need to be extremely careful since healing's far harder to get than, say, AD&D-type systems.
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:3, Interesting)
On the other hand, carrying rations is so much easier. Waybread ho!
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:2)
Computer games are far better. D&D was what we did when we didn't have the 'internet' thingy.
Actually, a good D&D game, with a great DM, is the best fun ever.
The problem is, a good DM is _very_ hard to come by.
I would add that no game I've ever played has come close to capturing that magic. Diablo!? Fuck you!
And some minor advice... (Score:4, Informative)
Should you decide to play, have fun with it and keep an open mind.
That having been said, you should:
Oh yeah, get some dice. A nice big set of "matching" dice may look nice, but the favorites become those sets that are a hodge-podge of dice bought here and there. ;)
Re:I have no D&D experience... (Score:3, Insightful)
scripsit ndnet:
You really can't compare computer games with roleplaying; they're two totally different experiences. It's sort of like comparing a book and a movie.
With the computer games, all you really have to do is kill things, get treasure, build up a character's level/skills/whatever. Some online games have interaction with other players, but the actual gameplay is very formulaic.
Roleplaying is about entering playing a role (no kidding! <grin>). You get inside the head of your character and respond to stimuli as him (or her). This doesn't mean faking a cheesy Renaissance Festival accent and saying `thee' and `sire' all the time; it's about interacting with an imagined world. Sometimes a game is plot-centered, sometimes it's character-centered. Either way, the mechanics of the game aren't the point, and neither (necessarily) is killing and looting. It's enjoying the experience of entering another person's mind for a little while. (And sometimes, of course, it's the joy of getting to thwack things with a big sword.)
That's not to say, by the way, that many people don't play D&D as Baldur's Gate with paper and dice, but when they do (IMO) they're missing the point.
For what it's worth, as an historian I find that my roleplaying experience is very useful in trying to understand historical figures on their own terms, rather than from my own perspective. That's not a benefit that can derive from playing a fantasy computer game.
phone/mail D&D (Score:5, Funny)
Oh I can see this working. "Hey, Fred, did you get my letter I mailed last week? You know, the one where I rolled a 20? I haven't heard from you yet. Did we kill the sucker or not?"
Why do I suspect (Score:2)
Re:Why do I suspect (Score:2)
At the risk of exposing my geek-ness, I answer: the New Rules say a higher AC is better. It simplifies the system somewhat, in that if your char has an AC of 15, then one must roll a 15 or higher to hit you. There are bonuses and penalties and such that further complicate hitting, but that's basically the gist of the New Way.
THAC20? (Score:3, Funny)
And old D&D book got me into RPG video games (Score:5, Interesting)
It was a cool book, a Dungeons and Dragons book. The adults told me that it was bad and made people act out elaborate fantasies and commit violent crimes. So I gave it up before ever actually playing it in the classic sense. But when this game for the Nintendo came out named "Dragon Warrior", I pounced on it. In a way, it a was a video game representation of what I loved about that book. I have since been a avid RPG video game player since.
Re:And old D&D book got me into RPG video game (Score:3, Interesting)
Odd logic, that.
Acolyte Dorn (Score:5, Funny)
Whoa! Michael Dorn played D&D?? Coincidence that Wil Wheaton posts this story...I think not.
much simplification is neede (Score:2)
I give credit to D&D for starting the genre, but the genre moved past D&D long ago.
THIS JUST IN!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:THIS JUST IN!! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:THIS JUST IN!! (Score:2, Funny)
Just a few years later . . . (Score:2)
The couple of D&D Dungeons I was involved in then were interesting, but I never really got the "big deal" of it.
Very interesting. (Score:5, Interesting)
That said, D&D has come a long way from its roots. I've never played 1st edition, but I played a lot of second, and it in comparison to 3rd, it feels at the same time far too limiting and overly complicated. I was surprised how much they managed to simultaneously simplify the game and allow for so many more options.
Out of curiosity, those of you who have played all three and a half revisions of D&D, which one did you like the most?
