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Monday, April 28, 2008
How Dragonlance Ruined Everything
Dragonlance wasn't just a collection of adventure modules; it was also a series of fantasy novels -- phenomenally successful ones at that. One of the things people can easily forget is that, before D&D, and especially before Dragonlance, the "fantasy" genre was pretty small and paled in importance compared to science fiction. Sure, there as Tolkien and Howard and handfuls of pulp fantasies left over from the late 60s and early 70s, but, by and large, most "fantasy" novels were written by SF authors and they weren't (generally) what people would recognize today as fantasy novels, either in content or style.
Dragonlance changed all that. No, it didn't do that alone, so please don't harangue me with dissertations about how the Shanarra series came out seven years earlier and sold X number of copies or whatever. I am aware of these things. Remember, this entry is partially hyperbolic. But here's the thing: whereas Shanarra and Dragonlance are both quite obviously Tolkien knock-offs in broad outline -- being epic fantasies whose settings are pastiches of Middle Earth -- Dragonlance, by being associated with D&D, is the one that probably formed the imaginations of more future fantasy writers. This next generation of writers would, instead of imitating Tolkien, imitate Weis and Hickman, thereby starting the process by which D&D -- and fantasy RPGs in general -- would be snakes swallowing their own tails creatively. That process continues to this day, with D&D ever more influenced by its creative progeny rather than either cleaving to older traditions or creating its own.
On the gaming front, though, Dragonlance commits even greater crimes. Firstly, the original Dragonlance modules were unique in that they presented not merely an entire campaign story arc -- what we'd today probably call an Adventure Path -- but, more importantly, it was an arc written for specific characters who had specific fates. Gamers love to bemoan "railroading," but few adventures were as railroad-y as Dragonlance, a series whose every dramatic element was mapped out in advance. There were, as written, few or no provisions for deviating from the planned story arc or introducing new characters into the saga. Goldmoon would always be the first cleric since the Catalcysm, Raistlin would always slowly descend into evil, and poor Sturm Brightblade was always doomed to die.
Now, at the time, Dragonlance was an amazing innovation. I don't believe there was anything like it and, playing through it, even within its heavy-handed restrictions, simply felt awesome -- especially if you were smart enough to pick one of the cooler characters who didn't die due to dramatic fiat. For the first time, D&D had its own Lord of the Rings, complete with D&D staples like metallic versus chromatic dragons. What wasn't to love? Plus, the Dragonlance modules were well presented, with gorgeous art -- they even made a calendar -- terrific 3-D maps, and a host of hand0-outs and other paraphernalia. In short, Dragonlance was exactly what D&D players had wanted for so long and it was a huge success for TSR.
And like many things D&D players want, it turned out to be a deal with the Devil. From that point on, "story" came to dominate the way D&D and other RPGs were presented. No longer were adventures "modules," implying they could be swapped in and out of campaigns with minimal impact. Now, they had to tell a coherent narrative that was dramatically satisfying. Instead of "just a bunch of stuff that happens," adventures had to make sense. Worse still, the success of the novels meant that, inevitably, there would be more novels and these would alter the game setting in ways meant primarily to sell more books, not necessarily to retain the coherence of the original adventures. Railroad-y the modules may have been, but at least they ended and the players could take pride in having shared in an epic story with a beginning, middle, and end. The novels, though, ensured that the modules meant nothing and that no victory, even one scripted from the start, would remain so. Newer and bigger Cataclysms would be visited on Krynn on an annual basis to sell more books and whatever charm Dragonlance had as a D&D setting was sacrificed on the altar of a profitably exploitable IP.
If any of this sounds familiar, it should. Dragonlance represents the point where D&D definitively took a turn into becoming not merely a brand name with which to sell lots of things unassociated with roleplaying but where TSR decided that the mere making of money was more important than making money by selling fun games. Very few people realized this at the time. All they saw was an epic storyline illustrated by Larry Elmore and Keith Parkinson, with novels whose sales put them regularly on the New York Times bestseller list. I don't think anyone can be blamed for thinking this was all a good thing. D&D had become a huge mainstream success and Dragonlance was a vital part of that. Dragonlance also set the tone for much of what's happened in the hobby since then, mostly for the worse from my perspective, but I'm sure WotC's book department would say otherwise.
Like all "unified field theories," the one I present here has holes large enough to drive Mack trucks through. I don't mean to imply that all that's wrong in the hobby today -- i.e. all I dislike about the hobby -- can be directly connected to Dragonlance. There were precursors to it that set the stage and there were successors that did what it intended better and probably more thoroughly. However, Dragonlance is an important touchstone in the history of RPGs. It certainly represents the end of "old school" as a mainstream part of the hobby. It also marks the time when the fate of RPGs became tied to non-RPG products in a definitive way. I think it's fair to say that, as a hobby, RPGs exist in a post-Dragonlance world, for it changed roleplaying's face forever.
40 comments:
You make some excellent points, James. Lately I've been somewhat disheartened with the direction D&D is heading. D&D certainly seems to be progressing (devolving) even further into something which I believe does not embrace the original spirit of the game. Maybe I really am just an "old guard, veteran, grumbler" after all.
ReplyDeleteEven after all that, about the only thing I can summon up is a resounding "Blah".
I know what you are saying despite the hyperboles, but I just don't care, in the end. Yes, DL took D&D in a direction of stories, epic adventure, and - SHOCK AND HORROR - stuff that made sense.
People like stories. They like epic tales. They like heroes. They like stuff that "makes sense". It's just plain old human nature, and if it "ruined everything", well, tough.
I have respect for the old-timers, and I think those games are still great - a set of rules does not become un-viable just because of age. But seriously, it's 2008. There are literally hundreds of RPGs out there, big and large, home-made or backed by big business, and everything in between.
Gaming, even modern tabletop (ignoring computer RPGs) has moved on, and there have been some terrific ideas out there in the last 30 years. Saying that DL "ruined everything" in Gaming is, not to put too fine a point on it, akin to taking a big dump on several decades worth of creative effort, even if you are being only half (ok, maybe 3/4ths) serious.
And if you think that's really true, that we'd all be better off if RPGs hadn't evolved past the early 80's, well, I kinda feel sorry for you.
This is a great blog, and I'm really enjoying what you have to say about a lot of things, but rants like this, even an acknowledged hyperbole, are a bit of a disappointment. I'd think focusing energy on more productive areas would be more beneficial.
But hey, in the end, it's all good. We all need to rant sometimes, right?
CheersRe: "story"
I think perhaps my intent wasn't clear. I don't object to a coherent story in a RPG. What I do object to -- and what DL offers in spades -- is someone else's story, rather than one that organically develops through play in the interaction of players and referee. DL isn't merely a top-down model of story; it's a pre-packaged, nice and tidy model of story with a set beginning, middle, and end. So far as I'm concerned, that's the antithesis of what this hobby is about. That is the real reason why Dragonlance ruined everything: it made this approach to roleplaying far more commonplace and, in some areas, the norm.
(I also object to the notion that there is such a thing as "evolution" in gaming. Games in 2008 are different than they were in 1978 but they aren't more evolved, but perhaps that's a rant for another time)Grrr! Gah! Story! Blech!
Seriously, I hate the word. Story has no place in games! Games are about choice.
Situation? Good, because that implies an uncertain future.
Conflict? Great, because that implies action, choice, and struggle the players can really sink their teeth into.
Plot? Hell no! If your "game" has a plot, it's not really a game. It's a story with meaningless choices tossed through it. If the choices the players make do not alter the story, then what you have is "story time" rewards that happen after the players do the fun stuff. That's what passes for "story" in most computer games.
Pta! Pta! Cthulhu ftagn! /foaming at the mouth crazy rant>I think one of things people need to realize is that what we today call "roleplaying" is in fact a conglomeration of several related forms of entertainment that are all descended from D&D and that emphasize different styles and in-game elements. The older style, the one pre-Dragonlance D&D emphasized was "sandbox" play -- here are the raw materials; go and make something out of it yourself. "Story" or indeed meaning of any kind evolved organically, if it did at all, through the interaction of the referee and players' decisions in-game. It mirrored pulp fantasy adventures, which were simple, exciting adventures whose larger meaning, if any, only came with time and the slow accumulation of details.
Much of what we call "roleplaying" today, though, doesn't really follow this model. There's nothing wrong with alternatives as such, but I don't think those alternatives play to D&D's strengths as a game system and players realize that too, which is why post-DL D&D continues to stray ever more mechanically from the very simple vision of Gygax and Arneson.
If one prefers that older style and laments its loss, it's hard not feel that Dragonlance really did effect a change for the worse.Just for the record, I skimmed the DL modules a little while ago, because I was thinking of stealing the maps for an upcoming game (I lurve their maps), and while I 100% agree with their railroady nature being a minus, especially at the start, I was surprised at how innovative they were in other ways. There were dream sequences (including a massive dreamscape adventure), rules for keeping the refugees from Pax Thrakas alive, alternate identities for the traitor in book one or for the silver dragon in book two, not to mention alternate explanations for Fizban, encounter flowcharts replacing maps in places, integration with Battlesystem, and multiple story options for how to do the final adventure in Takhisis' temple.
