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*Dungeons & Dragons
The Dueling Essays of Arneson & Gygax
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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 7798274" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p>A <a href="https://kotaku.com/dungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834" target="_blank">recent article</a> and <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=33330X911644&isjs=1&jv=3.22.3-stackpath&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fkotaku.com%2Fdungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2Fondemand%2Fsobfinal&xguid=9d5431ec61d6fe1f2d4b9a23ce178a63&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=8d6ef635bfbf199030e90d9917b4b38a&xcust=kotaku.com%3A1837516834" target="_blank">documentary</a> about Dave Arneson's involvement in Dungeons & Dragons shares a different perspective on the game's creation, with a particular emphasis on Rob Kuntz's testimony. Some of it contradicts what Gary Gygax positioned as D&D's origins. Fortunately we can read what both designers thoughts in their very own words -- published in the same book.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]113572[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/rob-kuntz-recounts-the-origins-of-d-d.666966/post-7795823" target="_blank">Alzrius pointed out</a> that both Arneson and Gygax contributed essays to Lawrence Schick's <a href="https://amzn.to/2MMQLE4" target="_blank">Heroic Worlds</a>. What's startling is how their essays contradict each other just pages apart.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/2MMQLE4" target="_blank">Heroic Worlds</a>, published in 1991, was an attempt to catalog every tabletop role-playing games publication. It was a massive undertaking that was possible only because of the limited scope of the hobby. Thanks to electronic publishing, the Open Game License, and the Internet, tabletop gaming products have exploded -- <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/metal.php" target="_blank">DriveThruRPG has over 30,000 products alone</a> -- making it impossible to produce a book of this scope ever again. It also provides a snapshot in time of the thoughts of various game designers, including Steve Jackon, Jennell Jaquays, Tom Moldavy, Sandy Petersen, Ken St. Andre, Michael Stackpole, Greg Stafford, Erick Wujcik and more.</p><p></p><p>Arneson kicks off the D&D controversy on page 131:</p><p></p><p>Gygax follows up on the origins of D&D in a short one-page essay on the very next page:</p><p></p><p>This point is disputed by RPG archivist, Paul Stromberg, in the Kotaku article, "<a href="https://kotaku.com/dungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834" target="_blank">Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax</a>":</p><p></p><p>This perspective is shared by Arneson himself in his first essay:</p><p></p><p>Arneson's perspective on the game industry comes through in the other essays scattered throughout the book. Here's his version of how Blackmoor came about:</p><p></p><p>Here's Arneson's thoughts on writing a scenario:</p><p></p><p>And finally here's what Arneson thought of the game industry:</p><p></p><p>Gygax's thoughts on the subject of D&D are well-known; Arneson's less so, and Heroic Worlds is a trove of his perspective on tabletop gaming and publishing, undoubtedly informed by his legal tussles with TSR. The difference between Arenson and Gygax's approach to gaming is starkly illustrated in their essays. And yet, despite their long and sometimes antagonistic history, Gygax ends his essay on a hopeful note:</p><p></p><p>Did Gygax mean "we'll" instead of "he'll"? Gygax ends the essay with our only answer: Who knows?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 7798274, member: 3285"] A [URL='https://kotaku.com/dungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834']recent article[/URL] and [URL='https://go.skimresources.com/?id=33330X911644&isjs=1&jv=3.22.3-stackpath&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fkotaku.com%2Fdungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2Fondemand%2Fsobfinal&xguid=9d5431ec61d6fe1f2d4b9a23ce178a63&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=8d6ef635bfbf199030e90d9917b4b38a&xcust=kotaku.com%3A1837516834']documentary[/URL] about Dave Arneson's involvement in Dungeons & Dragons shares a different perspective on the game's creation, with a particular emphasis on Rob Kuntz's testimony. Some of it contradicts what Gary Gygax positioned as D&D's origins. Fortunately we can read what both designers thoughts in their very own words -- published in the same book. [CENTER][ATTACH type="full" alt="heroicworlds.jpg"]113572[/ATTACH][/CENTER] [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/rob-kuntz-recounts-the-origins-of-d-d.666966/post-7795823']Alzrius pointed out[/URL] that both Arneson and Gygax contributed essays to Lawrence Schick's [URL='https://amzn.to/2MMQLE4']Heroic Worlds[/URL]. What's startling is how their essays contradict each other just pages apart. [URL='https://amzn.to/2MMQLE4']Heroic Worlds[/URL], published in 1991, was an attempt to catalog every tabletop role-playing games publication. It was a massive undertaking that was possible only because of the limited scope of the hobby. Thanks to electronic publishing, the Open Game License, and the Internet, tabletop gaming products have exploded -- [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/metal.php']DriveThruRPG has over 30,000 products alone[/URL] -- making it impossible to produce a book of this scope ever again. It also provides a snapshot in time of the thoughts of various game designers, including Steve Jackon, Jennell Jaquays, Tom Moldavy, Sandy Petersen, Ken St. Andre, Michael Stackpole, Greg Stafford, Erick Wujcik and more. Arneson kicks off the D&D controversy on page 131: Gygax follows up on the origins of D&D in a short one-page essay on the very next page: This point is disputed by RPG archivist, Paul Stromberg, in the Kotaku article, "[URL='https://kotaku.com/dungeons-deceptions-the-first-d-d-players-push-back-1837516834']Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax[/URL]": This perspective is shared by Arneson himself in his first essay: Arneson's perspective on the game industry comes through in the other essays scattered throughout the book. Here's his version of how Blackmoor came about: Here's Arneson's thoughts on writing a scenario: And finally here's what Arneson thought of the game industry: Gygax's thoughts on the subject of D&D are well-known; Arneson's less so, and Heroic Worlds is a trove of his perspective on tabletop gaming and publishing, undoubtedly informed by his legal tussles with TSR. The difference between Arenson and Gygax's approach to gaming is starkly illustrated in their essays. And yet, despite their long and sometimes antagonistic history, Gygax ends his essay on a hopeful note: Did Gygax mean "we'll" instead of "he'll"? Gygax ends the essay with our only answer: Who knows? [/QUOTE]
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