Re:Very interesting. (Score:2, Insightful)
A few years later, wanting to get into Traveller, I got into GURPS and really like the system. It's looser than D&D (as I remember it, not getting into v2 of the hardback books) but provides as much framework as you like or need.
$10, Cheap! (Score:2)
Re:Very interesting. (Score:3, Insightful)
d20 D&D (3ed) was revamped from the ground up by people with actual game design experience and it thoroughly shows.
The only real complaint I have is that it's very much 2-dimensional - when you start dealing with situations with entities at different elevations, you have to fall back on common sense a bit too often, too often because everybody was issued a different version of "common sense."
Re:Very interesting. (Score:3, Informative)
Of course the modern D&D product is of far higher quality - paper and production wise (content is of course a matter of taste) explaining the price increase.
* Figures from http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/p07.htm
Re:Very interesting. (Score:2)
Fortunately, most of the players I have aren't packrats at all, but then I don't give out much treasure.
Grand-daddy of all those RPGs. (Score:5, Insightful)
But what makes this so interesting is that so many of todays PC RPGs have their basis in D&D rules. Sure, they've evolved significantly and taken different directions in different games, but the fact remains that most RPGs have their battle decisions based on complex mathematical rulesets, and D&D basically introduced these. (Orc attacks with 3d8, beating your 2d10 defence and inflicting d8 damage.)
Early computer 'RPG' were very simplistic in their battle rules, rarely better than 'attacker wins', but by the time that home computers advanced enough to support better rulesets, there was a very advanced 'template' for developers to start from.
I remember watching (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I remember watching (Score:2)
Re:I remember watching (Score:2, Funny)
Imagination and the desire to move outside the square is usually a bonus in a sex life not a deficit.
Re:I remember watching (Score:2)
I'm married with child now. Back when I was single, there were two occasions where I had three women at once (or rather, we all had a slimey, gloopy, fun time together) and numerous other times with two women. Nothing like having a bi-sexual girlfriend who liked to share and that all the women wanted. I'll admit that my time spent gaming that year was somewhat less than in other years.
Cheer up geeks of the world- YOU WILL GET LAID! (Score:5, Insightful)
There are actually a lot of girls JUST LIKE THAT. Right now! On your campus! Attractive ones! In fact, even basic statistics and probability (and I know you're down with statistics and probability) tells us that some of them would willing, hell, even _excited_ to FUCK YOU!
Think you're insecure? Guess what? Girls are actually worse. WAY worse. Even the pretty ones- hell ESPECIALLY the pretty ones. Watch TV some time and look at the way women are still portayed, even in this day and age. Many, if not most, girls feel uncool, unsexy, and out of place a MILLION times a day and they actually prize above all else in a relationship is to feel like they are actually worthwhile _people_ and not maids, bitches or fuck toys.
YOU, a geek, nerd or dork can actually give them this feeling by doing nothing more than BEING YOURSELF. Feel unattractive? You can do a surprising amount to fix this. Loose weight! spend an extra 10 bucks on a haircut! Get a decent wardrobe that can STILL INCLUDE ANIME T-SHIRTS! Moisturize! Most girls are good at improving a persons looks. Ask one. She will probably love to help you.
Why are they so hung up on it? because our society tells them that they HAVE to be attractive while NEVER allowing them to live up to its standard of perfection. But you know what? Maybe they've learned something but you don't even need to be a chiseled slab of beef. Shocked?? Read on!
What you learned in high school is now WRONG! YOU CAN get a wonderful, even SEXY girl simply by NOT treating her like a SEX OBJECT and choosing NOT to be a FAKE ASS PLAYER! Believe it or not people just as nerdy as you have gotten HOT, smart, wonderful girlfriends by simply being loving, _attentive_, down to earth (like the way you are with your friends) people and also NOT DATE RAPING THEM!
