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- How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?
35 years old, 24 years gaming.

- What RPG did you first start with?
Technically, MERP - I had no idea what gaming was, but I was a Tolkien nerd and the local gaming group ran a demo session in the kid's library. I was hooked. (I went to a shop and bought what I assumed was what we'd been playing, but was actually the insane complex war-game (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1187 ... f-the-ring). I found the D&D red box a few months later, which made more sense.

- What kind of games have you played in the past?
More than I can comfortably count. Cthulhu, Vampire, Legend of the Five Rings, Unknown Armies all figure strongly.

- Have your preferences changed over the years?
I don't have strong preferences - there's something to love in (almost) every game.

- What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?
First game of Call of Cthulhu. 20 years spent trying to recapture that feeling...

- What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?
Call of Cthulhu.
Dungeons & Dragons (basic).
Night's Black Agents.
Nobilis.
Paranoia.

- What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?
Karma (SLA Industries)
City of Lies (L5R)
Delta Green (Call of Cthulhu)
Robin's Laws.
I'm blanking on a fifth.

(note: I'm excluding stuff I've worked on from the above lists.)

- How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?
I am 42 and I am gaming since 27 years.

- What RPG did you first start with?
A German system called "Das Schwarze Auge" (the black eye).

- What kind of games have you played in the past?
Many. I had a room in our flat which was full with my books, DVDs, toys... 3 years ago my daughter was born. We transformed my playing room into her room. I gave away 3 big boxes full of RPG books to my friends shortly after her birth. Made some friends very happy. I just kept the stuff which is dearest to me and gave everything else to my friends. So to answer the question: many, but I can't check anymore to make a list...

- Have your preferences changed over the years?
Definitely. We started with dungeon crawling and power gaming. But nowadays we play many of our sessions without rolling a single die. I am lucky having many friends which also play and love Tolkien. We grew up together and playing for so many years together, I think we developed our very own style of gaming. Very story and atmosphere driven. Sometimes a good fight, which should everybody at the table make chew their fingernails. But also sessions where the characters simply sit at the campfire and talk about their past.

- What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?
- What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?
TOR, it feels like this system was written for me!
Midgard
Wheel Of Time (but very modified)

Matthias

How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

41 - started in 1982 at age 10.

What RPG did you first start with?
Basic D&D (red boxed) set. It was taught to me by my aunt who played in college, and at that time was in the Navy and they all seemed to play!

What kind of games have you played in the past?
Oh man, SOOO many. as a kid (teenager) - D&D (basic, expert, AD&D and 2nd edition), Champions, Star Frontiers, GURPS, Top Secret, Ghostbusters, Car Wars. As a young adult - D&D 2nd edition and 3rd edition, D20 Modern, Shadowrun, CyberPunk. In my now married, mortgage, and kids slowing down with age can't find enough time to play anymore period of my life: Pathfinder (replaced D&D - cuz I did not enjoy 4th edition), Buffy Vampire Slayer and Angel, Smallville RPG, Paranoia (the computer is your friend!) Mutants and Masterminds, TOR, Shadows of Esteren (new game - fantastic by the way - very TOR feeling), Call Cthuhlu, and now trying out various old school D&Dish games to see what reminds me of good old fashioned D&D: Swords and Wizards, Goodman Games RPG, Castles and Crusades.

Have your preferences changed over the years?
Definitely - In the beginning, it was D&D, and power gaming. Then it went to more intense roleplaying, and then a very crunchy miniatures heavy use, and now I have a huge respect and preference for rules light, easy high amounts of storytelling, and interactive roleplaying and games with very rich dynamic feels to (such as Shadows of Esteren, TOR, Paranoia, and Pathfinder adventures - though we still have to contend with a lot of rules - but at least the stories are second to none!) I've never enjoyed "wargames", or LARPing, never though Werewolf and Vampire were any good. I was never impressed by MERP either. I liked the Tolkien thing - but it wasn't a good representation (IMO), and I just preferred to stick w/ D&D.

What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?
Obviously D&D. Especially the Unearthed Arcana of 1st edition. That was probably my favorite, except for a lot of the restrictions that 3rd edition removed. If we could remove the restrictions (character design based restrictions) and go back to a rules light - I think I would buy into that. I think D&D Next is on the cusp of that! There's been a huge renaissance movement towards rules light old-school rpgaming, and I think they're cashing in on that. If only their adventures were half as good as the writers at Paizo Publishing (Pathfinder).

