Escape Artists

PodCastle => Fantasy Discussion => Topic started by: Heradel on March 05, 2008, 06:33:18 AM

Title: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Heradel on March 05, 2008, 06:33:18 AM
(http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2008/20080304.jpg) (http://www.penny-arcade.com)

It'll probably be a rare member here that hasn't thrown a d20 more than a few times, or at least played games that descended from the D&D system (Baldur's gate I miss you so). And we owe those nights and days of basement joy and anguish to him, so goodbye and thanks for all the dice.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: birdless on March 05, 2008, 07:05:26 PM
Oh wow, I hadn't heard. Thanks for the post.

moment of silence -> :-X
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Darwinist on March 05, 2008, 07:36:51 PM
I was reading a story about him in today's St. Paul, MN newspaper.  Even though his health was failing he still had groups of people meeting weekly at his Lake Geneva, WI home playing D&D.   
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Ocicat on March 05, 2008, 11:24:39 PM
It's hard to think of what the worlds of Gaming and Fantasy would be like if it wasn't for this man.  Regardless of if you like his actual work (ie, first edition AD&D) you've been touched by something that resulted from it.  Essentially all roleplaying games, and RPG style computer games.  For good or ill, there would be no World of Warcraft without Gygax.  But more than that, the very longevity of the fantasy genre and it's persistent tropes - they have been propped up and kept alive by fantasy gaming.  Sure, he stole from Tolkien, Leiber, Howard, Vance, and many other authors, but D&D turned Wizards, Dragons, and Elves from something featured in a few books and into a world you could explore and be a part of.   In the process inspiring thousands more books...

PodCastle would never exist were it not for Gygax.  Here's to his legacy!
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: CammoBlammo on March 06, 2008, 04:45:15 AM
PodCastle will never exist were it not for Gygax.  Here's to his legacy!

There, fixed it for you  :D
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Rachel Swirsky on March 06, 2008, 02:15:20 PM
'Scuse me, Cammo?
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Russell Nash on March 06, 2008, 07:57:00 PM
Of course here comes your mod with the appropriate NPR links.

All Things Considered (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87901434): A conversation with a friend of Gygax's

Morning Edition (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87912373): A clip from an old interveiw with Gygax.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Thaurismunths on March 06, 2008, 10:22:32 PM
Gygax died at age 69, a critical success if ever there were.


'Scuse me, Cammo?
I'm pretty sure he meant to imply that as Podcastle has yet to air (wire?) and episode, it isn't so much a podcast as a podcast-to-be.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: CammoBlammo on March 06, 2008, 10:32:33 PM
'Scuse me, Cammo?

Hee hee!

Of course, we could say that PodCastle was just waiting for the passing of Mr Gygax. But that'd be, well, wrong.

Could make for a good story though.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: gelee on March 06, 2008, 11:02:31 PM
I don't think I would have made it through highschool without his work.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: bad_andy on March 10, 2008, 05:13:00 AM
Pourin' out a bag of holding for my dead hommie.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Russell Nash on March 10, 2008, 07:34:21 PM
More NPR:

NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me has a segment each week where they ask someone famous questions about stuff they know nothing about.  It's a three question multiple choice quiz.  This week they had the secretary of education and the quiz was about Gygax/D&D.  The host of the show is a big fan. 

To hear just this segment go here (http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35&prgDate=03-08-2008&view=storyview) and then go down to the segment titled "Not My Job".
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Rachel Swirsky on March 10, 2008, 09:25:26 PM
Quote
I'm pretty sure he meant to imply that as Podcastle has yet to air (wire?) and episode, it isn't so much a podcast as a podcast-to-be.

Ah, okay. I read him as saying PodCastle won't ever exist. Believe me, I've been doing a lot of work that says otherwise. ;-)

Quote
NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me has a segment each week where they ask someone famous questions about stuff they know nothing about.  It's a three question multiple choice quiz.  This week they had the secretary of education and the quiz was about Gygax/D&D.

Thanks for the link, Russell!
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: CammoBlammo on March 10, 2008, 10:19:50 PM
Ah, okay. I read him as saying PodCastle won't ever exist. Believe me, I've been doing a lot of work that says otherwise. ;-)

Sorry if I caused any offence. My intention was to point out that Podcastle would never have the chance to never exist if not for Gary Gygax. Since he did what he did, Podcastle does have the chance to never exist, which thanks to the work of palimpsest and friends, it won't be taking.

If nothing else, we can see why double negatives are best avoided in the (mainstream) English language.

I somehow feel a little disappointed that we've lost a running joke around here (the meme, not the podcast!). Over at Slashdot there's been a joke for years about Duke Nukem Forever, a game that's been promised forever but has never materialised. If Slashdot runs a story about the eventual heat death of the universe, you can be sure DNF will figure prominently in the discussion.

Of course, I'm happy to lose the meme if it means getting the podcast.
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: birdless on March 10, 2008, 10:49:57 PM
Sorry if I caused any offence. My intention was to point out that Podcastle would never have the chance to never exist if not for Gary Gygax. Since he did what he did, Podcastle does have the chance to never exist, which thanks to the work of palimpsest and friends, it won't be taking.

If nothing else, we can see why double negatives are best avoided in the (mainstream) English language.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Hilarious.<-period
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Rachel Swirsky on March 11, 2008, 02:33:37 AM
Quote
Of course, I'm happy to lose the meme if it means getting the podcast.

Well, at the very least, if you turn out to be disappointed in the podcast, you can always mock us by saying you'd rather have the meme back. ;-)
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: stePH on March 12, 2008, 02:07:12 AM
I somehow feel a little disappointed that we've lost a running joke around here (the meme, not the podcast!). Over at Slashdot there's been a joke for years about Duke Nukem Forever, a game that's been promised forever but has never materialised.
Yeah, it's also been called "Duke Nukem Not-Ever". 
Title: Re: Gygax is dead, long live Gygax.
Post by: Russell Nash on March 17, 2008, 09:23:54 PM
One more NPR link.  A remembrance of a game with Gygax (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88324583).