No, you won't hit it off with every girl, but you are picky too remember? Find one that is like you. You have a star wars figure collection? Well your girl might have a collection of plastic horses from when she was twelve that she was TERRIFIED of anyone finding out about in high school. You will be able to relate a hell of a lot more than you expect. She might even love computers! She might even love linux! There's more and more every day! No, she's not Natalie Portman, but you know what? You won't care!!
You are, smart, well-educated, compassionate and a nice guy (or girl)-- in addition to being sexy (you are sexy right? If not, see above.) You are willing to be a good boyfriend instead of just a dick delievery service. YOU ARE A DAMN GOOD GUY (or girl). So stop whinning and get to work!!!.
GEEKS OF THE WORLD- YOU WILL GET LAID!!!!!
/robbins>
Note: Does not apply to those currently in or about to enter high school. You are all still shit out luck for a few years. Don't cry, we all had to be patient too.
(And I am absolutely serious, guys I kid because I love, and I been there, I am not trying to troll.)
Also: Go to a doctor and get treated for your depression/anxiety/bi-polar/ADD etc if you think you have it. Don't be ashamed, just fucking do it. Some (not all or even a whole lot- don't flame me) of you out there have some of these and they will fuck with your life until it gets fixed. Be brave. They are wonderful people and they can work miracles now days. They really can. Dealing with women is, as you know, very hard psycholoically at times. Especially meeting them.
Re:I remember watching (Score:4, Funny)
--
-- For the Children - RKBA! PGP Key on the servers
For the Children -- for your children, please, please, never tell them this.
Let them keep a little dignity, and avoid the therapy.
Play By Phone? (Score:5, Funny)
Or... (Score:2)
Re:Play By Phone? (Score:5, Funny)
A good DM mentally and emotionally abuses the players. It's far more satisfying than just hitting them with a rolled up newspaper when they try to twink. You know you're a good "referee" when the very mention of a Ring of Wishing puts fear into their hearts.
"Yes, please. Make a wish. I'm sure that this one... unlike the last seventeen your party has made... won't horribly backfire at all. Trust me."
Printing D&D (Score:5, Interesting)
My father's family ran a small printing business in Twin Lakes, WI (not too far from Lake Geneva). Back in the early 70's, these two guys from a small company came to my dad needing booklets to be printed for a new game. He and his brother decided against taking the risk of doing this large job and turned them down. It turns out that they were from TSR, trying to get D&D printed. Doh!
I remember this wager I made (Score:2)
Re:I remember this wager I made (Score:2)
Or did I miss the punchline?
Gary already saw it... (Score:2)
You might want to check out his new MMORPG [gamepoint.net], based off his Paper-and-Pencil game Lejendary Adventure. A FAQ on the online game is here [gamepoint.net].
But come on, who uses "rules"? (Score:2)
The games are about role-playing. Keeping track of shit just gets in the way. Hit points, and how much gold you have. Ignore anything else. You shot him with an arrow did you? Well shit, then. He sure as hell is dead. Grazing shots my ass.
And I'll tell you, I'm sore.
Hey, cut this out! (Score:3, Funny)
Oh wait a minute, you mean it's just a game? Sheesh!
Re:Hey, cut this out! (Score:3, Funny)
You joke, but when I was in gradeschool I got roped into going to bible camp with some friends of mine. One of the counselors there fed us this huge line about his experience playing D&D, and how when he realized it was a tool of the devil, he burned all his books and miniatures, and that the demons inside them screamed as he threw them into the fire. The climax of the story was that he tossed in some kind of giant pewter dragon, and a like actual dragon flew out of the fire into the sky while his mom watched.
I still remember just because it was so crazy in terms of the amount of detail he put into the story.
Talk about missing the point! (Score:5, Insightful)
The beauty of D&D can be boiled down to two propositions:
1. Anything can happen.
2. The Dungeon Master is God (and a capricious one at that).
This is why computer rpg's are, at best, pale imitations of a good pen and paper game.
