So, what did all the cool RPG designers do, originally?

[Aus_Snow]

No, seriously.

Just wondering what some of the good, great or just plain interesting RPG creators/designers/developers/whatever used to do, before they did that.

Or what else they still do, or did, in a simultaneous kinda way.

Just what ingredients [in terms of skills and experiences, here, and particularly job-wise] do go into forming all these RPG makers or uh, 'perfecters'?

Maybe there'll be some pattenrs here. . . hm. . .

 

[CharlesRyan]

Not sure if I really qualify for this thread, but about the time I published my first RPG my day job was as a land planner at a civil engineering firm.

Other than a that two-year stint (and a couple college jobs), it's been all games all the time. When not designing or editing, I've been handling the production, business, or marketing side.

For--holy moly!--18 years now!

 

[Jonny Nexus]

Given that RPG designing is a sort of geekish thing to do (no offence intended - I consider myself to be a geek) I'd say that you can always go with the best guess for a geek's employment:

Something to do with computers.

You'll probably be right about 50% of the time.

 

[pawsplay]

I wrote Unorthodox Barbarians and I did science advising on Dawning Star. In real life, I'm studying to be a counselor. I used to be a network analyst.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Like Charles, I'm not sure if I qualify, but I was an English major in college and then I was in sales for several years before finally getting into gaming on a professional basis.

 

[Mercule]

Like Charles, I'm not sure if I qualify,

You need to read a book, man.

 

[Glyfair]

Given that RPG designing is a sort of geekish thing to do (no offence intended - I consider myself to be a geek) I'd say that you can always go with the best guess for a geek's employment:

Something to do with computers.

You'll probably be right about 50% of the time.

I know you'd be right with Keith Baker. He used to work for a company called Magnet with a good friend of mine, who was my main GM for several years.

 

[Hellcow]

I know you'd be right with Keith Baker. He used to work for a company called Magnet with a good friend of mine, who was my main GM for several years.

It's true, though to be honest, I never expected to get into computer games - it was just a chance opportunity. I'd always been interested in roleplaying and board games, and wanted to be an RPG writer, though I didn't know how you got the job. In college I majored in English and creative writing, and got a group organized that did interactive literature and other wacky things. After graduating I said "Hmm, how do you do RPGs?" and then an opportunity opened up at Magnet, so I worked at Magnet, then at a place called VR1 in Colorado. Over this time, I answered some open called and started doing freelance writing for folks like Atlas and Goodman Games. Eventually I got sick of computer games being cancelled in beta and quit, hoping I could make a go of the freelance stuff - and then Eberron came along.

I still do freelance computer game work, but it was an unexpected thing at first.

Who's your old GM, Gkyfair?

 

[Mark]

Maybe there'll be some pattenrs here. . . hm. . .

I predict a great number with have some sort of background in gaming as a hobby. I know, I know, perhaps a bit of a leap, but I am sticking to my guns on this one.

 

[Erik Mona]

Before joining the staff of Wizards of the Coast in 1999 as the RPGA's Global Publications Coordinator, I worked in consumer public relations for one of the largest PR firms in the Midwest.

Before that I got my BFA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing (with an emphasis in publishing) at Emerson College in Boston.

--Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo Publishing