I planned this quite unintentionally, but precisely a year ago I posted an Inquisition asking our readers to introduce themselves in the comments. I did this because 4th Edition D&D had just been announced and we really wanted the poll to run for two weeks so we could gauge everyone’s opinion a little better, so I devised an inquisition that did not require a poll like we used to do way back when. It turned out being a good idea, because fatefully enough the 15th comment we had on that post turned out to be our now good friend Phil the Chatty DM, finally coming out of his shell (and freshly starting his own blog back then *sniff sniff….they grow up so fast!) Of course we heard from Yax of DungeonMastering as well, but I think we already knew who he was at that point.
We really liked finding out about our readers in that post, and so I’m reposting it today because Dave just wrapped up our YouTube of the Year winners. A lot has changed in the last year, and even if you responded back then please jump to the comments here and share who you are once more!
Here they are, words from a year passed:
We have picked up quite a few new readers and commenters in the last few months and we are simply dying to know more about you! So if you’re reading this, if you’ve happened upon our site by chance, or if you come here regularly (and we love you dearly for it) then please tell us about yourself by commenting on this post.
Some things we’d love to know about you:
– Where are you from? We all primarily reside in Maryland, but you readers come from all over and we’d love to know more about where you’re visiting us from!
– How did you find us?
– Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a day job? Hobbies? Interests? Bizarre fetishes? …things you love to discuss on a daily basis. Please share anything you’re comfortable sharing with us!
-What do you like to read about here? Are you a gamer, a YouTube fan, a comics fan, all of the above, none of the above?
This will hopefully not only serve to let us get to know you better, but also let all of our readers get to know each other!
And just like last year, I’ll toss in my info first! (Plus things have changed a bit since last year.)
I’m now a full time employee of a government sub-contractor, doing technical writing, software testing, and web design. I’m also a full time grad student. And I run this here blog, in addition to being a co-founder of the RPG Bloggers Network.
My even longer running personal blog has more info on me, and feel free to look me up on Facebook! (Just let me know that you’re a CH reader.)
It’s probably a good idea for me to do the same, yet again!
My name is Danny, I’m still working professionally as an architect and designer but have recently purchased a house so I’ve leveled up in some ways. I’m really happy for what Critical Hits has accomplished in the last year, and hope that it continues to grow in many more ways over the next year or more.
I don’t play WoW anymore, I’ve actually gotten back into console gaming (with a 360 and a Wii), but boardgaming and cardgaming have diminished lately as a result. I’m happy to be running a D&D 4th Edition campaign, only my third attempt behind the screen but I think it’ll turn out being quite a memorable experience.
The friends we’ve made over the last year through Critical Hits are absolutely amazing, and we have all of you to thank for any of the successes we ever have.
how can you plan something unintentionally? Sounds like a sneaky DM trick to me.
I’m a gamer from Cape Cod, MA. Found this site while looking for blogs about DnD. I’m a player in an online 4e campaign right now and I hope to get at least one other game going as a DM. I’m also looking to get into other RPG’s other than DnD like Mutant City Blues or perhaps Spirit of the Century. So if anyone needs another player for anything, hit me up. I enjoy games of all sorts.
The articles I most enjoy on this site deal with DnD or gaming in general. Your articles and interviews from the various Con’s are quite helpful. The adventure writing seminar was a goodie. I’m also an avid podcast listener. And again, your interviews and actual play sessions are enjoyable to listen to.
I owe you guys a lot!
I’m still in Montreal and still married to the world’s most gamer friendly (and fiendishly hot) wife. My kids are 6 and 5 and have started playing RPGs with me.
I still create Mutants and Clones in my lab and we all say hi!
In a year I went from a nobody blogger to being quite popular. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m a super hero of RPG blogging, but I have my moments.
I am also a Co-founder of the RPGbloggers network and I’m incredibly proud of this little critter!
Meeting bloggers like Dave, Danny, Yax, DNAPhil and the Stupid Ranger crew at Gen Con was among the most rewarding and endearing experiences of my geeky life.
Who knows what the next year as in store for us… I’m grabbing the proverbial bulls by the horns and invite everyone to witness the show!
ChattyDM’s last post: Campaign/Adventure Prep: 4th Edition Treasure Hunters!
