RPG Gamers Roll Call!

[Dyre Straits]

OK, I had a few tweaks to do on the AR-15 but she's now ready for the first test fire later today.
And, here's the scoop on the Baldur's Gate game:

I got my first PC in 1996 and it was "exclusively" for business. So, it took a couple of years before I got started in with video games. Along the way, my older son gave me a copy of Baldur's Gate.

I got it installed, created a character and started in playing.

But, I had a very hard time making any progress! It seemed I was just totally on the losing end of every battle/conflict.

After a few hours of sheer frustration, I asked my son to sit down and play. I thought for sure he'd be toast in no time! But, he wasn't. Instead, he pressed the SPACE BAR and PAUSED THE GAME!

I, incredulously asked: "You mean you can PAUSE THE GAME?"

So, with the game having an Anglican flavor to it, I started a new character, named him, Dyre Stratis....since he was always in dire straits....and the name has followed me ever since.

And, of course, we followed that game with Shadows of Amn, Neverwinter Nights...etc.

 

[Boboclown]

I play Fallout New Vegas and Skyrim quite a bit. Though lately I've been playing MMORPGs instead of just RPGs. I'm not into video games as much as I used to be so I rarely try new games.

 

[JRuby]

I used to be into Diablo and war craft and when I bought my property I quit playing. I have to many things to do and not enough time. I miss it sometimes then I walk out in my orchard and I find a lot of other things to do
I thought heck now that I live out in St
Helen's I would be doing a lot more shooting. In one year I have gone shooting exactly one time. I would not trade a thing. Games are for those that don't have something better to do. Just my opinion.

 

[Joe13]

I used to be into Diablo and war craft and when I bought my property I quit playing. I have to many things to do and not enough time. I miss it sometimes then I walk out in my orchard and I find a lot of other things to do
I thought heck now that I live out in St
Helen's I would be doing a lot more shooting. In one year I have gone shooting exactly one time. I would not trade a thing. Games are for those that don't have something better to do. Just my opinion.

WoW was during a part of my life when I had a younger kid and when she went to bed at 8 neither my wife nor I wanted to go to a bar without the other so it was actually a nice way to enteract with friends, both local and far away.

Like you though, my kid grew up and I have a lot of other things I want to spend my time on.

I wouldn't group all gamers into one lump. One of my best friends is an avid alcoholic and playing WoW got him out of the bars and at home at least where he could drink and not drive home. Just as an example.

 

[Dyre Straits]

In my case, when my four kids were at home and I was still married, I started losing my hearing. It got to the point I couldn't carry on a conversation over the phone, watch TV (before Closed Captions were a standard feature) and going to the movies was simply out of the question. I wasn't about to spend money just to try to read the actors' lips. And, back then, in the days of the Vectrex, Commodore 64, and others, the kids enjoyed the games they played. I was too busy with my own contstruction/remodeling business to get into it then and was way too tired to try once I got home.

But, in 1998 I discovered video games: Video games with Sub-titles! And, I also discovered that I enjoyed interacting with the characters rather than simply sitting on the couch letting them spoon-feed me with their entertainment.

I know many people who read books, watch TV, do gardening, go target-shooting, hunting, fishing, etc., etc. during their spare time. I wouldn't begin to tell them that they should have better things to do than what they enjoy doing with their spare time. But, then, that's just my opinion.

 

[Jim Colvill]

I must admit I prefer table top gaming to online as it promotes more socialization; you look your opponent straight in the eye rather than hide behind the anonymity of a screen. Also it doesn't eat up the bandwidth so people like me can post crap like this without the enormous lag. (goldurn Pokemon GO players)

 

[Dyre Straits]

I must admit I prefer table top gaming to online as it promotes more socialization; you look your opponent straight in the eye rather than hide behind the anonymity of a screen. Also it doesn't eat up the bandwidth so people like me can post crap like this without the enormous lag. (goldurn Pokemon GO players)

Because the three of us at our house ( Older Son, Daughter-iin-Law, and myself) are such avid gamers, we opted for AT&T Fiber Optic Gigapower Internet a couple months ago and it comes with an Unlimited Bandwidth agreement.

I simply prefer the single-player/story driven games rather than joining online with others. But, I do delve into the others from time to time.

Presently, I have The Witcher 3 in progress on the PC and Red Dead Redemption going on the XBOX One. Alternating between them, that is.

 

[JRuby]

I use to play the older board games like Squad leader, airforce, Arab IsraelI wars and tobruk from avalon hill. When I was in the service in the barracks you could always find an opponent. Then I got married and moved off base. Then I found an atari 128 and played on that then an st1024 then moved onto IBM pc when I started college. Yes I had many hours of enjoyment playing games. I learned a lot of my computer skills hacking games I could not afford to buy on a sailors salary. I know that it was wrong but it happened. I may go back to playing some day but after spending 8 plus hours on a computer at work it is beneficial not to set another few hours on a computer if I can prevent it. I have found other areas that require my time and my personal opinion stands with - computer games are there when there is nothing better to do. Others may see it differently and I can understand that.

