/ofg/ Old Farts General

1985 Space Marine Captain edition

This thread is for people with 30+ years of gaming history to discuss how the hobby has changed, for better and for worse.

What got you started? And what kept you going?

For me, I started with D&D basic in the early 80's. I played GW games like Battlecars and Talisman when D&D wasn't an option. Played a lot of Car Wars too.

It was buying a big plastic blister of Talisman models in 1985 that got me into modelling. From there it was all about the lead farming.

So how do you feel about the evolution of the hobby? I'm both enjoying and dreading it's slow emergence in the mainstream. And I know I hate it becoming a gender war battleground. Life was so much simpler when we were kids.

>Oldhammer thread

I can respect this.

>Minimum requirement of 30+ years in the hobby

Well that'll be why I'm the first post then.

>What got you started?
DSA/TDE, mid 80s. Played most big systems, but from the 90s on Shadowrun was big for me. Later the 40k RPGs.

>And what kept you going?
I am a daydreamer and this allows me to express myself.

>So how do you feel about the evolution of the hobby?
I like the pure creativity of modern, narrative or rules-light games as a source of inspiration but they are not my cup of tea otherwise. I hate the politization of the hobby but it seeping into mainstream would be good for the mainstream. The art has become more colorful but often also more childish and/or soulless.

Overall, it's just fine though.

OP here, thank grud. I thought this was going o be the loneliest thread on Veeky Forums.

Are you guys active in your communities? I've led a pretty mobile life, but I've tried to both spread the gospel and support new players wherever I go.

>tfw not even 20 years of gaming history

I got started because of Heroquest
>but it came out 28 years ago
Screw you old bastards

>Don't meet the minimum 30 mark

It's literally OP and Hate to break it to you

this is the gay person thread?

We can make an exception for you user.

one of the best things about getting old is that you've seen newfag bait before most newfags themselves have seen it. I give yours 2/10.

This all raises the important question. Does this hobby properly acknowledge the old fucks who have helped it thrive and develop?

Or are we sad old fucks stuck in a kids' hobby?

My first DM was a Neanderthal and we had to play at his cave because the rules were carved in the wall.
My local gaming club has 3 people older than I am, one is in his 70's and claims he was a consultant on Zork. Probably was, he isn't much of a bragger. Another is about 54 and is more of a braggart, he started '78? and gamed a lot.
In between is a 60+ mom who got involved because her daughter joined the club, about 3 years, but she loves it. I played my first game in '79, but didn't get really involved until college in '81. AD&D and GammaWorld, Traveller, a little RQ.
I married a gamer girl, which helped keep things going.
I get to write and share what I have written.
I only play with people I like and enjoy spending time with.

I wish publishers would do more to support a game rather than release a new edition every couple of years.

The artwork is much better, TSR was making serious money and still using their personal friends, most of whom were lame artists.
I don't really think every other page requires a painted color illustration, but it is eye candy, so maybe it's worth it.
I find that GW and MTG are clever Marketers and serious business men, but so are the dudes selling meth at high schools.

Older players seem to be marginalized, they may own huge war gaming armies, but they generally aren't going to buy $90 Yugioh cards or dump a game just because the publisher told them to go buy the new one.

For a decade, GW's business model (swidt) was to pander exclusively to the 8-15yo demographic which they presumed to be gullible AND somehow in possession of US$300-500 in loose change to spend on The Hobby. 16yo+ players were considered "vets" because they were just about to discover the Cars And Chicks hobby and likely had full armies by then anyway. These players were dead to GW, and store managers were expected to discourage their presence by all means. This had the dual effect of driving-off the very "fanatics" who did the most in-store recruiting, and making the mgt at GWHQ seem like insufferable pricks who hated money.

The results speak for themselves.

Isn't every thread on Veeky Forums?

1985+30=2015
protipp: i studied maths

less activity in recent times, as I am preparing the launch of my own fantasy heartbreaker

who cares?

>The artwork is much better, TSR was making serious money and still using their personal friends, most of whom were lame artists.
i miss pic related

except i can't read it seems. time to get some glasses and a cane

I'm (You), 27 born 1990, so no, not 30+ years

I started in the 80's with D&D Basic, along with the board games Dungeon and Axis & Allies. A lot of the things that came out next, (such as Endless Quest, Lone Wolf, and CRPGs,) were for solo play. I discovered that I liked exploring solo, but most of these offerings were kludgy and raw. When 2e came out with its vast collection of optional house rules, I felt the urge to explore my own creativity in designing adventures, worlds, and eventually games. As that happened, I largely stopped mass-consuming their stuff; most of what's out there now is provably terrible. Print, and later, digital, publishers also kept pressing for multiplayer (so they could sell more copies), which alienated me further. I don't share the same interests with most of the people around me, so our play styles clash, so multiplayer is dead to me. I spend my time trying to combine various game components in new ways looking to come up with something cool.

I don't care if new players join the hobby, it doesn't fuel innovation because what's out there is mass-produced throw-together junk anyway. I laugh at the troll that we are in a kids hobby: kids today don't even understand OSR, and never will until someone breaks it down for them into 400 Let's Play vines of 5 seconds each, and then Macklemore remixes it all into a shitty rap for them to think deeply about.

The convergence of gaming media means that solid ideas can pick up steam very quickly, and I believe that will gradually improve the hobby. Expecting designers at WoTC and GW to drive it is never going to work because it is a seller's market, change must come from the grass roots.

Get back in TMP you old fogies.

(Smiles)

Amicalement,
Armand

Played a lot of Cyberpunk 2020 and 1e Shadowrun. It's hilarious to me now how many times our campaign hinged on the ability to find a working payphone. Because of course a man with robot arms and a computer in his head would never have a cell phone.

Heh, I used to dream about Star Trek TNG 'padds' in high school, now I'm using one to post online from the comfort of my toilet.

That seems to have changed, there's a pretty wide spread of ages at my local GW- pretty sure I'm still the oldest though.
One of the reasons I go there is because I love to help people with painting and modelling, and I have a massive hoard of bitz. Shop guy doesn't have to look after the painting tables while I'm there.