Legendary Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax passed away today. I have fond memories of D&D, from trying to play a campaign with Benjor, Neil and some other guys (and then having it dissolve into an argument about interpreting the rules--good times) to reading the different AD&D sourcebooks (the various Monster Manuals and the Deities and Demigods were my favorites) to just trying to draw the blocky TSR logo and the stylized dragon ampersand. It also led to a love of epic fantasy, both in written form and in computer games.
Perhaps Penny Arcade said it best: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/03/04
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I cried like a baby when I first read about this, and throughout the rest of the day. :( Gary made it possible for me to escape to another world when this one became too cruel and unbearable. Made it possible for me to become what I could never ever be, and defeat my personal demons. And know something? With all that, hope and strength to face this one, that in the end, good will always triumph over evil.
AD&D taught this 10-year-old words and terms like 'milieu', 'myriad', 'gestalt', 'myrmidon', 'glaive', 'viz a vis', 'e.g.', 'c.f.' et al. Taught me to think out of the box, how to deal with close to impossible odds given finite resources.
All that math helped me as a programmer later on.
He's already gone this side of -10 hit points but he'll continue to live in the worlds we create.
I'll miss him. :(
Fare thee well Gary. Couldn't find a cleric to bring you back to life, and I doubt you'd be able to live with a permanent -1 to your constitution. :(
Till we meet again.
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