The Role-Playing Questionnaire, Revisted

Now that the "wargaming" questionaire is finished, I went back and found a role-playing questionaire that was circulating Facebook about three years ago. It's not ancient history, but since everyone is cracking open their time capsules years early, I figured I would revisit it.

New answers come first, with the 2009 answer in italics. If there's no change, you'll obviously see only one answer.

Origins of a Player: 

1. When and where did you first play a roleplaying game (could be a year or your age)?
EAMS Model Building Club (7th Grade).

2. Which game was it?
Technically it was Car Warriors, with Charles Schindler moderating the story.

3. Did you know what the hell you were doing?
I like the dice resolution and the fact that you were given many more options than the Choose Your Own Adventure books of my younger youth.

4. What was the first published adventure you played through? B9 Castle Caldwell, technically out of the B1-9 compilation, run by my cousin Ben. I will add that I got through both levels running three average fighters.

5. Did roleplaying capture your imagination immediately? Yes, the mechanics on the other hand...

6. Do you still game with some of the people from your first game? The first multi-player game was a Paranoia game played at George Harley's summer party after 8th grade. Game was run by Charles and I think Scott Birkner was a player. Considering I played Cthulhu with Scott this summer, I say yes!

2009: The same, except it was Cthulhu with Scott a week earlier.

7. Did anything in particular inspire you or led you to playing RPGs? Tolkien and an over-active imagaination.

8. Have you ever been a game master (dungeon master, keeper, storyteller, etc.)? Which games? I primarily GM, 50+ systems as humble estimate.

9. Do you currently referee, if so, which games? Call of Cthulhu and Risus, ready for a Hackmaster or Basic D&D game at moments notice.

10. What is your favorite thing about GMing? Watching the plot and campaign development


11. What is your least favorite thing about GMing? Coordinating the crazy players without railroading them.

12. Do you prefer to be GM or a player?
GM

13. What are your favorite gaming systems you've played? AD&D, Hackmaster, Talislanta, Call of Cthulhu, with odd fond spots for Rifts, Recon, Gamma World, and GURPS.

14. What are some games you would like to play, but haven't?
Savage Worlds (Red Sands)

2009: Spirit of the Century, Dogs of the Vineyard, Castle Falkenstein (never played any of them, btw)

15. Rules light, rules heavy, or it depends? Nowadays rules light. I'm done with the multiple splatbook, scientific calculator required mechanics.

16. Dice or Diceless? Dice!

17. To homebrew or not to homebrew?
I never run a game or campaign stock. My "Home" campaign/rules are, fittingly, homebrew.

18. What are some of your favorite settings?
Most settings I used are homebrewed, so Gazetteer D&D is the best I can do.


19. What are your favorite genres?
Humor, Horror, Fantasy. Never got into Western beyond a test drive.

2009: Fantasy, Humor, Modern, slowly working on Western.

20. Do you prefer pre-published adventures/modules or original/tailored campaigns?
Published. Less work, but I can still tailor it to the game's needs.

21. Are you a member of any roleplaying organizations? Which Ones?
Let's see, the now-defunct LVGA, pre-3E RPGA, ERPGA, and the Society of Neffs!

22. Do you think RPG organizations are important to the hobby? Yes.

23. Do you plan on joining any RPG organizations?
Only if they have strippers and beer. Like an American Legion with dice!

24. Have you ever attended a gaming convention, if so which ones? Lehicon III-VI, Bogglecon, UBCon, Origins, Historicon, Cold Wars, Fall In!, Dexcon, Whatcon?, Lehigh Valley Game Day, CoveCon, PoCon, Garden State Games Faire, EPiC,

25. Do you think conventions are important for the hobby? Yes, Even with this internet thing, it's where you meet up with old friends and make new ones.

26. Are you planning to attend any conventions in the future? Fall-in! Lancaster, November 2012
Mepacon, Clarks Summit, PA, November 2012

27. What conventions would you like to attend next year?
Cold Wars, Lancaster, March 2013
Mepacon, Clarks Summit, April 2013
Historicon, Fredericksburg, July 2010

Play Styles
28. Serious or loose? With my normal bunch of players has to be fast and loose.

29. Soundtracks and sound FX? working on it, but not so much.

30. Adversarial referee or wish fulfiller? The GM is always right, unless he has no players.

31. Should GMs have PCs? Fill-in PCs, but no Mary Sues.

32. Is technology welcome at your table? I did run an adventure off of my iPhone. I don't recommend it.

Dice, pencils, paper. put the ipods, cell phones, and pdfs away!
33. Are Terrain & Minis an advantage or a hindrance? Not always needed, but awesome.

Related Hobbies: 34. Do you like to LARP, if so, which systems? Last time I LARPed was an Illuminati University game I ran at Garden State Games Faire back in '97.

35. Do you collect/paint Miniatures? hell's yes!

36. Do you like Wargames/tactical miniature games, if so, which ones?
Gnome Wars, adding in mice, teddy bears, and others. Colonial Second Samoan War.

Any and all, focusing on Gnomes Wars, 54mm Revolutionary War, and any turn of the 20th Century game (Spanish American War, Boxer Rebellion)
37. Do you play Collectible Card Games, if so, which ones?
Last big flurry of Magic back in '05. Still own decks for magic, Battletech, and INWO.

38. What about Board Games? an absolute requirement. Settlers of Catan, Diplomacy, Arkham Horror, Talisman.

39. Do you play Video Games, what kinds? The Ticket to Ride app for my iPhone is the closest I get.

not since I got rid of my N64 in '04. Sport games with franchise mode, tony Hawk.
40. Any closing comments you would like to add? Fnord!
"The Kermitnator attacks the zombies with the Holy-Rolled-up-Newspaper-of-God (Wednesday Edition)"