No, but it's getting one anyway.
Like any OSR blogger worth his salt, I intend to obsess over the minutiae of RPGs from more than thirty years ago. Also, I intend to espouse very strong opinions about trivial differences between retro-clones and the original games they purport to emulate.
My first project is a cover-to-cover analysis of Metamorphosis Alpha (1E). Depending on how one defines “science fiction” and “role-playing game,” Metamorphosis Alpha was the first sci-fi RPG.
The designer, Jim Ward, also designed (with Gary Jaquet) the better known Gamma World. In fact, Metamorphosis Alpha is the seed from which Gamma World grew. Sadly, Mr. Ward is afflicted with a serious neurological disorder which has imposed a significant financial burden. Tim Kask has established a fund to help alleviate these expenses. I encourage anyone who has enjoyed any of Mr. Ward's games to donate.
Jim Ward contributed to my life, so it's only fair that I should contribute to his.
Welcome to the OSR blogosphere. I just discovered your blog today thanks to a mention from Jeff Rients on Google +.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Gamma World and I obsessed over trying to see a copy of Metamorphosis Alpha ever since reading articles about it in my first The Best of Dragon: Volume I collection way back in 1983 or so, shortly after I got into the hobby.
I never did see a copy of the game even though I searched through every game store I came across (Ebay and the Internets didn't exist back then).
I started reading OSR blogs a few years ago and got really interested in re-discovering some of these old products. I still had my first edition GW and Boot Hill but I never had acquired MA. I finally got a copy on Ebay about 18 months ago.
I look forward to reading more of your blog. If you want, head on over to check out mine. It started out as a mainly gaming blog, but now encompasses all kinds of related cultural stuff like comics, fiction, movies, and TV shows in addition to running commentaries on my various RPGs I play in or run as well as an on-going series writing about my time working on the advertising for Wizards of the Coast back in the early 2000s. I'm at Daddy Rolled a 1
Cheers!
Hey Perdustin - I'm a bit late in reading this, but better late than never. I'm going to try to run a MA adventure for my current D&D group and see how they like it. I'll be reading through your MA posts for clarification and inspiration. Thanks!
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