[OT] John Wick is dead

Coik

First Post

• Jul 25, 2002

• #1

His wife posted the following to www.rpg.net today:

"John was killed this afternoon in a car accident on the 110 in San Pedro. He had just finished his novel and was looking forward to doing freelance work in the game industry. If you didn't know him personally I want you to know his "online persona" was nothing like his real life one. He was one of the kindest and most giving persons I ever met. He loved games and gamers and what many saw as "ranting" was really just him blowing steam, always with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.

There will be a private ceremony and anyone who wishes to attend knows how to contact me.

Thank you and please, remember John well. It was important to him to be remembered. I'm sure he misses you all.

Jennifer Wick"

Click here to read the thread.

 

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Aaron L

Hero

• Jul 25, 2002

• #2

Wow. That is horrible.

 

Oni

First Post

• Jul 25, 2002

• #3

This is very sad. I do not know much about the man myself, but when I read the post I looked over at my shelf of gaming books and saw his name on some of the books. Turns out they are books I like very much, it appears the industry has just suffered a true loss.

 

Psychotic Dreamer

First Post

• Jul 25, 2002

• #4

Wow. I'm very sorry to hear this. I didn't know much of him myself, but its always sad when another human being is taken from us. He will be missed.

 

Desdichado

Hero

• Jul 25, 2002

• #5

Wow, that's a real shocker. I'm sad to hear that.

Not that John Wick was a popular guy around here, by any means, but notwithstanding his occasional rants against d20 and D&D, he seemed like an intelligent and very talented individual. And let's not forget he brought us Rokugan.

 

A

AdamBank

First Post

• Jul 25, 2002

• #6

We have not yet found/received independent confirmation of this tragic news.

I am praying that we do not.

 

Nightfall

Sage of the Scarred Lands

• Jul 25, 2002

• #7

Well this is sad day for many. While I was never a fan of the man, like my favorite poet John Dunne wrote "Any man death dimishes me, for he and I were a part of life." I pray John finds peace in what ever hereafter there is.

*plays Amazing Grace on his favorite set of bagpipes*

 

G

Gaius

First Post

• Jul 25, 2002

• #8

In my opinion, John Wick was the most talented writer in the field of RPG's. There has not been a single thing written by him that did not inspire my imagination or fuel my games. Among my favorite games are two written by him; Legend of the Five Rings and Seventh Sea. And although I do not own it, I enjoyed Orkworld.

I know that Wick angered more than a few people in the industry with his various rants; a lot of people took him for an egotistical SOB. I took him at face value as someone who was completely honest, sometimes to a fault. However, having read his rants many times over, there was always a grain of truth to them that I think fellow gamers chafed at his having revealed so openly. In any case, despite his grievances, he truly loved the industry and all the gamers who played.

Our hobby is a small one, not recognized by the mainstream as being anything more than a joke. His passing will be mourned only by his family and those of us who still play games. We've lost a strong member of our community and I, for one, am saddened by it.

Gaius

 

Desdichado

Hero

• Jul 25, 2002

• #9

NOTE: If you follow the rest of the thread, Hyrum of OtherWorld creations is calling this a hoax, saying that he spoke to John after the time that the accident supposedly happened, and that their room-mate confirmed that John and his wife are out on a date even as we speak.

In addition, John's site seems to have been hacked into.

 

Last edited: Jul 25, 2002

Thebalor

First Post

• Jul 25, 2002

• #10

edit: bah, nevermind.

 

Last edited: Jul 25, 2002