But your points about how it did change the way D&D was made and marketed are all valid.- AnonymousApril 29, 2008 at 9:58 AM
Has anyone noticed the strong parallels of the first three DL books to the Lord of the Rings? To me there is no question there are many similarities, and at some points they are so strong it almost makes me wonder of they replaced "halflings" with "kender" for copyright reasons.
Strider = Tanis
Gandolf = Fizban
Gimli = Flint
Arwen = Laurana
...and onward. The similarities are so strong I can't believe it wasn't intentional. The original Dragonlance were amazing things. Compared to what had come before them, they could un-ironically be called "state of the art." I know I loved them as a kid; they were a revelation to me. Everything about their production values was top-notch and, as you rightly say, they were innovative. I don't begrudge anyone who looks on them with fondness and goodness knows I had a blast with them back in the day.
But the reality is that they were the thin end of what became a much larger wedge. They convinced lots of game companies that the key to success and what gamers wanted were epic, sprawling storylines whose outcomes were driven by NPCs rather than PCs. Just as bad, they turned RPGs into IP mines for far more successful novels. I won't say DL is solely responsible for these things, but they set the tone for what came later and has come over the last 25 years.Quote: Plot? Hell no! If your "game" has a plot, it's not really a game. It's a story with meaningless choices tossed through it. If the choices the players make do not alter the story, then what you have is "story time" rewards that happen after the players do the fun stuff. That's what passes for "story" in most computer games.
I'm sorry, what? That makes no sense. I don't even think you're talking about the same thing I'm talking about.
People make stories. It's ingrained in our nature. Show a kid a picture of something and ask them to tell you what's going on and that little kid will weave together a story about what they see. It's part of being human.
What you are obviously complaining about is railroading the "plot". I agree, it's not a very compelling method of running a game, but I also feel that its prevalence is vastly overestimated. Frankly, I see it mostly as a bogeyman brought out whenever someone has an axe to grind.
Beyond that, sure "story" has a place in role-playing games. Otherwise, seriously, what's the point? Your PC wanders through an imaginary world where nothing really matters? All you foster is a Groundhog's Day mentality where "I can do anything because whatever happens to my PC, it doesn't matter because I can just roll up another PC". Might as well just have your PCs run around stabbing each other in the eyes all day long. Sure it's free choice. It's also blindingly stupid.
In the good games I've been in, there HAS been story, but it's not a railroaded plot-line, it's the story our characters create through our interactions with the people and places within the campaign world. How is that not a story? If Gilmore the 1st level fighter and his buddies come into a village, hear about a cave full of goblins that have been attacking the villagers, then go and clear it out in order to protect the townsfolk, that's a story. If the village mayor then provides the PCs with a writ of introduction that helps get them a job working for the lord in the next town (if they want it), that's also part of the story. If the PCs save a noble lady on the road while moving on to the next town and she makes Gilmore an Honorary Champion of the White Hawk for his bravery, that's part of the story.
Now, Gilmore and his buddies were more than able to tell the villagers to buzz off, burn down the village, loot everything, kill the noblewoman as they meet her on the road, and in general stomp all over whatever adventures or encounters the DM had in mind - that's free choice. But then, it's now the story of Gilmore the rampaging brigand.
And this all supposes you're playing D&D or some other semi-generic RPG. If you're playing something a little more focused, like Call of Cthluhu, Savage Worlds of Solomon Kane, Spirit of the Century, Gear Krieg, Feng Shui, Millennium's End...well any of a lot of other games out there, there are indeed some pre-determined "story" elements built into the game, but the "plot" is still whatever the players and the GM create out of their adventures. Again, it's free choice, but free choice directed towards creating something the players and DM find interesting.
That isn't "railroading", and it IS gaming. Anyone who thinks a good, solid CoC adventure isn't gaming...well I'd just shake my head and move on from there.Re: "story"
I can't speak for Trollsmyth's specific intention, but what I assumed he meant was that there's a difference between establishing an initial starting situation for an adventure (i.e. a conflict) and plotting out how that situation will unfold regardless of what the PCs do. Adventures where NPCs either must live or die regardless of PC wishes, for example, are true railroads because they impose a specific narrative on the adventure that has nothing to do with player choice. That's what I mean when I criticize "story" in roleplaying adventures.Right, and I think that's a long, long way from "story has no place in gaming". I'm fine with "a predetermined plotline that the PCs can't change has no place in gaming", however. The PCs should be masters of their own destiny (well, as much of a destiny as they are able to achieve for themselves), but the success or failure of that journey IS a "story" - just not one that is scripted whole cloth before the adventure begins.
ReplyDeletebut the success or failure of that journey IS a "story"
That's certainly one way to define "story" and I can't really argue against it, but we're getting into semantics here. I suspect Trollsmyth's central point -- and certainly mine -- is that RPGs rest on a foundation of player choice. When there are no meaningful choices or when choices are restricted because of the demands of a plotline, then you're no longer playing a RPG in the sense we understand it.What James said. Seriously, that was a foamy rant, and thus was labeled such.
Story is a by-product of RPGing. You shouldn't know what the story is going to be before the players impact the situation. You might know the themes that y'all will be playing with, dictated by the setting or the rules set. You might be thinking a step or two ahead of the party, considering what reactions the NPCs will have to the actions of the PCs.
But if your plot dictates that NPC Bob is going to die no matter what the PCs do, that's almost certainly beyond the pale. At that point, you've got your toe in novel-writing territory.
And I recognize, when I say stuff like that, that most folks can't play that way. I enjoy listening to the Fear the Boot podcasts, but I consider their plot-driven adventures far too constraining for my freebooting, freewheeling sandbox ways. But I can play by the seat of my pants and pull stuff out of thin air at the drop of a hat. Not everybody can, or even wants, to play that way. So yeah, I'm a foaming at the mouth lunatic, and I recognize it.
The real heartbreak for me was how cool the Dragonlance stuff was. The Hickmans made some of the most amazing, innovative adventures out there. There's a reason Ravenloft expanded into an entire setting. But I never could have played the things as written. My group would have lynched me.
- BrianQuote: But I can play by the seat of my pants and pull stuff out of thin air at the drop of a hat. Not everybody can, or even wants, to play that way. So yeah, I'm a foaming at the mouth lunatic, and I recognize it.
Nah, that's not foamy lunacy, that's just a gaming style. I confess I fall somewhere in the middle. When it comes to "setting the stage", I tend to like having some ideas floating around in my head and ready to go. But I can't force myself to prepare for everything and anything, and there's really no point for me in trying - sometimes what you make up in the heat of the moment is far more interesting than anything you might have noted down the night before.
So in the end, I look at what comes out of a series of adventures and I call that a "story". But that is the end product, not a foregone conclusion.
And if there is no "story" to laugh about and reminisce about at the end of the day, there's no point in it for me, because if there's no story to look back on, that means there was no fun or adventure worth remembering.And if there is no "story" to laugh about and reminisce about at the end of the day, there's no point in it for me, because if there's no story to look back on, that means there was no fun or adventure worth remembering.
I won't argue there. Circumstance is the seed, consequences are the bloom, and the stalk and roots of it all are the PCs thrashing about like bulls in a china shop. ;) Afterwards, it may look like a carefully crafted tale. Heck, I've even had folks point to things that looked like foreshadowing. But that's just the human brain, building patterns and stories because that's what it does best.
- BrianI've done a lot of improv over the years, and it's actually really helpful in getting past the idea that "story" means "plot". This is a bit long, but...
Improvised or semi-improvised play runs the risk of feeling like exactly that—just a bunch of random, unrelated events. How do we turn those events into a story, with a beginning, middle and end? Well, a story ends when most of the important elements introduced at its beginning have been used in a way that resolves the problems and events that occur throughout its course.
That doesn't mean that an ending is pre-ordained. There's usually more than one way to end a story. If the campaign opens with the Sudarshan Empire invading the city-state of Chiraput and Princess Nandita escapes just ahead of the army, that doesn't mean that she has to regain her throne at the end. Perhaps she'll seek enlightenment at a Sujahnist monastery, and come to realize that all worldly power is fleeting. Perhaps she'll penetrate to the heart of the Snake Cult and slay Vasudha on his throne, only to be cut down by his guards immediately after. The story ends when the Fall of Chiraput no longer matters to her, because the questions raised by it have all been resolved.
Here's the key: as a GM, you don't need to know how the story will end when you start it. It's probably better if you don't. What I am saying is that the situations you introduce over the course of the campaign will point everyone toward a satisfactory resolution without you needing to plan it.
Let's look at a more-or-less random sequence of events and show how re-incorporation can turn it into a story. You break into a house. You find a gem. The owner walks in. You run. You duck into an alley. You get attacked by a giant snake. You flee from the snake. You get on a ship and sail out of town.