Re:Talk about missing the point! (Score:3, Insightful)
As opposed to more realistic (read: less fun) games:
"Oh, well, I could chase the baron down, but I've lost four health levels, so I'm restricted to pulling myself along the ground with my arms. I guess I'll just let him go" or "Ow! That last hit cut my sword-hand! Guess I'll have to sit this fight out."
And how has it managed since then? (Score:3, Funny)
Well, they sure blew THAT one, didn't they?
KFG
Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose (Score:2)
Amen to that, brother! Maybe the fourth edition rules will clear this up...
Blah the more things change the more likely (Score:3, Insightful)
Now they just pop in a CD/DVD and click away. Killing the imagination and creative processes at an early age.
'bout time... (Score:2, Funny)
World creation fun (Score:3, Interesting)
I do find that world creation is the most satisfying part of gaming. Too bad there's not enough time to play through all the stuff I've created, even if I could find in the boxes in the attic.
Wow ... internet in 1974 ?! (Score:3, Funny)
Hmm... (Score:3, Funny)
Me? Play D&D...never
Craenor
Re:Hmm... (Score:3, Funny)
You know what's sad? I'm actually envious of the spreadsheet idea.
Ahhh Memories (Score:5, Interesting)
We'll be married 15 years this summer. I still see the friend that introduced us all the time (we're God Parents to each others children)
D&D brings back memories
About the reviewer, Arnold Hendrick (Score:5, Informative)
Jeez, I was the one who submitted this story to Boing Boing. I never thought Slashdot would go for it. I keep missing so many Karma opportunities....
What I said in the Boing Boing submission that Wil didn't repeat here is, the 1974 review is by a gamer named Arnold Hendrick. Hendrick went on to run Heritage Miniatures and to design some cool boardgames for Heritage's short-lived Dwarfstar game line. Later Hendrick went into computer games, working for Microprose and others; he helped design or develop many of Sid Meier's best-known titles. Hendrick's best-known work as sole designer is probably the 1992 Microprose fantasy game Darklands. Here's his MobyGames rap sheet [mobygames.com] and a Darklands FAQ [fred.net].
What I learn from this: Be bold! Despite all qualms, submit to Slashdot!
My Favorite D & D Story (Score:4, Interesting)
I tried a few things that night, but it was just a few of us against an army. I could never get close to where they were keeping him. The next day dawned and Norbert was carried out to the gallows while I watched from behind a nearby hill. I was going crazy! I couldn't think of anything to do, but I couldn't let them hang my brother! In desperation, as they fitted Norbert's neck into the noose, I notched an arrow into my big composite bow. Mike asked me what I was aiming at and I said "the rope". He laughed and said if I rolled a 01 (out of 100) I would hit the rope. Sure enough I rolled the first number....0. Then the second number came....1!! The arrow pierced the rope just as the trapdoor opened and Norbert fell to the ground trying to figure out why he wasn't dead. I stood, notched another arrow, took aim at the leader of the troops and nonchalantly asked, "Ok, who's next?" Nobody even twitched as Norbert hauled ass up to the hill where we were. We got the hell out of there before they could get their shit back in their socks.
Poor Mike....never did kill those characters off.
technology and storytelling (Score:3, Interesting)
hehehe.
Computers handle the mechanical aspects of "being the referee" so well. but I never really got into these newfangled muds/mmorps the kids like nowadays, because the human referee was so much better at the storytelling component of it.
Maybe the computer allows things to scale a little bit
I guess the referee interface to the world would have to get much better so that they could keep up
-- p
ChainMail (Score:5, Interesting)
"ChainMail" was an earlier set of wargame rules for large scale battles between medieval armies. As I recall, it had a brief appendix covering some add-on rules to allow wizards, orcs, dragons and such like to be added into the battles as a bit of a laugh.
Using the ChainMail rules for purely fantasy warfare became very popular - probably more so than the non-fantasy aspect of the rules. That (I suspect) is the reason that D&D came into being.
The reason the original D&D rules seem confusing is that they assume full knowledge and applicability of the ChainMail rules.
