TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Howdy!

As for a bio, I am working on an autobiography in fits and starts, still mainly recording what I recall from hy childhood. It isn't all that much fun to write, and with my gaming-related work load being what it is I wonder if i will ever get sround to completing the bio.

Ciao,
Gary

I keep telling you Gary you need a secretary like me to help out.
Ken

 

[Col_Pladoh]

I keep telling you Gary you need a secretary like me to help out.
Ken

Sure Ken...

If your shorthand speed is at 100 words a minute, and you don't mind working for a room, board, and $20 a week spending money, you git a jog

Heh,
Gary

 

[RFisher]

As someone who has designed a number of military miniatures rules sets, I could have made combat in the OAD&D game far more complex, including all manner of considerations for footing, elevation of the opponents, capacity to dodge, parrying skill, opponents using natural weapons, etc. Knowing that the game was not all about combat, I skipped as much of that as I could by having the main factors subsume lessers, ignoring the rest. It is a role-playing exercise where all manner of other game considerations come into play, not just fighting.

Well, sure. But wasn't the question asking why OAD&D combat wasn't more simple rather than why it wasn't more complex?

Instead of having both a to-hit roll and a damage roll, why not a single roll?

One thing that strikes me when I pull out my old D&D and Traveller books is how much you and Marc Miller--both veteran wargame designers--understood that roleplaying games needed an abstract combat system. There's a real contrast between those two games and e.g. The Fantasy Trip, which was really a miniatures skirmish game with roleplaying elements tacked on.

 

[sluggo the sleazebag]

all in the family

Hello again, Gary,

If you don't mind, I have a family question for you. From the accounts I've read, you playtested early versions of OD&D with your children to great success. I'm curious, how many of them still play D&D? Do you still DM any sessions for them? Have any of them worked on gaming publications and, if so, how does their work differ from your own?

Thanks,

Sluggo

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well, sure. But wasn't the question asking why OAD&D combat wasn't more simple rather than why it wasn't more complex?

Perhaps, but I read it as questioning the doubling up on AC and HP benefits in combat, and not have more realism in the system.

You are correct about the need for keeping combat abstract in the RPG. Every complication demands more rules and explanations, more time spent resolving combat, that's fine for a military or dueling simulation, but not in an RPG where there are so many other things to do besides killing things

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Hello again, Gary,

If you don't mind, I have a family question for you. From the accounts I've read, you playtested early versions of OD&D with your children to great success. I'm curious, how many of them still play D&D? Do you still DM any sessions for them? Have any of them worked on gaming publications and, if so, how does their work differ from your own?

Thanks,

Sluggo

Hola Sluggo!

All six of my children have played RPGs. the two eldest, Ernie and Elise did indeed serve as the first two play-testers of OD&D. Later daughters Heidi and Cindy played with me as the DM, also with their young brother Luke as the DM--who they told what to do until he came to me and I set him straight.

The girls never were captivated by gaming as were my boys. ther played for a short time only, relatively speaking. In fact I would recruit Heidi's boy friends to my AD&D campaign when we were living out in the country, and she got cross at me for having to wave goodnight to two or three ex-beaux AD&Ding in the living room with me when she was with a new boy friend going out on a date.

Sons Ernie and Luke wrote the Lost City of Gaxmoor D20 module a couple of years ago for Troll Lord Games. It definately shows the influence of my creative and DMing style. I had a lot of fun play-testing it. They have no plans for more such design, however, as Ernie works all the time now, is buying his own house soon, and Luke is in a job that keeps him very busy and relocating periodically, so he doesn't even get in miuch gaming.

Son Alex age 17 is still at home/ Heplays mainly computer games, although he enjoys participating in my LA game campaign on Thursday nights....when his school work allows it.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[edge3343]

Gary, I just got married last weekend and I was wondering what sagely advice you could offer a newly wedded RPGer?

 

[Drifter Bob]

Drifter Bob,

To cut to the chase here, for I haven't the time to spare for more point-by-point reply to so long a missive, in my considered opinion detailed "realistic" combat rules are a detriment to the RPG, not a benefit. There is already undue stress placed upon combat as the central theme of the game form, while it is in fact only one of several key elements. The designer would better serve the audience by stressing the other elements than would be dine by spending yet more content space on detailing fighting.

Cheers,
Gary

Gary, thanks for responding, and for your patience with my heretical ideas. I don't mind you not going through point by point, I thought you might appreciate some of the historical data. I'm sorry I'm so long winded.

Regarding realism in RPG's, I guess we disagree. I do believe combat is abstracted, but reality can lend us the best, most intuitive, most internally consistant mechanics. As for the combat focus of most rpg's, I agree (i thnk this is a legacy of DnDs evolution from wargames, though you could address that much better than I!) but I think, while complexity must be reigned in, realistic mechanics such as those in combat, can be interpreted and applied to the game. I'd see the combat mechanics, when well done, as a good place to start for many other things.

One sort of example of this perhaps is the Dying Earth RPG, where they put this persuasion / rebuttal system where people can convince each other of things, (like in the cugel stories in particular) with a kind of a competetive dynamic. Not realistic per say but with a real-feeling mechanic, IMHO, which makes things more fun. I'd like to see more of this kind of stuff brought into more RPGs for everything from Thief (sorry, rogue) abilities, to spell research, wilderness survival... any number of others.

If done right this can actually enhance role playing rather than getting in the way, which happens if too much complexity is allowed to creep in, always a danger.

DB

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Edge3343, Congratulations!

With a beautiful bride like that the only thing I can suggest that you don't know already is this: Pay more attention to her than to gaming If she doesn't like RPGing, keep your own down to the "one night a week our with the boys" level until you can win her over to the fold. If she is already a gamer, you are twice lucky, amigo...

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Howdy Drifter Bob,

When a search for realistic combat mechanics begins, the challenge of devising a system that meets the "realism" required (that measure being totally subjective) that does not extend the time and effort necessary to resolve the matter becomes highly problematic.

Having rules that require players' characters to do something that the player does not wish seems to me to be the antithesis of role-playing--aside from the compulsions of the occasional casting of magic spells that force such compliance and where saving throws are allowed.

None the less, individual taste can not be disputed. Good luck in your quest for the perfect combat resolution system. If you devise something that meets that measure broadly, it will likely revolutionize the whole of the approach to RPGs. However, any rules governing how a character must specifically act in key situations move the game system away from role-playing.

Cheers,
Gary