Car Wars is special to me - it was what we usually played when we weren't playing D&D. We had a lot of fun in the Rec-Room at my house growing up playing that, or on camping trips.

TOR now - because it IS Tolkien - AND it's beautifully designed and written that keeps the original flavor and feeling intact and integrated with easy to use rules and alot of dynamic fun.

What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?
Without any real order here, I love all of them equally...
-D&D (especially 1st edition w/ Unearthed Arcana, and 3.5)
-Pathfinder
-TOR
-Paranoia (while perhaps not number 1 all time due to it's limited scope - I will say it's the most FUN game I've ever played! and by fun I mean almost peeing my pants hysterical fun!)

All of those may be tied for top spot - followed by Champions, Car Wars and Shadows of Esteren as 2nd place/choice.


What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?
Only five??? not fair - will try!!

Ravenloft setting for D&D 2nd edition
Planescape setting for D&D 2nd edition those two are the greatest most wonderfully designed RPG settings ever.
Unearthed Arcana for AD&D 1st edition
Midnight D20 Setting for D&D 3rd edition (by Fantasy Flight Games - VERY Tolkien-ish - but dark Sauron won the war feeling)
Pathfinder Ultimate Campaign book
Pathfinder Mythic Rules book
Rappan Athuk by Necromancer Games (big ass DEADLY dungeon)
Undermountain by TSR for 2nd edition D&D (big ass dungeon)
Planes of Choas / Law / Conflict for Planescape (three different Boxed sets! awesomeness - but as Gimli said - still only counts as one!)
Domains of Dread of Ravenloft (2nd edition AD&D)
And I just started reading Darkening of Mirkwood - but have a feeling it will join this list.

That was five, right...???


Robert

- How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

I'm 30 (until Thursday, anyway) and I've been role-playing for twenty years. Played lots of Heroquest and Space Crusade before that, though.

- What RPG did you first start with?

Basic D&D. It was a black box with a red dragon on it and was widely available in mainstream channels at the time. It was even in the Argos catalogue!

- What kind of games have you played in the past?

Lots of D&D in various flavours and World of Darkness during my teens. GURPS, MERP, WHFRP and plenty of other trad stuff. A few years back I started going to a club in London and was exposed to a lot more indie stuff.

- Have your preferences changed over the years?

Not really. I've always liked epic fantasy campaigns with a healthy balance of character, story and action. I've certainly been exposed to a wider variety of games as the years have gone on, but my favourite game style has never changed.

- What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?

D&D 3.5 for being the system with which I ran my best ever campaign and WHFRP for being the system in which I played my favourite campaign.

- What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?

In no particular order -

D&D 3.5

WHFRP - Both for the reasons mentioned above.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse - I love this game to bits, but have never run or played a game that came close to how good I think it could be. Hopefully this will change at some point soon, as I have a more mature group of players than I used to.

Spycraft - The 'For Queen & Country' living Spycraft games I've played in have been some of the most fun I've ever had gaming.

TOR - Well, it's my favourite right now.

- What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?

This is kinda hard for me, as I don't buy all that many. I do have a mighty stack of D&D 3/3.5 books because my players cottoned on to the fact that they could get access to new shiny things by buying me books.

SLA Industries: The Contract Directory - I loathe the rules, but I adore the game and this supplement takes everything I love about the game and turns it up to 11.

TOR: Tales From Wilderland - I don't run pre-written adventures, as a rule. This is the first time I've read adventures and not only wanted to run them, but have kept reading because I wanted to know what happens next.

D&D 3rd: Oriental Adventures - Some of the books Wizards were putting out for D&D at that time were gorgeous and this one, along with the Forgotten Realms 3rd edition book, was my favourite.

Hackmaster: Hackmaster's Shield - So ludicrous that it's awesome.

Rich H wrote:How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

50...been gaming since ~1974.

Rich H wrote:What RPG did you first start with?

D&D, the white box one.

Rich H wrote:What kind of games have you played in the past?

Started with Avalon Hill wargames (mainly Third Reich, Panzer Blitz, Panzer Leader, and Squad Leader), SPI (mainly Invasion America, War of the Ring/Minas Tirith/Sauron, and Terrible Swift Sword), and TSR (The Battle of Five Armies...the one TSR got sued over...bought my copy new, when it WAS new...only copy I've ever seen, too), but sold it (back in the late 80's) to a friend because I was moving and was stupid (fortunately, he still has it).

Rich H wrote:Have your preferences changed over the years?

Yes. Started as a roll-player, but evolved into a role-player.