It seems that I neglected to post on that thread a year ago, I think becuase I was too stressed over an important job interview I had at the end of the week. Better late than never, right?
I am a native of Pittsburgh PA, but I moved to Mountain View WY last October as a direct result of the afore mentioned Job Interview.
If I remember correctly, I found this site after clicking a link from Yehuda, whom I found after a Google search on something game related (Settlers of Catan, I think? I’m not sure.)
For one moment, I was very nearly the perfect fulfillment of the most derogaotry stereotype of an RPG/Tabletop gamer, when my D&D group voted to finish a dungeon crawl instead of accepting an invite to go swing dancing with a few of our single female friends.
By the way, that happened in my Parents’ Basement.
Gaming History: I am a rehabilitated Nintendo Junkie. Had the original NES at age 6, followed by 12 years of unhealthy Gaming addiction.
A Child of the 80’s, I have never even owned any Comic Books, Transformers, G.I. Joes, or Masters of the Universe Merchandise, but my sister taught me how to play Chess when I was 6, and I was beating her consistantly by the end of the week (I think she still holds a slight grudge).
I could also recite from memory the names, base rent, and rent w/ a hotel of every property on the Monopoly board by age 10.
Unable to shell out the initial investment for the new consoles that came out every few years, I switched over to a card game that my friends played called Magic: The Gathering.
At college I was introduced to D&D (by my roommate’s girlfriend, of all people!) and broadened my tastes further with Settlers of Catan, which proved Tabletop games had a life beyond Parker Brothers.
After moving here, where I’m sure I’m the only one who owns any D&D books for about 50 miles, I’ve come full circle and bought a PS3, the first console I’ve owned that was manufactured in the 21st century.
My current gaming challenge is to find someone out here who plays RPGs, CCGs, or some of the more complex tabletop games. Right now the closest ones I think are in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Oy.
BeastMasterJ’s last post: The Rise of the Grammar Nazis
Howdy all!
This is Storyteller from over at Beneath The Screen. I’m originally from New Hampshire though I attend college in Pennsylvania where I’m currently a senior.
I only recently started my blog, based for a large part off of Chatty DM’s posts on how to start an RPG blog. From his site I went down the blogroll and added a whole bunch of them to my bookmarks in the hopes of getting some ideas. Since then I know I haven’t commented much, but I’m a steady reader.
I am currently a senior at Bucknell University, majoring in Music and Education. I am a full-time geek, playing tabletop, livve action, and play-by-post RPG’s all year long. I am the founder of my school’s RPG club.
I’m a big gamer, so all such posts catch my interest. Huzzah!
Storyteller’s last post: This battle is too hard! This battle is too easy! This battle is juuuust right!
I am from just up the (soon to be completed) 50 from ChattyDM in Gatineau, Quebec.
I found you when i was picking up news information on 4E, and you guys interviewed some of the WotC devs at DDXP back in February (I think).
I currently work for the Federal Government as a Patent Examiner. I am married to a wonderful woman who tolerates my geekiness, as long as I promise not to introduce my geeky friends to our 2 daughters (3 years and 10 months). I started playing about 20 years ago with Rolemaster and Top Secret. I fell out of the hobby for a while, then got re-introduced a couple of years ago by a friend of mine who was starting up Age of Worms and asked me to join. Since then, I have embraced it whole-heartedly, and have spent far too much time on the WotC boards. (I use the same handle as here, and am found in the DDI forums.)
Tomorrow night, I am introducing the friend that got me back into D&D into 4E. Only a couple of hours, so it will be mainly combat, but if it works out well, I plan on DMing a campaign in the fall. My first time DMing, EVAR!!
What do I like to read?? Pretty much anything. Not so much YouTube stuff, but almost everything else. Gaming, humour, reviews, fire it all this way.
Marcel Beaudoin’s last post: Long time no post
Where are you from? We all primarily reside in Maryland, but you readers come from all over and we’d love to know more about where you’re visiting us from!
– How did you find us?
Followed the links to my site, Comic Pants, liked what I saw, subscribed and now read every time there’s an update.
– Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a day job? Hobbies? Interests? Bizarre fetishes?
