Thanks to gaming, I’ve met many great people and had many great experiences.
Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, thanks for making Dungeons & Dragons, which introduced me to the hobby side of games.
Frank Mentzer, thanks for designing the killer ‘Red Box’ D&D set that captured my imagination, even if Bargle got the better of me.
Mom, thanks for buying that Red Box for me, and being my first DM, even if for only a short time.
Brian Palazzolo, thanks for spending untold hours with me, playing D&D after school.
Tom Mcdonald, thanks for designing worlds with me and pawning over every issue of Dragon Magazine we could get our hands on.
Michael Jackson, thanks for handing me your copy of Dragons of the Autumn Twilight, and turning me on to fantasy novels.
George Vasilakos, thanks for the awesome art in high school, that kept my imagination alive. And thanks for Imagination Games & Comics, without which I would have had no idea where to get good gaming product.
Tracy Hickman, thanks for having a website so that I could find you on AltaVista back in 1996. And thanks for Starshield, my first experience with game design.
Bernie Trombley, thanks for inviting me to help playtest for New Millennium Entertainment.
George Vasilakos and Alex Jurkat, thanks for starting Eden Studios with me. I only wish I’d been smart enough to stick with it, instead of getting a ‘real job’.
Rob Placer, thanks for running a great game store, through which I met gaming friends I still keep in touch with, though we’re thousands of miles apart.
Gaming Outpost, thanks for being my home after leaving Eden Studios, and introducing me to the likes of Mike Mearls, Jared Sorensen, Peter Seckler, Nick Lalone, Graveyard Greg, Gareth Hanrahan, and The Scarlet Jester.
Clinton Nixon, thanks for ApartmentCon, my first gaming event ever.
John Wick, thanks for your Orkworld design series, and for introducing me to industry peeps like Greg Stafford, John Kovalic and Jonathan Tweet at Origins 2000.
Ron Edwards, thanks for responding to my letter about Sorcerer and opening my eyes to game design theory. Thank you for taking charge of The Forge, and making it more than I ever would have.
Gary Thompson, thanks for organizing GIDFA (Gaming Industry Disaster Fund Auction) after 9/11.
Wolfgang Baur, thanks for Open Design, which gave me a creative outlet while joining the Army. And thanks for Kobold Quarterly; I enjoyed every moment I worked with you.
Jon Morin and Ezra Davis, thanks for being my friends, in gaming and out. I love you both.
Chris Perrin and Paul Tevis, thanks for introducing me to podcasting and helping me cope with Iraq.
Dan Repperger, for showing me what community means.
Paizo, thanks for having a great community, without which I would never have tried my hand at freelancing.
Rick Miller, thanks for publishing my first article in The Oerth Journal. And thanks for working with me on our article in the Pathfinder Adventure Path.
Wes Schneider, thanks for showing me what a good editor is.
John Ling, thanks for inviting me to the Werecabbages. I made so many friends because of you.
Rone Barton, thanks for responding to my ideas, for designing games with me, for being my podcasting partner, and for being my friend.
Martin Ralya, Johnn Four and Yax, thanks for opening my eyes to what great game blogging is all about.
Adhocrats, thanks for being my brothers (and sisters) in arms and introducing me to the joys of wormhole life. In particular, thanks for Klokvarg for keeping me in EVE Online, when I almost left.
Erik Bauer, Mat Morton and Nick Bevilacqua, thanks for being great business partners and friends.
Josh Dalcher, thanks for working with me. Gamerati would not be possible without you.
Thanks to every publisher that makes the games I play, and the ones I have yet to play. Without you, I would still be wearing a suit and working in a cube 14 hours a day. Ack!
Thanks to every store owner that sells games, and provides a community where people like me can meet others, can learn new games, and can participate in this great hobby.
Thanks to every event organizer, from Emerald City Gamefest to Gen Con. You give us gaming pilgrims little pieces of paradise, even if only for a day (or four).
And thanks to every gamer who shares my love of games. You’re all unique and special, and I love you all.
Tags: Adhocracy, Alex Jurkat, ApartmentCon, Bernie Trombley, Brian Palazzolo, Chris Perrin, Clinton Nixon, Dan Repperger, Dave Arneson, Dragon Magazine, DragonLance, Dragons of the Autumn Twilight, Dungeons & Dragons, Eden Studios, Emerald City Gamefest, Erik Bauer, EVE Online, Ezra Davis, Fear the Boot, FLGS, Frank Mentzer, gamerati, Gaming Outpost, Gareth Hanrahan, Gary Gygax, Gary Thompson, Gen Con, George Vasilakos, GIDFA, Graveyard Greg, Greg Stafford, Imagination Games & Comics, Inc., Jared Sorensen, John Kovalic, John Ling, John Wick, Johnn Four, Jon Morin, Jonathan Tweet, Josh Dalcher, Klokvarg, Kobold Quarterly, Martin Ralya, Mat Morton, Michael Jackson, Mike Mearls, New Millennium Entertainment, Nick Bevilacqua, Nick Lalone, Open Design, Origins Game Fair, Orkworld, Paizo Publishing, Pathfinder, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Paul Tevis, Peter Seckler, podcasting, Rick Miller, Rob Placer, Ron Edwards, Rone Barton, Sorcerer RPG, Starshield, The Forge, The Oerth Journal, Tom Mcdonald, Tracy Hickman, Werecabbages, Wes Schneider, Wolfgang Baur, Yax