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.

 

[Deogolf]

I'm in need of a pity party so I'm going to post this thing I wrote here. If it annoys anyone please please ignore it. Also, I don't know why I picked this thread, I've been keeping up with it for some time now, thats the only guess I can come up with..:\



I play D&D or maybe I should say I played D&D. I feel that I’m stuck in a void in the world of gaming, stuck in an empty nothing between the hardcore gamer kiddies and the infinite knowledge and experience of the old gamers of the world. I need some great new D&D friends, ones that want to make memories, ones that want to take gamming seriously and live out an adventure through their characters, people that want to put feeling, passion, and emotion into their gamming experience. Do these people exist? Are there more people than the ones that want to make the strongest instead of the interesting? Are there people that want more than to just show off that they know more and that they’re the best? Are there people that want to do more than just sit around giggling, not knowing what’s going on that will actually imagine the D&D presented to them? Are there people that want their gamming make them want to sometimes cheer, or sometimes cry or sometimes feel guilty? Are there people that want to bring their character to life and give them a well rounded personality, with flaws and quirks, and more than one side, someone that might not always do the same thing in every situation but keeping in mind where the character’s heart is? Are there people that aren’t showoffs? Are there people that aren’t afraid to act out their character instead of the character acting out the player? Are there people that aren’t afraid to open their hearts and stop being shy and aren’t afraid to try things? Are there people out there that I can relate to? I hope so…

Ever try the theatre??

 

[gideon_thorne]

Ever try the theatre??

LOL!

Who takes a game serious?

 

[Rakin]

Ever try the theatre??

Haha, no I haven't and I don't think I could "act" act . I have read books that have given me so much emotion, I don't see why D&D can't do the same, and thats just it maybe there's a reason and I just don't see it.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Ever try the theatre??

Gary

 

[Deogolf]

Haha, no I haven't and I don't think I could "act" act . I have read books that have given me so much emotion, I don't see why D&D can't do the same, and thats just it maybe there's a reason and I just don't see it.

I think you're looking for a good DM. Good DMs are able to make things come alive and almost seem real! But, if you're trying to find a whole group that's like that, you're probably going to come up empty! Not everyone wants to be an extrovert and act out everything.
Good luck in your search though!!

 

[Rakin]

Hmm well, I am the DM....I guess that means I need to do some work then. Thanks for helping me realize. Also, I'm not really a game nazi, I know how to have fun get out of character to make jokes and th...hmm nevermind, thanks for the tips and advice. Sorry to put a wrinkle in such a great thread.

 

[Nathan P. Mahney]

Thanks for the answer Gary; I figured you must have had contact with Steve and Ian at some point given their distribution of D&D in the UK, but that was much cooler than I was expecting! It's also cool to get some indication that they (and your good self) are seemingly nice guys.

As for a GW/TSR team-up - wow! The mind boggles... I've no doubt that Steve and Ian would have been good on the business side of things, given the bucketloads of cash they made for themselves in the 80s.

 

[haakon1]

I need some great new D&D friends, ones that want to make memories, ones that want to take gamming seriously and live out an adventure through their characters, people that want to put feeling, passion, and emotion into their gamming experience.

I feel bad for you, dude. I don't know if precisely what you describe exists, but there are gamers who are VERY serious about the game, and very into playing the character "right" instead of winning the game. It's best to have a mix of both, I find. Any player who pays attention and cares is a good player, IMO.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Ciao!

As the principal reason to play a game is entertainment, whatever best provides that for the group engaged in play of the game is what is best for those concerned. What more can be said in that regard?

It needs be noted that the GM is a part of the group and needs to be equally amused and entertained, perhaps a bit more than any ohter single person therein because of his efforts on behalf of the players.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Aluvial]

Greyhawk Deities

I'm curious to know how some of the Hero-Deities or Quasi-Deities received their status in Greyhawk.

When the pantheon was created, I'm sure that Greater through Intermediate Gods, and even Demi-Gods were created from scratch. But I've had the feeling that the Hero-Gods and Quasi-Deities had ascended.

Can you tell us how you allowed the ascention of these great heroes! Did any evil NPC's ascend as a result/balance of the PC's ascentions?

Thanks,

Aluvial