Many of our gaming-oriented discussions normally deviate into gaming nostalgia, so it's with eagerness that I present his responses to my questionnaire:
What was the first RPG you remember playing?
The Holmes Dungeons and Dragons boxed set; the one where only the first 3 levels were available.
What was it about the hobby that made you want to continue playing?
The hobby allowed me to imagine worlds of my own and challenged me to make each world better than the last. I found myself enjoying everything I experienced in life on two levels: first for its own sake and second as material for my next world-building project.
What was it about the hobby that made you want to run RPGs?
The hobby is first and foremost a social activity and I found that it allowed me to forge bonds with my players that no other hobby could, except maybe experiencing being shipwrecked on a desert island--but that's not a hobby as far as I'm concerned; that's Gilligan's Island.
What 3 novels have most inspired the games you run? Why?
Le Mort D'Arthur -- this started me on the 'knights in shining armor' bit; The Lord of the Rings -- this started me on the world-building bit; and The Mists of Avalon -- this got me started on the twisting expectations bit.
What 3 TV shows have most inspired the games you run? Why?
Star Trek (all shows) - this showed me that there was more to adventure than simply slaying the monster of the week--sometimes it is even more fun to just talk to them; The Twilight Zone (original) - this showed me that even though it may be fun to talk to the monster of the week, it is sometimes a good idea to simply slay them; Farscape - this showed me that sometimes the characters can come up with their own drama that is more interesting than meeting the monster of the week.
What 3 movies have most inspired the games you run? Why?
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: the epic scale of the movie inspires me to build my worlds on a similar scale; The Princess Bride and Stardust (taken as a series): the wit and humor of the series informs the way I run my Non Player Characters; The Matrix: the idea that reality is not what is seems appeals to me and is often a theme in the games I run.
What is your favorite published RPG of all time, and why?Castle Falkenstein: because it combines adventure with romance and a non-intrusive lightweight system that favors story over mechanics.
What is your favorite published game supplement or adventure of all time, and why?
Sorcerer's Crusade: unlike its parent book Mage the Ascension, this supplement opened the players up to wonder and exploration and explored what it meant to be awakened instead of making the life of the character one desperate escape after another.
What RPG have you always wanted to play, but never got a chance to?
Warhammer Fantasy
What upcoming RPG releases are you looking forward to seeing?
Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.
While a bit new to PnP RPGs myself, I must say that the DnD "Red Box" does have a certain reputation for introducing a great number of players to the game. They announced a new Red Box for 4th Edition (which also only goes up to level 3) - I would want to see how that works out for the new generation of gamers.
ReplyDeleteAh, and the 5th Edition DnD made me lol. :P
-beej! (in my Vampire Kitten persona)