Steve - Chaos/Cleric/Hobbit 19th level - circa 1982.
OK - I'm about geeked out now.
gygax interview (Score:3, Interesting)
I'll let Spiff take care of the intro's
To ask a guestion, please type
Drum roll please
I'd like to welcome everybody to today's special subscriber only Arcade event!
This is the very first of its kind for Arcade, and we hope to do more such events in the future.
To kick them off, though, we've got a doozy for you -- an exclusive chat with the *original* Dungeon Master himself, Mr. Gary Gygax
Home: Join us for a chat with Dungeons & Dragons inventor and RPG guru Gary Gygax on Fri., Feb 21st at 3 p.m. PST 6 pm EST 11 pm GMT right here in the Arcade Subscriber's lobby! Lobby moderated - to ask a question type
Ahem.
As the topic notes, Mr. Gygax is one of the developers of the original Dungeons and Dragons pen & paper role playing game
A game that sucked away hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of my life away
Would you believe the author of same? (^_^)
I would!
Heh...
Ok are we ready to get started?
His influence can be not just on RPGs, but on the world of computer games that we've all come to know and love.
So, warm up your brains, and lets get some questions going!
Here we go:
*Ganja-Hamster* Did you expect your creation to get as big as it has and develop such a large following?
for those wanting add me to their lists, sorry, but I need to concentrate on the questions. I'm a slow typist.
When i wrote the D&D game computer's werenot uced by regualt peolle, I thought the D&D gtame would appeal to wargamers and SF fans, so counted on about 50K sales only.
when you're done answering, please add so I know to post the next Q
*FireBall{2}* can you ask him for me how long it took to make the game and how many people were involved in the development of the game?
It took me two weeks to write the first 50 pp ms. for D&D. The play-testers for that period were my son Ernie and daughter Elise
We then added several other persons to the game--Don Kaye, rob and Terry Kuntz. that was befroe the two weeks were up and the rules actually on paper
From their input and thst of about a dizen gamer friends at various colleges, I expanded the rules to 150 pp in the spring of 1973. That ms, was published as the D&D game.
*KungFooFairy* *Do you regret selling the rights to D&D?*
Yes, but I was fed up with the crap at TSR, so i wanted out of that mess. I should not have divested the rights, clearly. But what the heck, Istill love gaming and writing new material, so it isn't that sad a thing...
*{pDs}The_Spaniard* I am not familiar with the D&D universe but I have a basic idea how would you explain it to someone who has never heard of it before?
Sure:) the game is a class-based one in which palyers create a character to "adventure" in a quasi-medieval setting. They meet NPC and monsters, solve problems, explote, and gain experience to become more able. that cover it?
yep
*crt* Have you played Neverwinter Nights? What do you think of their implementation of "live" online dungeon masters?
I must confess to being such an addict of online and computer games that I do not play them. No work gets dne for weeks or longer if I so much as start. From what I have been told, though NWN is pretty close to the paper game experience.
BTW, a game of mine is likely to come up as a MMPO RPG in some months, so then I'll have an excuse to play:)
*xPLASMAx* do you think the rules for D & D work for PC based games aswell as the original game ????
that's hard for me to judge, buy in general I know that the computer frmat requires some considerable change in rules and mechanics from the PnP version. In all, though, the latter rules form a good basis for developing a computer game certainly,
*painartist* Why CRPG's now, what makes this the right time for you to make the transition from Pen and Paper?
Heh! The majority of the RPG audience is playing online and CRPGs, and I took a foray into the latter field back in the early 1990s. three games optioned, and all canned for no fault of the game:( SO I wnet back to PnP, did a new RPG i loved, and figured it would serve as the basis for getting into the computer game field as well,
*KungFooFairy* *How do you see the future of Pen and Paper games faring against todays and tomorrows MMORPG's?*
PnP RPGs will remain the finest esperience--untik the holodeck of the Star Ship enterprise can be created. I think of them as anolagous to Broadway theater, the MMPO game as TV, and the CRPG as a motion picture:)
*StoneRook* "of all the D&D movies/show made - which one do you think was true to your vision?