Rich H wrote:What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?

1. FGU's Chivalry & Sorcery RPG (1st Edition)...played this with a group of older gamers (who're now in their late 50's/early 60's and one has passed Into the West) who introduced me to the concept of ROLE-playing. Too, an article in one of the supplements (C&S Sourcebook) on the Ecology of a Dungeon was a huge influence...it had the same impact on me as Darwin's Origin of Species had on the world.
2. The One Ring RPG...because FINALLY someone got Tolkien's world correct!
3. West End Games' Star Wars RPG...my first successful, long-term campaign was in this system/world.
4. SPI's Dragon Quest RPG...probably played more in this system than any other.

Rich H wrote:What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?

1. FGU's Chivalry & Sorcery RPG (1st Edition)
2. The One Ring RPG
3. West End Games' Star Wars RPG
4. SPI's Dragon Quest RPG
5. Margaret Weis Productions' CORTEX RPG

Rich H wrote:What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?

Can only think of one that stands out from the system...
1. FGU's Chivalry & Sorcery Sourcebook

- How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?
42. Been playing for about 26 years, with the same group.

- What RPG did you first start with?
Technically D&D, but I only lasted about 5 mins. The first game we played as a group was 2300AD.

- What kind of games have you played in the past?
Mainly RPGs and historical miniatures.

- Have your preferences changed over the years?

- What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?
L5R (1st and 2nd), Ars Magica, recently Victoriana 3r ed.

- What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?
No particular order.
Ars Magica
Pendragon
Victoriana 3rd ed*
All For One: Regime Diabolique
Maelstrom-Domesday*

* haven't actually played or run but I like reading the books.

- What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?
The Smoke
Phoenix Clan Sourcebook
Paris Gothic
The Heart of the Wild
Delta Green

I'll play...

Rich H wrote:- How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

I'll be 45 in 10 days.

Rich H wrote:- What RPG did you first start with?

D&D holmes, 1978

Rich H wrote:- What kind of games have you played in the past?

(more or less in order..) (1978-1987) Holmes D&D, AD&D, Gamma World, Traveller, Top Secret, TNMT, MERP, Marvel Superheroes. (2003-now) Decipher LotR, D&D 3.5, C&C, BX D&D, Conan, Icons, StarBlazers, Savage Worlds Star Wars, The One Ring, AD&D 3e (home brew C&C retrofitted to 1e & 2e).

Rich H wrote:- Have your preferences changed over the years?

I've always loved playing in 'known worlds' (derived from books or movies). With kids and a 'real life', I've changed from loving crunch (MERP) to refusing to play if it isn't 'rules lite' (unless I already know the system).

Rich H wrote:- What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?

Mongoose Conan (and my C&C derivative), MERP, AD&D, C&C, TNMT

Rich H wrote:- What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?

C&C, BX D&D, Conan, Icons, AD&D

Rich H wrote:- What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?

a very hard one...
Decipher's Moria, Conan Road of Kings, TOR Heart of the Wild, Tor Darkening of Mirkwood, TOR Tales of Wilderland,

How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

• 25 years old, 15 years gaming.

What RPG did you first start with?

• AD&D, Second Edition.

What kind of games have you played in the past?

• AD&D
• D&D3.X
• Various GURPS games
• Some WoD stuff
• Some Savage Worlds stuff, Hellfrost in particular
• The Dresden Files
• Shadowrun 3
• Various Star Wars RPGs
• D&D 4th
• The One Ring (obviously)
• Some Fate Core
• There has been some indie-stuff. Too much to list here.

Have your preferences changed over the years?

• I went from rather gamistic games to simulation. Now I’m rather narrative in style.

What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?

• Right now it’s TOR. I am also very fond of some of my AD&D and Shadowrun memories. Ah, good times...

What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?
(In no particular order)

• Shadowrun 3
• TOR
• The Dresden Files
• Fate Core
• Hellfrost (Savage Worlds)

What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?
(In no particular order)

• The Hellfrost Region Guides (cheap mini-supplements as PDF, focusing on a very limited region)
• The Fate Core System Toolkit (not only gives it lots of ideas for changing the system, but also lots of general advise on role-playing)
• Robin’s Laws
• The historic GURPS supplements in general
• The TOR LM’s Screen (man, I have never seen such a sturdy screen)

P.S.: Wow, I might be the youngest one playing TOR on this board.

- How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

I'm 31 and a couple of months and I've been gaming for the past 16 years or so.

- What RPG did you first start with?

