Gaming
I've updated the title of this section to "Gaming", as it is a broader title that better describes what's here. Originally, this section was completely devoted to Role Playing games and associated subject matter. It now also covers other gaming interests of mine, such as board games, computer games, and so forth.
Every Generation has their crazes, Some are more fun than others. While Role Playing may not be the era defining fad like Disco and the 1970's, or growing immense amounts of hair was in the 1960's, it has definitely affected my generation.
Role Playing has always existed in the world, Children role play when they play cops and robbers. Adults role play when they dress in costumes and go to Themed Parties (See SCA History for a themed party).
"Ever since I was a young Kid, I played the silver ball, From Soho down to Brighton, I must have Played them All"
-- The Who, Tommy
History
Role Playing Games first showed up on the scene in 1974, with the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. D&D was strongly rooted in turn based table-top war gamming, but introduced a level of definition in the individual "characters" that people played that resulted in more interactivity between players and the referee.
Instead of having a set encounter area, where the players simply moved their tokens about to create the best tactical advantage, the game focused on setting up storylines, having players intereact with each other and the Game Master, and resolving conflicts (often in the encounter areas mentioned above) sometimes without resort to moving their tokens to the best tactical spots and rolling dice.
My Involvement
I started playing Role Playing Games in the Early 1980's with my introduction to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I've played many games since then, ran more than a few modules, created my own "Campaign" settings, and even done some work on creating my own games.
What I'm doing here is presenting anything and everything related to Role Playing. This includes the storylines I've created (both for games and written stories), tips on how to run and play a better game, comments on game mechanics, and galleries of miniatures I've painted. All because of my fascination with shiny multi-faceted objects, on-the-fly virtual reality simulations and creative conflict resolution systems.
