Last night it was Alison’s turn to read to Liam at bed time. Typically I try and take a break and paint or sculpt while Alison is putting Liam to bed; last night I took a step back to look at how Gary Gygax influenced my hobby. And so we proceed with my remembrance of E. Gary Gygax…
The name Gary Gygax goes way back to my earliest days in this hobby. Not so much for “Dungeons and Dragons”, but more for his writings, and works as related to historical board and miniatures war gaming. His name is one that I remember from my reading of the early war game journals and rules sets. I’ve played most of the (published) miniatures rules that his name has been attached to. It is easy to say that Mr. Gygax left his mark on my hobby and for that alone he will always be remembered.
I’m not really sure what I want to write, but feel that I have words and thoughts to share. So, I’ll pour myself a Bushmills and retire to the game room and think back and look at what impact Gary Gygax has had on my hobby…
As I walked into the game room a booklet sitting on the coffee table caught my eye; it was a copy of “Hardtack” a set of ACW rules by Lou Zocchi. I remembered that Gary Gygax wrote the introduction to these rules, so I picked up the book and even before I opened the cover a small piece of the text popped into my head – “…this set of Civil War rules is going to be your passport to endless hours of enjoyment.” Now, that hits right at the heart of why I took up this hobby – for endless hours of enjoyment. So, I for one can apply this simple sentence to not only the “Hardtack” rules but many past, present and future rules sets and games. Nothing magical or earth shaking here, but this wee bit of text, written by Mr. Gygax, quickly ties things in nice neat package.
Now, when it comes to game rules I prefer the old rules and figures. As such I am forever reading and re-reading rules and magazines from the past. Sometimes a set of rules will stay in my active pile for months, even years. Among these are a few that have the Gygax name attached: “Hardtack” (Introduction by Gary Gygax), “Caviliers and Roundheads” and “Chainmail” (with Jeff Perren). When I play games old Avalon Hill games such as “Stalingrad” or “Alexander” I am reminded of Mr. Gygax, as his variants or additions to these games reside in the game box. When I have a hankering for role playing, I tend to drift back to the original Dungeons and Dragons and its supplements.
While it is true that the name Gygax stands out above the rest, one cannot look upon these works and remember just Gary Gygax. We must always remember that Gygax was only a part of and not the whole picture. Forgetting the other partners and authors (Don Kaye, Jeff Perren, Mike Reese, Leon Tucker, Dave Arneson, Make Carr and more) would be a disservice to our hobby…
I for one will not forget Gary Gygax. Every time I pull out my copies of the old rules sets I will remember Mr. Gygax and those who worked and gamed with him. I will never forget the impact these early efforts had (and still have) on our hobby as a whole. The (old) golden days are long gone, but the importance of them will live on for many years to come.
Now, I cannot say that I (truly) knew the man, but I can say that saying good-bye feels like saying good-bye to an old friend or family member. Gary Gygax touched my life and inspired my hobby efforts in the past, in the present and I am sure on into the future. Gary Gygax was not superhuman, but he did, in his own small way help shape our hobby and for that alone we should remember him. There is little else to say here, for time spent writing and reading blog posts is time taken away from war gaming.
