“So, you have decided to finally confront me? “ The lithe human woman said, her fiery hair flowing in the breeze. “There is no such foolishness as that of some dwarves and a few humans it seems.” With that she took a run forward, “You will all BURN!” As she transformed into her true self, a large red dragon, she let loose a jet of blue and red flames. This was followed by a human warrior charging through the flames, heedless of the odds. His head was split in two by the large razor sharp barb on the end of the dragon’s scaled tail. This battle was just beginning.
This is an example of what people all around the country do on a weekly basis through the world of tabletop gaming. Games such as Dungeons and Dragons, as well as Magic: The Gathering and Scion are just some of the few games where you can become a ferocious fighter, arcane spell caster or deviant rogue for a time and do nearly anything you wish.
Dungeons and Dragons has been around since the 1970s when Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson published the game with TSR (Tactical Studies Rules). The game has recently released its fourth edition and continues to prosper. Eastern Michigan University is no exception; the recently founded student organization COUPDEGRAS that stands for (Creative Organization of United Players Devising Entertaining Gaming, Role-playing and Anime for Students) is a group which specializes in hosting tabletop games and RPGs (role playing games) for anyone interested.
A member of COUPDEGRAS and local gamer Garry Mundy, a junior at Eastern Michigan University, has some above the norm experience with gaming. Mundy is an avid gamer who writes reviews for video games, as well as walk through (a guide on how to best complete the game) and FAQs about these same games.
Mundy has worked on reviews for several recent games including, Pokémon Battle Revolution, Devil May Cry 4 and Resident Evil 5 which was his most difficult guide.
“I do enjoy writing about RPGs the most though,” Mundy said. “Even though video games are great, I still prefer tabletop games my favorite would have to be Magic (The Gathering). It has a lot to do with the mental process and it’s like playing chess with cards.”
Along with Magic: The Gathering, and video games Garry likes to play Dungeons and Dragons as well as Scion. The D-10 game (a game which exclusively uses 10 sided dice) Scion is a more unique game that is easily adapted and played by new and advanced players. In Scion the players choose a pantheon of gods to which they will be associated and play as a specific deity’s son or daughter. These range from Anubis the Egyptian god of death, to Poseidon the Greek god of the sea.
“Scion is a great game, it’s unique I like it a lot. It’s a really open game with some great dialogue and role play possibilities it’s the way a tabletop (RPG) should be,” says Mundy. Scion allows for some interesting scenarios with the players being able to exploit extremely powerful abilities and eventually become a god or goddess.
Another local gamer is comic shop owner Chad Thorton at Stadium Cards and Comics. Thorton has been gaming for years, and has been playing specifically Magic: The Gathering since 1993 until about 1996 then took around 12 years off, and has again continued to play more recently. He considers himself a more “Classic” gamer.
“I really enjoy Risk, and Heroscape along with Magic and videogames,” Thorton said.
Although there are many facets of gaming, it seems as a whole there are still a lot of negative stereotypes towards gamers.
“I can easily say at least once a week I have professional looking people coming in here (Stadium Cards and Comics) looking for D&D books or magic cards. It’s really quite impressive how many people are closet gamers,” Thorton said.
Mundy had a similar reaction to gaming as viewed by the public.
“People don’t play as often due to stereotypes, especially in high school. These games are not nearly as popular as they should be.”
A local game designer Alex Zolynsky is not concerned with stereotypes. He has been playing games such as Magic for several years now, and is heavily involved in creating his own games.
“I really enjoy making card games the best. Although I would like to consider making video games it seems like a lot of work,”
Zolynsky has created several original games which have been produced and are available for sale. These include Ogres and Bums & Bindelsicks, both of these games are simple enough for non-gamers to enjoy, yet immersive so that advanced players still have fun with them.
“Really, the best thing for me in making these games is getting to play it myself; most people can only see the flaws in what they make. I just really enjoy playing my games,” Alex said.
Although he is not as experienced with role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons he has a thorough understanding of game mechanics and creation due to having played such a wide variety of games over the years.
As a whole, the world of gaming has many facets to it. Some of these are developing all the time and continue to grow. Others have been established years ago but, still create enjoyment for players. The world of tabletop gaming and its digital counterparts are still growing. It will bring new development to the entertainment industry as long as the players continue to strive for fun imaginative games.
The battered heroes stared in awe at the fallen great dragon before them, The Red General; Pyrecia had finally confronted them face to face. She shuddered spitting up torrents of black blood, her tail lashing furiously from side to side as the death washed over her. “You all will suffer. You may have defeated me, but my lord is far from finished. Anghim will destroy you.” The dragon said between coughs. “Should you approach my lord while the others of the brotherhood draw breath, you will weaken and drop to your knees awed by his power.” The companions who had just defeated the dragon feel a strange aura wash over them as the dragon falls to the ground. Now, they travel back to their friend’s tavern to celebrate their victory over evil.
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