This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax
This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
Zudrak
Explorer
jwright said:
Careful, jwright. Before long, you'll be in the C&C Society and posting on the Troll Lord forums while also perusing the LA threads on lejendary.com and Dragonsfoot. Like me.
Peter and Gary steered me towards C&C and I really like it. Gary recommended LA to me a few years back and it is a neat system. Too bad my players won't try it. It's not like it's spinach.
StupidSmurf
First Post
Wow...Gary Gygax AND Frank Mentzer are here? Dang...I'm extremely glad I joined this site!
Pardon me while I slip into Adoring Fanboy Geek Mode (tm)
Gary:
Never had the pleasure of actually meeting you face to face despite the number of GenCons I've been to, but I, too, want to chime in with the hearty "THANKS!" for your contributions to those of us who love to use our imaginations in our spare time! I've been a D&D player since 1978, and show no signs of slowing down. And, of course, all four of my kids play, as does my wife! Again, thanks for providing me with years of fun, enjoyment and imagination exercise!
Frank:
Don't know if you remember me, but we've definitely met before. Not sure if we ever wound up working together much when I did TSR freelancing. But in any event, it's nice to "see" you again!
OK, I'll calm down now....
Pardon me while I slip into Adoring Fanboy Geek Mode (tm)
Gary:
Never had the pleasure of actually meeting you face to face despite the number of GenCons I've been to, but I, too, want to chime in with the hearty "THANKS!" for your contributions to those of us who love to use our imaginations in our spare time!
I've been a D&D player since 1978, and show no signs of slowing down. And, of course, all four of my kids play, as does my wife! Again, thanks for providing me with years of fun, enjoyment and imagination exercise!Frank:
Don't know if you remember me, but we've definitely met before. Not sure if we ever wound up working together much when I did TSR freelancing. But in any event, it's nice to "see" you again!
OK, I'll calm down now....
Mighty Veil
First Post
Question for Gary
(I am surprised no one has created "Gary Gygax Q&A, Part X" yet)
Hey Gary, I doubt you'll read this until you get back from TO. How was Toronto?
I was reading an interview with you from a year ago. What did you mean by saying the following (quote below)?
Gygax: I've looked at them, yes, but I'm not really a fan (talking about 3e). The new D&D is too rule intensive. It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game. It's done away with the archetypes, focused on nothing but combat and character power, lost the group cooperative aspect, bastardized the class-based system, and resembles a comic-book superheroes game more than a fantasy RPG where a player can play any alignment desired, not just lawful good.
I understand and can see your point of view on most of your points. But there was one maybe you could expand on?
"It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game."
(I am surprised no one has created "Gary Gygax Q&A, Part X" yet)
Hey Gary, I doubt you'll read this until you get back from TO. How was Toronto?
I was reading an interview with you from a year ago. What did you mean by saying the following (quote below)?
Gygax: I've looked at them, yes, but I'm not really a fan (talking about 3e). The new D&D is too rule intensive. It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game. It's done away with the archetypes, focused on nothing but combat and character power, lost the group cooperative aspect, bastardized the class-based system, and resembles a comic-book superheroes game more than a fantasy RPG where a player can play any alignment desired, not just lawful good.
I understand and can see your point of view on most of your points. But there was one maybe you could expand on?
"It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game."
gideon_thorne
First Post
*wry smile* Course the statement 'the way I and those in my group run the game.' is indicative.
It depends on the group. Some folks simply have to follow rules, and the more rules put out, the more people tend to follow them to the point of making sure they understand every shade and variant in order to gain some edge or advantage.
Those on the other end of the extreeme tend to be able to do without rules entirely, they are the same sort who can tell tales around a camp fire.
A good system can cater to both extreemes and every shade in between. It just seems to me, that the more rules a game has, the more it caters to the first group and playing the numbers becomes more important than playing the game.
It seems reasonable that the intent of Gary's statment is to convey the shift in dynamic which results from the 'too many chef's' syndrome. Ie: The more rules, the more rules lawyers that can gang up on the beleagured game master.
Certainly, a strong game master can counter this. But peer pressure is a powerful force as well and how many honestly can say they can stand against it?
It depends on the group. Some folks simply have to follow rules, and the more rules put out, the more people tend to follow them to the point of making sure they understand every shade and variant in order to gain some edge or advantage.
Those on the other end of the extreeme tend to be able to do without rules entirely, they are the same sort who can tell tales around a camp fire.
A good system can cater to both extreemes and every shade in between. It just seems to me, that the more rules a game has, the more it caters to the first group and playing the numbers becomes more important than playing the game.
It seems reasonable that the intent of Gary's statment is to convey the shift in dynamic which results from the 'too many chef's' syndrome. Ie: The more rules, the more rules lawyers that can gang up on the beleagured game master.
Certainly, a strong game master can counter this. But peer pressure is a powerful force as well and how many honestly can say they can stand against it?
BOZ said:i have to disagree with that statement as well, especially with the way I and those in my group run the game.
Joël of the FoS
First Post
I also think 3e is run like a video game, especially the "actions" in battles
I liked the casting time of spells and the strategy in planning your moves with this concept. If you were a mage, you were looking for short casting time when in front of an ennemy warrior. Now, a wiz has more power as he can cast nearly any spell in front of a warrior. The opportunity thingy is fun, but still wiz are advantaged.
Joël
I liked the casting time of spells and the strategy in planning your moves with this concept. If you were a mage, you were looking for short casting time when in front of an ennemy warrior. Now, a wiz has more power as he can cast nearly any spell in front of a warrior. The opportunity thingy is fun, but still wiz are advantaged.
Joël
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Rakin
First Post
Joël of the FoS said:I also think 3e is run like a video game, especially the "actions" in battles
I liked the casting time of spells and the strategy in planning your moves with this concept. If you were a mage, you were looking for short casting time when in front of an ennemy warrior. Now, a wiz has more power as he can cast nearly any spell in front of a warrior. The opportunity thingy is fun, but still wiz are advantaged.
Joël
I agree. I currently run a 3e and have been for some time now. I've played 2e but never GM'd and although I might be willing to learn the older version my group is a tad too lazy for that. (I'm 24 btw and have been playing for 10 years, GMing for about 5) I honestly miss the ole casting system, there tends to be a lot more strategy before and during battle back then. (But hey it's my world, who's to say I can't combine the two. I had this epiphany while I was writing Hmm, I wonder how that would work out?) It seems today it's just too easy to run in battle not thinking, hence the video game like play and still win, even with everyone on the front line. Sometimes it just boils down to who has the better stats versus the more brains. The only thing I can say about my group, when it comes to this, is that I have one player in particular who has a knack for using the world around him to win fights, although it gets rough on me to come up with rules for all the stuff he wants to do, it makes the game 5 times better. It kinda takes away from the hack and slash ideas and makes my players work together to do these crazy stunts.
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Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Shamanism & Witchery will be a whole separate book--large at that.Steverooo said:
The balance of your questions can best be answered by the Trolls
Cheers,
Gary
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