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Message: <blockquote data-quote="athos" data-source="post: 5287207" data-attributes="member: 32605">Hi, my name is Dan, and I am a gamer... I started gaming in 1977.  The dreaded AD&D 1st edition came out then, I was hooked.  For years all I could do with my spare time was game, it was a life style as much as a calling. In 1984 I joined the US Army and they briefly broke me of the gaming habit, but lo, I was eventually drawn back to gaming in the early 90's when I got out and became a software developer.  Software development is a kind of safe haven for gaming and my D&D addiction spread to Shadowrun and Rifts, it wasn't effecting my work, so I thought I could handle gaming.   When I had my daughter, I got a wake up call, I had to work full time and put her mom through college and a master's program.  I just had no time for gaming and I was able to beat my need for an RPG fix with an occassional late night Baldur's Gate session.  It wasn't true gaming, but I was able to get by with it. But then, to my utter shame, I discovered Living Greyhawk and lost all control.  I would drive all afternoon to get to game in neighboring states and sometimes as far away as Wisconsin.  Conventions were using all my spare money and time, I was happy, but I was hooked.  Then I got my daughter involved.  I know, what kind of parent am I?  We went to conventions all over the US, she met other kids who were already gaming as early as 10 years old, and their parents seemed to be nice, normal, people. Luckily for me, my main fix was killed by a group of well meaning but inherently evil people known in the trade as WotC.  I was DMing at GenCon when they announced 4th edition and that they were no longer going to let us play Living Greyhawk.  At first I was shocked, then angry, then I cried, my daughter was livid with rage.  It was obvious we needed help, we were both into gaming and we ENJOYED it. With Living Greyhawk dead, I was able to get some semblance of my life back.  No longer was I spending one or two weekends a month at conventions.  No longer were my daughter and I going half way across the country in our Escape to play RPGs with strangers.  Slowly but surely, we have made the transition from gaming back to ordinary, sober, life. Now, I occassionally sneak in a game on the internet on OpenRPG, but not when anyone can see me.  I keep it quiet.  I keep it under control, just an occassional hit now and then.  Perhaps one day, I will no longer be a gamer, but for now, I am weak and need my RPGs. Let this be a cautionary tale to all who want to live the life of a gamer, it may seem like fun at the time, and you may enjoy the hell out of it, but some day, someone will see you gaming, and you will know, know in your heart that you have been labled a "gamer".</blockquote>

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