RIP: Gary Gygax

Blacklight · 03-04-08, 10:29 PM

For those of us nerds who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons.. this is a sad day.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080304/ap_en_ot/obit_gygax

Without Gary Gygax, I wouldn't be here at Subsim. I started playing Dungeons & Dragons when I was 12 back when the game was just a bunch of printed pamphlets and paper dice called "chits" and when we used a supliment called "Chainmail" for combat. It was playing Dungeons & Dragons that led me to love games. It led me to other games including wargames which in turn led me to simulations, which in turn led me to here.
There is hardly an area in my hobby of game collecting that this man didn't influence.
Gygax was also an avid wargamer (And actually prefered playing wargames over D&D). He also designed several wargames/miniatures rules and is credited on several more.
He was one of the most influential men in the gaming industry and he will be missed.

fatty · 03-04-08, 11:15 PM

Failed his fortitude throw vs. finger of death

Rest in peace Gary.

Torplexed · 03-05-08, 01:24 AM

A familar name although I was never big into D&D, I was fond of a lot of TSR and GDW (Game Designers Workshop) titles. I'm sure they're wearing black armbands at Wizards of the Coast tonight.

03-05-08, 01:32 AM

The Geek God is dead

I played my 1st DnD game back in 1982 and I'm still playing now

Iron Budokan · 03-05-08, 08:17 AM

Sad news indeed.

sonar732 · 03-05-08, 08:49 AM

Oh the memories of taking graph paper, which was suppose to be bought for elementary and junior high math, and creating dungeon maps. I would have to agree that this started my love of RP games and general strategy games. If I didn't get involved in D&D, there wouldn't have been C64 D&D Pool of Radiance which was the demise of me playing the Ultima series stopping at Ultima IV.

GEEKTUM LIVES!

SUBMAN1 · 03-05-08, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darius359au

The Geek God is dead

I played my 1st DnD game back in 1982 and I'm still playing now

I never did get into playing DnD much, I only tried it a couple times, but I have the books. If I could produce an original set of the Basic rules and an original set of the Expert rules, and even come up with the original Advanced rules including at least two monster manuals, a demigod manual, and something else (forget what it is), do you think they would be worth anything? I think I have all that stuff in storage.

A friend left his advanced rules (all hard bound books) at my house about 25 years ago (a guesstimate of time) when and I have no clue where 'he' would even be in this world today. I figured I'd give it back to him if I ever ran across him again, but I'm tired of storing it. I'd say 20 to 25 years of free storage is long enough? Time to collect on the interest for that storage!

I doubt any of these things are worth anything today, but sometimes you never know. Some crazy collector probably wants them somewhere.

-S

03-05-08, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Quote:

Originally Posted by darius359au

The Geek God is dead

I played my 1st DnD game back in 1982 and I'm still playing now

I never did get into playing DnD much, I only tried it a couple times, but I have the books. If I could produce an original set of the Basic rules and an original set of the Expert rules, and even come up with the original Advanced rules including at least two monster manuals, a demigod manual, and something else (forget what it is), do you think they would be worth anything? I think I have all that stuff in storage.

A friend left his advanced rules (all hard bound books) at my house about 25 years ago (a guesstimate of time) when and I have no clue where 'he' would even be in this world today. I figured I'd give it back to him if I ever ran across him again, but I'm tired of storing it. I'd say 20 to 25 years of free storage is long enough? Time to collect on the interest for that storage!

I doubt any of these things are worth anything today, but sometimes you never know. Some crazy collector probably wants them somewhere.

-S

You could get some money for them on Ebay , or better yet try to sell them at a Convention ,most of that stuff collectable.

Wolfehunter · 03-05-08, 11:54 PM

My father used to whine that I would waste too much time playing a stupid game with my buddies for years.

We would spend days and nights till our eyes couldn't count the dice properly.

Today I'm still a gamer at 35 and a proud father. I will play till my last breath.

Mr. Gygax thank you. I'm sure your still slaying many dragons and looting many crypts. May the gods have granted you a place by there side.

Best wishes Gary.

Blacklight · 03-06-08, 12:49 AM

Quote:

My father used to whine that I would waste too much time playing a stupid game with my buddies for years.

For something that has given you enjoyment for all those years, spending that money was worth it. That's the way I look at it.

It may not have gone into investments or into college funds, but those purchases meant over 25 years of enjoyment and fun filled moments that I will remember all my life. If my wife and I ever have kids, I hope to pass on D&D to my kids someday.

Real games are made of paper and imagination. Not played on a video screen.

Wolfehunter · 03-06-08, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blacklight

Quote:

My father used to whine that I would waste too much time playing a stupid game with my buddies for years.

For something that has given you enjoyment for all those years, spending that money was worth it. That's the way I look at it.

It may not have gone into investments or into college funds, but those purchases meant over 25 years of enjoyment and fun filled moments that I will remember all my life. If my wife and I ever have kids, I hope to pass on D&D to my kids someday.

Real games are made of paper and imagination. Not played on a video screen.

Aye mate. I'm taking my daughter this summer to buy her first dice set.

Pulling out all my old books and I, my wife and my little girl are going to have some family fun.

Blacklight · 03-06-08, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Aye mate. I'm taking my daughter this summer to buy her first dice set.

Pulling out all my old books and I, my wife and my little girl are going to have some family fun.

Man that's awesome !! You are accomplishing one of my life goals !!!

Me, the wife, her brother, and a couple other people play Paranoia (The absolute funiest RPG I ever played) here every Saturday Night. We've been doing so for years.

Wolfehunter · 03-06-08, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blacklight

Quote:

Aye mate. I'm taking my daughter this summer to buy her first dice set.

Pulling out all my old books and I, my wife and my little girl are going to have some family fun.