I started with a home-made RPG created by a friend of mine, my first "official" RPG was Cyberpunk 2020.

- What kind of games have you played in the past?

The list is quite long: D&D in all its incarnations up to the 3.5, Pathfinder, Cyberpunk 2020, Mekton Z, Mutant Chronicles, Vampire (Masquerade & Dark Ages), Werewolf (with a setting heavily revisited by me), Changeling: the Dreaming, Stormbringer, Basic Fantasy (with homemade setting), Call of Cthulu (occasionally, not a big fan of H.P.L.), GURPS (not good in my mind), Warhammer Fantasy RPG (2nd edition), Dark Heresy, Deathwatch, Only War, Legend of the 5 Rings (all editions, plus homemade edition by me), 7th Sea, Anima: Beyond Fantasy, Lord of the RIngs (Decipher, yes I've sinned), Star Trek (Decipher), Pendragon, Lex Arcana, Sine Requie, Anime e Sangue, Dragon Age, Games of Thrones (d20 and Green Ronin versions), Doctor Who (Cubicle 7 version), The One Ring (doh)

- Have your preferences changed over the years?

Absolutely and they're still changing, while I've never been too much into the power gaming, over the years my focus has shifted from looking at the character sheet to know what my character can or can't do, to thinking about what would work in the story context. This has taken me into reviewing a lot of my past games with different eyes. For example now I'm a lot less comfortable with games based on heavy number crunching, like the d20 system.

- What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?

• Legend of the 5 Rings (1st edition): I played one of my best campaing with it.
• 7th Sea and Werewolf gave me the chance to GM my two best campaigns.

- What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?

• Cyberpunk 2020 (while very dated by now, CP2020 still features one of the best semi-realistic combat systems I've ever had the pleasure to play)
• Legend of the 5 Rings (in spite of how number crunchy the 3rd edition was, I still think that L5R has the best level of integration between setting and system that I know of)
• Changeling: the Dreaming (not for everyone for sure, but I like the fact that among some of the most depressing games out there - the old WoD - we could find some light)
• Lex Arcana (this one was the first RPG that Francesco [Nepitello] and Marco [Maggi] ever produced and was published only in Italy, it was an excellent intro game based on Imperial Rome with magic setting)

- What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?

Usually I don't like these kind of lists but from the top of my head I'll say:

• Complete Dwarf Handbook (AD&D 2nd): this was the supplement I loved most when I started playing. I always liked dwarves, but this book sent me into overdrive
• Litany of the Tribes (2nd edition) and Libellus Sanguinins (1st edition): the White Wolf produced some really excellent "racial" supplements, but I think that these two lines were the top, before the 3rd edition of Vampires and Werewolf went down the number crunchy lane
• Mekton Z Plus: hits the right balance between being technical and being simple in my eyes
• GURPS Martial Arts: while I don't like GRUPS, this supplement has an excellent background section on martial arts, to the point that I recomended it to some friends who were interested in the historical roots of some combat styles.

Rich H wrote: - How old are you and how many years have you been gaming?

I'm 38 years old and been playing since High school so I was around 12-13.

Rich H wrote: - What RPG did you first start with?

AD&D second ed.

Rich H wrote: - What kind of games have you played in the past?

Quite a lot. I've played:
- BECMI D&D, AD&D 1st and Second, and 3rd ed.;
- WEG Star War;
- FASA Earthdawn and Shadowrun 2nd/3rd ed;
- Classic World of Darkness;
- Ars MAgica 3rd and 4th ed,
- Travellers;
- MERP;
- Decipher Lord of the Rings;
- Serenity;
- mongoose Conan
- Chaosium RuneQuest 2nd, and Call of Cthulhu
plus a few other one shot I'm forgetting about.

Rich H wrote: - Have your preferences changed over the years?

Yes and No. With age, I tend to enjoy unique systems and game that allows for a more cerebral play.

Rich H wrote: - What RPGs are particularly memorable or do you hold close to your heart?

AD&D (1st or 2nd) as it's the game I started with, and MERP. Despite it's more cumbersome system, I love the setting.

Rich H wrote: - What's your all time top 5 (RPG)?

AD&D (1st/2nd)
MERP
CoC
cWoD Werewolf: the Apocalypses
Conan

Rich H wrote: - What's your all time top 5 (Supplement)?

MERP Arnor and MERP Angmar
AD&D Oriental Adventure
AD&D Domain of Dread (Ravenloft)
Conan Shadizar and Conan Messentia
FASA Renraku Shutdown