Well I was browsing a certain Social Media Platform at 06:00… Thanks Dog!

And in one of the groups someone posted a picture about when they started D&D they were skint so made their terrain out of cardboard, glue and Sharpies.

Now this got me thinking. When did the shift from dry wipe mats and Chinagraph pencils to a table full of terrain for one session.

Now cards on the table here, I never got into D&D. I was more MERP. And to be honest pretty much have avoided it since.

I have some old starter boxes, the one I could find straight off was Dragon Mountain. An AD&D Dungeon, comprising maps, Cardboard miniatures etc. This was published by TSR in 1993. I picked mine up cheap of Facebook a few years ago. I actually bought it for the maps.

Yes I am a bit of a sucker for a good map.

So 1993 we seem to be moving away from draw your own to printed maps for the adventures. So when was the shift to full terrain boards or 2.5 instead of 3D.

The problem is I went into wargaming so therefore terrain became an integral part.

Some people still go for theatre of the mind, so no terrain needed at all. Maybe a picture to help people get into the zone.

I would hazard a guess that YouTube has a part to play in tables full of buildings etc, but maybe I am wrong.

So does anyone know? I am sure I don’t as in reality people differ.

3 thoughts on “Big Thinks, Being Thunk!”

  1. Well, as with most things, I haven’t a clue! 🙂 Social media and the availability of stuff nowadays must be an influence. Like you, it was wargames for me, the main difference being nowadays I can put a nice printed mat down instead of a Subbuteo cloth over rolled up jumpers!

    Like

    Reply

  2. I think you’re on to something, most of theme that I played RPG’s we just had paper and pencil and our Imaginations. That was High School, later in life I did go back to a short stint of RPG gaming, and it was the same, just rough drawn maps to keep the perspective in place, but the game was all in out imaginations.

    With wargaming, which falls in the middle of and right after my RPG days, I love terrain building, even solo-play I want something that helps sell the miniature world.

    I have to think the availability of 3D printing and access to youtube creators showing how to DIY better terrain are a major factor in everyone’s sense of world building FOMO.

    Like

    Reply

  3. It’s probably more that you’re aware of it now. There have always been very creative people out there channeling their art into D&D or whatever. It’s just that now they can show it to you on YouTube and give the impression that they make up a lot of the hobbyists out there rather than the extreme end of the bell curve.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment