Utente:Moroboshi/Sandbox3

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[modifica] Biografia

Gygax è il figlio di un immigrato svizzero e di madre statunitense. La sua esperienza di gioco cominciò a cinque o sei anni con giochi di carte e gli scacchi. Si appassionò alla lettura di pulp magazine e di storie fantasy e fantascienza, leggendo i racconti di appassionandosi alla lettura di Robert E. Howard e di Jack Vance: «Ho letto fantasy fin dal 1950»^[1]

Nel 1953, insieme a Don Kaye, giocò per la prima con miniature.

Il gioco Gettysburg della Avalon Hill catturò l'attenzione di Gygax, dalla stessa compagnia a cui ordinò le prime mappe esagonali disponibili. Cercava nuove maniere di generare numeri casuali e usava dadi di forme differenti da quelli soliti cubici.

Nel 1966 creò insieme a altri la "International Federation of Wargamers" (IFW)^[2], un club di appasionati di wargame, che al suo culmine giunse ad avere 500/600 iscritti.

Nel 1967 Gary Gygax organizzò un convegno di una ventina di persone nella sua casa. Sucessivamente questo venne chiamato "Gen Con 0" dato che fu un'anticipazione del convegno annuale di gioco della Gen Con che iniziò l'anno dopo e che attualmente è la più grande e lunga riunione annuale dell' hobby.^[3]. Alla Gen Con Gary Gygax incontrò Brian Blume e Dave Arneson. Brian Blume diventerà socio della TSR insieme a Don Kaye e a Gary Gygax.

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Insieme con Don Kaye, Mike Reese e Leon Tucker, creò una società dedicata alle miniature militari, la Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA) che all'epoca si riuniva nello scantinato di Gyax.^[3]

Nel 1971 Gygax e Jeff Perren scrissero Chainmail, un regolamento di wargame con miniature a partire dal quale venne sviluppato D&D.^[4]

Gygax e Kaye fondarono quindi la Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) e pubblicarono la prima edizione di D&D nel 1974. Per il sistema degli incantesimi Gygax si ispirò alle opere di Jack Vance, ma trasse ispirazione anche dai lavori di autori come Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp e Fritz Leiber. La prima stampa, assemblata a mano, di 1000 copie venne venduta in nove mesi.^[3] Quello stesso anno Gygax assunse hired Tim Kask per aiutarlo a trasformare la rivista The Strategic Review in quello che è oggi Dragon Magazine con Gygax come autore e successivamente come colonnista.^[3]

Dopo la morte di Kaye nel 1976 la sua vedova vendette le azioni della TSR a Gygax, che si ritrovò quindi a avere una maggioranza di controllo della Tactical Studies Rules, e creò la TSR Hobbies, Inc. La vendette poco dopo a Brian Blume e a suo padre per problemi finanziari. Alla fine del 1976 la famiglia Blume possedeva circa due terzi della TSR Hobbies.

Pochi anni dopo venne creata una nuova versione di D&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons)(1977–9).^[1] «Il Monster Manual sarà il primo manuale di un nuovo sistema. Le nuove regole non sono compatibili con D&D. In conseguenza di ciò D&D e AD&D saranno due linee editoriali distinte.»

Lasciò la TSR nel 1985 a causa di contrasti con la direzione della TSR, mentre Gygax era occupato con la produzione della serie a cartoni animati Dungeons and Dragons sorsero dei problemi nella compagnia:

«Ero stato praticamente tagliato fuori dal controllo della compagnia a causa i due tipi, che complessivamente possedevano la quota di controllo, pensavano che avrebbero potutto gestirla meglio di quanto non avessi potuto fare io. Nel 1982 nessuno sulla costa occidentale avrebbe fatto affari con la TSR, ma mi incaricarono di gestire una nuova corporazione chiamata "Dungeons and Dragons Entertainment." Mi occorse molto tempo e lavoro per essere riconosciuto come qualcosa di reale e non un estraneo al mondo dello spettacolo. Infine riuscimmo a far partire questo spettacolo (sulla CBS) e avevo in corso altri progetti. Mentre mi trovavo là comunque seppì che la compagnia era in grave difficoltà finanziare e uno dei due, il mio socio la stava svendendo a New York. Ritornai per scoprire grossolani errori di gestione in tutte le aree della compagnia. La banca rifiutava ulteriori crediti e eravamo i debito di un milione e mezzo. Alla fine risolvemmo la situazione ma praticamente buttai fuori uno dei miei soci dall'ufficio [nota: Kevim Blume, che venne rimosso come CEO della TSR nel 1984]. Allora i miei soci per vendicarsi vendettero le loro quote a un altro [nota: Lorraine Williams]. Tentai di bloccare questa manovra in tribunale, ma il giudice decise in senso contrario a me. Persi il controllo della compagnia e a questo punto decisi di vendere la mia quota[1]»

