Question about Ron's gaming history

[AXUM]

However, it's also the case that every version of Sorcerer opened my own eyes in playtest, to the extent that through the course of those ten years, I often felt as if it were teaching me to write its next version. I was designing just ahead of my own competence almost throughout the entire process. So you can see that as an ongoing serendipitous element, if you like.

Best, Ron

So... could the game be your own demon, it's desire is to be publicised (?), it's need to be published & be worshiped/talked about?

Da Ax

BTW: In which RPGnerdiness "wave" are you in? 
1st wave methinks is '74 till '82
2nd wave 82 till 89
3rd... well, you know the rest...

[Ron Edwards]

Hiya,

I was introduced to role-playing games in the summer between my seventh and eighth grade years, which means just before I turned 14, so that's 1978.

My first round of role-playing was composed of a messy mix of various D&D including but not always faithful to or limited to the first round of hardcover AD&D books, a fair amount of The Fantasy Trip beginning with the original Melee and Wizard, and at least exposure to Dragonquest, RuneQuest, and Tunnels & Trolls. My 1980s-to-early 90s gaming included a lot of intense Champions ranging through 3rd and 4th editions, mainly the former; Rolemaster in a variety of genres, a touch of Palladium, GURPS and more GURPS, the original Cyberpunk, and probably a few others I'm forgetting. You may note the absence of AD&D 2nd edition and Shadowrun, neither of which interested me. My mid-90s gaming was highly experimental and ranged through many, many systems both old and new.

I did an interview a few years ago about my Top Five games which was a pretty good retrospective of which games influenced me or provided the most enjoyment, and in what way. I'd like to find that interview again.

Questions are welcome.

Best, Ron

[Moreno R.]

I did an interview a few years ago about my Top Five games which was a pretty good retrospective of which games influenced me or provided the most enjoyment, and in what way. I'd like to find that interview again.

It was in Fandomlife.net, dated 14/12/2001. TOP 5 RPGs: RON EDWARDS

It was a short-lived feature where they asked game designers about their "top 5 games", but they stopped after very few designers.  The one about John Wick is interesting because he talks about his encounter with the Forge.

[AXUM]

Well.  Quid pro quo, if anyone's interested... anyways...

I'm well in the "second wave".  When I saw the boxed D&D basic set in 1982 (not the red cover) in an army base's toy store it was like a zillion switches firing inside my creativity.  I mean, I still gaze at the cover, with the knight & the sorceress & the huge monstrous yet stylised dragon & the eerie ambiance, like a drooling idiot!

A year later I still couldn't make heads or tails of it (& having no other RPG geeks round, pretty much just stared at the pictures & read again & again "The Keep at the Borderlands", one of Gary's finest), but then I saw Star Frontiers.   Now, that system was comprehensible!

After that, there was no turning back.

& if you're wondering (I bet you're not) my favorite game of all time is Call of Cthulhu.  That's the yardstick.  Over the Edge (a bastard son of Nexus (remember that one?)) comes a very close second.  Jonathan Tweet is the Geek's God.

Sigh...
I wish I had more time to play around now, tho'.


A lil' nostalgic now...
Signing off,
Ax

[Christoph Boeckle]

Hiya

Ohh, that's interesting! Before reading that interview, I was persuaded that InSpectres was heavily inspired by the Pool. I went back to my copy of Jared's game, and surely enough, could not find the Pool as an inspiration. Why exactly did you single out the Pool over InSpectres as the "prize gem"? Both handle out the narration to the players on success, right? Is it that in the Pool, a player gets to choose to forfeit this, and bid dice on outcomes?

Also, the interview reminded me that the Whispering Vault is more or less the game that brought me to the Forge. I played it with a buddy (a good ten years older than me) and then he told me there was this site were similar games were discussed, and even some were written in 24 hours (omg!) and I should check it out for the game I was planning to write at the time. Or perhaps he first told me that and then we played? Anyway, I'm getting all nostalgic. I'm buying that game (which supplements should I consider, Ron, if any?)

[AXUM]

For the WV stuff:

Go to ronin arts dot com.  I believe you can order stuff from PIGames.

All the supplements are cool - & there aren't very many! 

There's "bestiary."
Another's a "mission (adventure) book."
There are others about GMing.  Cool advice

Mortal Magic is the one I don't have, so I can't vouch for it, but ALL of the rest are excellent.  To top that, there's even some free stuff.

Hope that helps,
Ax

[AXUM]

For the WV stuff:

Go to ronin arts dot com.  I believe you can order stuff from PIGames.

All the supplements are cool - & there aren't very many! 

There's 2 "bestiaries."
Another's a "mission (adventure) book."
There are others about GMing.  Cool advice

Mortal Magic is the one I don't have, so I can't vouch for it, but ALL of the rest are excellent.  To top that, there's even some free stuff.

Here's the link:
http://www.roninarts.com/store/default.php?cPath=5_19&osCsid=666bfacc6cd45581de04b18eab3c9530

Hope that helps,
Ax