Gah! The lotR films are good, more like a D&D film than others. Big Trouble in Little China came close in a modern setting. I really liked the first "Harry Potter" movie two, but the second one was a letdown.
*ColdAsIce_* What first gave you the idea to create D&D and have you follwed the examples of some great RPG's we''ve seen over the last year or so?
that question requires an essay length response, going back through my childhood. the most immediate inspiration for the D&D game came from the "Fantasy Supplement" in the CHAINMAIL miniatiures rules that I wrote and was published in 1971.
*{10th_Mtn}AlienHead_* will Mr. Gygax be working with any game developers personally on any rpgs in the future?
I am booked for some time doing paper game products, but if the lajendary adventure mmp GOES FORWARD, LIKELY THERE WILL BE crpg DEALS THAT i WILL BE INVOLVED IN.
*DJO_BrYaN_USMC|NOVA|* What are you doing now a-days? Job? etc....
Oops, didn't mean to shout...
I am very busy writing PnP game material. Besides stuff for the new FRPG system, I have a line of generic d20/La game reference books, and several adventure modules out or about to hit.
*Lokust* (question for Gary): Mr. Gygax, some consider you the largest single influence on fantasy gaming as we know it today. Do you feel that assessment is accurate, and is it a humbling feeling? Or do you feel that fantasy gaming would have evolved as it has without your work on D&D?
Well, that's a tough question, in part. I'll do the easy stuff first. Yes, no question most PRG around sprang from my D&D/AD&D work, and yes, I feel rather humbled by it. Now, as to it coming into being without CHAINMAIL and D&D, who can say? given time, possibly something would have emerged--maybe more influenbtial, maybe a bomb. Look at the D&D film as an example. think of a game as bad as that movie...
*DS-ManiacCop* "were you in any way influenced by J.R.R.Tolkin and how?"
I was mainly influenced in regards marketing. Having been a fan of F&SF since 1950, read back in the genre all the way to 1940, his work was nothing new to me. When isaw so many people taken by the Rings Trilogy, Iadded as muchg as possible of it into CHAINMAIL, then more into the D&D game. I am a great fan of THE HOBBIT, admittedly, and read it aloud to all of my children--three times through the book that way;)
*Behumat* how did you arrive at the name Dungeons and Dragons? And were there any other cool or funny titles you considered?
There's some wrong information about how the title came to be. What happened is that I wrote two lists of names for a potential title, each one word, and had them in two columns. Then I polled my fellow gamers and family as to which they liked best. When my daughter Cindy, then a little girl, jumped up and down at hearing "Dungeons & Dragons," I was decided. It had been my favorite, but one never knows...
*USMC_3rd_Battalion* What was the first monster you created in D&D?
I took all the monsters from CHAINMAIL. then I added some new ones.
Can I ask a quick follow-up?
sure
What was the first monster you created for CHAINMAIL?
the first monsters for CHAINMAIL were a red dragon, a giant, a troll, ogres, and orcs--as well as elementals. I think that was the first roster anyway;)
*KungFooFairy* *Do you prefer class-based leveling as opposed to skill-based leveling and why?*
My current preference is for skill-based RPG.
I don't usually listen to anything but the whining of my players when I am GMing;)
*crt* how often do you play PnP D&D games these days? I assume you have a regular group you play with?
out of order, sorry. I play D&D seldom any more. I have run a regular LEJENDARY ADVENTURE game campaign for almost seven years now, and we have a weekly session on Thursday nights here at my house--7 or 8 regulars currently. I do DM some OA/D&D games now and then at conventions, of course.
*_-{12thMarines}-1Lt_* How did you think of the whole concept and what was the most satisfying part of creating D&D?
Oops! the essay-length query again. See above.
whoops!
