Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Gary Gygax, Dead at 69

Crave writes Gary Gygax, 1938-2008: Rest in peace, Dungeon Master "Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and one of the fathers of tabletop role-playing games, died on Tuesday at the age of 69. He had suffered from heart problems."

Jim Kerstetter in c|net writes a short Homage to the Man Behind Dungeons & Dragons.

One of you, you know who you are, has to make a dagger joke in the comments.

8 comments:

The Dad said...

Geez, I'm hoping that's not me.

I played D&D once. I determined that I wasn't enough of a geek to understand it. I don't feel like I've missed anything.

Howard said...

Play any recent fantasy computer game and I think you'll have a better experience. Let the computer do all the table lookups, that's what they're good at. 3D rendering is better than a sketch on paper (unless you're Ed) or small painted models on hex paper.

Howard said...

Oh yeah, get Zelda Twilight Princess for your Wii. You swing your sword by swinging your Wiimote.

Anonymous said...

I agree computers do the mechanics of gaming well, but most of the programs out there don't support the story telling or role paying aspects. And the recent shift to real-time games only makes it worse. So while I like a good hack-n-slash on the computer, I still play tabletop games.

Incidently I hear D&D v4 is supposed to address using modern technology for the mechanics as well as virtual table tops for grouping geographically separated people.

Karl

Anonymous said...

Sorry to keep you waiting

I don't think the current games while amazing on a different level can compete with the experience of being there in person and competing against a live DM. I don't care what game you are playing you are not going to here

Assassin character "What do you think I'm going to do kill you while you sleep?"

Soon to be dead character "No, I guess your right, he can take the first watch"

Assassin "I take out my handy dandy dagger and..."

Its kind of like a book vs a movie, the book is always better because it is how you imagine it, not how someone else interpreted it.

The second thing is how we have discussed in the past, the DM (dungeon master is what made the game). There is something about having the world and all the NPC controlled by a intelligent (Most of the time) mind rather then a computer that gave it the unique experience.

Third there is something much better about interacting and being with your actual friends then playing against to unknown person half way around the world.

Howard said...

I feel better now :)

Anonymous said...

Yeah. But nothing's better than having Starchman scream, "Rock, fireball... FireBall... FIREBALL! Dammit, Rocky..." while furiously clicking the mouse from the computer on the other side of the room. hehe.

Yay! My first HowardBlog™ post.

ed.

Anonymous said...

Oh. Happy Birthday, Karl!

(I know. I know. Off topic. But I noticed Karl was writing.)

ed.