Who are you gals/guys anyway?

[hohum]

Sean. B 1968 in California. Male, married almost 13 years. Two kids, Girl (7) and Boy (4.5). Grew up in NYC, worked in Film Post Production there. Moved back to CA and got a B.S. in Food Science. Moved to Dallas, TX and brewed for a restaurant chain there for four years. Moved to AZ and brewed off and on for 1.5 years more before becoming Mr. Mom. I teach Martial Arts (Wushu) a couple nights a week. I tried to re-invent myself as a web designer, but I didn't have the temperment (or the ability to spell) to deal with difficult clients. Started Gaming back in 1980. RPGS: AD&D, Gamma World, Boot Hill, Top Secret and Traveller. Also wargamed a bit, Squad Leader, ASL and SPI titles. Then got into painting Citadel miniatures but only played out one Warhammer Fantasy Battle. On the computer I like Medieval Total War and it was the idea of modding for it that gave me the bug to start mapping again. I would like to make some kind of PBEM game on an engine like vassal to bring all of these things together.

And Happy Birthday Jim!

[simpfan1]

Hmm

Simpfan1, born Daniel
20 years old, no siblings, spouses or chitlins
Born in California, live in California, probably die in California (moving seems like such a hassle)
Student in college, just getting general ed out of the way before I decide to go to art school or culinary school (cant seem to pick one)
I help run a forum based text RP where I am a storyline developer and map maker
I paint, cook, play video games, and do other young-folk things

[Dolmen Creative]

JP, b. 1974. Male. Married with 4 gremlins (10 boy, 9 girl, 5 girl, and 1 boy). We live in upstate New York (about 2.5 hours northeast of New York City). My "day job" is as a personnel manager, and my "night job" is as the owner and operator of Dolmen Creative (a small publishing company). I've been gaming since 1979, in the RPG industry since 2000, and interested in maps and cartography all my life. My wife and 2 oldest children game (though the kids have their own group with their neighborhood buddies, and they allow me to test new mechanics on them to make sure they are simple enough for everyone). When I make the occasional map, I use GIMP and Dunjinni.

[Ascension]

Chris aka The Gonz, Gonzo (fraternity nickname), Apocalypse Inc. (the bad me), and The Ascension (the good me). Only played D&D for a few months back in the early 80s. Name a sport and I've broken a bone playing it - except polo and jai alai, haven't done those yet - love sk8ing (street and vert), freestyle BMX (dirt and vert), free climbing, speed demon, and adrenaline junkie. Well, when I was younger, not so much after my motorcycle wreck. Born in 70 in W.Va. but been in St. Louis since 71. MA in psychology, BA in psychology with minors in sociology, poly sci, design, fine art, and art history. No tats but I did have a nip ring from 92-04. I taught the Dos Equis guy everything he knows. Single, no kids...haven't had a date since I quit booze and drugs after aforementioned accident. I live a quiet life now doing stained glass and generally avoiding people as much as I can. I'm lucky to be alive, intact, and disease-free (though I am quite battered and run-down) so when I'm not lost in thought I play with my nieces or make maps. My guilty pleasure is ... cheese sticks and tortellini. Or hot dogs at a ball game, I can eat a ton of those, too. As for music, it's mostly that stuff meant to split your ears by bands you've never heard of (but given this forum, you all probably know them) or techno and rave or some good ole classical like Beethoven and Mozart. I detest pop celebrity and conspicuous consumption (like, oh my god, for real) and the brain-dead sheep whose lives revolve around such things. I'd invite you all over but my cave isn't big enough and you'd have to sit on the ground

[Steel General]

@Ascension - Aww c'mon we all your real weakness is Dancing Girls!

Scott - Born in 1966 (gods I'm old - but Ravs has got me beat ), married nearly 6 years to a wonderful Filipino woman who somehow puts up with me.
Grew up in Tonawanda - a small town between Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY but moved to Indiana in 1995 after going to college here in the late '80s.

A software engineer (programmer) by day for a major Telco company - though I very recently changed employers. By night a wannabe cartographer (when the creative juices are flowing) and avid reader, watcher of TV and consumer of way to much junk that's no good for me.

