The Internet's influence on your gaming experiences

[JoeBlank]

I am also in the category of "without the internet I probably would not be gaming now."

I learned of 3.0 from the internet, and managed to interest my old group into starting up a game. Within a couple months of this plan, one of the players moved away, and another who was very interested already lived miles away. We discovered WebRPG, and then OpenRPG, and kept our game going.

When our games became less frequent, and I developed a strong desire for the feel of real dice in my hands, I found my "in person" group through EN World. Strange that without the internet I would never have met a group that games about 15 minutes from my house.

 

[Andre]

1970's: Keep in mind that the OGL didn't exist in the 70's, so a lot of the products and websites we take for granted now wouldn't exist. Or the authors would be constantly getting sued by TSR. I think it's likely that TSR would have created their own website to promote the game, but I doubt they would have given much material away for free.

1990's: I wouldn't be into the game as much as I am. I get so many good ideas (and a lot of my "fix") from the web. Gaming only every other week doesn't do it otherwise. I also wouldn't have spent nearly so much money in the past three years!

 

[ColonelHardisson]

A great question. I began playing in 1979, at age 13. If I'd had the internet to use as a gaming resource then:

* As Henry said, I'd have known the rules better.

* My game group and I would've been able to determine more quickly what would work as a house rule and what wouldn't, due to the ability to bounce ideas off a multitude of other players who had maybe tried the same thing. We tried a lot of house rules.

* Getting to correspond with Gygax on a regular basis would've profoundly affected us, I think. He was a semi-mythical figure to us back then.

* Having access to errata and fixes for screwed up game rules would have helped ease some of our confusion when stuff like that cropped up.

* We'd have been exposed/had access to games from smaller companies than TSR; even relatively big name games like Runequest were tough to get hold of, since our only outlet for RPGs at the time were chain bookstores like Waldenbooks.

* We'd have been able to locate more players in our area. It seemed like we only found them by accident.

Overall, it would have been a very positive thing.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I never would have read Alarums & Excursions -- of course, it probably never would have come into existence.

If the internet didn't exist now, I'd probably still be reading A&E, and a bunch of other magazines every month.


Carl

That's a great point. They tried to fill the niche the internet gaming community fills now, in a lower-tech way.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

How would your early (70s-80s) gaming experiences have been different if there had been an Internet like today?

How would your current (90's-00s [especially 00s]) gaming experiences be different if there was no Internet?

Quasqueton

1. I don't think I'd have felt like a lone wolf DM for my first few years. I would have branched out into other game systems a lot faster, but come back to D&D a lot faster. I would have a much larger collection of 1E products because they would have flooded the market faster then.

2. I wouldn't be gaming I suspect.

 

[Teflon Billy]

How would your early (70s-80s) gaming experiences have been different if there had been an Internet like today?

How would your current (90's-00s [especially 00s]) gaming experiences be different if there was no Internet?

Quasqueton

I took advertising at more "Face Value" back in those days. If something was described a certain way by it's publishers, I assumed that is the way the product would be (thought Cal oof Cthulu was an "Indian Jones-esque" game)

I assumed that games--if they had made it to print--were going to be good (Despite such contrary examples as Other Suns and Aftermath).

I had a wierd ideas about the concept of "Celebrity" (I still can't make myself talk to Eric Hotz at local cons on account of his "Fame" )

 

[Teflon Billy]

* Getting to correspond with Gygax on a regular basis would've profoundly affected us, I think. He was a semi-mythical figure to us back then.

God...ain't that the truth.

 

[Virel]

How would your early (70s-80s) gaming experiences have been different if there had been an Internet like today?

It would have been much easier to find other groups that were into AD&D. There would have been crosspollennation more often. It would have been so much easier to come up with ideas as it wouldn't have been necessary to read as much looking for neat ideas from authors. My players would have had much better hand outs than the crap I drew for them.

How would your current (90's-00s [especially 00s]) gaming experiences be different if there was no Internet?

Quasqueton

Since my pre-intergroup is still around plays today, that wouldn't have changed. We still play OAD&D. They would still be getting my crappy hand drawn maps. There wouldn't bee excellent art work online to swipe for my OAD&D game. I'd be back to reading massive amounts looking for decent ideas instead of tapping into the "collective". I wouldn't have been able to find the 3e group I play with now. I would really miss the 3e group.

The net is a very good thing for all versions of the game.

 

[fusangite]

My GMing style has become more research-focused over the years as the internet has made the process more convenient. I think I would probably have started on a research-oriented world-building approach much earlier had the 'net been there.