DragonQuest Discussion 2.0: The Video

As I mentioned last week, I’m making a concerted effort to expand many of my discussions to other social media platforms. In particular, I am experimenting with creating YouTube videos where I share my observations about games, movies, and other aspects of popular culture.

For the time being, almost all of my discussions will be game related. I’ve been playing role playing games for decades and have what I believe is a relatively uniquely ecumenical approach to the hobby. I love D&D as much as the next person, but I cut my teeth on every game I could find. Maybe it’s because I was introduced to role playing games during a time of flux in the industry, or maybe it’s because I lived in the Bay Area when my interest in role playing games grew beyond that of a casual player and into that of a fan.

The Bay Area had, and likely still has, a wonderful and creative gaming community. It’s a community that included the creator of Arduin, the Chaosium team, the designers of Champions and other games in the Hero System, and R. Talsorian Games to mention but a few. The gaming conventions of my youth had games hosted in hotel rooms at the Dunfey Hotel in San Mateo and I remember exhausted gamers who couldn’t afford a room for the night sleeping in the closets of rooms where game sessions were being played in the wee hours.

It was not just a DIY atmosphere. It was a “try everything” atmosphere and it was a great way to be introduced to the hobby. The “big” convention was big enough for TSR to send some staff to visit, but it was the fact that so many great companies were local that really made the exhibit hall worth visiting. One of my fondest memories was chatting with Mike Pondsmith as a kid about how much I loved his adaptation of the Dream Park novel into a role playing game. I was very young, and I imagine as annoying as I was young, but Mike Pondsmith put up with my enthusiasm and guided me towards other games, even some designed by other companies. He also talked about how he dreamed of making a Dragonball Z role playing game, a dream he eventually achieved.

Wonderful times that shaped my love of the hobby. I’m not a single game advocate. I’m an advocate for the whole hobby and I hope you’ll enjoy both my written and my video essays on the subject.

Please consider viewing, liking, and subscribing to my YouTube Channel. There will be more to come and yes, that more will eventually include more interviews.