 

[Boboclown]

WoW was during a part of my life when I had a younger kid and when she went to bed at 8 neither my wife nor I wanted to go to a bar without the other so it was actually a nice way to enteract with friends, both local and far away.

Like you though, my kid grew up and I have a lot of other things I want to spend my time on.

I wouldn't group all gamers into one lump. One of my best friends is an avid alcoholic and playing WoW got him out of the bars and at home at least where he could drink and not drive home. Just as an example.

Funny that WoW was mentioned... Been on and off with that game, just got into it recently.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

nah i used to play duck hunt on NES

 

[Dreams of Steel]

My first RPGs were Dragon Warrior 1-3 on NES, followed by Super Mario RPG on SNES. Once I got a PC I got into MUDs and a lot of Usurper was played. My dad (yeah, my dad) got me into WoW after my step brothers got him into it and I've been playing ever since. He lives about 2k miles away so it's the only father-son time we get together, and we play dang near every Thursday.

 

[Joe13]

My first RPGs were Dragon Warrior 1-3 on NES, followed by Super Mario RPG on SNES. Once I got a PC I got into MUDs and a lot of Usurper was played. My dad (yeah, my dad) got me into WoW after my step brothers got him into it and I've been playing ever since. He lives about 2k miles away so it's the only father-son time we get together, and we play dang near every Thursday.

That is a fantastic way to stay in touch and gives you more to talk about then the weather!

I don't even have access to my accounts anymore because I've long forgotten the usernames and passwords (although I may have a file laying around with them in it, but I never converted to the battlenet account change over and it's been about 6 years since I've played).

I had almost 2 years worth of playtime on my account which taken out of context even makes me a little ill lol.

 

[Norwestr55]

My favorites (on PC).

5. Baldurs Gate Series

4. Divinity Series

3. Elder Scrolls Series

2. Fallout Series

1. Witcher Series
Witcher 3 and the DLC is the best RPG I've played.

I haven't finished Divinity Original Sin enhanced edition yet, but its absolutely the toughest RPG I've played as there aren't any "we'll hold your hand and lead you thru the game" options. It might bump the whole series up on the list.

If you're playing on PC and you haven't found it yet, check out GOG.com All or most of the old games (and new) with no DRM. Pretty good prices and very good prices when they're having a sale.

 

[Joe13]

Since 6 years ago I've converted to all macs.

My wife still uses a PC for her work emails and stuff but it's garbage as far as computers go.

My kid still has her 5 year old cheap laptop that got her thru highschool but ended up with a one year old used MacBook Air that has Windows and OS X both on a 500gig SSD.

 

[JRuby]

Is there a modern version of harpoon?

 

[Diamondback]

Probably not the right thread, but I'm too lazy to start *yet another* one on gaming, so...

*Axis & Allies Miniatures - both "Ground Game" and War At Sea, did not get into Angels 20 because of already doing another more practical air-minis game. Was one of the designer's historical advisors on WAS, and participated in nationals at GenCon a few times both as player and historical lecturer.
*Wings of War/Wings of Glory - the "other" air minis line. My mother got me hooked on the WWI line because she thought the miniatures would be "cute" decor for my workstation in the college computer lab, then they launched a WWII line... I do some informal research support here too.
*Sails of Glory - Seven Years War- to Napoleonic-era naval miniatures line from the guys behind Wings. More active historical consulting and even spearheaded development of an entire upcoming release. Not bad for an underpaid freelancer, huh?
*Old Wizkids Pirates CSG/Pocketmodel game: Little ships you punched out of credit-card blanks. Oh, DO NOT get me started about the people who designed the later releases of this game... or some of the people who played it. Wizkids was just nasty, what the game scene calls "powergame Munchkin Central"... and I say that as somebody who was a credentialed GM for them.

 

[JRuby]

I helped build www.games.com website back in 2000. It was for Hasbro interactive and Wizards. Just bragging rights. Was a fun project. Well at least the original one.

 

[Brutus57]

Played AH, SPI, in the 70s, lots of GDW, Steve Jackson...Seapower & the State, Operation Cobra, Monte Cassino, Steve Jackson....actually looked him and his shop up on my way to a duty assignment. D&D, AD&D, Bushido, war hammer RPG was lots of fun. My brother and I even got through a few turns of Drang Nach Osten!
Made a pretty pile o cash selling unpainted figures a few years ago. Pity the wif was out of work or I could have added to the gun collection, otherwise.
Brutus out

 

[mrblond]

 

[Joe13]

Thread drift away.

Anything that promotes good memories and is game-ish related works for me.

I have a version of witcher's I downloaded a few years ago when I was keeping and Xbox live account up and running.

I haven't looked or tried it yet but the multiple mentions in this thread has me jonesing for a decent RPG to distract from the knee pain for a few weeks.