Gratitude and Musings
Mar. 19th, 2004 09:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seawaspI decided I should take a moment to say things I'm grateful for.
First for my wife Kathleen; she is beautiful, intelligent, incredibly tolerant to put up with me, talented, and manages to keep a home running, care for two boys (plus another one, in me), and she's geeky enough to actually interact with me.
Second for my two boys, Christopher and Gabriel. They're both very bright, cute kids, even if CP has trouble listening at times and Gabriel is the Toddler of Doom.
Third for Eric Flint, the Butcher of Baen, who walked up and handed me the chance of my lifetime to be an honest to god SF writer.
Along with Eric, Jim Baen, who made said miracle possible.
My cool, if so energetic he intimidates me, boss, Zack Mian. He's a genius and a frighteningly Type A personality, but hey, he's given me a pretty darn cool job to do.
All my friends, physically met and electronic, with especial nods to Eric Palmer, Carl Edlund, Vern Sodergren, Steve F., John Nielsen, Andy Wolgemuth, and Larry Conley ("We Won't Be Having Any More Of That!")
Musings;
I've oft mentioned that I'm effectively a Great Old One in the online communities. Sure, there's folks on longer than me, but not a huge number -- I sent my first email in 1976. In gaming circles, I am about in the same position; there's some people who were gamers before me, but not all that many (I started in 1977).
It seems possible, however, that I may actually have an online honest-to-god first: I believe I may be the very first person to have run a true Play By Email D&D/RPG campaign, starting in 1978. At least I have yet to hear of anyone else doing it earlier.
First for my wife Kathleen; she is beautiful, intelligent, incredibly tolerant to put up with me, talented, and manages to keep a home running, care for two boys (plus another one, in me), and she's geeky enough to actually interact with me.
Second for my two boys, Christopher and Gabriel. They're both very bright, cute kids, even if CP has trouble listening at times and Gabriel is the Toddler of Doom.
Third for Eric Flint, the Butcher of Baen, who walked up and handed me the chance of my lifetime to be an honest to god SF writer.
Along with Eric, Jim Baen, who made said miracle possible.
My cool, if so energetic he intimidates me, boss, Zack Mian. He's a genius and a frighteningly Type A personality, but hey, he's given me a pretty darn cool job to do.
All my friends, physically met and electronic, with especial nods to Eric Palmer, Carl Edlund, Vern Sodergren, Steve F., John Nielsen, Andy Wolgemuth, and Larry Conley ("We Won't Be Having Any More Of That!")
Musings;
I've oft mentioned that I'm effectively a Great Old One in the online communities. Sure, there's folks on longer than me, but not a huge number -- I sent my first email in 1976. In gaming circles, I am about in the same position; there's some people who were gamers before me, but not all that many (I started in 1977).
It seems possible, however, that I may actually have an online honest-to-god first: I believe I may be the very first person to have run a true Play By Email D&D/RPG campaign, starting in 1978. At least I have yet to hear of anyone else doing it earlier.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Thanksgiving came early this year
Date: 2004-03-19 01:10 pm (UTC)Z
P.S.: I sometimes wonder what might have happened with the VAX PBEM RPG campaign, if the players hadn't been so lame about getting started...
Ahh, yes...
Date: 2004-03-23 06:12 am (UTC)Alas, I have no time to run another PBEM now. I ran a space-game campaign for about a year before I just couldn't keep up with it.
PBEM (WAS) Re: Ahh, yes...
Date: 2004-03-31 11:16 am (UTC)I don't remember getting much beyond character-gen and Prologue...
Z
P.S.: No memory of who the other players were... but curious about who you felt the need to eject.
That would be
Date: 2004-03-31 12:04 pm (UTC)It was "Raven Deathsong" who got booted.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-19 05:33 pm (UTC)Thanks...
Date: 2004-03-23 06:13 am (UTC)thanks for the nod!
Date: 2004-03-28 08:02 am (UTC)You definitely beat me pbeming. I started in the late 80's. 1977 -- wow that was early. It is strange to think how long ago that was.
It also reminds me that my son is 10 now (went to Disneyworld for his birthday). Judi was pregnant w/him back when we visited you in 93.
Now it's back to work and taking another class at OSU. I managed to get an A in my class last quarter -- it's been almost 10 years since I had last taken a class, so I'm definitely happy for the result.
We need to find some other way to get together if pbeming is too time consuming, maybe an ocassional multiplayer video game?
john
Re: thanks for the nod!
Date: 2004-03-31 07:32 pm (UTC)Multiplayer vidgames seem unlikely -- I don't get much chance to synchronize online time with people, alas.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-22 09:55 pm (UTC)i literally just finished reading Digital Knight on the free Baen library site and instantly started searching for info. its nice to see not only what looks to be a great author but one thats involved in gaming (mmorg fan here as well as a bibliophile).
keep up the writing and can't wait to see the next piece!
~ corvidophile (:>)=
A *real fan!* As in, "someone who doesn't know me" Real Fan!