Well, let’s see. I own a comic book and game store in Austin, Texas, my hobbies are (duh) comic books and games, I’ve got a wife and two kids, I’m way too obsessed with good TV, I’m an increasingly angry Democrat, I write reviews for a comics website just like I have for the past 12 or so years, I write comics commentary for a local paper and a New Orleans weekly and, uh, clearly I like run-on sentences.
I’m on Twitter and Blogger and Myspace (although I never check that) and The Google, of course. It’s easy to find out more about me. Why you’d want to, I have *no* idea.
-What do you like to read about here? Are you a gamer, a YouTube fan, a comics fan, all of the above, none of the above?
I’m a comics fan, but I read so much comics commentary that what I really come here for is the talk about RPGs and videogames. I’m a casual XBox gamer, I’ve been GMing and playing RPGs since D&D Red Box edition and I love seeing what you guys have to say about various games.
Randy Lander’s last post: Wednesday Number Ones 8/27/08
Hey all.. This is good idea Dave!
me? Jonathan Jacobs, Ph.D. I’m a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NICHD). What do I _do_ ? Well, I’m a molecular biologist and a bioinformatician. I _do_ bench work and program in PERL (although not as much I would like to anymore). I also have a ‘professional’ blog as well called Working the BENCH. (waves at ChattyDM – fellow lab rat!) I live in Rockville, MD (just outside DC) with my lovely (gamer/scientist) wife and 2 kids. Sometimes I think I’ve discovered the 26th hour becuase I don’t know how I fit all my ‘hobbies’ in with everything else.
As for gaming – I’m 90% a D&D person; only becuase I always end up being the DM for some reason. My 10% experience with other games (Gamma World, Shadowrun)was becuase someone else was the GM.
Laterz!
Jonathan’s last post: Entourage Gaming?
Hey, I am not the only PhD here! I have a PhD in Surface Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Ottawa. Of course, I never actually used it once I got out into the real world.
As for my handle on the WotC boards, it is actually mudbunny. If you frequent those boards, drop me a PM just to say Hi, or add me on FaceBook.
Marcel Beaudoin’s last post: Long time no post
– Where are you from?
Still originally hail from Plant City, FL…back in Miami for the sophomore year at UM now…
– How did you find us?
Pingback from my video which was featured on a youtube tuesday…which reminds me, I really need to get working on that bloody sequel…
– Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a day job? Hobbies? Interests? Bizarre fetishes?
I’m a student majoring in Motion Pictures and Religion…though I’m a psychopath considering a third major in Physics…
Little known fact: I’m a certified ordained minister, meaning I can legalize marriage licenses and perform ceremonies and such…hence the ‘Reverend’ bit…
Big into D&D…interested in virtually everything…I’s a masochist as far as fetishes go, and I’m apparently not above dumpster diving…
-What do you like to read about here? Are you a gamer, a YouTube fan, a comics fan, all of the above, none of the above?
All of the above…though, I must say I’ve missed the semi-regular movie reviews from years past…I just might have to supplement that through my own opinions in my book…
Shameless plug…CHECK!…
Reverend Mike’s last post: Sermon #2: Believe In You Who Believes In You!
Mdonle: Thanks! We don’t get a lot of direct feedback (in comments) on the con coverage, so it’s always good to hear.
BMJ: Good luck finding a gaming group! Maybe you can get into an online game?
Storyteller: I was really glad to hear that Chatty’s series inspired new bloggers. I also take partial credit for that series.
Marcel: Enjoy DMing! I really do think it’s easier than ever.
Randy: And of course I was a fan of Fourth Rail before ComicPants! We’ve fallen out of comic reviews because we’ve generally fallen out of the comics world, though I still have my pull list.
Jonathan: Can’t take credit for this one, it’s all Bartoneus’s idea. Plus, he works in Rockville, so you guys are neighbors!
Rev: Nice plug there… well played.
– Where are you from?
I’m from Tulsa, OK.
– How did you find us?
Ya’know, I don’t remember. I was looking for good RPG blogs, and somehow ended up here. I’m sure there was some googling in there somewhere.
– Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a day job? Hobbies? Interests? Bizarre fetishes? …things you love to discuss on a daily basis. Please share anything you’re comfortable sharing with us!
