Not Your Father's D&D

[diaglo]

Vader: Obi-Wan never told you what your father's D&D was.

Luke: He told me enough. He told me you killed his character.

Vader: I am the dungeon master.

Luke: Nooooo!

Vader: Search your heart, Luke. You know this to be true.


Sorry about this 'diaglo' moment. Couldn't resist.

ROFLMAO...

 

[Mercule]

I'm a first gen gamer. Technically, I was taught by a friend, but practically, I taught myself. Been gaming since 1983ish, when I was 10.

My parents do not and have never gamed, or been interested in gaming. My eldest daughter, on the other hand, would love to game with us. She's required to at least learn to read, first. I suspect the other two girls will want to game, too.

 

[ThirdWizard]

How old were you when you started playing? 11? I can't recall exactly, but it was around '92. 1st ED, though, because that's what we had, even though I'm pretty sure 2E was out. I switched to 2E when PlaneScape came out in '94 so I could use it without hassle.
How often did you play? Once a week or so. Sometimes multiple times a week
What did you like best about the game when young? The intricate plots I would design
Were you ever taught to run the game or create adventures? No. I started with only the books
Did you find any gaming materials hard to read or difficult to understand? Nope
Now that you are grown, do you plan on teaching your own kids to play D&D? Kids?? Lemme find a girl first.
What would you do differently? The same?

I play almost exactly the same as I did when I started playing. My first adventure had flowcharts for crying out loud. It had polics and traveling the world, and I miss it. I still have a binder that has notes and adventures from my very first campaign. I basically played exactly the same until around '01 or so, when I made gaining XP much more freeform, largest change to date.

My best friend just had a boy, and at 1 1/2 years, he's learning to roll dice and move miniatures about. When he's not just throwing them and banging them on things, of course. His wife is none too thrilled at the idea of us turning him into a geek, but its in the blood, I tells ya. You can't deny who you are. He does love to pick up the DM screen, though, because it always gets a reaction out of me. Yep, he's a natural born player.

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

I'm technically both.

I learned to play in the early 70s, from the original (ask Diaglo which ones) books. They were brought back from some miniatures convention by the priest and a nun in my catholic school. She ran a game for those of us who earned Friday Free Time as an optional activity. It was 4th grade, I was eight years old, and I ran a Fighting Man named Random (I had been reading Amber) who lasted until he opened the third door with a mighty kick and was peppered with Goblin Arrows. I started the next character as soon as she had the attention to spare.

>> How old were you when you started playing?

As stated above, eight.

>> How often did you play?

Once a week, on Friday from 12:30 til 3.

>> What did you like best about the game when young?

I was heavily getting into fantasy literature, and this was a form of structured make-believe. I loved the storytelling aspect.

>> Were you ever taught to run the game or create adventures?

I asked for the books for Christmas. Santa had connections in Lake Geneva, apparently. I was DMing by spring.

>> Did you find any gaming materials hard to read or difficult to understand?

I was reading Zelazny at eight, and had started devouring fiction when I was four. At five, I had completed Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land. I've never had trouble reading anything. But I am a atypical case.

>> Now that you are grown, do you plan on teaching your own kids to play D&D?

They've been part of my group since they were able to read and explain chargen to me. Oldest son, now 19 and engaged to be married, started at eight. His brother, now fifteen, was a year earlier. They were always around the table with us (My wife is in my group as well) as infants, and before they were born (she refused to miss sessions just because she was eight months pregnant. )

>> What would you do differently? The same?

I have no regrets, at all. And no plan to ever stop.

 

[howandwhy99]

Wow! 3 generations! I'm really digging this thread.

I guess to clarify, I meant: "Since you were taught by your parents/adults and you plan to teach your kids, then what would you do differently / do the same?" But the questions were meant more as suggestions anyways.