*RT_Riyker* Is there any other type of game genre you enjoy other than RPG that wouldn't be too embarrassing to admit?
the most satisfying part of creating D&D was having fun DMing, playing, and knowing that so many of my fellow game fans were likewise enjoying the experience. Greatest thing of all, that!
*Hook{1}* Were your parents supportive of your work, or did you often hear the question, "When are you going to get a real job?"
Heh, by the time I wrote D&D I was in my early 30s and my father, rest his soul, was deceased. My mother and then-wife were somewhat concerned that I had left a career in insurance to be a game designer. They had some reason to worry, too, as I starved for about four years, eeked out a living doing other things while writing about 30 hours a week.
that should be "eaked" of course:(
*WiKiD-paybak* What is his opinion to those against D&D Like the Fundamenatlists out there who think its Demonic etc? ( Their all dumb in my opinion)
The critics seem to have a problem distinguishing fantasy from reality, bvetween game play and actual behavior in life. this is mostly due to ignorance and/or prejudice, encouraged by media of sensationalist sort.
*Avatar* You mentioned the Enterprise- Are you a big Star Trek fan?
While I can't say I am a Trekkie, yes. I do enjoy the STAR TRECK programs and the movies. I am not a Shattner fan, though.
*DirectX* is thier a time in your life when you will give all this up
Sure. when I am no longer able to write. Until then, though, I am enjoying the "work" too much to want to stop.
*KungFooFairy* *Do you believe that the playing of RPG's can have a positive influence on humanity as a whole?*
I know from countelss fan letters and emails that RPGs have had a very positive effect on about 99% of those who played. If that can translate to humanity at large, I suppose they can. right now I'd estimate the number positively impacted in the low millions, though.
We only have time for one more Q..
*DJO_BrYaN_USMC|NOVA|* Is there a website were we can stay up to date on your projects and find more info on you?
sure, lots of them, sorta...
My homepage is www.gygax,com My webmaster and host are currently readying an update that will have all that information on it, and my long biography too.
In regards to the LA RPG there is the PnP website www.lejendary.com
For the LAO game its www.LejendaryAdventure.com
www.dragonsfoot.org has a LA game section
I have a long pair of Q&A threads up on the boards at EN world--sorry can't recall the URL.
Anyone can email me at ggygax@genevaonline.com as well;)
Gary -- thank you SO MUCH for dropping by to chat with our subscribers.
Thanks for taking time to be here with us!
We -- and they -- appreciate your time.
Thanks too to all the subscribers who turned out for the event!
Hey, my pleasure to be here, and i consider it an honor to be asked, and to all the audience here I say "Thanks a lot!"
Re:Did anybody actually (Score:2)
TSR did license the name "Dungeons & Dragons" to Grenadier, but (I think) that deal postdated 1st edition.
Dungeon's and Dragons began as a extension to the Chainmail miniature rules-- which was also included in the box. The physical quality of the Chainmail rulebook outstripped the quality of the other "role playing" books.
Re:Did anybody actually (Score:3, Interesting)
It is infinitely more detailed and complex than the flashy CD ROM games I have played.
It took me nearly 8 months to win the first time.
Figures were half the fun! (Score:3, Interesting)
For us, the selection, painting, and use of figures was an integral part of the gaming experience. The "dumb figurines" when combined with the battlemats made by Berkeley Games added a lot. They were particularly handy in instances where players had an imperfect mental picture: "My Aldryami Rune Lord *can* duck around the corner, get off a shot with his wonder bow, and duck back before the broos see him!"
I guess my biases as a game master (or DM, if you prefer the TSR-centric term ;-) are revealed.
In my day, Radeon 9000 cards were called FIGURES, and we liked it that way!
Re:Did anybody actually (Score:4, Interesting)
Yes, this was all as dangerous as it sounded.
Re:Not more regulation, less regulation (Score:4, Interesting)
When you stick with the rules you end the session knowing deep down inside that it was some delicious mix of skill and luck that lead you to success, not some desire on behalf of the DM to make it all more dramatic.
A skilled DM works with the rules, not around them.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)