ENworlder: How long have you been gaming?

[The Green Adam]

I've been playing since August 25th, 1977. Almost 32 years and still going strong baby!

AD

 

[The Little Raven]

I just hit my 20-year mark on the day after Christmas. I had gotten a Nintendo for Christmas in 1988, and the very next day my dog knocked it off the shelf and I had to send it in to be fixed. My friend Adam up the street had gotten the Basic and Expert sets for Christmas from his uncle, so I went to check them out with him. His uncle told us that even though we were only 6 at the time, and the boxes said like 10+ or something, he knew we'd get into it. He was an incredible Dungeon Master (DM doesn't convey the gravitas like the full words do), and I still strive to be as good as he was.

As for age ranges, I find players of all ages. My sister's husband busted out his 1e books on me when he came for Christmas this year, and we ended up playing a couple of pickup games of 4e. He's 40, and I'm 26. I've got a couple of teenage nephews of one of my players who want to jump into it, but are both scared of first-time DMing. My group is composed of 25-32 year olds, most of whom have been playing since AD&D or BD&D, one of whom jumped in with 3, but we're all fans of 4e.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Ten years or so (since sometime in middle school).

I didn't realize a decade of experience made me a relative neophyte.

 

[Breschau of Livonia]

1981 or 82 - 4th or 5th grade. We had a snow day keeping us home from school. My neighbor showed me this game his brother got for Christmas but none of them could really figure out. D&D Basic set with the Otus cover. Such awesomeness. 25+ years! Eek!

Hopefully I'll be doing my part for the next generation of gamers - my two girls - 6 and 3 - love playing with "Daddy's playgroup's figures" and rolling d20s to see what happens. It helps Daddy is running a Star Wars game and the girls love Star Wars...

 

[Herschel]

I find the poll results so far kind of surprising. A relative neophyte at only 10 years I think maybe we need some young blood around here.

Too bad Christmas just passed, I'd order you a Sham-Wow for that moisture buildup behind your ears.

I have started 8 kids on the road to gaming, most before their 10th birthday, four before their 5th. My son's been gaming almost 15 years.

 

[Lidgar]

Started in '79 at age 11. I turned 40 just recently. So a little under 30 years.

About the same.

 

[Korgoth]

I started in 1981. I'm such a Johnny Come Lately!

Interestingly (and maybe this is why I turn into the Hulk whenever someone mentions "nostalgia"), my D&D of choice is OD&D (1974). I actually never played it as a youngster, though Moldvay's edition did stick closely to many (though not all) of OD&D's felicitous sensibilities.

 

[Eridanis]

It will be 26 years this spring. Seems like the length of an eyeblink.

 

[RFisher]

Hmm. If ENWorld were really a representative cross-section of the hobby, and if ENWorld polls were really a representative cross-section of ENWorld, I think this poll might be a strong argument that the ≤ 1983 Basic Sets really were a better introduction to the hobby than anything since.

^_^

 

[S'mon]

Hmm. If ENWorld were really a representative cross-section of the hobby, and if ENWorld polls were really a representative cross-section of ENWorld, I think this poll might be a strong argument that the ≤ 1983 Basic Sets really were a better introduction to the hobby than anything since.

^_^

Personally I got into RPGing via Fighting Fantasy and then 1e AD&D, but yes, I think it's undeniable that the 1983 Mentzer Red Box Basic D&D was by far the best introduction to RPGs, and certainly to D&D, ever published.