I’m a programmer, but recently graduated with my MA in a completely unrelated field (I got tired of programming). I like gaming, although I’m not that big into console or computer games. I have a Wii, and like some Nintendo games. The simple, fun games are always the best.
I have an awesome and brilliant wife, and we’ve been married for a few months.
I may be starting up a blog soon about gaming and random geekery with my friends. I’ve blogged before, but hope that it goes better (somewhat) anonymously, and with co-bloggers.
-What do you like to read about here?
I like D&D, but also like Cthulhu and other games. I like when you cover random geekery as well, such as Venture Brothers and Dr. Who. In short, just keep doing what you’re doing.
– Where are you from?
Fort Worth, TX.
– How did you find us?
Google Reader recommended the RSS feed.
– Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a computer engineering senior. I like to play DnD in the few long blocks of spare time I have. In the short blocks, I read a lot of RSS feeds related to gaming, science, linguistics, and comedy.
-What do you like to read about here?
I like reading about DnD, primarily. Reviews of books, collections of related links, lists of encounters, plot hooks, things of that nature. I’m less interested in YouTube, but links to comics I don’t already read are always welcome.
Most of the year I’m spending in Brighton trying to get a BA in Linguistics.
I found you through Google Reader’s suggestion box. Apparently I read too many RPG blogs as is, though I still manage to merely spend an hour reading every day and not more.
I don’t have a job so my life right now is really just internet and study. I can’t say I game much because of my apparently unorthodox gaming approach and hardships in finding people who would play regularly instead of when they’re bored and got nothing better to do. (I already run two online games, btw)
I will most likely start a RPG Blog in the not so near any more future, but it probably won’t be in English.
As for what I like, everything that you post. What can I say, it’s just plain interesting to read your stuff.
– Where are you from?
Jyväskylä, Finland.
– How did you find us?
Via random rpg blog’s blogroll. Possibly Yax’s or Phil’s.
– Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a day job? Hobbies? Interests? Bizarre fetishes?
Study mathematics. Some philosophy, too. And a bit of statistics. Also: Roleplay, run games, design some now and then (but no publishing), criticise them, theorise about them.
Long walks in the woods are also a hobby. They work best with a friend or a dog.
-What do you like to read about here? Are you a gamer, a YouTube fan, a comics fan, all of the above, none of the above?
About rpgs and game design. Everything else tends to be inconsequental.
Tommi’s last post: Persistent fantasy – system update
Hello all,
I’m originally from The Hague in The Netherlands, but currently reside in the lovely little town of Bury St. Edmunds in the UK.
I can’t honestly remember how I found you. I was searching a lot for 4e info a while back and only a few sites remained in my RSS feed, of which this is one. I haven’t had time to fully use the site yet but I’m sure that will come when I start doing my real Campaign Preparation any day now (yeah…).
I DM 2 groups of 4e players, one of which has my lovely wife of 3 years in it. We’ve just started on 4e, so we’re still learning the ropes. I’ve played D&D off and on for more than 20 years now (gosh!).
My real-life alter-ego is a 37-year old programmer who works for a small gaming company near Cambridge. I mostly do the scripting of the agents we use, so no hardcore C++ or anything like that (I’m crap at maths!). For fun I write websites (learning Ruby & Rails at the moment), cook, eat, read Sci-fi and fantasy and build PCs. So: full-on geek.
My blog is mostly very sporadic and not really about RPGs.
SnakeNuts’s last post: It’s Firefox 3 download day!!
– Where are you from?
—Montreal, Canada. I now reside in Kapaa, HI.
– How did you find us?
—Trough TreasureTables.org I believe. Is that possible?
– Tell us a little about yourself.
—Day job: slaying the internet at Wasabi Marketing in Hanalei, HI. Hobby: D&D, hockey, football, marketing.
-What do you like to read about here?
—I realy enjoyed that tournament – the one that scientifically proved the awesomeness of red dragons.
Yax’s last post: D&D4e Review: Dungeon Master Screen
Hello all. DNAphil here…
–Where are you from? Living in Buffalo NY.
– How did you find us? I found you via Philippe (Chatty DM), after I started reading his blog.
– Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a Project Manager for a small Pharmaceutical Research company. When I am not gaming, I am closet IT person, building Linux boxes and networks in my basement (wow that sounds kind of sad..). To offset my gamer and computer geekness, I am married to a non-gamer wife (though very gamer sympathetic) and am a Dad of two small kids.
-What do you like to read about here?
I am a gamer, and have enjoyed your 4e material as well as discussions on other game. I also enjoyed your interviews with the WoTC guys, those were great.
DNAphil’s last post: Gnome Stew: Tips On Herding Cats
Bloody Northerners, the lot of you…aside from Mr. Now-In-Hawaii of course…
Reverend Mike’s last post: "Happy Birthday!"…"I know."…
Where are you from?
Grew up in southern Illinois, now live in a suburb just south of St. Louis.
– How did you find us?
Wow, I have no idea, sorry. It’s been a while (though I’ve always been just a reader, not a commenter).
– Tell us a little about yourself.
My day job is in C++/C# programming. I’m a D&D gamer for close to 25 years (though there have been some lengthy dry spells in there).
-What do you like to read about here?
Pretty strictly gaming, though I collected comics back in the day (where the day was around 85-89). I’m currently obsessed with D&D 4e because in it D&D seems to have become what I always wanted it to be. There was a time and place to experiment with other game systems, and it was called “college”.
Gregor LeBlaque’s last post: When Good Encounter Planning Goes Bad
Praise the gods! How many of you are either 1) an IT / programming / tech person or 2) a science / research / tech person. Holy hidden diabblo cow levels batman!
8-D
jonathan’s last post: Ars Magica Players & Info about Troupe Style Playing
I’m from South Carolina, and I found y’all (I’m from South Carolina so I’m allowed to say that) through Chatty’s blogroll.
Most of my job involves coding web pages in PHP. This is a new position for me, and although I’ve done a good bit of coding before, I feel like there’s still more I’m learning.
I run a NWN campaign once a week amongst my old college players that have moved away to other states (and in one case, Canada). I haven’t played any tabletop RPGs in a while, except for a little one-shot I did a few weeks ago when the previously mentioned Canadian friend was in town. But now I’m cooking up a little Cthulhu-esque mini-series that I hope to run in September. My wife, who is a fair bit of a geek but not a gamer, has expressed an interest in playing.
I read almost everything here. I am a role-player and video gamer primarily. But I do have a sizable collection of comics, mostly from the nineties and early naughts.
I’m a columnist for the website, most notably the “Pain of Campaigning” series. I am not a scientist/programmer, I’m a third year law student. I found out about this site because I was physically present (or involved in email threads) when the idea was batted around. Since then, the site has evolved and matured quite nicely! Currently, I live in Miami, FL and attend the University of Miami.
@Rev: You starting D&D soon? You have a spot for a grizzled old law(l) student?
Wow this is long!
I am from the heart of Georgia, where most people finally except that D&D doesn’t mean Devils and Demons. Hooray!
I found you guys because of a friend of mine who joined the group on Facebook. I think followed the Facebook link thingy here. I basically haven’t seen the dude since we both graduated college, but then, that’s what Facebook is for.
I am a writer, editor, sysadmin, and I run a website for a non-profit. I also do some freelance writing and editing. Big hobbies are games, reading, and physical fitness. (Yeah, I’m a Type II SysAdmin, haha.) (To answer Jonathan, I guess I’m another!)
I like to read about most everything here. Video games, tabletop games, comics, and whatever else comes along the pipe. (Though I’ll admit that because of my internet habits, I usually see the Youtube stuff about a week before it comes here. Those posts are less useful.)
Man, thank you ALL for the shoutouts! I’m thinking I should rent my blogroll or something!
Nah, Dave and Bart helped me get to point I am here now, I owe them a lot!
Bart: The Porsche has been ordered.
Dave: I got you a Hybrid Honda Explorer since you seem to like Dice-shaped cars so much.
The Chatty DM’s last post: Campaign/Adventure Prep: 4th Edition Treasure Hunters!
Possibly, Señor Main…though, I’ve still just got a speculative few nubian gamers…nothing set in stone just yet…
I’ll be sure to holler if I get a game together…
Reverend Mike’s last post: "Happy Birthday!"…"I know."…
I got caught up in D&D 4e just around the time it was released. I hadn’t really been following the WotC marketing and was only vaguely aware that a new edition was coming out this summer but, out of curiosity, I picked up the books when I saw them in a local store and got sucked in.
