How long have you played D&D?

[shock the monkey]

Since 1979, starting with the Steading of the Hill Giant Chief (and first level charcaters, no less!). We were ten. We had no idea how THACO or the initiative system worked, but man, we had a hell of a lot of fun.

 

[CockyWriter]

Too. Damn. Long.

10 years.

 

[Virel]

With about 260 votes in the poll, I think it is very interesting that only about 26 players that voted picked up the game in the last ~10 years. That would be about 10% of those that voted. The last ten years are about 1/3 of the time covered by the poll.

Think it's interesting that ~ ten years ago around 1995 give or take a little was when TSR really started to implode?

 

[Virel]

Likewise, during the Golden Area of around 1980-1985 it appears about ~105 of those that voted of the 260 (at the time of this post) started playing D&D or OAD&D. That would be about 40% of those that voted!

This poll is enlighting as I would not have guessed that many of the folks playing started back when I did! ....and probably with 1st ed AD&D

 

[T. Foster]

I like the one-year increments. Look at the wacky spikes: 10, 15, 20 and 25 years ago. Is that just people rounding off or did something happen in those periods to bring in a new wave of players?

It's probably just people rounding, but also 15 years ago (1989-90) was the release of 2E AD&D, 20 years ago (1984-85) was approximately the release of the 'Mentzer edition' D&D boxed sets (which actually started in 1983, but close enough), and 25 years ago (1979-80) was about the time when D&D (with the Holmes edition boxed set and the first three 1E AD&D hardbacks) first started to gain mass popularity outside of the existing wargaming community. No idea what could be causing a spike 10 years ago (1994-95)...

 

[Orius]

I've only been playing for 11 years at this point. I may have missed the good old days, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the game.

 

[resscane]

SO from this limited survey, it would seem that almost 50% of rpgamers started playing between the years of 1978 to 1985. Wow. I'm sure we can all draw some conclusions about the future of our beloved hobby .., When I'm old, I hope my kids stick me in a home for the aged gamer. That would rock. My life would have come full circle. D&D all day, except for feedings and such

 

[Insight]

Wasn't sure exactly when I started, but then I remembered I got the Red Box set the same Christmas as the Dark Tower board game. A quick google search tells me Dark Tower was released in 1981, so its 24+ years.

YAY! I remember Dark Tower!

I started when I was 12, so that's um... 1983! Started with the expert set strangely enough, but that's what my friends were using. Eventually got my own red set and went from there. First adventure was Isle of Dread, then went through B2-B4. Never played in B1 as a player.

Probably my two fondest memories from way back when:

1. Ravenloft. That module was so radically different from everything else available at the time. Simply amazing.

2. I remember going to my first 'game store'. They had all of the modules on one wall. We would go down and stare at all the covers and wonder what was inside. Good times.

One regret - I went to all-homebrew too soon. Never played the Slavers series, the Giants series, or the Drow series.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

SO from this limited survey, it would seem that almost 50% of rpgamers started playing between the years of 1978 to 1985.

More like, 50% of ENWorld. And even then, the whole community hasn't voted...if you did this poll at the WotC boards, I'd bet the numbers would scew much much lower.

Its another little way of showing that ENWorld is definitely not a good example of the hobby as a whole. We've mostly only got the older end of community instead of a mix. Not that I'm complaining, of course.

 

[loki44]

25 years. Started in 1979 with a DM who used the little white boxed set, but we quickly moved to AD&D. Played AD&D straight through the 80's. Ran a 2e Al-Qadim campaign for a couple of years. Didn't play much at all during the 90's. Started getting back into the swing of things around 2000. Played a little 3e then 3.5. Now I've come full circle and I'm playing in a game with a DM using the little white box. Go figure.