Is that a story? Not yet. After all, I can continue adding new events, one after the other, pretty much forever. A giant bird flies over the boat. It swoops in for a landing and turns into a man. Suddenly, a kraken attacks the boat…
To turn all of this into a story, we need to start investing these events with significance and meaning. That doesn't mean that we have to decide what the story is "about"—in fact, I recommend against doing anything of the sort. What we need to do, instead, is to find an ending, and we need to connect that ending to what has gone before.
We do this through re-incorporation. Right now, we have a bunch of questions that need answering. What is the significance of the gem, if any? Where did the snake come from? Who is the guy who transformed from a bird into a human, how did he do that, and why is he here? And why is a kraken attacking this ship? Re-incorporation occurs when I take a story element I've already introduced and use it to answer one of those questions.
The scenario I outlined above was written off the top of my head. When I began it, I honestly had no idea where I was going with it or what the outcome was supposed to be. However, by looking for ways to connect them together, I can start to come up with the beginnings of a plot. I've had two giant versions of normal creatures try to attack you. Why would that happen?
• The gem mystically summoned them.
• They were normal-sized creatures that the gem magically enlarged.
• They're illusions from the sorcerer that owned the gem.
• When you touched the gem, you were sucked inside of it and now you're in a pocket dimension within. Or, as a variation on that idea, only your soul is trapped inside.
Similarly, the simplest explanation for the bird-man landing on the boat is that he's looking for the gem. He could be the person you stole it from, or he could have somehow learned of the theft and wants it for his own purposes, whether good or bad. Taking all of this together, I could have the sorcerer tell you that he kept the gem in a magical field to stop it from creating giant monsters, and if you give it back to him, the monsters will stop attacking. If you then return it, we have a complete story. I can find a theme in it ("Don't mess with things you don't understand") and it does have a beginning, middle and end. Interestingly, I didn't start with that theme in mind. It just emerged from the choices we both made.
I admit that it's not a very good story at this point. All I did as a GM was say "you shouldn't do that" and you complied. In the end, there was no conflict, because I re-incorporated all of the story elements into an ending before the supposed protagonist had the opportunity to make any real decisions. But it should show what I'm getting at.Afterwards, it may look like a carefully crafted tale. Heck, I've even had folks point to things that looked like foreshadowing. But that's just the human brain, building patterns and stories because that's what it does best.
Indeed. In my experience, the most fun campaigns I've ever played acquired "stories" after the fact, through the slow accumulation of adventures, NPC encounters, and random events that, in hindsight, took on a coherence and unity that helped make it more than the sum of its parts. That is the kind of play I prefer and that, to me anyway, is why I roleplay. Anything more organized than that, anything that smacks of too much planning on the part of the referee to push the campaign this way or that isn't what I want. If I wanted that, I'd read a novel.
I think Kevin's post about improv is closer to my ideal, though I think I still prefer my gaming a fair bit more random than improv allows. Even so, he hits on some excellent points and I can get behind the main thrust of his argument. It probably helps that he's part of my gaming group and what he says is in close to the ideal we all strive for in our games.Wow. Nice post!
I think Badelaire is right to an extent. DL didn't ruin gaming. I own and play games that were released after the 80s and I have a lot of fun with them.
On the other hand, James Maliszewski is right (IMHO) that DL did ruin one roleplaying game: Dungeons & Dragons. It's incredibly easy for me to perceive the schism it created.There is an additional piece that should be noted - DL came in at the end of TSR v1, and the real marketing blitz hit during TSR v2. DL is directly responsible for the open-ended Forgotten Realms that was initially conceived changing into the novel-writer mecca it is now. DL is responsible for Greyhawk changing from being open to From The Ashes/Living Greyhawk that survives today.
Those now in charge are firmly in the 'GM writing the novel' tradition. I think that's why so many of us are rebelling against the various changes that are happening. I admit, I have my own urges to do this as well. It is a very tempting path to follow as a GM, where you control the flow so the players don't 'mess up' your grand designs. The key is to react to your players, and not the other way around. Change what's happening in the game around what your players are doing, and not your scripted actions.
This is the way I am going to be handling future campaigns of mine, no matter the rules system.I think I can break down James's critique of Dragonlance into two points:
1. DL promoted the 'tie-in' approach to product marketing in the tabletop RPG industry, whereby you build interest and loyalty with an anchor product and then get the revenue stream flowing by leveraging their loyalty into as much swag as you can get them to commit too. (BTW, in this sense, TCGs are to tabletop what MMOs are to PC gaming. A deployment model that builds-in recurring expenses).
2. DL promoted a more restrictive model of game design in which the designer expects the players to conform to a specific plot sctructure, i.e. "railroading."
Most people seem to have skipped over the first critique, which I think reflects a general consensus of "nyah, greedy rat bastards" and focuses on the second more controversial aspect of gaming. For me personally, I am a big "story" person myself and for example was a big fan of the whole White Wolf system back in the 90s. However, the question of railroading is one of those gordian knots of game design. After all, we live in a universe where time is linear and therefore reality is, in PC terms, WORM(Write Once Read Many) technology. You make a choice, you live with the consequences.
Therefore, every game designer and every GM share in the essential dilemma of deciding how much pre-planning to do in order to produce a cohesive narrative. If you want to see a fantastic example of a carefully constructed narrative gone horribly wrong, I'd point you to Don't Roleplay the Bugs an excellent article from The Escapist published a couple years ago.
For me, the answer to the dilemma that I use in tabletop is to create antagonists with 1. goals, and 2. plans to acheive them. Then I stick our players, the protagonists, in the path of those goals, and let them go at it. Since I am "playing" the antagonists I have an opportunity to adjust their plans to the players actions, and the ending can write itself from the result of the "competition" between the protagonists and the antagonists. And with the power of GM Deus Ex Machina, if the players choose to venture down an unplanned route, I can ultimately hang new costumes on my already built antagonists, and then recycle my prior labor. In the end, the major story elements I have built persist, but the players retain freedom of choice... or at least a passable enough illusion of freedom that they don't feel constrined.think there are several things to take from this post. This is especially considering it has been more than a year since you wrote it.
Definitely DR changed everything in gaming. Fantasy world and the novels are now tied together. You can't run a game in those worlds without running in fans of the novels. Players expect you to read all the damned novels.
There's another more insidious trend that I am not sure DR was to blame. It seems most people game for escapism. Nothing wrong with that, fantasy is designed for escapism. However, there seems to be a general love in the gaming community for the bad guy. In the DR series, Raistlin is this bad guy. Not only is Raistlin a bad guy, but a badass who's an arrogant jerk. Raistlin also constantly breaks all the rules as written. Players want to play this type of character.
I hate this player.
What is so wrong with playing heroes like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca?"...the process by which D&D -- and fantasy RPGs in general -- would be snakes swallowing their own tails creatively. That process continues to this day, with D&D ever more influenced by its creative progeny rather than either cleaving to older traditions or creating its own."
So...you think this applies to the fairly recent Eberron campaign setting as well?So...you think this applies to the fairly recent Eberron campaign setting as well?
I see no reason why I wouldn't, since Eberron, from what I've gathered, was designed specifically to be a setting where whatever is in the D&D rules had a place. Thus, the game has primacy over the setting itself.- AnonymousMay 3, 2010 at 3:14 PM
Nah, I actually read many of them, and I don't intend to go back to the series, and it's an old series, so whatever.
I think some of the books had occasional cool things, but largely they were just ... alright. Sort of like watching the cartoons you didn't like in between the ones you did. At least it's a cartoon, right?
But you summed up something that was bugging me at the time, and which I forgot about, concerning the Dragonlance modules. Every one I played in seemed horribly linear. As a player I couldn't help but feel like, by the end, we were just walking through a dream that we couldn't interact with. As if, regardless of whether there were seven of one or thirty of us, everything would have worked out the same.
Obviously now I get what was going on and why I was dissatisfied. But I had put it out of my mind until just now. James, I think it's important to note that the Dragonlance modules were written in such a way that they allowed for new characters, even completely original ones, to pass through the adventure. I know that back when the modules first came out, that was the majority of experience for gaming groups I knew of. Many people chose NOT to play Raistlin, Tanis, etc for the same reason that people like to make up new Star Wars characters rather than play Han Solo and Luke.
Perhaps the problem is that the reception and later interpretation of what Dragonlance gave to the hobby became distorted over time. For instance, you only have to say "kender" to some people and they froth with hatred. Why? Because kender players felt like they had an obligation to steal from the party, or so you'd be lead to be believe, anyway.- AnonymousApril 15, 2011 at 8:27 PM
Let's look at it from a different perspective for those who can't see that James is 'spot-on' with his hyperbolic observations.
A Game of Monopoly
Ok 'Car' you're first, Roll and let's get rolling.
Great, I'm on Vermont Avenue, and would like to buy it.