From there, it was all down hill. I devoured the books. I convinced my my buddies to give it a try. I re-visioned one of my older D&D campaigns, and started DMing again. Meanwhile, I subscribed to every blog, podcast and forum that I found that had any 4e discussion. I started up a campaign journal blog and have been wasting all too many lunch hours, reading, planning and writing.
The mass subscription to everything 4e has been cut back a bit. I don’t have time to read *everything* but critical-hits is still in my blog reader. I’m especially interested in anything 4e related. I’m also interested in general articles about better game mastering and playing.
By day, when I’m not goofing off reading forums and blogs and planning for my upcoming games, I work as a computer programmer in Montreal.
Plotter’s last post: Jarlsburg to Krolak-Nol (Chapter 4)
It is great to “meet” all the people in this community!
I live near San Francisco, CA, as a software developer in the videogame industry by trade, pretending for the last couple years to be a hardware engineer.
You can call me a “re-lapsed” gamer. Played from ’78-’86, and now am back. A friend who I play videogames and eurogames with snared me into playing 4e, and it is a blast.
I found this blog from another that had a “best rpg blogs” post, and was one of the few I read before the rpg bloggers network started up. I like all of the content here, and probably enjoy the interviews the most.
Hey, I’m Josh. I’m also one of the occasional columnists here but what I do mostly is correct TheGame and Bartoneus’ heinous spelling mistakes.
I’m a computer science major at UMD and am hard at work developing my own video game. I look forward to making a really buggy product which game reviewers heartlessly tear apart with little or no regard for the people behind the product.
I’m mostly a videogame person. I do enjoy tabletop RPGs but I don’t have the level of commitment to be in more then one game at a time. I annoyed TheGame last time by flying and punching, now I’m annoying Bartoneus by teleporting and stabbing.
joshx0rfz’s last post: The Sound of Gnomes
Where are you from?
Central Illinois
How did you find us?
I don’t remember anymore. I added you the my live bookmarks shortly after we launched our own website last year.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Boring day job where I get to show off my cool geek abilities with computers. I read a lot. I’ve been playing D&D and video games since college (I was a little late embracing my true geek side).
What do you like to read about here?
Whatever is interesting at any given time.
Hi, I’m Sean from Los Angeles, California. I found you guys through gnome stew a while ago after my friends I started our D&D game back up after a few years.
I’m a visual effects artist (compositor), and for hobbies I love videogames, playing airsoft ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airsoft ), and in general having fun being a nerd. I’ve been pretty happy with the content on critical-hits.com (after all, how can you NOT like a website with that name? I own truecrit.net and use it for our groups game wiki)
Hi, I’m Ryon, and easily the lurkiest of people able to post here. Came here through an invitation from Dave the Game, but now I’m in London, which is expensive, especially with a wife and 1-yr-old boy, which is expensive & time consuming, which has seriously curtailed my comic book addiction (Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison, and Alan Moore are all limey gits) to pretty much webcomics. My gaming is limited to a Nintendo DS (see finanials above), and I come from the ‘role-playing as an interactive form of storytelling and acting’ school, rather than the ‘hack & slash game’ school. As such, I stongly believe any one of these can qualify alongside more widely accepted/ respected forms of art.
spankleberry’s last post: TPS Report
My name is Sean, and I live in Maryland. I’m a second year law student at the University of Baltimore. I’ve got an awesome wife and two great pets.
I am an occasional columnist, usually writing about board games or Warhammer 40k.
I play D&D, board games, and console games. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually play Warhammer any more (at least not regularly); I just like to talk about it like I am some type of expert on it. But in case you are up for a game, I play Space Marines and Bretonnians.
I’m also a big sports fan. I follow the Denver Broncos (football), the Baltimore Orioles (baseball), and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (football).
Thanks to my friends Dave and Danny for keeping this site up and running, and to all of the columnists and posters who keep this site up to date with new material. Hope to see more reviews and game design articles in the future!
My name’s Matt, I’m a web developer by day, I write for Stupid Ranger by night. I live near Peoria, IL with my beautiful wife and 5 month old son.
I’ve been playing D&D and videogames since shortly after I became aware of my own existence. I ran a BBS during college, and was part of the MOD music scene for awhile. I’ve also been known to see a large amount of movies. My fellow blogger Dante and I have also been in karate for 19 years, and have scar tissue on our shins from each time a Power Rangers movie came out during the 90’s.
I found Critical Hits right after we started Stupid Ranger last year. I don’t really remember how. I’m going to blame Yax. 🙂
Vanir’s last post: Behind the Screen: Problems with planes and psionics…
I was raised and educated in the southern US (Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama), but live in Colorado now.
I’m a software developer for the 2nd largest defense contractor in the States, writing top secret military software.
I was first introduced to RPGs way back in ’77 as a wee lad of 7 when my older brothers started playing D&D. A couple years later my mom made them teach me to play, and soon afterwards she got permission from my friends’ parents to include them. I usually GM for my current group, and have done some 3.5 D&D, a couple M&M campaigns, Star Wars Saga, and introduced them to D&D 4E. However, right now I’m in player heaven with two other guys wanting to convert their 3.5 campaigns (Forgotten Realms and Iron Kingdoms) to 4E.
I was directed to this site from Chatty’s, and have enjoyed everything that I’ve read at both locations.
Howdy!
From: Austin TX
Found ya through a link from StupidRanger blog and now regularly through RPGBloggers and visiting regularly on my own.
I’m a Backup Admin for the TX Legislature as a day job. By nights & weekends, a committed D&D nut with a smattering of video gaming on the side.
I really enjoy your coverage/reviews/interviews of all things D&D and WotC. I loved how thoroughly you covered Gen Con with interviews/podcasts, hands on reviews of DDI and stuff. I’m reading everything you post as well, learning about new stuff.
I’m a little late, but I’ll bite.
I’m a soon-to-be 3rd year Game Art & Design student in Los Angeles, CA. Heavily into videogames since I watched my older siblings play the NES at age 2, and been designing them long before I knew what ‘game design’ actually meant. (Which isn’t so bad – a lot of my classmates still don’t know what it means, either…!)
I’ve been hanging around Critical Hits for, I think, nearing a year now and I vaguely remember finding this site via Raph Koster’s blog (which I found after reading his “A Theory of Fun”).
I come for the D&D talk, and stay for the overall nerd chitchat. I’ve been playing/DMing D&D on-and-off for only the past 4 years – the “off” part comes thanks to discovering how difficult it is to gather for hours at a time post-high school. I run a 4E campaign, but with only 1 session done all summer that’s kind of an understatement.
Hobbies? Graphic arts, filmmaking, and lots of design. Former WoW and Warhammer 40K player. Interests? Internets, anime, comics, robots. …Fetishes? Admittedly: glasses. Really cute glasses.
Heather
I’m from Ohio but I’ve spent the last 5 years in Biloxi, MS. I recently moved to South Carolina where I have spent a significant portion of my life.
I found you by some convoluted link following which included Chatty DM, Stupid Ranger, Gnome Stew and Enworld among others.
I’m currently in between jobs but I have a Master’s of Writing and Literature in an area with critical needs for English teachers, so that is a possibility through alternative route programs. Otherwise, I may just adjunct.
My parents divorced when I was young and one of my fondest memories of time with my father included playing arcade games at Dairy Mart and having ice cream. I love RPG, puzzle and simulation games best but I play other games as well. I’ve only recently started delving into D&D after many years of not knowing how to get something like that started – though I was always interested. I’m also in love with creative arts (drawing, painting, knitting, quilting, photography etc.) I collect books. I’m a mother and wife.
I read whatever strikes my fancy here. I’d like to see you update your book reviews section!
Heather’s last post: Mini Update @ 3:45CST
– Where are you from?
Texas, Earth
– How did you find us?
You know, I don’t remember. All I know is I liked your site and put a link on my own blog and visit whenever the “Updated” appears next to the BlogRolling link 😀
– Tell us a little about yourself. What do you do for a day job? Hobbies? Interests? Bizarre fetishes? …things you love to discuss on a daily basis. Please share anything you’re comfortable sharing with us!