Dopo aver lasciato la TSR creò Dangerous Journeys per la Game Designers' Workshop, ma un gioco di ruolo che comprendeva più generi e che conteneva tutte le regole a cui Gygax aveva potuto pensare.^[1] He began work in 1995 on a major new RPG, originally intended for a computer game, but in 1999 released as Lejendary Adventure which some consider to be his best work to date. A key part of its design was to keep the gaming rules as simple as possible, as Gygax felt that role playing games were becoming too complex and discouraged new users.

He is now in semi-retirement,^[1] having almost suffered a heart attack after receiving incorrect medication^[3] to prevent further strokes after those on April 1 and May 4 2004. Although working hours declined gaming is still very much a part of Gary's life. Together with James M. Ward, creator of Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World, Thursday night is RPG night.^[3] Gygax is still active in the gaming community and has active Q & A forums on gaming websites such as Dragonsfoot and EN World.

"I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else."^[1]

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Nel 1966 pubblicò con la Guidon Games il wargame Chainmail, un gioco di miniature scritto con Jeff Perren e ispirato al Signore degli Anelli.

Fondò, con Don Kaye, la compagnia Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) che pubblicò la prima versione di D&D nel 1974 e fu l'autore dell'ambientazione Greyhawk.

Nel 1977 pubblicò una nuova versione di D&D, l'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.

Lasciò la TSR negli anni '80, ma continuò a scrivere giochi di ruolo, come Dangerous Journeys e Lejendary Adventure, e racconti ambientati in Greyhawk (Gord the Rogue).

[modifica] Personal

Gygax married Gail Carpenter on August 15 1987, which was the same day as his own parents' 50th anniversary. As of 2005, he is father to six children and seven grandchildren. The first five, Ernest G. Jr., Mary Elise, Heidi Jo, Cindy Lee and Lucion Paul are from his first marriage to the former Mary Jo Gygax. His latest, through his current marriage, is Alexander Hugh Hamilton Gygax born on October 2, 1986. His latest grandson is Jonathan To (pronounced toe, his father being Chinese-Vietnamese).^[3]. Gygax currently resides in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Gary describes his studio in his typical narrative fashion as,

"a small but sunny upper room—cluttered with books, magazines, papers, and who-knows-what else. Right now, pending the redecorating of that room, I am lodged in the downstairs dining room at a long table that holds two computers and a scanner, with the printer hiding to one side below it. The radio there in the studio was usually tuned to a classical music station, but the station was sold, programming changed, so now I work sans music, or now and then with a CD playing through the computer. While there are bookcases in the upper studio, elsewhere on the second floor, and on the first floor, the main repository of printed lore (other than that piled here and there) is my basement library which includes thousands of reference works, maps, magazines, and works of fiction."^[3]

[modifica] Honorable Mention

From 1975 to 1994, Gary Gygax received several awards related to gaming:^[3]

• Strategists Club's, "Outstanding Designer & Writer"—for creating D&D
• Origin Game Convention's, "Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame"
• Origins Award, "Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame Honors" (2004)
• Four time winner of Games Day's, "Best Games Inventor" (1979–82).

Gary Gygax was tied with J. R. R. Tolkien for #18 on "GameSpy's 30 Most Influential People in Gaming" (Gamespy Magazine, March 2002).

As of March 13, 2003, Gygax is listed under the entry Dungeons and Dragons in the Oxford English Dictionary.