Date: 2004-07-23 01:08 pm (UTC)("Come, state your wish. I will grant you ANY one wish.")
i hope i'm not making a fool out of myself, and i hope i have the right rke e. spoor (though reading this post and noticing the drop of Baen's name i think i do), but i just wanted you to know you made an avid fan and hope to see more work from you soon!
Negai wa kanaete yatta.
("Your wish is granted.")
Look for "Mountain Magic" (currently available for pre-order on Amazon, forthcoming in October), an anthology containing the Old Nathan stories by David Drake, the Hogben stories by Kuttner, and "Diamonds Are Forever", a very short novel (43k words) by Eric Flint and myself (well, as Eric himself says, actually by me after an idea from him; I did about 95% of that one).
i literally just finished reading Digital Knight on the free Baen library site and instantly started searching for info. its nice to see not only what looks to be a great author but one thats involved in gaming (mmorg fan here as well as a bibliophile).
Thanks muchly for the kind words. I'm mostly a "real" RPG player -- i.e., the book/paper/dice kind, or the same type but over email. I do play some of the console "rpgs" when I have no opportunity for the real thing. The online ones... I know better than to get sucked into THAT time sink. I have limited enough time as it is!
keep up the writing and can't wait to see the next piece!
Currently I'm working on "Boundary" with Eric Flint. I hope that after that I'll be able to do another solo work. I of course have quite a few pieces of fanfic/gamefic up and around on the Net, but if you're looking for my pro stuff, you'll have to wait a couple months. :)
Thanks for writing!!!
Re: A *real fan!* As in, "someone who doesn't know me" Real Fan!
Date: 2004-07-23 07:31 pm (UTC)("Your wish is granted.")
*struggles with her japanese dictionary for a moment* domo arigato subarashii hatsuansha
(thank you terrific author.) *beams*
Look for "Mountain Magic" (currently available for pre-order on Amazon, forthcoming in October)..
well tally up another sold then! =D
I'm mostly a "real" RPG player -- i.e., the book/paper/dice kind, or the same type but over email. I do play some of the console "rpgs" when I have no opportunity for the real thing. The online ones... I know better than to get sucked into THAT time sink. I have limited enough time as it is!
i actually never really tried the ole D&D pen n' paper... not enough visuals for me. its not quite like a book where as you read and its like a movie that plays out in your head, complete with voices, sounds, and color.
though after playing Everquest for a couple years and Dark Ages for a few more, i think i'd be able to get into more. but visually seeing your character slay an ogre or dragon or even do a tad of PvP is a hoot. the time sink is totally understandable. its amazing how fast the time flies once you get involved. though i suppose thats why my hubby and i get along so well... we both play together and can get lost for hours with the occasional mutual grunt as something happens onscreen.
That's typical...
Date: 2004-07-24 04:27 pm (UTC)("Your wish is granted.")
*struggles with her japanese dictionary for a moment* domo arigato subarashii hatsuansha
(thank you terrific author.) *beams*
Ooo. Sugoi! Nice reply.
(the prior exchange pretty much killed off all my Japanese vocabulary, other than my ability to insult and threaten and call out wierd attack names)
Look for "Mountain Magic" (currently available for pre-order on Amazon, forthcoming in October)..
well tally up another sold then! =D
[MrBurns]EEeeeeeexcellent![/MrBurns]
I'm mostly a "real" RPG player -- i.e., the book/paper/dice kind, or the same type but over email. I do play some of the console "rpgs" when I have no opportunity for the real thing. The online ones... I know better than to get sucked into THAT time sink. I have limited enough time as it is!
i actually never really tried the ole D&D pen n' paper... not enough visuals for me. its not quite like a book where as you read and its like a movie that plays out in your head, complete with voices, sounds, and color.
That depends on the GM and players, I think. I try to bring the color out in people's heads, so to speak. Much of what I write was gamed out previously in one way or another.
Re: That's typical...
Date: 2004-07-24 11:52 pm (UTC)Ya i think you can add the counting 1 - 10 in japanese and i've used up my quota too. many years ago i rp'd a zesty lil vampyre that for some bizarre stupid reason would spit out japenese every so often. don't know where i got that idea from hehe.
[MrBurns]EEeeeeeexcellent![/MrBurns]
lmao! "Worst. Episode. Ever. Rest assured i was on the internet within moments registering my disgust throughout the world".... hehehe not that has anything to do with anything, but gotta love the Simpsons!
not sure i should start playing d&d.. my buddies think i'm geeky enough as it is. trying to explain the basis and coolness of say X-Men movie and comics to a fellow chick is like watching a donut get glazed.
Hmmm...
Date: 2004-07-25 05:57 pm (UTC)not sure i should start playing d&d.. my buddies think i'm geeky enough as it is. trying to explain the basis and coolness of say X-Men movie and comics to a fellow chick is like watching a donut get glazed.
You say that as though being geeky was a BAD thing. I am a Geek GOD! I have spent 40 years learning how to be a geek, and I am proud of it!