Game Table Interview: GM Bobby

I've played in a couple of GM Bobby's campaigns -- a GURPS/Twilight 2000 game, a Fading Suns campaign -- and enjoyed his take on military and political post-apocalyptic and space opera settings. Also, I've been following his ongoing reports on his Mutant Future campaign through his blog.

Without further ado, here's GM Bobby's response to the questionnaire:

What was the first RPG you remember playing?

The Holmes' Basic D&D set. 

Editor's Exposition
GM Bobby is referring to the D&D Basic Set edited by J. Eric Holmes. This preceded the D&D Basic Set edited by Tom Moldvay, with the Erol Otus cover. Both these sets came before the D&D Basic Rules Set 1 with the Elmore cover.

What was it about the hobby that made you want to continue playing?

Creativity. The best avenue for someone with so many ideas to express them and have others share them too. Reading all those science fiction and fantasy books helped too…

What was it about the hobby that made you want to run RPGs?

Reading all of the above( see last response) made me want to share these with other like-minded people in an interactive activity wherein all of us could have fun.

What 3 novels have most inspired the games you run? Why?

• Synthetic Men of Mars (Edgar Rice Burroughs) - all that swashbuckling, derring-do and weird science are a must have in my games in one form or another. this was also the first science fantasy adventure i read and really liked.
• Hammer Slammers (ok, this isn't strictly a novel but an collection of short stories of one subject by David Drake) - i always liked combat heavy games and Mr. Drake really brings the fighting men at war to life in an edgy way. They say my combats run like this when the setting is right.
• Elric of Melnibone ( Michael Moorcock) - all that interdimensional travelling, weird monsters, weirder characters and items, a brooding hero, large scale conflict. Again, these elements must be in my preferred games.

What 3 TV shows have most inspired the games you run? Why?

Can't think very much of this... movies were more of my inspiration. But if TV inspiration has to be selected, then stuff from the 70s and 80s I guess: Logan's run - the SF theme was really good: post-apoc adventurers running into/discovering a lot of weird stuff in post nuke America;The Rat Patrol - old stuff but the idea of wild men with guns in jeeps fighting like hell on wheels always appealed to me. I can only really think of those two for now....

What 3 movies have most inspired the games you run? Why?

Aliens - I played a lot of Traveller and traveller-inspired stuff so my military themed games always got a lot out of the tech, command structure, characters and uniforms of the marines on the Sulaco.

Star Wars - This was the first SF space opera movie I really took seriously as it has all the elements of a good game (my choice of SFRPG is space opera) - hyperdrive, laser swords, blasters and aliens in rubber suits.

Saving Private Ryan - This set the tone for many of the combats in my game (as I said, I love to run games that are very combat heavy). I also loved the character development and conflict buildup in the movie.

What is your favorite published RPG of all time, and why?

Classic Traveller. It is so simple yet so timeless. I see now it really isn't much about technology but about characters and space - the best of space opera.

What is your favorite published game supplement or adventure of all time, and why?

Book 4 (Mercenary) of Classic Traveller – I’ve read a lot of supplements and adventures but nothing captured my imagination then as it does now. I used to (and still do) take the tattered old little black book out of town to read on a bus (or later on a plane) and it still is great to read. It has everything great – adventure seeds and great guns and gear.

What RPG have you always wanted to play, but never got a chance to?

The Morrow Project. Heard so much about it and I love the genre and setting but sadly, never had the chance to play it.

What upcoming RPG releases are you looking forward to seeing?

The projected third edition of Fading Suns (if it does come out). More old school stuff on the lines of Mutant Future and Swords and Wizardry – as well as their supplements and adventures. Future issues of Fight On!