Man that's awesome !! You are accomplishing one of my life goals !!!

Me, the wife, her brother, and a couple other people play Paranoia (The absolute funiest RPG I ever played) here every Saturday Night. We've been doing so for years.

I have quite a collection of games. Startrek, Starwars, Vampire, Werewolf, Heros system, Marvel, DC, D&D, AD&D (ravenloft,Greyhawk,Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms), Spacehulk, Warhammer 40k with my personally painted lead minitures, Robotech, Rift, Mechwarrior, and more. I've collected soo many books and spent thousands of my youths dollars to build up a nice library of books.

Or maybe I'm just nuts:hmm: .....naw

Blacklight · 03-06-08, 04:09 PM

I have a walk in closet in here, shelves on each wall from floor to cieling. One side is all role playing game boxes and books, the other side is board wargames and the board wargames have overflowed onto the floor in front of the shelves as well.

The spirit of Gary Gygax is alive and well in my closet.

GunnerGreg · 03-06-08, 11:34 PM

My wife and I just started an actual face-to-face D&D game a few weeks ago. She's the DM. My fighter just made it to 2nd level.

I used to play (in the early 80s) with the 1st edition rules which were "half-sheet" booklets (8 1/2 x 11 sheets folded). Gary almost single-handedly moved gaming out of the hands of historical gamers and into the hands of "normal" people by creating rules that could be easily understood, even by a junior-high kid (which I was at the time) and by publishing affordable rules.

Unless I'm badly mistaken, he also pioneered the "half-sheet" booklet idea, which made it possible for small publishers to cheaply publish rules, a format followed by GDW (Traveller) and ADB (Star Fleet Battles) (among others), which further expanded gaming into the mainstream. The Traveller LBB (Little Black Book) is a much-loved format even today, nearly 30 years later.

03-04-08, 10:29 PM	#1
Blacklight Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,507 Downloads: 145 Uploads: 0	RIP: Gary Gygax For those of us nerds who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons.. this is a sad day. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080304/ap_en_ot/obit_gygax Without Gary Gygax, I wouldn't be here at Subsim. I started playing Dungeons & Dragons when I was 12 back when the game was just a bunch of printed pamphlets and paper dice called "chits" and when we used a supliment called "Chainmail" for combat. It was playing Dungeons & Dragons that led me to love games. It led me to other games including wargames which in turn led me to simulations, which in turn led me to here. There is hardly an area in my hobby of game collecting that this man didn't influence. Gygax was also an avid wargamer (And actually prefered playing wargames over D&D). He also designed several wargames/miniatures rules and is credited on several more. He was one of the most influential men in the gaming industry and he will be missed. __________________ Be my friend or be a mushroom cloud. "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes !"

03-05-08, 08:17 AM	#5
Iron Budokan Sea Lord Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 1,778 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Sad news indeed. __________________ "You will take on England wherever you find her ships, and you will break her power at sea." --Iron Coffins, Herbert A. Werner http://kennethmarkhoover.com

03-05-08, 11:54 PM	#9
Wolfehunter Crusty Capt. Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2,752 Downloads: 40 Uploads: 25	My father used to whine that I would waste too much time playing a stupid game with my buddies for years. We would spend days and nights till our eyes couldn't count the dice properly. Today I'm still a gamer at 35 and a proud father. I will play till my last breath. Mr. Gygax thank you. I'm sure your still slaying many dragons and looting many crypts. May the gods have granted you a place by there side. Best wishes Gary. __________________

03-06-08, 04:09 PM	#14
Blacklight Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Connecticut Posts: 2,507 Downloads: 145 Uploads: 0	I have a walk in closet in here, shelves on each wall from floor to cieling. One side is all role playing game boxes and books, the other side is board wargames and the board wargames have overflowed onto the floor in front of the shelves as well. The spirit of Gary Gygax is alive and well in my closet. __________________ Be my friend or be a mushroom cloud. "I am coming at you. You will explode in a couple of minutes !"

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03-04-08, 11:15 PM	#2
fatty The Old Man Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 1,448 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Failed his fortitude throw vs. finger of death Rest in peace Gary.

03-05-08, 01:24 AM	#3
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	A familar name although I was never big into D&D, I was fond of a lot of TSR and GDW (Game Designers Workshop) titles. I'm sure they're wearing black armbands at Wizards of the Coast tonight.

03-05-08, 01:32 AM	#4
darius359au Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	The Geek God is dead I played my 1st DnD game back in 1982 and I'm still playing now

03-05-08, 08:49 AM	#6
sonar732 The Old Man Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Central MO Posts: 1,562 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Oh the memories of taking graph paper, which was suppose to be bought for elementary and junior high math, and creating dungeon maps. I would have to agree that this started my love of RP games and general strategy games. If I didn't get involved in D&D, there wouldn't have been C64 D&D Pool of Radiance which was the demise of me playing the Ultima series stopping at Ultima IV. GEEKTUM LIVES!

03-06-08, 11:34 PM	#15
GunnerGreg Watch Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 20 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My wife and I just started an actual face-to-face D&D game a few weeks ago. She's the DM. My fighter just made it to 2nd level. I used to play (in the early 80s) with the 1st edition rules which were "half-sheet" booklets (8 1/2 x 11 sheets folded). Gary almost single-handedly moved gaming out of the hands of historical gamers and into the hands of "normal" people by creating rules that could be easily understood, even by a junior-high kid (which I was at the time) and by publishing affordable rules. Unless I'm badly mistaken, he also pioneered the "half-sheet" booklet idea, which made it possible for small publishers to cheaply publish rules, a format followed by GDW (Traveller) and ADB (Star Fleet Battles) (among others), which further expanded gaming into the mainstream. The Traveller LBB (Little Black Book) is a much-loved format even today, nearly 30 years later.