RPG as a tabletop game

Before anything else, let us all be reminded that the adults in the 1970s are practically the "Boomers" of today. Thus, it is safe to say that the roots of video gaming that we all enjoy today were started and spearheaded by these folks. One such gaming genre is the Role-Playing Game (RPG) and it didn't begin with computers, not immediately though.

Back in the 70s, based on my own experience as a young boy who loved borrowing books from the library, Medeival-Fantasy novels were the rave of the day. These fantastic stories were somehow ported over to the gaming world, and the tabletop Role-Playing Games emerged as a sort of interactive, story-based, and multiplayer game.

The most popular of these is of course D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) released in 1974 by a company called TSR Inc. (Tactical Studies Rules) and created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game relied on dice-based gameplay (yes, like Snakes and Ladders), player character stats, and a "Dungeon Master", a combination of narrator and guide for the game.

In tabletop RPGs, the dice are the random generator for the game and determine the results of combat, spellcasting, skill checks, and other factors that surround the game. D&D provided an awesome interactive Fantasy narrative and social gaming as well.

This was the 1970s and the gaming and social impact of tabletop RPGs was a fascinating event to witness. First, it was novel and creative using beautifully crafted paraphernalia (maps, character sets, guidebooks, etc.) which brought the games to life along with its unique characters and interesting campaigns.

It was a social (and eventually, community) thing as it brought players together to gather regularly just to play. This brought forth gaming groups and hobbyists from elementary to college students playing for months to years, on a regular basis.

Tabletop gaming's popularity led to a hobbyist community culture of the time leading to spin-offs like magazines, game conventions, products, and a rich gaming subculture that readily grew.

From Tabletop to Microcomputers

By the late 1970s, the microcomputer revolution was afoot taking root in homes and schools. Ever in search of new game ideas, video game designers saw the huge potential and opportunity to transform the tabletop RPG experience into microcomputer code.

Prior to bringing the experience to the popular micros of the time like the Apple// and Commodore 64, the earliest digitization efforts were in 1974-1975 by Daniel M. Lawrence using the PLATO System running on a PDP-10 Mainframe. Though an unofficial D&D game and text-based, it faithfully replicated the features and elements of the D&D tabletop game.

In 1981, Mattel, the toy company (think Barbie), released the first D&D LCD handheld game called Dungeons & Dragons Computer Fantasy Game. This was then followed by Advanced D&D: Clody Mountain by Intellivision in 1982, and Treasure of Tarmin the first 3D graphics D&D game.

In 1978, Robert Clardy released "Dungeon Campaign" for the Apple// which started the CRPG genre. The game was heavily based on the tabletop D&D games and relied on the party-based gameplay mechanics the tabletop game was known for. The thing about computers is that the code of the game already has its random generator replacing the dice in the original tabletop game.

In 1979 Clardy released "Wilderness Campaign" published by Synergistic Software. It was an expanded game version that included open-world features, resource management, and NPC interactions. Other memorable CRPGs like the Wizardry Series (initial release in 1981 by Sir-Tech) written in Pascal for the Apple//, Ultima Series (initial release also in 1981) by Richard (Lord British) Garriott/Origin Systems, and other microcomputer RPGs began to rule the day.

By the mid 1980s D&D official licenses were given and companies other than TSR started to release their own D&D games. The most memorable was D&D: Pool of Radiance in 1988 under the Gold Box series of SSI (Strategic Simulations Inc.) thus fully adapting the old tabletop gaming to the digital home computer market.

CRPG and MMORPG, Good for Boomers

As the Boomer generation spearheaded the efforts to bring tabletop RPG gaming into the computer age back in the 70s and 80s, it would be a given that the gamers of their generation have encountered both tabletop and CRPG games in one form or another. Regardless, of whether the Boomers of today used to play those games or are currently playing casual games like grandma games, here are some good reasons why both CRPG and MMORPG can be considered as interesting and enjoyable Boomer games.

The first reason is nostalgia, especially for those who used to play tabletop RPG or the original D&D perhaps in their younger days. Things like dice rolls, monster encounters, character stats, and inventory are smoothly and automatically executed in the digital versions of the game. Whether it's a solo CRPG like Ultima III or an MMORPG like Skyrim, the RPG game mechanics will always elicit a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Modern-day CRPGs and MMORPGs have rich and well-designed story arcs and narratives. The interactive storyline portions of the game usually deliver things such as emotional and branching story arcs, character development, and deep moral dilemmas that the tabletop versions would be pressed to sustain, especially with long-term gameplay.

Solo or social gaming is an option as one can play and enjoy a CRPG alone or an MMORPG with others online. In the case of online play, Boomers love to connect and share gameplay experiences with others, and what better venue to do that than with an active and populated MMORPG server.

Playing RPGs solo or with others can help boomer gamers practice their cognitive and communication faculties, things that are beneficial to both health and longevity. Boomers get to exercise their strategic thinking, their memory retention, and their social skills.

Finally, there is flexibility in gaming. Engaging in both CRPG and MMORPG nowadays carries with it the kind of convenience non-existent in the heyday of tabletop RPGs where players had to meet on schedule at an assigned location just to play the game. Today, whether you enjoy playing solo games like the "Dungeon Seige" series or MMORPGs like "World of Warcraft", you can do so at your own convenience and time.

There are many other reasons why many Boomers would go beyond the realm of casual games, and RPGs are one excellent genre for either nostalgic reasons or simply for a long-term and involved entertaining experience.

Images: D&D Box Set (Wizards of the Coast),
D&D: Pool of Radiance (SSI)

You can learn more about Dungeons & Dragons by checking out the
information for the D&D Tabletop Game Box Set and the D&D Pool of Radiance CRPG.