How did you get your start

[Xyanthon]

I know that several months ago there was a thread about how people got started into gaming. I am always interested in hearing how people got into gaming or good gaming stories. I've posted mine in my Live Journal (see the link in my sig). I'm going to post my recollections of my gaming highlights in multiple parts. Also for those who are interested, I have a design diary for my OSRIC project (with developer notes, concept art, etc).

So what memories do you have about when you started gaming? How did you get your start? Let's hear about it.

 

[Nightfall]

How did I get started?

In the primordial mists of time and chaos, there were the Titans...and lo they looked and found a guy and say "Oi! We should make him an internet celebrity!" Thus Nightfall was born.

 

[Farcaster]

My first introduction to roleplaying games was actually a very old computer game called Bard’s Tale. Yes, I am talking about the original Bard’s Tale first released in 1985 for the Commodore 64. I was hooked right from the start. Bard’s Tale II couldn’t come quickly enough. And when Bard’s Tale III finally came out in 1987, I remember opening that box and leaping head first into a three day straight summer whirlwind playing session fueled by an endless stream of coffee, punctuated by the briefest of bathroom breaks (hey, it was a lot of coffee), and ending only after unconsciousness nat-20'd me.

When I awoke from my 24 hour powernap, believe it or not, it was actually my stepfather that suggested I try out this pen and paper game called Dungeons and Dragons. Being a typical 12 year old, I thought that any suggestion that he might make was probably pretty dumb, but I checked it out anyway just to see what he was talking about.

Knowing nothing of D&D, I headed down to a hobby and gaming shop the next time I was at the mall and found this nifty red box set. I thought the dice were cool, so I bought it on the spot. Within a week, I ran my first D&D game and promptly killed my first player character with the sample encounter with the carrion crawler. A not altogether awe-inspiring first start in the DM chair, actually. But, I kept trying.

Since I lived in a relatively small city, I usually ended up enrolling my friends to try out the game and so inflicted upon my hapless players many an ill conceived, poorly contrived dungeon hack-and-slash. I’d love to say that I took to story telling right off, but honestly, it took many years before I could actual spin a fairly tolerable story line. Luckily, none of my players had ever been in a good D&D game, so they didn’t know any better anyway.

Thus began my obsession with table-top roleplaying games. Though I have had the occasional opportunity to be a player, for the most part I’ve been in the DM chair ever since. To be completely honest, I do enjoy playing, but I’m most comfortable being the story teller anyway.

More on my introduction thread at Pen & Paper Games: http://www.penandpapergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127

 

[Xyanthon]

Ah, the Bard's Tale games. I have many fond memories of those (along with Wizardry and Might and Magic- oops, almost forgot Phantasie!).

 

[Harmon]

My brother got me into D&D, but that lasted one session and we moved on to AD&D. I joined his group (one of which I still game with). A couple years in I had a falling out with his forty odd year old (at the time he was like fourteen-ish) year old girlfriend over rules and rulings she was making (I was a kid, thought I knew everything now I know differently).

Following that I got into a group that played Rune Quest, Champions, M,S,&PI, and just about everything else. Eventually we got sick of other systems lameness and created our own very complex and free flowing rules system that can not be described in under a thousand words (it was really cool).

Three of the four members of the group joined the military (I would have, but ear infections screwed me up). They all moved back, one stayed a month, another two, and the last a couple of years, but the group was lost.

I found another group and have been with them for about eighteen years (this weekend actually). We have played GURPs primarily, lots of Champions, Vampire, Werewolf, some Twightlight 2000 (“slide in and light ‘em up” became DarthJaye and I’s motto), and later D&D 3.x.

We have played lots of different games over the years, so many I brain can’t keep them all together, some we played a few hours and some a couple times.

Its been a long great run, I rather hope I am in the middle of my hobby, but it seems that with the decline in my GMing, the falling out of friendships, the failings of my relationship with my father, an injury to my body that has not completely healed after seven years, and the birth of my daughter (she’s thirteen months next weekend) that I am on my way out. It has been a glorious ride, twenty eight years (or there about) sense my first campaign. I hope to continue, and will continue to stay in the hobby, it just doesn’t feel like the universe wants me to remain here.

Peace all, enjoy the ride.

 

[Nightfall]

Then the Titan Kadum spoke and he said "Oi you'll speak for the Scarred Lands right?" And I was like "Eh maybe. What's in it for me?" He pointed to Mormo "I'll keep her from you." I looked at Mormo and nodded. "You gotta a deal mate!"

Thus I keep the Scarred Lands going for fear of Mormo's interest.

 

[Tonguez]

Two bullywugs and a carrion crawler

 

[robberbaron]

Wow, difficult to remember that far back....

My best friend, who was a year older than me (13, rather than 12) asked if I'd like to try a new game (White Box, late 1975). I said yes and a couple of days later I had rolled up my first characters. Continued for 5 years through D&D & Traveller.
Went to college, met some crazy people who borrowed my AD&D DMG and photocopied it in the library (5p a page - cost about the same as buying it, but there was a bit of a shortage at the time).

Despite marriage, kids, jobs and most of us doing a 'Red Arrows' and moving away we still have 3 of the original group playing more-or-less regularly.

Seems a little strange sometimes that we are still playing but I guess that is indicative of how the game can get under your skin and into your soul.

 

[Nifft]

I played Red Box and eventually 1e back in grammar school; then dropped the when 2e came out and I moved to another city.

Eventually, a friend gave me Baldur's Gate II as a gift, and then 3e came out. A video game brought me back to D&D after a looooong hiatus.

Cheers, -- N

 

[krunchyfrogg]

I started with the red box also.

I guess I just got interested because I loved all those old fantasy movies (Clash of the Titans, Sinbad, Ben Hur, ect.).