A strain of bacteria has been named in honor of Gary Gygax, namely "Arthronema gygaxiana sp nov UTCC393".^[5]

Sync Magazine named Gary Gygax #1 on the list of "The 50 Biggest Nerds of All Time".^[6]

SFX Magazine listed him as #37 on the list of the "50 Greatest SF Pioneers".^[7]

[modifica] In Popular Culture

Gary Gygax appeared on a Futurama episode, "Anthology of Interest I" (aired in 2000), during which he rolled dice to decide on what greeting to give when introduced to Fry ("It's a... *roll* ...pleasure to meet you."). Later, he gives his "+1 mace" to Fry to fight off the robots of the future. The episode ends with Gary dungeon mastering a Dungeons & Dragons game with Fry, Al Gore, Nichelle Nichols, Stephen Hawking, and Deep Blue. His appearance alongside Al Gore on Futurama was something of an inside joke since Gore's wife, Tipper Gore, has been publicly critical of Dungeons & Dragons. The Gores' daughter writes for the show.

He had a cameo appearance in the April 13, 2004 strip of R. K. Milholland's on-line comic Something Positive. Gary is shown getting busted by the FBI for creating Dungeons & Dragons and causing "years and years of anti-social mayhem". [1]

In an episode of Dexter's Laboratory (entitled "D&DeeDee"), Dexter attempts to play a super-powerful character named Gygax with a soul-stealing sword, but ends up with Hodo the Furry-Footed Burrower instead.

His name has twice been an answer in the board game Trivial Pursuit.

The now-defunct Washington D.C.-based art punk band Pitchblende named their final album, Gygax!, in his honor.

In the MMORPG version of Dungeons and Dragons, Dungeons & Dragons Online, Gygax serves as Dungeon Master for the "Delera's Tomb" quest chain.

[modifica] Job Titles

• 1970-73 – Editor-in-Chief, Guidon Games (publisher of Wargaming rules and wargames)
• 1973-83 – Partner of TSR and then President of TSR Hobbies, Inc.
• 1983-85 – President, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Entertainment Corporation

Co-Producer, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Animated Television Show

• 1983-85 – Chairman of the Board of Directors and President (1985 only) of TSR, Inc.
• 1986-88 – Chairman of the Board of Directors, New Infinities Productions, Inc.
• 1988-94 – Creator/author under contract to Omega Helios Limited
• 1995-... – Creator/author under contract to Trigee Enterprises Corporation
• 1999-... – Partner, Hekaforge Productions

[modifica] Role-Playing Games

Boot Hill - role-playing elements in the Wild West, with Brian Blume, 1975

[modifica] Dungeons & Dragons

Template:Seealso

• Supplements:
  • Greyhawk (with Rob Kuntz)
  • Eldritch Wizardry (with Brian Blume)
  • Swords & Spells
• Accessories:
  • The Book of Marvelous Magic (with Frank Mentzer)
• Adventures:
  • B2 The Keep on the Borderlands

[modifica] Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Template:Seealso

• Rule books:
  • Player's Handbook
  • Dungeon Master's Guide
  • Monster Manual
  • Monster Manual II
• Supplements:
  • Unearthed Arcana
  • Oriental Adventures (with Dave Cook & Francois Froideval)
• Accessories:
  • Dungeon Geomorphs (3 sets)
  • Outdoor Geomorphs
  • Monster & Treasure Assortments (3 sets)

• Adventures:
  • D1 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth
  • D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
  • D3 Vault of the Drow
  • EX1 Dungeonland
  • EX2 The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror
  • G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief
  • G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl
  • G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King
  • Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (with Dave Sutherland)
  • S1 Tomb of Horrors
  • S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
  • S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
  • T1 The Village of Hommlet
  • T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil (with Frank Mentzer)
  • WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun
  • WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure (with Rob Kuntz)
  • WG6 Isle of the Ape

[modifica] Dangerous Journeys

Template:Seealso

• Mythus – (with Dave Newton), Game Designers Workshop, 1992
• Mythus Magick – Book II of the MYTHUS Game (with Dave Newton), GDW, 1992
• Epic of Ærth – Companion Volume to the MYTHUS Game, GDW, 1992
• Necropolis – Adventure Scenario, GDW, 1993
• Mythus Bestiary, Ærth Animalia – (with Dave & Michele Newton), GDW, 1993
• Changeling – Weird Science Fantasy Role-Playing Game, published in part in Mythic Masters Magazine (see Periodicals)

