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.
gideon_thorne
First Post
Barak said:
*hides his wand of dispell illusions behinds his back* Who me?
Canada can't be all bad. After all two of the more memorable Star Trek characters, Kirk and Scotty, are from there.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
See you at the Canadian National Gaming Expo in Toronto?Barak said:
Cheers,
Gary
Apologies for the length, and discursionary nature of this post. It all began earlier today, with Whitey's trip to the local game store, to peruse the monthly new offerings. Here we find lovable ol' Whitey, our protagonist, and Very Tall Tom, head employee there.
WHITEY: None of these books look very good to buy, Tom. They all got good bits and pieces, sure. But nobody wants to play pieces, they want to play a game.
VERY TALL TOM: You should look at this D02 thingy. It's the latest, from the makers of Star Sistaz (TM).
WHITEY: Hasbro is poo stinky. (edited for board posting)
VERY TALL TOM: Now wait a minute, Whitey. You like the dungeons and the dragons. Last month, you turned down Obscure 'Rules Lite' System #14. Don't you want this?
WHITEY: Nope. Besides, you were on Obscure 'Rules Lite' System #11, the month before that.
VTT: This D20 fantasy/revised ed. book implies that you need it, to play the game how they say. You gotta stay current, to be playing the game truest, right?
WHITEY: See, that's their scam. They're not really selling a game anymore - they're not even peddling a book of numbers, related to a game. What they're doing, is selling an endorsement. Play how we want, using not only our mechanics, but our whole mandatory wealth by level, guaranteed cakewalk combat, trendwhoring mish-mash settings, and you are playing the just and proper form of the game. Disagree, and your game is somehow lesser. They go on and on, about options instead of limitations being their goal, but there is no other option, if ya don't subscribe to that.
VTT: Calm down, Whitey. You're like, foaming at the mouth.
WHITEY: Look at it like this - according to them, every PC faces 'level appropriate' challenges, with the same gear value, using the same stale plot-lines. What's it to them, that every game plods out to the same result? And if it's got their precious, precious balance, and everything is defined by numbers, why not just have dueling Excel spreadsheets, with no gaming at all? See, if the game could be played in two totally different fashions, using the same rules, those games would both be just as 'right', so long as everybody playing enjoyed them. But they can't have that. To reduce the Dungeons and Dragons name into a cipher, a brand that can be slapped on any piece of garbage, they have to take away its identity. They don't own that - the players do, and they're out to disenfranchise the players, who won't get in line. There is one way they say, fun or not fun, to do it. And that is the harshest limitation of all.
That's about how the conversation played out. Some of the more colorful expletives were removed, but what Tom said, was really crucial. So, it's posted here with the question - what do you think, Mr Gygax? Basically, can a gamer play just the spirit of a game, or is there something intrinsic to the rules, that makes playing the rules the point?
WHITEY: None of these books look very good to buy, Tom. They all got good bits and pieces, sure. But nobody wants to play pieces, they want to play a game.
VERY TALL TOM: You should look at this D02 thingy. It's the latest, from the makers of Star Sistaz (TM).
WHITEY: Hasbro is poo stinky. (edited for board posting)
VERY TALL TOM: Now wait a minute, Whitey. You like the dungeons and the dragons. Last month, you turned down Obscure 'Rules Lite' System #14. Don't you want this?
WHITEY: Nope. Besides, you were on Obscure 'Rules Lite' System #11, the month before that.
VTT: This D20 fantasy/revised ed. book implies that you need it, to play the game how they say. You gotta stay current, to be playing the game truest, right?
WHITEY: See, that's their scam. They're not really selling a game anymore - they're not even peddling a book of numbers, related to a game. What they're doing, is selling an endorsement. Play how we want, using not only our mechanics, but our whole mandatory wealth by level, guaranteed cakewalk combat, trendwhoring mish-mash settings, and you are playing the just and proper form of the game. Disagree, and your game is somehow lesser. They go on and on, about options instead of limitations being their goal, but there is no other option, if ya don't subscribe to that.
VTT: Calm down, Whitey. You're like, foaming at the mouth.
WHITEY: Look at it like this - according to them, every PC faces 'level appropriate' challenges, with the same gear value, using the same stale plot-lines. What's it to them, that every game plods out to the same result? And if it's got their precious, precious balance, and everything is defined by numbers, why not just have dueling Excel spreadsheets, with no gaming at all? See, if the game could be played in two totally different fashions, using the same rules, those games would both be just as 'right', so long as everybody playing enjoyed them. But they can't have that. To reduce the Dungeons and Dragons name into a cipher, a brand that can be slapped on any piece of garbage, they have to take away its identity. They don't own that - the players do, and they're out to disenfranchise the players, who won't get in line. There is one way they say, fun or not fun, to do it. And that is the harshest limitation of all.
That's about how the conversation played out. Some of the more colorful expletives were removed, but what Tom said, was really crucial. So, it's posted here with the question - what do you think, Mr Gygax? Basically, can a gamer play just the spirit of a game, or is there something intrinsic to the rules, that makes playing the rules the point?
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Howdy Whitey...Whitey said:
What you suggest is something I have basically supported since the inception of the game: the rules are guidelines and the DM should feel free to do his own thing.
I did attempt to get some conformity in the AD&D system, because I wished to rpomote large-scale convention tournaments, give cash prizes (but that was quashed along with my gamer scholarships effort).
So in my opinion you are completely justified in what you think.
Cheers,
Gary
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Okay...Barak said:Well I'm -from- Montréal, but I live in the states now, for better and for worse.
...so visit Toronto as a sort of homecoming perhaps
Cheers,
Gary
Col_Pladoh said:Okay...
...so visit Toronto as a sort of homecoming perhaps
Cheers,
Gary
Gary, you don't know too much about Canada, do you? Suggesting that for a Montrealer a visit to Toronto would be "a sort of homecoming" is like suggesting to a San Franciscan that a visit to Los Angeles would be "a sort of homecoming".
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
What part of "sort of" didn't come through?orsal said:
Leaving the USA to return to Canada is indeed a homecoming of sorts, just as an American arriving in New York City from some European country is experiencing a homecoming even if he is from somewhere far removed from that city.
cheers,
Gary
- Status
Similar Threads
D&D General
D&D Luminary Jim 'Drawmij' Ward Passes
Related Articles
-
D&D General D&D Luminary Jim 'Drawmij' Ward Passes
- Started by Morrus
- Replies: 64
-
-
-
D&D General Luke Gygax Brings Back Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg
- Started by darjr
- Replies: 112
-