My brother, the Game Master

My big brother has a huge impact on role playing and board games I've been exposed to. From about ages 7-10 (or so), he would make Dungeons and Dragons adventures for me and be the Dungeon Master (I know, you didn't all know what a dork I was, now I've outed myself). Todd is 6.5 years older than me. If you haven't played D&D, it's a role playing game where you play out adventures, either mass fabricated by the D&D company or created by an individual. I think it is pretty impressive that Todd was able to make adventures that worked for someone so young, but really, they were pretty much like any D&D adventures- treasure, dragons, monsters, fighting, meeting other characters. My first character was Jinx, the elf. I also had a halfling. For awhile, I also ran a written, serial RPG for some friends on the bus (I had over an hour long bus ride, each way, to school). We moved before my brother's junior or senior year and he became caught up in teen angst while I played with friends my age (we moved from a rural farm to a rural small town). Todd, I think, gamed throughout college, but post college was when he really started introducing our family to unique games- CheapAss Games, games by the Gamingest Country Ever, GErmany, and others. He's also been a DemoMonkey at gaming conventions and helped some of his friends test out trials for their games. Finally, he is creating his own. I don't know exactly how it works, but it fits in with others of a similar kind that are based on the spread of railroads across America. Each one is specific to a state. Todd, while having lived in Houston for about 15 years, is sticking to his roots. He is currently working on and taking preorders for 18IA: Building Iowa's Railroads.

Here is a link to preorder: http://18ia.blogspot.com/2008/06/preorder-18ia-today-pick-your-copies-up.html

I'll likely be ordering mine as soon as the next paycheck rolls in.