Recently, after a lenghty hiatus, I plugged into regular gaming again. Time has been spent digging up old systems, trying out new ones and generally rediscovering the joys of participating in a hobbly i really dig.

Off late my gaming crew has been badgering me to run a long term D&D campaign for them. No problem. Since I am not really hip to traditional fantasy- too much time spent in the company of Gene Wolf, M. John Harrison etc-I begun rummaging through my gaming stash for inspiration, which includes amongst other things systems, settings, articles- theory,craft whatever...

Anyway i am looking through the stuff and it hits me - whoa, over the years i have accumalated a wealth of role playing games and assorted arcana. More than that, i have a vast resource of ideas and concepts i can draw on. Its all good - even the games and articles i dont really dig.

Then i remember an old article a buddy passed on to me called(if i remember correctly) Punk RPG's  which appeared in an online mag called Imazine(again if i remember correctly) which was ,to my mind at least, a pretty cool call to arms to create one's own rpg and a large dollop of venom spewed against the role playing industry delivered in a rant disguised as a plea.

During that time i had also read Christopher Kubasik's Interactive Toolkit article and remember being inspired by it....please bear in mind, that both these articles had nothing in common, except in their ability to inspire me in my gaming activities.

Also i was not really interested in the ideas in the Punk article about the demise of the RPG industry, only because said industry had produced some of the games that i really dug - Jorune, WFRP, Mage, Feng Shui, Unknown Armies, D&D etc...but i kinda of appreciated the fact that gamer imagination was acknowledged and even championed. Both these articles did that, in their own way.

But here's the thing. After so many years. So many theories, settings, articles and such,  i am beginning to wonder, if there was no more industry, do gamers have the required tools to carry on gaming? I think so.

This is not a slam against the industry. On the contrary, i love that new games are being published. For instance i am waiting with bated breath for the realease of the W40K rpg....but this just sort of makes me wonder...there must be many people out there who have created and run their own version of the game right?

Hell, i have been planning my own version since the time i read the wargame and decided that it was a way cool universe to adventure in.

I mean look at all the systems out there. I am sure there are a lot of gamers who twist and turn them into a something which is compatible to their vision.Rolling dice, playing with cards, with coins...going diceless...Amber, Nobillis...there is so much stuff out there that sets the imagination on fire.

D&D has loads of stuff. The D20 system has been tweaked by designers and gamers and the result a variety of engines that cater (and i may be mistaken) to an assortment of gamers.

Even the settings - the dead ones (for lack of a better term)- hold so much promise to the eager explorer. There is just so much to build on.

And theories - hell there is something for everyone. Don't get me wrong - most of the time i really can't understand what's going on in the these discussions, but i do realise that the creative spirit is present in them.

I mean with all that has come before and since, the systems, the theories, the articles on craft, the message boards, the flamewars, the pdf publishers(who i am sure have a very tough time)...all  in my opinion is a great foundation for gamers both old and new to build on. This may sound provocative, but i really do think, that the flame of roleplaying will never die out. Even if there is no industry. I hope that never happens...and again i am not saying there should be no industry...i want there to be an industry...hell, i only wish i could support them more, esp the small press players..

I mean ever since D&D, the genie is out of the bottle, man...something else escaped with it.... noone can stop it.There has been too much...and hopefully there will be more. Everybody has worlds they want to explore...and with the stuff out there..they have the tools...I mean i see the homebrews, the unofficial adaptations all that stuff as evidence that something is going down and has been going down for a long time. That the creative spirit as far as gaming is concerned is alive and well...perhaps there should be more innovation...although i have always bought/downloaded games that interest me more than anything...and i am sure, being unfammiliar with the more obsure games that the big time industry players are not the only ones who are innovative, but like i said man, more things to build on. If it all ends today...we have the tools my friends...

Well that's it i guess. Apologies to the companies and individuals whose names i used in the title...the names just kind of summed up the elements i am trying to convey..and also you know the symbiotic relationship that exist and will hopefully continue to exist between publishers and gamers...i realise this is long and rambling, and very messy..but i hope the spirit i am trying to convey shines through. Also as far as the articles i have mentioned...if i have taken them out of context, i apologize to the authors...my memory may not be an accurate guide as to the content of said articles.

Any thoughts about this...and i will understand, if clarification is needed..hell, even i am not sure what i am trying to say....just thought i would put it out there...and yeah, this probably has been discussed before.

Regards,
David R.

Quote from: David RBut here's the thing. After so many years. So many theories, settings, articles and such,  i am beginning to wonder, if there was no more industry, do gamers have the required tools to carry on gaming? I think so.

We would probably be able to continue. The problem would be in acquiring new gamers to replace those who leave for whatever reason.

Quote from: DackeWe would probably be able to continue. The problem would be in acquiring new gamers to replace those who leave for whatever reason.

Yeah, i get what are saying. I am just assuming that bringing new players into the fold would be part and parcel of any gaming crew, if it is not so already. I mean both publishers and gamers have to do their part right?...and if there was no industry and gamers were doing their own thing...they would have (if they so desired) inject fresh blood into their crew...am i making sense?

Regards,
David R

"Well that's it i guess. Apologies to the companies and individuals whose names i used in the title...the names just kind of summed up the elements i am trying to convey." - David R

Heck, no need to apologize, David! We're happy to be mentioned! Thank you for the compliment!

-mice

Quote from: flyingmice
Heck, no need to apologize, David! We're happy to be mentioned! Thank you for the compliment!

-mice[/QUOTEYou're wellcome. And interesting looking games, you got there over at Flying Mice. Just the kind of stuff, about the industry and gamers i was rambling on about.

Regards,
David R