In the beginning . . . there was Dungeons and Dragons . . . o.k. it was
Chainmail, but it was really Dungeons and Dragons that started
everything. D&D reigned supreme as the only viable entity in a new
market of recreational hobbies. Those were good times. When you
mentioned roleplaying, you really meant Dungeons and Dragons. Then came
. . . Tunnels and Trolls . . . and strangely it's still around. Then
came Palladium, Steve Jackson, and suddenly . . . there were options.
Many of these options weren't very popular, many still were nowhere near
successful. Roleplaying had become a new industry; a market place that
thrived on the interest of the masses. The eighties were the years of
economic bliss for many gaming companies. A whole underground culture
creeped up, despite all the media slander that tore through the ranks.
Then came the nineties, the decade of computer games and the internet.
Now, if you want to play a roleplaying game you put in your Monsters and
Magic XXIII CD and dial up on to the internet and kill scores of
complete strangers across the world. Who needs dice, books, charts, and
tables when you have a mouse and a monitor? I mean, roleplaying has
seen a major facelift, man, and it's called the computer age. Get with
the program. Literally. Don't hang out with your buddies on a weekend
and socialize! You could be chained on your machine and roleplaying
with complete strangers. So what if it's not really roleplaying. So
what if all you do is kill stuff, get treasure, and chat with people
with the grammatical competency of a fifth grader. Ignore the fact that
you're losing all of your friends because all you do is sit in front of
your computer, don't even think about the possibility of your machine
becoming too inferior to play the sequel to your favorite game that's
coming out next week. And besides, computer gaming is cheaper than
paper gaming. I mean, come on, why spend $80.00 on books, pencils,
dice, paper, and miniatures for your favorite roleplaying game when you
can spend $75.00 on a computer game that you'll beat in a week.
Alright, enough patronizing. What I'm trying to say here people, is
that roleplaying is seeing a slow death. It's being destroyed from the
inside out by this disease we call the computer age. Turn off your mind
and turn on the computer. The most beautiful, intriguing, and awe
inspiring aspect of paper roleplaying is the limitless, vast, and
unknowable possibilities it presents to its enthusiasts. It is the most
perfect vessel for your imagination and wonder. Why have you turned
away from it? What will it take to bring you back?
Timothy Till
President Rune's Law Inc.
P.O. Box 73146
Houston, TX 77273
(281) 397-7595 Phone
(281) 397-6640 Fax
-- Makers of Wayfarer Infinity: Science-Fantasy Role Playing
-- Hosts of "I Think Therefore I Con" in Houston, Texas