You can't actually do that, you need to be on Reading Railroad, so let's just say you rolled a Six instead.
The End BrainMartians, a fine analogy.
I only played the opening Dragon Lance adventure, and that was two years ago using 3.5 rules (which I am not fond of.) However, I have read through many of the originals.
I do not recall it ever being said that one had to play the preset characters, and I never met anyone who played the adventures following the preset plot.
I look at Dragon Lance as the high point in TSR's work. Grognardia's hyperbole seems rather spot on that DL was the turning point for TSR, thereafter pursuing nothing but profit, hanging much on publishing novels with retread plots, etc. However, that doesn't take away from the DL modules being some of the finest work put out by TSR. Once you have reached the pinnacle, the only place to go is down.
cousin gave me when I was six years old -"...Raistlin would always slowly descend into evil, and poor Sturm Brightblade was always doomed to die..."
I don't remember there being any mechanics in the Dragonlance adventures to promote either of these outcomes. There's no automatic death for the Sturm character at any point, and no automatic turn to evil for Raistlin.
You're correct about Goldmoon having to be the first cleric, but for the other two I suspect you may be conflating the novels and adventures. (You wouldn't be the first to do so.)Late to the party, but feel compelled to chime in:
My first foray into Weis and Hickman's work was having a friend introduce me to the Death Gate Cycle. At the time I found the characters decently portrayed, the plot pretty compelling and the world extremely intriguing.
Years later a different acquaintance touted the positive qualities of the "Dragons of [insert seasonal noun here]" books. Trusting the work of Weis and Hickman as I did, I really tried to get into them, read through the first three. But simply could not see what all the fuss was about.
The world of Dragonlance was a little quirky and occasionally there was an interesting detail here and there (Rastlin entertaining the bar with illusions, the Kender eternally wondering what might be on top of some pillar they encountered). But even at the time the novels struck me as sort of railroady, with the characters thrown together and painted with a thick layer of attention-grabbing tropes (though at the time I'd never heard of the word "railroad" in that context and didn't know what a "trope" was).
But your article above sheds a new light on the issue. I'm generally more willing to accept the failings of a product if it's attempting something that's never been done before. So I have more sympathy for the series based on the knowledge that what I saw at the time as a mediocre-fantasy media tie-in was actually just one facet of an offering that, for its time, was cutting edge work.I used to play RPG with this rather railroady DM. Although he was creative, skilled and devious (this was the good part of him), I used to get bothered by his "milestones" along the way.
One day, talking informally between sessions, he told me about his DMing style. He confided me three basic things about his personal method:
1) The plot was the most important thing to him in a campaign.
2) To 'safeguard the railroad', he'd use "milestones" within his story arc. In his words: "I have in my booklet that in today's session the characters should meet John Doe, find the magical gem stone of Blah and hear about the town of WhereverVille. But how it is going to happen and the chronological order is all decided by the players' choices", he said proudly.
3) He despised the "luck element" in a game (I.e. rolling dices, hoping for results etc.). He actually said "I wish everything could be narrated, no need for saving throws at all". This way, he was totally against "fumble rolls", since it could ruin the action or drama of a "beautiful sequence". Oh, and by the way, a character never died in his campaigns, because that would seem "ugly to the story and totally uncalled for."
4) If a player decided to go off the railroad (ex: to refuse a quest, to do something against a key-NPC etc.), he would 'punish' him somehow (by grounding the player with no gaming while narrating other characters' parts endlessly or by making his character have a hard time with wealth, health etc.) Quotes: "If the player doesn't want to tag along, why does he come to play in the beginning?! If one wants to bust other people's fun, his character will have what it deserves."
Eventually, months later, my character "dropped off the railroad" and we came to an argument during one session. Though we keep in touch until nowadays, we never played together again, which is sad. Ever since, I've thought a lot about the matter. And what I have to say is:
He was a frustrated novelist (and still is), like many others out there. If one wants to build a perfect and beautiful epic, go write a book. Gaming is not about that.
Though I love a good story, what first attracted me to RPG was this "free will" thing. That made it different from every board game I had tried until then (and so far). That's why I just hate videogames and computer games. Because, in order to "win" (which is not really a matter in true RPG), you have to follow the damn railroad. Important note: I believe in player's free will, BUT IN ACCORDANCE TO HIS CHARACTER'S NATURE, BACKGROUND, ALIGNMENT AND WHATEVER. This, my friends, is role-playing.
Regarding the luck element, I also disagree with that guy. The throws are those exact moments when no one has control over the situation, of what will happen next. And this is so... RPG! It is like saying "I don't know what this chest contains, let's find it out together" or "Your character is badly hurt, so if you don't do well in this climbing roll, there is a chance he falls and dies." I believe each player has to feel the dangers his character is facing. "A challenge in which a successful outcome is assured isn't a challenge at all", as Alex Supertramp properly stated once.
I do enjoy good Stories. I do. But, on the other hand, I HATE railroads, milestones or anything alike. When I plan a campaign, I usually specify where things are and don't change them along the way, just to mold the plot around the party. And I'd never get pissed with a player who didn't follow the storyline. AT ALL. Finally, RPG does involves improvisation, all of the time, and I'm glad for that. But... that's just my point of view on the matter. And I'm not as experienced as you all, by far.
Rico.- Haerviu Aed, Fighter in KrynnApril 19, 2012 at 7:50 PM
I agree with Trystero. There is a fine line between player knowledge and character knowledge. There is always hope for a character and their futures will never be set in stone. All Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman gave the world was one potential outcome.
ReplyDelete - RaistlinAugust 15, 2012 at 3:48 AM
as a player and dm at the time this was a revolution at the time!!!! before this it was go here kill that!!! DL changed all that !! D&D BECAME ABOUT THE STORY!!!! not just ok here we go again this week guys!! It made things better, not worse....taught DM'S story was better then hack and slash Campinas!!that was the whole intent...
raistlin No one here is probably ever going to see this, seeing as I'm posting in 2020 (hello from the future, Donald Trump has been president for 4 years and there's a virus spreading like wildfire across our planet. please take me back.) But I just wanted to put this in as a pretty new Dungeon Master that fell down the rabbit hole which is DragonLance. This one forum has taught me more about running a game of D&D than my last 4 years of playing. True wisdom was spoken in this forum and I just wanna say I really appreciate this contribution.
ReplyDeleteI have fond memories of Tas, and I remember the campaign setting as it was delivered to AD&D, and how having the extra rules and restrictions made for tonnes of world-specific flavor. I didn't play any of modules, though. Didn't realize they were even a thing until happening by this thread, in search of something called the "Hickman Manifesto". Like Steven, I was hooked by the article, and drawn in by the ensuing conversation. It was nice to see opposite perspectives genuinely acknowledging each other respectfully. As I'm sure Steven will agree, polarity is a much more serious issue these days than it appears to have been back in 2008-2012, and this thread - on that alone - contains many bittersweet sequences that I tip my hat towards.
I've always been a settings guy. If an RP resource comes out (by the way, as of this writing, we're about 6 years into D&D 5th Edition, which is enjoying a wave of mainstream popularity that D&D has never known before) then I apply two criteria to the resource:
1 - Can this resource be attached to any setting, and enhance the player immersion experience? or
2 - Is this a setting that the DM can pick up quickly, that lends itself to a rich, character-driven story, while not making the players feel restricted?
If a resource doesn't fit into either category, then I don't buy it. That being said, I don't tend to buy modules unless I find their structure particularly compelling, mostly because if the setting itself is good enough, then story plots should naturally present themselves.
DL, in my opinion, presented interesting options for storytelling as a setting in and of itself, and as I'd also come to appreciate the world through the novels, it wasn't difficult to weave plots that gradually brought players closer and closer to the events of the novels themselves. In my observation as a long-time DM, this increasing interaction between players and well-known characters from the novels is a huge hook for players, like a constantly evolving fan-fiction. Who wouldn't want to meet Galadriel, or Han Solo? The tension from settings tended to build not from storyline so much as from the players gradually becoming every bit as powerful and compelling as the heroes found within the novels. Players may have enjoyed Raistlin Majere and Drizzt Do'Urden, but the real fun was in getting to meet - and tell a story alongside - these characters. It gave the forever-DM an enjoyable opportunity to put their own spins on well-known characters, and add both believability and weight to the stories they were co-creating. But most importantly, it gave players something to shoot for that wasn't just murder and loot. Many of the best parts about a good setting were the NPCs that encouraged players to see "the bigger picture" and that seems to be a large part of the Hickman Revolution. Where it appears to have fallen by the wayside is in its capitulation to capitalism, where a perfectly good setting seems to have gotten wrung out like a damp cloth in the ongoing quest for more revenue.
I don't know, though, as I've never played their modules. I've only used Krynn as the setting, and in that regard, while there might be more compelling settings out there, there are few characters that made the players want to meet them more than the cast of the Dragonlance novels. They, in as much as the rules and restrictions that made up the world of Krynn, were what made players want to come back, week after week.