[Crayons]

I'm surrounded by children!!!
Oliver, born 1961 in the far east - the son of a Colonial District Officer from the days when Britain had a Colonial Service. That's how old.
Used to design hardware from chips through to VHDL now I'm more of a "systems" specialist - very dull.
I've always liked creative arts and part of that is maps. I'm more of a 3D junkie though and I've been using that in conjunction with my RPG and Wargamng hobbies lately. Been RPGing since early 80's (AD&D then) now GURPS 4e and soon RQ 2nd Age.
I've lived in various parts of England since mid 60's.

[Diamond]

Oliver, born 1961 in the far east - the son of a Colonial District Officer from the days when Britain had a Colonial Service. That's how old.

Good Lord, that IS old.

[RecklessEnthusiasm]

@tilt - What RPGs have been your absolute favorite over the years? I am looking to expand out.
@TheSilentOne - Your gaming habits sound eerily like mine! I only recently started playing DotA (My girlfriend is a much more hardcore gamer than I am, and she introduced me) and am still trying to wrap my mind around timing hits correctly--can't quite seem to get it.
@Gidde - What does an app for novel writing look like? Indexed character lists and descriptions, flowchart of plot points? Sounds interesting.
@LonewandererD - Godspeed on your noble, noble quest my friend.
@RobA - Thanks for keeping this place a-float! I really appreciate having yet another easily accessed distraction on the internet!
@DevinNight - It is really interesting that your children's ages are so spread out--me, my brothers and sisters, were all born really close together (and of course fought constantly, at all times, as though it were like breathing to us). It must be nice to be able to have one of your kids babysit your other kids!
@Ravells - There there, old man! We youngins need someone to look up to as a father figure.
Xyll - Hurray, another Midwestern boy. Illinoian here, representing!
Rythal - it is awesome that you have an idea of what you want to do so early on. I still don't know what I want to be when I "grow up."
@Diamond - Happy (belated) birthday! Good to hear you quit smoking. I just did the same a few months back. I do still smoke cigars, which my girlfriend hates with the burning intensity of ten thousand suns.
@Torstan - I think you definitely win the prize for most interesting day job. Have many of your colleague become mad scientists over the years? If I've learned anything from comic books, it is that particle physicists are always the ones to either discover strange new phenomenon that drive them to evil. Or build death-rays (though that would really make them more Mad Engineers).
@Arsheesh - nice to see someone else who's interested in Ethics on here, I really enjoyed studying it at Uni, despite the resulting dismal job prospects. Do you have a favorite thinker?
@Gameprinter - I think it is most people's dream to turn their hobbies into a productive job. I was just talking to my girlfriend about that yesterday, and it was my guess that less than .05% of people would actually go to work if they knew they'd get paid whether they attended or not. I hope to be in that .05%, even if all odds are against me.

--whew-- I'll comment more later!

[Mark Oliva]

What a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears young puppies!

Born Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, 1943 (no typo there). Online name is real name: Mark Oliva. Married, three offspring that haven't been kids for years. Various careers as advertising photographer, radio announcer (Appleton, Los Angeles, Reno), newspaper reporter and editor (Appleton, Riverside in southern California and Reno in Northern Nevada). Moved to Franconia, the northern part of Bavaria, in 1981. Self-taught computer programmer with official German qualifications. Database programmer through 2009 and also IT teacher from 1990 to present. Own my own programming company in Northern Bavaria. Since October 2009 in semi-retirement (no more programming but still teach at times). D&D/AD&D from 1974 to 2007. Current game our own project group's Dungeons Daring (TM) RPG with some Pathfinder (R). Since 1996 member of development group currently known as the Vintyri (TM) Project. Our best known product to date: the Northern Journey epic adventure for the Forgotten Realms (R) setting under D&D 3.5. (We no longer support it. It's available free at http://www.candlekeep.com). Our RPG goal: Produce free and open gaming products that also are "open source" in the sense that all texts and maps are available for downloading in editable form so that users can edit and modify as they wish, produce alternative versions, etc. Other interests: Hiking, organic gardening, drinking Franconian beer and good wine (Franconian Silvaner, Pinot Noir from Burgundy and California). Eat only certified organic food. I have a good medical doctor homeopath who keeps me healthy and 10-15 years younger than most folks my age.

[Gidde]

@ RecklessEnthusiasm: In order to not hijack the thread, I'll just link to the software I'd buy in a heartbeat if they ever released a windows version: http://literatureandlatte.com ... that's what a novel-writing app looks like