This month saw the passing of a great mentor of mine, Gary GyGax.
For those of you who don't know, Gary GyGax was a co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons ( D&D ), and is considered the father of role-playing games.
Now before you write me off as some sort of geek, I'll have you know that Dungeons and Dragons in my neck of the woods was played by all. In fact, the "geek squad" ( who I knew pretty well ) were not the key people engaged, but the "stoners" ( who I also know pretty well ) happened to be big fans. We would often get into extended tournaments, that would last days.
Great memories :)
For Gary to come up with a concept like D&D was pure genius. Here's a game that had no board, no set "objective", and no real winner. It required an intense imagination, coupled with a sense for flushing out a scenario, and rooting it from a practical sense. For instance, you couldn't be a fighter ( even a paladin ), carrying 12 swords, 50 thousand gold pieces, full body armor, and a bunch of potions. A good Dungeon Master wouldn't allow it, because it's not possible. This is a small example of how D&D forced you to think.
Although I did some character development, my role in the neighborhood was primarily Dungeon Master ( DM ). That means, it was my responsibility to "create" the situation ( dungeon, voyage, etc. ) making sure the other players had a challenging, and entertaining voyage, with opportunities for others to build up their characters, and make sure that the game was fair and practical ( I can't say "realistic" -- because we're talking about dragons and magic here ).
I never met Gary, but I call him a mentor, because if it weren't for him developing this amazing game to play, I wouldn't have the skills today to do what I do. Gary's thought-child of D&D forced me at a young age to think creatively, pragmatically, and thoroughly about any situation. It also taught me about conflict resolution, team dynamics, and applied probability.
Gary also gave me some of the best memories of my life. Those were great times back then. The friends that you meet, and the stories that you can spin together as a group, are times that you cannot put a price on. The modules that you could buy were fun, but the best times came from the stuff that was created on the fly. My role-players rarely knew this, but as Dungeon Master, I would only have a vague idea of how the journey was going to go. I would start with a scenario, and see where the players took it. Of course I would have to be a step or two ahead of everybody, but that's about as far out as I would go. It was just as fun for me to find out how it ended -- and I was the one controlling the game!
I was deeply saddened at the news of Gary's passing. I cannot repay him for the influence he had on my life.
Gary, thank you from the bottom of my heart, for your contribution to my generation. Your ideas have made this world a better place.