Thank you for this thread, people!


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Research Highlights
Atmospheric emissions and trends of nitrous oxide deduced from 10 years of ALE–GAGE data." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 95, no. D11 (1990): 18369-18385.
"Atmospheric lifetime and annual release estimates for CFCl3 and CF2Cl2 from 5 years of ALE data." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 91, no. D10 (1986): 10797-10817.
"The Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment: 1. Introduction, instrumentation, and overview." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 88, no. C13 (1983): 8353-8367.
"The Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment: 3. Lifetime methodology and application to three years of CFCl3 data." Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 88, no. C13 (1983): 8379-8400.
"Atmospheric trends in methylchloroform and the global average for the hydroxyl radical." Science (New York, N.Y.) 238, no. 4829 (1987): 945-950.
"Carbon tetrachloride lifetimes and emissions determined from daily global measurements during 1978–1985." Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 7, no. 1 (1988): 35-58.
"Global average concentration and trend for hydroxyl radicals deduced from ALE/GAGE trichloroethane (methyl chloroform) data for 1978–1990." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 97, no. D2 (1992): 2445-2461.

subset: commoncrawl


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Whenever the late New York Times caricaturist Al Hirschfeld sketched Carol Channing — whether picturing her as an indomitable Dolly Levi, swathed in feathers and sequins, or as carbon-crazed Lorelei Lee, eyes sparkling like the diamonds that were that splendid creature's best friends — he always made her appear a creature composed entirely of lipstick, mascara and hairspray.
It says something about both his artistry and hers that Channing has generally come across that way in real life as well — seven decades of Broadway celebrity, lived less as a flesh-and-blood figure than as a fabulously insubstantial cartoon.
Tall, slender, saucer-eyed, toothy, with a vocal rasp that suggests sandpaper being fed through a shredder, she's the one stage star who has never had any trouble living up to her Hirschfeld. That's her talent — and also what's made her a campy fave with female impersonators.
Dori Berinstein's documentary love letter, Carol Channing: Larger than Life, which animates Hirschfeld drawings to make transitions in its bubbly narrative, offers a slight corrective to that image — emphasis on slight.
There's nothing here to surprise the Broadway devotees who will be this film's prime (and possibly only) audience; the nonogenarian Channing that Berinstein puts gently on display is definitely performing Carol Channing for the camera. But she sounds sharp and reasonably canny about the impression she's making.
With photos that show a comparatively delicate-featured young woman morphing into the gaudy starlet who first took Broadway by storm in the revue Lend An Ear, the film traces Channing's career, mixing archival footage of stage triumphs with more personal tribulations.
The latter include a miserable 42-year marriage, a first screen kiss with Clint Eastwood (alas, cut from the film The First Traveling Saleslady), and a happy reunion after seven decades with childhood sweetheart Harry Kullijian.
Channing and Kullijian (who died after filming was completed) bill and coo like teenagers through a few too many reminiscences of adolescence, but their affection, and their stories, do offer a window on the woman behind the performance.
A Bennington College grad before she made her rep as Broadway's most ebullient trouper, she's hardly the dumb blond she has been playing since her 30s. If you doubt her skill at media manipulation, just watch her in the vintage TV clips Berinstein has dug up, disarming interlocutors — she all but disables a helplessly cackling Gene Shalit — as she launches into showbiz anecdotes replete with accents, impersonations and deftly delivered shtick.
That they're all practiced routines, with punch lines she knows precisely how to land, doesn't reduce their effectiveness a whit. The lady was — and remains — a pro, still glowin', crowin', goin' strong.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Eagles name Chip Kelly next coach
Moments after Chip Kelly's plane landed, he was handed a new Eagles visor and received a warm greeting from fans gathered at the airport.
Welcome to Philadelphia, Coach.
The Eagles hired Kelly on Wednesday, just 10 days after he decided to stay at Oregon. The 49-year-old Kelly, known as an offensive innovator, becomes the 21st coach in team history and replaces Andy Reid, who was fired on Dec. 31 after a 4-12 season.
He'll be introduced at a news conference Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Eagles' practice facility.
''The challenge is what I was excited about and that's why I came,'' Kelly told a group of reporters upon landing in Philly. ''I was sold on the Eagles the first time I met them, it was my ties to Oregon that made it hard. But the Eagles are the Eagles. This is the NFL.
''My dream is to just win, and with the Eagles, this was the best opportunity for me to win. I never thought a long time ago that I was going to be able to coach in the NFL but I'm excited about the opportunity.''
General manager Howie Roseman gave Kelly the white Eagles visor, the trademark hat he wore at Oregon. Kelly then got a glimpse of what this team means to this city.
Not only were Roseman and president Don Smolenski waiting for him on the runway - they arrived with a police escort - there were fans, decked out in green, waiting outside on a cold, dreary night.
''I know it's a rabid fan base,'' Kelly said. ''I hope they don't boo me. It's an exciting time and I'm ready to get to work.''
Kelly, who was 46-7 in four years at Oregon, interviewed with the Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills in a two-day span after leading the fast-flying Ducks to a victory over Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 3.
The Eagles are known to have interviewed 11 candidates, including two meetings with Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. All along, Kelly was thought to be Philadelphia's first choice in a long, exhaustive process that took many twists.
''Chip Kelly will be an outstanding head coach for the Eagles,'' owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. ''He has a brilliant football mind. He motivates his team with his actions as well as his words. He will be a great leader for us and will bring a fresh energetic approach to our team.''
On the day he fired Reid, Lurie appeared to be describing Kelly when he said he wanted to find a ''real smart, forward-thinking coach'' who is ''strategic, a strong leader, very comfortable in his own skin.''
The enigmatic Kelly reportedly was close to signing with the Browns after a long interview Jan. 4. He met with the Eagles for nine hours the next day, setting up a soap-opera scenario in which the Eagles were competing with Browns CEO Joe Banner, their former president and longtime friend of Lurie who left the organization after a falling out. But that roller coaster ended when Kelly opted to remain - temporarily - in Eugene, Ore.
The Eagles interviewed two other high-profile college coaches - Penn State's Bill O'Brien and Notre Dame's Brian Kelly. Both elected to stay with their schools.
Bradley was considered by many to be the leading contender, though former Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and former Ravens coach Brian Billick were in the mix.
That all changed when Kelly had a change of heart.
Kelly built Oregon into a national powerhouse in a short time. The Ducks went to four straight BCS bowl games - including a bid for the national championship against Auburn two seasons ago - and have won three conference championships.
Kelly originally went to Oregon in 2007 as offensive coordinator under Mike Bellotti. Before that, he was offensive coordinator at New Hampshire, where he started devising the innovative hurry-up offense the Ducks are known for now.
Oregon finished last season 12-1. The team was ranked No. 1 and appeared headed for another shot at the national championship until a 17-14 loss to Stanford Nov. 17.
Ducks athletic director Rob Mullens said Wednesday that Kelly called him at 7:15 a.m. PST to tell him he had changed his mind: ''He wasn't sure if that opportunity would present itself again, so he felt this was the right one at the right time.''
Mullens now faces a coaching search amid recruiting season.
''I've turned the page,'' Mullens said. ''I was surprised when I got the call this morning, but as the leader of this organization, my focus is on moving forward and that's what we're doing. I'm laser focused on what's next, and that's finding the right fit to lead Oregon football.''
It's unknown whether the possibility of NCAA sanctions based on Oregon's use of recruiting services factored into Kelly's reversal. He indicated in Arizona that he isn't running from anything.
''We've cooperated fully with them,'' he said. ''If they want to talk to us again, we'll continue to cooperate fully. I feel confident in the situation.''
Kelly doesn't have any pro coaching experience, but aspects of his up-tempo offense are already being used by New England and Washington.
The Eagles fired Reid after two forgettable years. A late flurry brought the team to an 8-8 finish last season, but this season, Philadelphia endured an eight-game losing streak, and dropped 11 of its final 12. A 3-1 start soon washed away, and Reid's 14-year tenure ended not long after. Within a week, Reid was Kansas City's new coach.
Still, Kelly has tough shoes to fill. Reid won more games than any coach in franchise history and led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, six division titles, five conference championship games and one Super Bowl berth.
Kelly and the Eagles have the No. 4 overall pick in the draft as well as some talented players on offense who could fit his scheme. Running back LeSean McCoy and receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin seem like ideal matches. Quarterback Nick Foles, however, isn't.
''I've never run the zone read,'' Foles said after the season. ''I'm more of a dropback guy. I've been under center. I've been in the gun. If I can adapt, I want to. But I'm not a zone-read quarterback. Some people are gifted with different things. That's just not one of my skill sets. I can work on the speed in the offseason and get better with that. But I've always been a dropback guy in the pocket. I've been able to make plays on my feet throwing the ball or running for a first down.''
On the other hand, Michael Vick could be perfect. But it's unlikely the Eagles would want to pay the $16 million they'd have to shell out for an injury-prone quarterback, who will be 33 next season.
