TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Jun 27, 2006

Gearjammer said:
Gary, first of all many thanks for creating a game that's given me and my friends endless hours of enjoyment over the last 20 some-odd years.

In talking with many of my fellow gamers most of us seemed to have experienced sometime in our early gaming career the "Wonder moment." A time when we were first introduced to D&D or another RPG and after being confused by the pile of numbers, stats, and dice had a singular moment where your imagination "clicked on" and you were seeing the game in your head and you were hooked forever. Did you ever have a "wonder moment" and when did it occur?

Of course you are welcome, for I have greatly enjoyed the whole gaming experience myself.

You asked a good question. Indeed, from the time I sat down to create the rules for the OD&D game I was filled with a thrilling sense of wonder and excitement to present and play such a game. That continued on for several years after D&D and AD&D were published,...until the grind of business and associated matters rather wore it out. However...

I have been working on polishing the core rules for the Lejendary AsteRogues Fantastical Science RPG the last week or so, and sure enough, the old enthusiasm was right there! the only problem I have is that my creative energy now runs out in a few hours rather than lasting all day :\

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Jun 27, 2006

MutieMoe said:
Thanks for answering the previous questions!

Why the dungeons? Where did that idea come from? Why dungeon is the archtypical fantasy roleplaying adventures enviroment?

Sure

Credit Dave Arneson and Dave Megary (designer of the Dungeon! boardgame) with my concentrating on subterranean settings for the D&D game. The contained adventuring environment was perfect for establishing fixed encounters before a game session, and for developing progressively more hazardous ones as the PCs grew in their capacity to manage them.

Of course, many an exciting fantasy yarn has been set in such surroundings, beginning with that of Theseus and the Minotaur, eh?

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Jun 27, 2006

Steverooo said:
Page 10. Or are we gonna let this thread run on forever, like the last one? About time to archive this one?

I think about 12 pages is a good place to stop, but is 10 is easier to archive, I can begin a new one.

Cheers,
Gary

Gentlegamer · Jun 27, 2006

Gary, there's presently an interesting thread discussing the design merits of the Tomb of Horrors. Perhaps you'd like to comment?

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=166451

Col_Pladoh · Jun 27, 2006

Gentlegamer said:
Gary, there's presently an interesting thread discussing the design merits of the Tomb of Horrors. Perhaps you'd like to comment?

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=166451

I have read a good deaql of it, and I determined not to post, as there is no disputing taste.

Of course I not only think that they are, but have observed the coddled state of many new gamers as they died before my now beloved Old Guard Kobolds or met otherwise useless deaths because they: 1) were not thinking, and/or 2) assumed that whatever they met in an encounter they could deal with, and/or 3) they expected a special Dm intervention such as a save wneh they totally screwed up.

Finally, there is no distinction between "having a PC figure something out" and the player doing so, Unless a psychotic schizophrenic is playing, the two are not separate entities, as the player is making believe he is the game character.

How supposedly mature persons can get all worked up over a matter pf personal taste in a game of make-believe is beyond me

Cheers,
Gary

gideon_thorne · Jun 27, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
How supposedly mature persons can get all worked up over a matter of personal taste in a game of make-believe is beyond me

Cheers,
Gary

You and me both.

Im sure folks must derive some sort of satisfaction over debating over minutae, but where's the fun? Where's the mystery and suspense?

Col_Pladoh · Jun 27, 2006

gideon_thorne said:
You and me both.

Im sure folks must derive some sort of satisfaction over debating over minutae, but where's the fun? Where's the mystery and suspense?

Worse still!

Many new players these days demand that there be no mystery and suspense at all, that everything magical be spelled out and formulaized so as to be producable by any common person with a modicum of magical ability

Cheers,
Gary

gideon_thorne · Jun 27, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
Worse still!

Many new players these days demand that there be no mystery and suspense at all, that everything magical be spelled out and formulaized so as to be producable by any common person with a modicum of magical ability

Cheers,
Gary

Im sure they are just trying to protect the business of the common layman and Larry's Used Magical Junkyard. ^_^

Or even an international business who's motto would then be "Watch out for falling charges." Spell-Mart. ^_^

Iron Captain · Jun 27, 2006

Col_Pladoh said:
2) assumed that whatever they met in an encounter they could deal with, and/or 3) they expected a special Dm intervention such as a save wneh they totally screwed up.

My very first D&D 3.5 group basically collapsed because of this problem. They just woudn't flee no matter what. Then they got upset when their 1st level characters almost died and pretty much demanded (in not so many words) that I make their characters invincible by fudging the rolls constantly.

Col_Pladoh · Jun 27, 2006

gideon_thorne said:
Im sure they are just trying to protect the business of the common layman and Larry's Used Magical Junkyard. ^_^

Or even an international business who's motto would then be "Watch out for falling charges." Spell-Mart. ^_^

Well said!

Cheers,
Gary

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Gentlegamer

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Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

gideon_thorne

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Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

gideon_thorne

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