In the beginning...

[Culdraug]

I was reading through old threads and noticed a few people who apperently served or are serving in the US military. Since I myself served (USAF, 1982-2002), it brought back memories of my first gaming days sitting in a barracks because I couldnt afford to do much else. I thought it would be interesting to hear peoples stories of how they got started roleplaying.

For me, it all started one day when strolling the halls of the barracks, I passed by a common room where a bunch of ummmm strange people were all hundled around a table with a bunch of books and dice laid out. Curious kid I was at the time I just had to see closer. The DM was carrrieing on about some fountain and no one could seem to figure out what to do with it. So i said to grab a glass and take a drink. They all looked at me like I had lost my mind. "No!" it could turn you into a female one guy said. Huh? The DM asked me if I wanted to join in and handed me a premade fighter. Someone handed me some dice and said "here roles these when we tell you". After several killings of orcs and goblins I was hooked.

[tdwyer11b]

Started my gaming career while I was in junior high, but managed to keep gaming through high school and the Army. I then moved back home for a while where I was able to play with the people from the old days. Then I moved to Colorado and hadn't played for a few years. Then I picked up FG and I'm actually gaming with my old roomie from Ft. Carson.

[Yenooc]

I played wargames--military simulations--in the late 60's, before enlisting, but I didn't play my first DnD until I was in the Army. I played in the late 70's and early-to-mid 80's, then took a long hiatus until I found FG last year.

[richvalle]

Started in High School but on a Nato Base (SHAPE Belgium). After playing games (Dnd, Busido, Boot Hill) with HS friends I hooked up with some guys in the Army that played. My Mom wasn't too thrilled about that but after meeting them said it was ok.

Played Dnd, Rune Quest and Space Opra with that group as well as Board War games (Squad Leader, Third Reich, Terrible Swift Sword...).

We even took a cruise from England to Sweden that had a small game Con on it. Quite fun.

So, started in... 1980 or so and been playing off and on since then. More on then off now that we use FG!

rv

[mr_h]

Started in elementary school when a friend showed us basic D&D. Back then we didn't understand the rules right...figured if you got an 11 or higher, you hit the enemy. 20 killed them. Then we learned about Star Frontiers....then Top Secret SI, Shadowrun, TMNT, TFOS, etc etc etc....and it went downhill from there

Never served (tried to join the coast guard, ruled out due to heart condition).

[Elf]

Started in Junior High when I saw a bunch of guys rolling dice in a corner of the lunch room. I asked a few questions when I overheard them fighting a green slime. That summer I managed to get my hands on the original white boxed set and the rest is history as they say. I have never served in the military although my father was the civilian equivalent of someone in the service (ie they get moved around a lot); a civil engineer.

[Smagaard Fowlbreath]

Kudos to the thread here Culdraug! I just kinda wandered in here & then kept reading. For some reason it's very interesting listening to how ppl got started playing . I started around 8 years old with some friends and we never looked back. I served in the army (90-95) and really missed playing 1/2 way through. I was in Korea (Pan Mun Jom)at the time and happened upon a hobby store out of the blue! So I bought the books again & showed some pure noobs what it was all about. Before we knew it we had 11 guys around the table. It was hard to manage but a lot of fun. I did the same thing when I moved to Colorado. Now I'm back in my home state of Michigan, I'm hoping that FG allows me to get the group back together, as well as meeting/joining some cool groups.

[Yenooc]

. . . I was in Korea (Pan Mun Jom)at the time . . .

Not to hijack this thread (just a short diversion), but were you assigned to the JSA, Sir Fowlbreath? If so, Greetings! I was there '75-'76--left the month before the Ax Incident, and it was my platoon that was in the JSA at the time.

"In Front of Them All"

[Celban]

I was in the US Navy in 1975-1981 and was involved in the CIC (Combat Information Center) on a destroyer

I was fortunate enough to have had first hand experience in watching the brains of a warship in action. Plotting courses, tactical information coming in from many sensors, command decisions being made about what weapon to fire and when. So much more and too lenghty to add it all in here

During mock engagements and wargame maneuvers, there were books of numbers and charts the officers used to calculate hit chance percentages that served in lieu of firing live rounds at friendly ships.

All in all it was basically a REAL wargame, and I found it engrossing and I loved being in CIC when things were active

Then I heard about these guys down in one of the crew recreation rooms playing this weird game. Well, being somewhat weird myself, I decided to drop by and see what it was all about.

They were playing the AD&D first ed. The first Gygax stuff. Well I was hooked, mainly because it wasnt too different than what I was experiencing in CIC.
Besides, one of the guys I saw regularly in CIC, played D&D in that group, so over the next several months, when things were dead in CIC, we would talk for hours about game

Thats how I got started

[kimba]

I was in 7th grade. my friend Chuck brought in his books after school and showed my Social Studies teacher and I how to play. We were doing a chapter on greek and roman mythologies. I was a Cleric and she (yes she) was a theif. Chuck would tel us what die to roll and when, then what the results were. I still remember vividly that first encounter (1981). Since then I have owned all the original books, most of second edition , and now allot of 3rd edition. I have been a player, a DM and have at one time been paid to DM a tournament. Notice I said "DM" not "GM". SO Chuck, Mrs. Pettijohn? you guys out there? still playing?

anyway - been hooked ever since.