Kelly had high praise for Foles after Oregon beat Arizona 56-31 in September 2011.
''I'll tell you what; I'm glad Nick Foles is graduating,'' Kelly said at that time. ''I catch myself watching him in awe sometimes. Nick is a hell of a football player. That kid's a warrior. He's as good as anyone in the country.''
Others interviewed by Philadelphia were former Bears coach Lovie Smith, Atlanta assistants Mike Nolan and Keith Armstrong, former Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.
The first Eagles to react to Kelly's hiring on Twitter were defensive players.
Defensive end Brandon Graham wrote: ''Happy to have Chip Kelly!! Now it's time to get to work!''
Safety Kurt Coleman wrote: ''Welcome Chip Kelly to the Eagles family. Can't wait to see what he brings to the team in 2013!''
As he walked by the fans at the airport, Kelly, dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt, stopped to sign some autographs and share some laughs with the faithful.
It indeed was a long journey. But if Wednesday is any indication, Kelly appears to fit right in with Philadelphia.


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Clayton Kershaw (7-4, 3.24) vs. Andy Pettitte (9-2, 2.48).
COMMENTS: Derek Sanderson Jeter (pronounced /ˈdʒiːtər/; born June 26, 1974) is an American professional baseball player. He is a Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop who has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003. Jeter's presence in the Yankees' lineup, highlighted by his hitting prowess, played an instrumental role in the team's late 1990s dynasty. Jeter debuted in the Major Leagues in 1995, and the following year he won the Rookie of the Year Award and helped the Yankees win the 1996 World Series. Jeter was also a member of championship-winning teams in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. In 2000, Jeter became the only player to win both the All-Star Game MVP Award and the World Series MVP Award in the same year. He has been selected as an All-Star ten times, and he has won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards on four occasions. He is regarded as a consummate professional, by teammates and opponents alike, and has a reputation as a reliable contributor in the postseason. Jeter is considered to be one of the best players of his generation. He is the all-time hits leader among shortstops and his .317 career batting average through the 2009 season ranks as the fifth-highest among active players. He has been among the American League (AL) leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years. He is the all-time Yankees hit leader, passing Hall of Fame member Lou Gehrig in 2009. Jeter was born at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, in 1974. His father, Dr. Sanderson Charles Jeter, a substance abuse counselor, is African American; his mother, Dorothy, is Caucasian and of Irish/German descent. Charles and Dorothy met while serving in the United States Army in Germany. His father played shortstop at Fisk University in Tennessee. Derek has one sister, Sharlee, who is five years younger and was a softball star in high school. The family lived in North Arlington, New Jersey, before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was four years old. As a child, Jeter and his sister would spend summers with their grandparents in New Jersey, who took them to Yankees games, making him a passionate fan of his future team. Jeter was inspired to play baseball by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. In high school, Jeter was a star baseball player at Kalamazoo Central High School, where he also played basketball, earning an All-State honorable mention. Years later in 2003, Jeter was inducted into the Kalamazoo Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Jeter had batting averages of .557 as a sophomore and .508 as a junior. As a senior, he batted .508; had 23 runs batted in, 21 walks, four home runs, and 12 stolen bases (in 12 attempts); and struck out only once. Jeter collected many awards at season's end, including the Kalamazoo Area B'nai B'rith Award for Scholar Athlete, the 1992 High School Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, the 1992 Gatorade High School Player of the Year award, and USA Today's High School Player of the Year. Jeter was discovered professionally by Hal Newhouser, who was working for the Houston Astros as a scout. Newhouser advocated his selection with the first pick of the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft to Astros' management, convinced that Jeter would anchor a winning team. However, Jeter received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Michigan, and the speculation was that he would insist on a salary bonus of $1 million or more to sign. The Astros passed on Jeter in the draft, choosing Cal-State Fullerton outfielder Phil Nevin, who signed for $700,000. Newhouser felt so strongly about Jeter's potential that he quit his job after the Astros passed on him. Jeter was drafted by the New York Yankees with the sixth overall pick, and he chose to turn professional. In 2004, he said that he intends to attend college in the future. Jeter spent four years in the minor leagues, beginning in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League before advancing to the Class-A Greensboro Hornets in 1992. Jeter struggled in 1992, batting .202. In 1993, playing in Greensboro, Jeter collected various awards, including Most Outstanding Major League Prospect of the South Atlantic League. He was disappointed in himself for committing 56 errors in 1993, requiring an extra focus on his fielding. Despite this, Jeter was also voted the South Atlantic League's Best Defensive Shortstop, Most Exciting Player, and Best Infield Arm by Baseball America. In 1994, Jeter played for the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees, the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees, and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, hitting .344 with five home runs, 68 runs batted in, and 50 stolen bases combined. He was honored with the Minor League Player of the Year Award by Baseball America, The Sporting News, USA Today, and Topps/NAPBL. He was also named the MVP of the Florida State League. The Yankees had projected Jeter as their starting shortstop for the 1995 season, but when he suffered a minor injury in the Arizona Fall League, the Yankees signed Tony Fernández to a two-year contract to play shortstop and kept Jeter in Triple-A. The Yankees reportedly offered Jeter the opportunity to work out with the replacement players in Spring Training prior to the 1995 season, but he declined to cross the picket line. On May 29, 1995, Jeter made his debut in the major leagues due to injuries to Fernández and Pat Kelly. Jeter batted .234 and committed two errors in 13 games before being demoted to Columbus. Despite the presence of Fernández on the roster, new Yankees manager Joe Torre announced that Jeter would be the starting shortstop in 1996. He started on Opening Day of the 1996 season as the starting shortstop (the first Yankee rookie since Tom Tresh in 1962 to do so) and hit his first major-league home run on that day. Jeter's home run was called by one of his Yankee predecessors at shortstop, broadcaster Phil Rizzuto. Jeter played his way to a successful rookie season, hitting for a .314 batting average, with 10 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 78 runs batted in. He subsequently earned Rookie of the Year honors. Jeter batted .361 in the playoffs, as the Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves to win their first World Series championship since 1978. During the 1996 American League Championship Series, Jeter was involved in what has become a memorable moment in postseason history. During game one, with the Yankees trailing the Baltimore Orioles 4–3 in the 8th inning, Jeter hit a fly ball to right field. As right fielder Tony Tarasco moved to make a play on the ball near the fence, appearing to have a chance to catch the ball, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall and caught the ball, pulling it back into the stands. Despite Tarasco's protest, the umpires convened and ruled the ball a home run. Replays conclusively showed that, had Maier not interfered, the ball would have fallen in front of the fence and potentially into Tarasco's glove for an out. The Yankees would go on to win in 11 innings and would eventually win the series, 4 games to 1. The ruling made for the first home run of Jeter's postseason career. In 1997, Jeter batted .291. However, the Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians in the American League Division Series. In 1998, Jeter batted .324, with a league-leading 127 runs, 19 home runs, and 84 runs batted in, for a team that won 114 games during the regular season and is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time. In the playoffs, Jeter hit only .176 in the Division and League Championship Series, but he excelled in the World Series, batting .353, as the Yankees went on to beat the San Diego Padres in four games. In 1999, Jeter led the American League in hits (219) and was second in the league in batting average (.349) and runs scored (134). Jeter (who, for part of the year, batted third in the lineup) also drove in 102 runs, becoming only the second Yankee shortstop ever to do so (Lyn Lary had driven in 107 runs in 1931). His season totals in batting average, runs, hits, runs batted in, doubles (37), triples (9), home runs (24), slugging percentage (.552), and on-base percentage (.438) are all personal bests. Jeter batted .455 in the 1999 American League Division Series, .350 in the 1999 American League Championship Series, and .353 in the 1999 World Series, as the Yankees defeated the Braves to win another championship. During the 1999 season, Jeter had a confrontation with a teammate. Teammate Chad Curtis, an outspoken Christian, approached him about discussing his faith, but Jeter declined. When Curtis approached Jeter again, he became offended. Later in the season, a mid-game bench-clearing brawl with the Seattle Mariners occurred. After the brawl ended, Jeter was seen engaged in friendly chatter with his good friend (and future Yankee teammate) Alex Rodriguez, who then played for the Mariners. Upon returning to the dugout, Curtis chastized Jeter for being friendly with an opponent during a bench-clearing brawl, which violated an unwritten rule of baseball. After the game, Curtis approached Jeter in the clubhouse, with beat writers present. Jeter commented that this was not an appropriate time for a confrontation. Curtis later apologized. During the 1999–2000 offseason, the Yankees negotiated with Jeter, tentatively agreeing to a $118.5 million, seven-year contract. However, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner did not want to set a salary record, delaying until the acceptance of a $143 million, eight-year contract extension between the Detroit Tigers and Juan González. When that proposed deal fell through, Jeter's tentative deal fell through, and he agreed to a one-year deal for $10 million. Jeter batted .339, with 15 home runs, 73 runs batted in, 119 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases in 2000. He batted only .211 in the Division Series but rebounded to bat .318 against the Seattle Mariners in the Championship Series and .409, with two home runs, a triple, and two