[modifica] Lejendary Adventures

Template:Seealso

• Rule books:
  • Lejendary Rules for All Players - Hekaforge Productions, 1999
  • Lejend Master's Lore - Hekaforge Productions, 2000
  • Beasts of Lejend - Hekaforge Productions, 2000
• World Setting sourcebooks:
  • Legendary Earth Gazetteer - Part 1, Hekaforge Productions, 2002
  • Noble Kings & Dark Lands - Part 2, (with Chris Clark) Hekaforge Productions, 2003
  • The Mysterious Realms of Hazgar – Part 3, (with Chris Clark) Hekaforge Productions, 2005
• Adventures:
  • Living the Lejend - Campaign Setting & Expansion for the LA Essentials Boxed Set, Troll Lord Games (2005)
  • Forlorn Corners - included serially as a part of the Author’s and Collector’s Editions of the three core rules noted above (1999-2000)
  • Hall of Many Panes – Module Boxed Set with D20 stats included, Troll Lord Games 2005
• Lejendary Adventure Essentials - Primer Boxed Set for the LA RPG, Troll Lord Games, 2005

[modifica] Castles & Crusades

For Castles & Crusades, the Castle Zagyg series is a planned series of seven sourcebooks based on Gygax's original campaign. For copyright reasons they are not published under the name of Greyhawk.

• Castle Zagyg, Vol. 1: Yggsburgh Troll Lord Games, 2005 (ISBN 1-931275-68-8)

[modifica] Generic d20 System

(see also d20 System & Open Game License)

• A Challenge of Arms - (Chris Clark with Gary Gygax) generic adventure module, Inner City Game Designs, 1999
• Ritual of the Golden Eyes - (Chris Clark with Gary Gygax) generic adventure module, Inner City Game Designs, 2000
• The Weyland Smith Catalog - ("Joke" Magic Items), short version, Hekaforge Productions, 1999
• Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds Series from Troll Lord Games. Volumes IV, V, VI are edited by Gygax.
  • Volume I Gary Gygax’s The Canting Crew, explores the underworld of city life, "Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds, Volume II"
  • Volume II Gary Gygax’s World Builder, a collection of organized definitions, lists, tables and charts, (with Dan Cross) – 2003
  • Volume III Gary Gygax’s Living Fantasy, Everyday Life, – 2003
  • Volume IV Gary Gygax’s Book of Names by Malcolm Bowers
  • Volume V Gary Gygax’s Insidiae by Dan Cross 2004
  • Volume VI Gary Gygax’s Nation Builder, by Michael J. Varhola – 2005

[modifica] Non-RPG Games

[modifica] Rules for Miniatures/Table Top Battle Games

• Cavaliers and Roundheads (English Civil War, with Jeff Perren)
• Chainmail (Medieval and Fantasy, with Jeff Perren)
• Classic Warfare (Ancient Period: 1500 BC to 500 AD)
• Don't Give Up The Ship! (Sailing Ship Battles c. 1700 to 1815, with Dave Arneson & Mike Carr)
• Tractics (WWII to c. 1965, with Mike Reese & Leon Tucker)
• Foreword to the 2004 Skirmisher Publishing LLC edition of H.G. Wells' Little Wars

[modifica] Board Games

• Alexander the Great (Ancient, the Battle of Arbela) – Guidon Games and reprinted by Avalon Hill
• Alexander's Other Battles – Panzerfaust Publishing, 1972 – a Supplementary Kit For The Guidon Game Alexander the Great
• Baku (WW II, Extension of The Avalon Hill Company’s Stalingrad board wargame), Panzerfaust Publications
• Crusader (Medieval, Battle of Ascalon) – Panzerfaust Publications
• Dunkirk (World War II) – Guidon Games
• Little Big Horn (Western) – TSR Hobbies, Inc.

[modifica] Chess Variants

• Another of Gary Gygax's creations was Dragon chess, a three-dimensional fantasy chess variant, published in Dragon Magazine #100 (August 1985). It is played on three 8x12 boards stacked on top of each other - the top board represents the sky, the middle is the ground, and the bottom is the underworld. The pieces are characters and monsters inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons setting: King, Mage, Paladin, Cleric, Dragon, Griffin, Oliphant, Hero, Thief, Elemental, Basilisk, Unicorn, Dwarf, Sylph and Warrior.
• Fidchell^[8] – Not to be confused with the historic board game of fidchell (various spellings) from Ireland.

[modifica] Literature

[modifica] Fantasy Novels

• Greyhawk Adventures Series of Novels (from TSR, Inc., featuring Gord the Rogue)
  • Saga of Old City (1985)
  • Artifact of Evil (1986)

• Gord the Rogue Adventures (from New Infinities Productions, Inc., also published in Italian)
  • Sea of Death (1987)
  • Night Arrant (1987) – a collection of short stories
  • City of Hawks (1987)
  • Come Endless Darkness (1988)
  • Dance of Demons (1988)

• released under publisher Penguin/Roc
  • The Anubis Murders (1992)
  • The Samarkand Solution (1993)
  • Death in Delhi (1993)

[modifica] Misc Books & Short Stories

• Sagard the Barbarian Books (HEROES CHALLENGE Gamebook Series, co-author Flint Dille (with assistance from Ernie Gygax) - from Archway/Pocket books):

The Ice Dragon

The Green Hydra

The Crimson Sea

The Fire Demon

• Role-Playing Mastery - instructional book, Perigee/Putnam (trade paperback bestseller)
• Master of the Game - sequel to Role-Playing Mastery from Perigee/Putnam
• "At Moonset Blackcat Comes" (Fantasy short story featuring Gord the Rogue appearing in Dragon Magazine #100)
• "Pay Tribute" (Science Fiction short story in The Fleet anthology)
• "Battle off Deadstar" (Science Fiction short story in Fleet Breakthrough anthology)
• "Celebration of Celene" (Fantasy short story published in Michael Moorcock’s Elric, Tales of the White Wolf anthology) - White Wolf, Inc., 1994
• "Duty" (Fantasy short story in Excalibur, anthology) – Warner Books, 1995
• "Get on Board the D Train" (Horror short story in Dante’s Disciples anthology) – White Wolf, Inc., 1996
• Evening Odds" (Fantasy short story with Gord the Rogue sharing Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champions universe) – White Wolf, Inc., 1997

[modifica] Periodicals

• The Crusader – magazine, column on the creation of the D&D game beginning 2005
• Dragon Magazine - author to 1985, and a columnist therein 1999 to 2004
• Journeys Journal (GDW) - contributor in each of six issues published through 1993
• Lejends (Total Reality Studios) – magazine, major contributor, 2001 to 2003
• Mythic Masters (Trigee) - magazine, primary author of entire 64-page magazine for each of six issues published through 1994
• The Strategic Review (Tactical Studies Rules) – newsletter, primary author of entire magazine for each of the initial four issues, and a major contributor to the balance of all issues until DRAGON Magazine came into print.
• La Vivandiere (Palikar Publications) – defunct wargaming magazine, contributing author (1974), significant contributions include "Fantasy Wargaming and the Influence of J.R.R. Tolkien", in which he defends D&D's inclusion of non-Tolkien fantasy into the game.

[modifica] Bibliography

1. ↑ ^{1,0 1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6} Gamespy interview with Gary Gygax Interview", intervista di Allen Rausch (URL acceduto il 3 gennaio 2005)
2. ↑ "1966 * International Federation of Wargamers formata da Gary Gygax e altri giocatori di wargame." The History of TSR, Wizards of the Coast (URL acceduto il 20 agosto 2005)
3. ↑ ^{3,0 3,1 3,2 3,3 3,4 3,5 3,6 3,7 3,8} Gary Gygax, "LONG BIOGRAPHY of E(rnest) GARY GYGAX", revisione del 5 giugno, ©2005
4. ↑ http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/setpages/chainmail.html
5. ↑ "Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Ten Polar and Near-Polar Strains within the Oscillatoriales (Cyanobacteria)", by Dale A. Casamatta, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Morgan L. Vis, and Sharon T. Broadwater, Journal of Phycology, 2005
6. ↑ Number 1: Gary Gyrax: "Cocreator of Dungeons & Dragons and father of role-playing games.
   Defining nerd moment: With a last name that sounds like a barbarian warrior from space, is it any wonder this guy invented the 20-sided die? Between 1977 and 1979, Gygax released Advanced Dungeons & Dragons for advanced dorks, taking the cult phenomenon to new heights whilst giving himself a +5 salary of lordly might." Sync Magazine, December/January 2004/05
7. ↑ SFX Magazine March (#128) 2005
8. ↑ Fidchell, The Chess Variant Pages, accessed August 19th, 2005

[modifica] External links

• Wikiquote contiene citazioni di o su Moroboshi/Sandbox3

• Interview by Christopher Smith on LA website

• Gygax – Troll Lord Games
• Dungeons and Dragons Official Home Page
• E.Gary Gygax - Father of Role Play
• Kittenpants.org interview
• Gary Gygax Q & A at Dragonsfoot