I have an unnerving penchant for watching numbers flick, collate and collect. Hours can be spent monitoring and mentoring the gently increasing file transfer protocols generated by downloading Torrents through Azureus.
I’ve always had this strange fascination. It perhaps started with Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) – that game so engrained into the collectively agreed-upon psyche of geeks.
The following images are from The Acaeum - a site for all things D&D. Sorley, if you're reading this, check out the prices you can get for the rule-books! We could've been rich.
It began in 1974 and involved a vivid imagination, lead figures, graph paper, a pencil, rubber and sharpener and the use of dice. But not just six-sided dice. Oh no. My brother and I had a 20-, 12-, 8- and 4-sided die. The 4-sided was my favourite. A sharp pointed triangle.
In later years it became impossible to continue playing Dungeons & Dragons and expect to kiss girls. But I always kept the dice. And I remember at some lonely stage, having moved schools at 14, creating my own football league and teams on paper. The dice were used to work out scores, scorers, crowds, bookings etc.
Even at University I spent the majority of my first two years with the doors closed playing Championship Manager with my friend, Chris, and then James. It’s a football game based on statistics. You watch the game in sped-up time, with formulaic text appearing as commentary. The rest of the time involves signing-, training and repairing-players. Riveting.
All of these statistically-driven pursuits could engross me for days at a time. Even now, as I write this on the desktop, my laptop screen is visible, the torrent numbers listed like some scene from The Matrix.
5 comments:
you should see if elder scrolls will work on your computer, download a torrent of it, then not go out for six weeks.
http://www.elderscrolls.com/home/home.htm
I dunno man, I've avoided computer games since I gave you and Matt my playstation at 1232. Haven't ever gone near Championship Manager again. I'm scared I wouldn't talk to Helen if I got hold of that game.
i know I have wanted to get champ man for the last three or four years but have to fight it. Once an addict always an addict. But Elder Scrolls is awesome
D&D still rules all, visit http://astore.amazon.com/blogrevi-20
for all your D&D stuff.
Do people still play D&D?
Is it played the same way?
Maybe if I have kids I'll have an excuse to play again....
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