doubles in a five-game series against the New York Mets in the World Series, the first Subway Series since 1956. In 2000, Jeter became the first player ever to win the All-Star Game MVP award and the World Series MVP Award in the same year. Jeter became the first Yankee since Yogi Berra, in 1959, to hit a home run in the All Star Game. Before the 2001 season, with one year remaining until he would become eligible for free agency, Jeter signed a $189 million, ten-year contract to remain with the Yankees, making him the second highest paid athlete, trailing only Rodriguez. Rodriguez signed his deal earlier than Jeter, setting a higher market for Jeter's negotiations. During the season, Jeter batted .311, with 21 home runs, 74 runs batted in, 110 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases. In the postseason, Jeter made a notable play in game 3 of the 2001 American League Division Series against the Oakland Athletics. With Jeremy Giambi on first base, Oakland right fielder Terrence Long hit a double off Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina into the right-field corner. As Giambi rounded third base and headed for home, Yankees right fielder Shane Spencer retrieved the ball and made a wild throw intended for Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. Instead, the errant throw missed cutoff man Tino Martinez and dribbled up the first-base line. Jeter came from shortstop to grab the ball and flipped it to Posada, who tagged Giambi on the leg just before he crossed home plate for the out. Facing elimination, the Yankees went on to win the game, as well as the series. The play was later voted #7 in Baseball Weekly's 10 Most Amazing Plays of all time. After the September 11 terrorist attacks, the baseball season was put on hold. As a result, the start of the playoffs was delayed, and game 4 of the 2001 World Series was played on October 31. The game went into the tenth inning tied at 3–3. At midnight, the scoreboard in center field read "Attention Fans, Welcome to NOVEMBER BASEBALL." This was the first time that any non-exhibition MLB game had been played in the month of November. Moments after this message was displayed on the board, Jeter sent a 3–2 pitch from Byung-Hyun Kim over the right-field stands. A fan in the stands held up a sign with the words "Mr. November," a reference to Reggie Jackson's nickname, "Mr. October". Michael Kay, who called the walk-off home run, called Jeter by this name, referencing the sign. Despite the nickname, Jeter was 3 for 12 (.250) in November baseball that season, as the Yankees lost the World Series in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks (the home team won all seven games of the World Series). In 2002, Jeter batted .297, with 18 home runs, 75 runs batted in, 124 runs scored, and a career-best 32 stolen bases. He led the majors in stolen base percentage (91.4%), getting caught only three times. Jeter connects for a hit against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In 2003, Jeter dislocated his left shoulder on opening day when he collided with Blue Jays catcher Ken Huckaby at third base. Jeter, who had never played fewer than 148 games in the prior seven full seasons, was subsequently on the disabled list for six weeks, missing 36 games. Jeter returned to bat .324, losing the batting title to Bill Mueller, who batted .326. Steinbrenner named Jeter the 11th recognized captain in Yankees history on June 3, 2003, following eight seasons without a captain after the retirement of Don Mattingly in 1995. Dispute over the true count has been noted. The beginning of the 2004 season saw Jeter mired in a slump; on May 25, he was hitting only .189. This included a personal career record 0-for-32 skid in April. In June, however, Jeter broke out of his slump. He hit nearly .400 for the month and set a personal best with 9 home runs. He finished the season with a .292 average; 23 home runs, the 2nd most of his career; 78 runs batted in; 111 runs scored; and 44 doubles, a career best. During a July 1, 2004, game against the rival Boston Red Sox, Jeter made a play that furthered his reputation as a clutch player. In the top of the 12th inning, with the score tied at 3, the Red Sox had runners on second and third with 2 outs and right fielder Trot Nixon up at bat. Nixon hit a pop fly down the left field line. Jeter ran from his position at shortshop and made an over-the-shoulder catch. In dramatic fashion, he launched himself over the third-base side railing, landing three rows into the left-field seats, and lacerating his chin and bruising his face in the process. Jeter was later taken out of the game. This catch ended the inning, and later the Yankees went on to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning. The "Dive" was awarded Play Of The Year in the This Year In Baseball awards competition, as voted on by fans at MLB.com. In 2005, Jeter was second in the AL in both runs scored (122) and batting average on balls in play (.394), and was third in the league in both at bats (654) and hits (202). Jeter won his second-consecutive Gold Glove in 2005, as his low range factor rose to 4.76 and ranked 2nd among AL shortstops. In 2006, Jeter was second in the AL in both batting average (.343) and runs scored (118); was third in hits (214), stolen base success percentage (87.2), and batting average with runners in scoring position (.381); and was fifth in infield hits (26). He finished second in American League Most Valuable Player Award voting to Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins (320 points to 306 points). Jeter has finished in the top 10 in the MVP balloting 6 times in his 11 full seasons through 2006 (including also a third-place finish in 1998). In 2007, Jeter was third in the AL in hits (203), his sixth season and third-consecutive season with 200 hits, tying Lou Gehrig. He was also fourth in both at-bats (639) and plate appearances (714), sixth in times on base (276), and ninth in batting average (.322). In the field, he was involved in a career-high 104 double plays. In 2008, Jeter's slugging percentage was .410, his lowest since 1997. One possible cause was a prolonged slump that he suffered after being hit by a pitch on his wrist. Before the injury, Jeter was hitting .324 with a .774 on-base plus slugging (OPS). After the injury, his batting average dipped to as low as .269 by the end of the month. His offense took an upward turn after May as he hit .322 with a .824 OPS after June 1. Jeter was elected to his ninth All-Star game as the starting shortstop. Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for the most hits at Yankee Stadium (1,269) with a home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price on September 14, 2008. On September 16, he went on to break the record off of Chicago White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd. In 2009, Jeter was named #8 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball by a panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards. For the 2009 season, Yankees manager Joe Girardi switched Jeter and Johnny Damon in the batting order, with Damon moving to second and Jeter becoming the leadoff hitter, based on the rationale that Jeter has a higher on base percentage than Damon, but grounds into double plays more often. Jeter batted .334 (third in the AL), with a .406 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, 30 stolen bases (caught only 5 times), 107 runs scored (in the top 10 in MLB), and 212 hits (second in MLB). On August 16, 2009, against the Seattle Mariners, Jeter doubled down the right-field line for his 2,675th hit as a shortstop, breaking Luis Aparicio's previous record for the most hits by a shortstop in major league history. Jeter became the all-time hits leader as a member of the Yankees (2,722), passing Lou Gehrig on September 11, 2009. The hit was a single off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman in the 3rd inning. In the 2009 postseason, Jeter batted .355, including .407 in the 2009 World Series, as he won his fifth World Series championship. He was named Sportsman of the Year for 2009 by Sports Illustrated magazine. Jeter also finished third in the AL MVP voting, behind the Minnesota's Joe Mauer and teammate Mark Teixeira. Jeter was the starting shortstop for the USA team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He hit .450 (9-for-20) for Team USA and scored five runs in six games. Only Ken Griffey, Jr. (.524) and Cuba's Yoandy Garlobo (.480) had a higher batting average with a minimum of 20 at bats. Jeter's play earned him recognition as the shortstop selection on the All-Tournament Team. Jeter was also the starting shortstop for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. At the start of the tournament, he was named captain of Team USA by manager Davey Johnson. With Team USA, Jeter faced the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in an exhibition game, the first time he played against the Yankees. Jeter is noted for his very consistent postseason performances: he has a career .309 postseason batting average, with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs. Except for 2008, the Yankees have been to the playoffs every year since Jeter joined the team. He has a Major League Baseball record 175 career postseason hits, at-bats (559), runs scored (99), and strikeouts (107). Despite winning four Gold Glove awards, Jeter's defense has been the subject of criticism from a number of sabermetricians, including Rob Neyer and the publication Baseball Prospectus. The book The Fielding Bible by John Dewan contains an essay by James in which he concludes that Jeter "was probably the most ineffective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position." A 2008 study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that, from 2002 through 2005, Jeter was the worst defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues. Jeter responded to this criticism by saying "I play in New York, man. Criticism is part of the game, you take criticism as a challenge." During the 2008 offseason, Jeter embarked on a rigorous training program to combat the effects of age, by focusing on lateral movement and first-step quickness. As a result, many baseball writers noted that Jeter had a strong defensive season in 2009, improving his mobility and reducing errors. Jeter maintains an apartment in Manhattan's Trump World Tower and homes in Marlboro, New Jersey, Greenwood Lake, New York, and the Davis Islands neighborhood of Tampa, Florida. Jeter's personal life has been a frequent topic in gossip columns and celebrity magazines since his rookie year in 1996. He had a well-publicized relationship with pop diva Mariah Carey from 1997 to 1998. Jeter also dated former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, singer Joy Enriquez and actress Jordana Brewster. He is rumored to have dated actresses Scarlett Johansson, Gabrielle Union, and Jessica Alba. Rumors also circulated that he was dating supermodel Tyra Banks after the two were spotted sitting next to each other at a New York Knicks game, but it turned out to be a coincidence; Jeter was attending the game with his father. Jeter also had an on-and-off relationship with television personality Vanessa Minillo from late 2003 until early 2006. From November 2006 to January 2007, Jeter was romantically involved with actress Jessica Biel. He has recently been connected