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Review: Jon Peterson's Game Wizards
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<blockquote data-quote="GreyLord" data-source="post: 8430079" data-attributes="member: 4348"><p>Sort of...?</p><p></p><p>I haven't read the book, but others have said it.</p><p></p><p>MY opinion (which does not matter...really) is Arneson was a more chaotic neutral to Gygax's lawful neutral.</p><p></p><p>Arneson's idea was ALWAYS in flux and fluctuating. There were rules...but what was a rule yesterday may not be the rule tomorrow. It wasn't set in stone...as you would. With Gygax, he typed it up, but he also categorized and filled in. Where there wasn't something, he made it something.</p><p></p><p>It was still somewhat of a chaotic mess (if you've read the original 3 books you will realize it can actually be a little difficult to make out what the game was supposed to be doing if you didn't have any other exposure...so created more of a wild west atmosphere of house rules...which is why I LOVE the Greyhawk Supplement...won't play OD&D without it) but at least somewhat playable. I understand Arneson didn't even really have it that organized.</p><p></p><p>Gygax continued to sort and organize and write up even more organization and rules, taking things from others and integrating them into the rules.</p><p></p><p>The REAL break points though that I think truly started to define D&D was when Gygax decided to create a conglomeration of all the supplements, magazine articles, and rules into one big set called Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. That also probably was (if I had to take a guess) where the BIG arguments and fights really finally erupted, boiling tensions between him and Arneson over organization and rules, as well as business interests finally blew up (no idea, wasn't there, but that would be my guess).</p><p></p><p>Arneson wanted a looser, easier going route without such strict rules, and Gygax wanted more order and instructions.</p><p></p><p>The result was ALSO another defining element which meant out of this division of once two cooperating fellows was the Dungeons and Dragons game (Basic and Expert of Moldavay/Cook fame).</p><p></p><p>You can see this entire Chaotic Neutral handling of things by Arneson later as he really didn't have problems adapting his games and worlds to 3e and then 4e, while Gygax sort of stuck doing his games his own way all along...like you would expect a Lawful Neutral to do in regards to their rules and worlds regardless of what others would put in or create.</p><p></p><p>However, there are others who were much closer to the source (people) who could tell you a LOT more of what happened. Some of them have commented on it, a few in these very forums.</p><p></p><p>[USER=7015759]@rob-kuntz[/USER] would be able to tell you more (don't know how to do the directive to his name, or I would put the @ correctly) and be a good source (my opinion is NOT a good source) and has posted several times on these forums directly I believe, as have others.</p><p></p><p>I would HOPE the book references Kuntz and the Gygax boys as I would consider the book GROSSLY incomplete on that portion of history without a LOT of their input on what happened and the events thereof.</p><p></p><p>Just my own two copper.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GreyLord, post: 8430079, member: 4348"] Sort of...? I haven't read the book, but others have said it. MY opinion (which does not matter...really) is Arneson was a more chaotic neutral to Gygax's lawful neutral. Arneson's idea was ALWAYS in flux and fluctuating. There were rules...but what was a rule yesterday may not be the rule tomorrow. It wasn't set in stone...as you would. With Gygax, he typed it up, but he also categorized and filled in. Where there wasn't something, he made it something. It was still somewhat of a chaotic mess (if you've read the original 3 books you will realize it can actually be a little difficult to make out what the game was supposed to be doing if you didn't have any other exposure...so created more of a wild west atmosphere of house rules...which is why I LOVE the Greyhawk Supplement...won't play OD&D without it) but at least somewhat playable. I understand Arneson didn't even really have it that organized. Gygax continued to sort and organize and write up even more organization and rules, taking things from others and integrating them into the rules. The REAL break points though that I think truly started to define D&D was when Gygax decided to create a conglomeration of all the supplements, magazine articles, and rules into one big set called Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. That also probably was (if I had to take a guess) where the BIG arguments and fights really finally erupted, boiling tensions between him and Arneson over organization and rules, as well as business interests finally blew up (no idea, wasn't there, but that would be my guess). Arneson wanted a looser, easier going route without such strict rules, and Gygax wanted more order and instructions. The result was ALSO another defining element which meant out of this division of once two cooperating fellows was the Dungeons and Dragons game (Basic and Expert of Moldavay/Cook fame). You can see this entire Chaotic Neutral handling of things by Arneson later as he really didn't have problems adapting his games and worlds to 3e and then 4e, while Gygax sort of stuck doing his games his own way all along...like you would expect a Lawful Neutral to do in regards to their rules and worlds regardless of what others would put in or create. However, there are others who were much closer to the source (people) who could tell you a LOT more of what happened. Some of them have commented on it, a few in these very forums. [USER=7015759]@rob-kuntz[/USER] would be able to tell you more (don't know how to do the directive to his name, or I would put the @ correctly) and be a good source (my opinion is NOT a good source) and has posted several times on these forums directly I believe, as have others. I would HOPE the book references Kuntz and the Gygax boys as I would consider the book GROSSLY incomplete on that portion of history without a LOT of their input on what happened and the events thereof. Just my own two copper. [/QUOTE]
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