Thursday, April 9, 2009
More Sad News
Jerry Mapes, founder of the Knights & Knaves Alehouse, one of the primary forums of the old school renaissance, has passed away. Like Dave Arneson, I suspect many gamers, even those of the grognard persuasion, have no idea who Jerry was or what he contributed to this hobby. I never met him in person and my dealings with him were limited to a few emails here and there, along with posts over at K&K. But Jerry's work in establishing the Alehouse, as well as his tireless efforts to keep it running smoothly, helped create some of the conditions that led to OSRIC and I dare say much of what we now term "the old school renaissance." He may not have been a household name, even in our little corner of the Web, but he contributed far more than most of us realize. His loss will be felt deeply and all of us who have derived fun and enjoyment from the resurgence of old school gaming in recent years should mourn his passing.
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It might be appropriate to create something communally as a tribute to both of these great men.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, they dedicated themselves to creation.
I wonder if there's a way for a Traveller expert to design a free trader or some other sort of starship and call it the Mapes class - and to get it put prominently somewhere in the Traveller community. For all that Jerry gave to the D&D community, I think he tended to prefer Traveller as his actual game of first choice to play.
ReplyDeleteJerry dying, as expected as it was, is a very, very great blow.
I didn't know Jerry nor did I frequent his site. But, I agree this loss is a great one for our hobby. Prayers go out to his family, friends and those he touched.
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry for you loss, guys.
It might be appropriate to create something communally as a tribute to both of these great men.
ReplyDeleteI think that'd be a very fine idea. In the case of Jerry, something Traveller-related would be most fitting, since that was in fact his preferred game.
I wonder if there's a way for a Traveller expert to design a free trader or some other sort of starship and call it the Mapes class - and to get it put prominently somewhere in the Traveller community.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great idea. I wish I had more connections to the Traveller community these days, so I could organize such a thing.