to Friday Night Lights actress Minka Kelly. In December 2002, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner criticized Jeter for staying out until 3 a.m. at a birthday party during the 2002 season, saying that his star shortstop "wasn't totally focused" and that "it didn't sit well" with him. In May 2003, the two appeared in a VISA commercial together where they went club-hopping, mocking the incident in a fashion similar to how Steinbrenner and former Yankees manager Billy Martin had mocked their feud in a Miller Lite commercial during the 1970s. In 2008, Jeter settled a tax dispute with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. New York State alleged that Jeter should have paid state income tax from 2001 to 2003, as Jeter bought a Manhattan apartment in 2001; however, Jeter established his residence in Tampa, Florida, in 1994 and claimed that he was still a resident of Florida at the time, where there is no state income tax. Jeter is a close personal friend of Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and served as best man at Posada's wedding. Jeter began the Turn 2 Foundation, a charity organization, in 1996. The Foundation was established to help children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction, and to reward those who show high academic achievement. The organization's name derives from the baseball double play (where "turning two" refers to making two outs on one play) and indicates the goal of the Foundation to give youths a place to "turn to" instead of drugs and alcohol. During the 2009 season, Jeter and Mets star David Wright represented their foundations in a competition sponsored by Delta Air Lines; the player with the highest batting average received $100,000 for their foundation from Delta, while the runner-up's foundation received $50,000. Wright's group, the David Wright Foundation, focuses on multiple sclerosis. Jeter is also involved in Weplay, a website designed to encourage children to get involved in sports. Jeter has appeared in national ad campaigns for Nike, Gatorade, Fleet Bank, Discover Card, Florsheim, VISA (with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner), Skippy, Ford, and XM Satellite Radio. He endorses a cologne named Driven, designed in collaboration with and distributed by Avon. Jeter is one of only three athletes to have their own Jumpman shoe and has replaced Thierry Henry in the American market for Gillette Fusion commercials along with Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. In 2006, Jeter was the second-highest paid endorser in baseball, having earned $7 million in endorsements. Also, he was ranked as the most marketable player in baseball according to a 2005 Sports Business Survey. Derek Jeter was the cover athlete for 2K's MLB 2K5, MLB 2K6, and MLB 2K7. He was also the cover athlete for Acclaim Entertainment's All-Star Baseball series of video games. Jeter is currently the cover athlete for Gameloft's wireless phone baseball game, Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2008. He has appeared on television in Seinfeld and as a host on Saturday Night Live. Jeter will be appearing in the upcoming comedy film The Other Guys, which is set to be released in August 2010. Jeter's likeness was seen briefly on The Simpsons during the eighth episode of season 19, titled "Funeral for a Fiend," in which he was parodied as a guest starring on Sesame Street. Jeter was the subject of a 2005 segment on the TV news magazine 60 Minutes. There is a wax figure of Jeter at the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York.
thanks, Wikipedia!
PS (from Sax): Alex Cora and I will be representing the Sons tonight, field level third base side. Hope to see you there too; drop a line if you want to grab a beer!


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You may have heard of MRSA infections in people discussed in the media in this last year. Otherwise known as Staph or Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, this type of bacteria is resistant to most antibiotics. People infected with this dangerous bacteria can become quite ill or even die if an
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WASHINGTON (AP) — With time running short, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner accelerated efforts Friday to prevent the U.S. Treasury from default and end a partial government shutdown that stretched into an 11th day. The latest impacts: New aircraft grounded, military chaplains silenced and a crab harvest jeopardized in the Bering Sea.
"Let's put this hysterical talk of default behind us and instead start talking about finding solutions," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Republicans in the House and Senate separately made proposals to the White House for ending an impasse that polls say has inflicted damage on their party politically.
Each offered to reopen the government and raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit — but only as part of broader approaches that envision deficit savings, changes to the health care law known as Obamacare and an easing of across-the-board spending cuts that the White House and Congress both dislike. The details and timing differed.
"We're waiting to hear" from administration officials, said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
Hopes remained high on Wall Street, where investors sent the Dow Jones industrial average 111 points higher following Thursday's 323-point surge. Obama met at the White House with small business owners about the impacts they were feeling from the budget battles, and said he hoped to be able to bring them toward a conclusion, said Det Ansinn, who attended the session.
"He was a little slightly melancholy that maybe it could be done over the weekend and maybe not. He's been down this road before," said Ansinn, owner of Doylestown, Pa.-based mobile and Web app developer Brick Simple. Ansinn said he told the president how the shutdown is threating to delay some of his projects and he fears what a possible impending government default could do to the economy.
In meetings with lawmakers over two days, Obama left open the possibility he would sign legislation repealing a medical device tax enacted as part of the health care law. Yet there was no indication he was willing to do so with a default looming and the government partially closed.
Obama called Boehner at midafternoon, and Michael Steel, a spokesman for the leader of House Republicans, said, "They agreed that we should all keep talking."
Jay Carney, the president's press secretary, said Obama "appreciates the constructive nature of the conversation and the proposal that House Republicans put forward. At yet, the spokesman said, "He has some concerns with it."
In Congress, the man certain to be involved in any final agreement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, gave no indication of his plans.
While the impact of the shutdown varies widely, lawmakers seemed to be taking care of their own needs.
The members-only House gym remained in operation, and enough Senate staff was at work to operate the aging underground tram that ferries senators and others from the Russell Office Building to the Capitol a short distance away.
The shutdown sent ripples nationwide.
The aerospace industry reported that furloughs at the Federal Aviation Administration have resulted in a virtual stop to certification of new aircraft, equipment and training simulators.
The Senate passed legislation instructing the Pentagon to permit military chaplains to conduct worship services. House approval was still needed.
And Keith Colburn, a crab fisherman, told lawmakers during the day that a lucrative, one-month crab harvest set to begin Oct. 15 in the Bering Sea is in jeopardy because the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is not assigning quotas to boats.
Obama met at the White House for more than an hour with Senate Republicans, the last in a series of four presidential sit-downs with the rank and file of each house and each party.
He has said repeatedly in recent weeks that he is willing to negotiate with Republicans on budget, health care or other issues, but only after the government is reopened and the threat of default eliminated.
The White House seemed to wobble on that point on Thursday, until Senate Majority Leader Reid emphatically reinforced that it was his view, too.
Republicans have just as insistently demanded that Obama negotiate with them in exchange for passage of legislation that both sides agree is essential.
That left the White House and congressional leaders looking for a way to negotiate their way out of an impasse without appearing to negotiate — with the health of the nation's economy dependent on their political dexterity. The administration says the government will bump up against its borrowing limit next Thursday, raising the specter of an unprecedented default.
At Obama's meeting with Senate Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine laid out a proposal to raise the debt limit until the end of January, reopen the government and take a slice out of the health care law.
Under a proposal she and other GOP senators have been developing, a medical device tax that helps finance the health care law would be repealed, and millions of individuals eligible for subsidies to purchase health insurance under the program would be subject to stronger income verification.
At the same time, federal agencies that have been affected by across-the-board cuts would gain greater flexibility in the use of their remaining funds.
Any other items could be negotiated later.
Back at the Capitol, Collins said Obama said the proposal "was constructive, but I don't want to give the impression that he endorsed it."
For their part, House Republicans previewed a different approach in a late-night meeting Thursday with White House officials.
It, too, would raise the debt limit and avoid a default, as part of a framework that could include easing the across-the-board cuts in exchange for reductions that Obama has supported in the past in benefit programs. That plan, too, seeks changes in Obamacare.
White House officials declined to comment on that proposal, although administration aides were checking with key Democrats in Congress to gauge their reaction.
The White House and Republicans have negotiated almost $4 trillion in deficit savings in the past three years. But little of that has come out of benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the Republican proposals seemed an attempt to open up that part of the budget to scrutiny.
Obama has proposed raising the cost of Medicare for better-off seniors, a $50 billion item over a decade. He has also backed higher fees under TRICARE, which provides health care for nearly 10 million active-duty and retired military personnel, retirees, reservists and their families, as well as increases in the cost of retirement benefits for federal workers.
After four years of trillion-dollar deficits, the 2013 federal budget shortfall is expected to register below $700 billion, but Republicans say more cuts are essential. At the same time, the nation's debt is rising inexorably — the reason for the effort to raise borrowing limit to cover it. The debt was $10.6 trillion when Obama took office during the worst recession in decades, and has grown by $6.1 trillion in the years since.
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