Mild-mannered server admin and manager by day, super-semi-evil sith lord by night. I love computers and the internet and wish I could get assimilated by the Borg just so I could have 24-hour, high-speed access to the internet no matter where I was.
-What do you like to read about here?
Whatever is posted that day.
From: I’m originally from Monterey Bay, CA. I’ve been in Maryland for the last 13 years or so.
Story: I’m a 32 year old full-time student entering my senior year at Univ Maryland, College Park – studying Computer Science with joshx0rfz (Josh). I’m married to a punjabi girl – needless to say, I’m way geekier than she is… I suppose I needed some balance in my life 🙂
Hobbies: I love to watch and follow MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Video and Computer Games have been my passion – some of my earliest memories in fact.
I use to buy/read all of the D&D books (we are talking 1st edition), but I skipped 2nd and 3rd generation completely. I recently got into 4e a bit, but I think I’m definitely starting to get bored with it. Not because of some flaw in the game, but mostly because I think it might not be my cup of tea. My friends are all still hardcore into it, however.
I enjoy playing golf casually and frisbee.
Above all, I absolutely love designing videogames and coding (of any sort).
I’m president and founder of a game development group on campus. Josh has been there since the beginning (thank God) and we are currently hard at work on a videogame of our own.
If you are an artist, musician or web developer, we’d love to hear from you.
Intro To Critical-Hits: Josh lured me here and I absolutely love the community. I’ve had the opportunity of gaming with and meeting some of the guys behind the scenes and they are some of the coolest people I have ever met.
P.S.: I haven’t read a single comic in my life, but I’m just about to finish Watchmen. What an amazing piece of literature! I cannot believe the depth, creativity, and writing prowess of that guy.
Wow, I definitely have to say thank you to everyone who responded here. It’s amazing to get to know all of you a little bit better, and the level of response we’ve gained over the last year is practically flooring.
Thanks again everyone, and hopefully we’ll hear from some more people even though the inquisitions will move on.
holy crap…late to the party again.
Oh well. I am Donovan. I am located in Solano County, CA.
I stumbled upon critical hits through google, ironically, while trying to find more reasons to hate 4E. I’m better now.
I am a CADastral Mapping Technician (Journey grade), I hold 2 AA’s for Digital design and Liberal arts. Needless to say, with housing down, I have had a LOT of spare time on my hands.
I am currently happily married to a newbie gamer, and have two kids 2 and 7. My game of choice is Fantasy D&D, but I have a serious soft spot for Gamma world, and d20 future.
This community rocks!
Donny_the_DM’s last post: Okay, I’m sold. Assault on the lightless Depths will be 4th Edition.
Oh noes…I killed the mojo. I wonder if I can bottle it and sell it on e-bay?
Donny_the_DM’s last post: SO here she is…The Weeping Womb!
classic.
Jonathan’s last post: Core Lists: RITUALS
Donny: I’m sure it’s nothing personal. Now, we’ll all be over here, away, in a corner…
Donny, it looks like I missed the boat on this one too. I even wrote a memo to myself to respond to this post!
My name is Michael Brewer and I live in Franklin, IN (a half an hour south of downtown Indy for the GenCon folk) with my lovely young wife and our beautiful two year old daughter. I am 29 and just received my Bachelor’s in Media Arts & Science from IU. I’ve been working as a .NET software developer longer than I have had a degree, but before I was a programmer I was a Marine. I spent four years in active service with the U.S. Marine Corps and another four in reserves. Half of my active service was with the infantry as a mortarman, but I began my service in the Security Forces, stationed in the middle east with an anti terrorism outfit. I ended my active service as a marksmanship instructor.
I stumbled across Critical Hits a while back, most likely through Google, though that is lost to the fog of memory. I loved reading the GenCon posts, because even though I was there, I could not manage to get out of the Sagamore Ballroom that hosted the RPGA.
I dig RPGs & Wargames: 3.x D&D, New and Old World of Darkness, Warmachine, and Warhammer. Beyond the table top, I like FPSs, single player RPG video games, animation (traditional as well as 3D), and programming.
I apologize for the comment book, but once I put fingers to keyboard, it is hard to slow down.
MadBrewLabs’s last post: Noegnud – A Kobold Quest: The System