Lmao. Don't forget tenure! He can then plan his job around the game without fear of losing it. I wonder how many catastrophic events have happened in 40 years. Is it all on a single planet?
Bro I tried not to tear up when he said "So, as long as I keep doing it, hopefully all my life, I won't lose my friends". That's why he's so passionate. He gets to build a world so everyone has a place to stick together.
Hey buddy!!! I'm working through the comments and look who I found. I posted a link to the HIstory, Part I, in reply to the first comment. I just realized you might not recognize me yet. Darian retired, this is the new character. :)
Hey gents, Thought I’d find you here! Lhoris; via the 3D print account. Congrats to Robert on 40 amazing years and to all of us for the friendships we’ve made along the way!
I met the boy who would become the man who was the great love of my life when we were 14 and 15, this was in 1984. Within a month of meeting we began a game that lasted until 6 weeks ago when my husband suddenly died. the first day we began playing was a real trust fall when we immediately threw the dice away and he said. "So what does she do?" and we were off and running, our imaginations taking flight. In 42 years we played a nearly linear campaign that saw the rise and fall of gods and empires and even the universe itself. We created great dynastic families that we played with for generation after generation. 6 weeks ago half this marvelous universe fell into darkness and a hundred stories came to a startling end, it's funny how some days I weep as much for all the wonderful characters he played as well as for the very wonderful creative man himself. I wish Robert a very long and happy life and I am so very happy to know of someone else who has held so tightly to the marvelous world of his and others imaginations. Good journeying to you all.
I'm so, so sorry. What is so crushingly beautiful about creative people though, is that what they create holds remnants of them. You still have those memories and those stories. I hope you find that there are a lot more adventures to be had out there. Be well.
It would make more sense if he was a genre fiction writer. History is not a narrative story with character arcs, and studying history doesn't mean learning the story of the past, even though that's what it seems like it is.
@@LymbicSystemuwu I can’t say anything about the quality of his writing. But when it comes to he history background, you can feel it in the interconnection between events, in the grand scheme of things on a large scale, as well as in the context of every place and nation they encounter. You’ve seen how he geeked out at the different time period and civilizations the players would encounter, that’s what you get with a history nerd dm
A history professor, who has crafted a 40+ year D&D game, that has kept friendships alive, and has also brought him closer with his young daughter. If being happy means doing what you love, this may be the luckiest man alive. He has certainly earned it though lol
Honestly, lots of respect to this guy. He's managed to raise a family, have a successful career, and maintain a major hobby simultaneously. That's major balancing, and it's admirable.
@@sjoerdgalema5007 Honestly its not that hard if you have some basic gaming knowledge(conceptualizing buffs/ modifiers/etc.), if you have played any RPG video game you cam probably get the hang quite quickly. if not, its still easy and most players and DMs love having new players learn the game. What I will say is that the right group makes all the difference. so if you decide to take the plunge and the first experience isn't ideal don't give up and maybe try with a different group.
i have never played dnd in my life i dont even know what its about really but watching this man be this passionate about this was really heartwarming. Especially near the end when he was talking about how this really holds friendships together for him and it makes him feel like he is in a diff world almost like a dream
@@thomaskendrick6766 Nahh, a grown man knows that one teenage brokeup is not the end of the world for anyone, and that dont have why disteurbed the storyline of the others. Wise words on disguise: the life goes on.
@@thomaskendrick6766 Yeah, totally. I respect his control of his life and commitment to HIS game, but wouldn't want to spend hours in this guy's house for "fun!" He's not a good dad, he's a committed GM. He's said I/me/my dozens of times, but barely said "their enjoyment" or "their fun." Those are some a big red flags. But oh well, everyone can still have fun their own way.
@@mistersniffers5922 As a player, the lifelong friendship thing trumps pronouns used in an interview. I think the fact I've played for 38 of the 40 years suggests I'm enjoying myself and it is rather fun. As a close friend, I'd also suggest that he's not only a committed GM, but a really good dad and friend. He's also had a successful career, even though he's just a mediocre hockey player :P
I just want a 5 hour long video explaining the whole time line of this game with all the character events, deaths, additions, and story arks now, this is so impressive and admirable
@@jonintrovertednerd9988you can resume a country's history in a few hours, it's maybe not complete but you can have an idea of the thing....so why not here!?? (But yeah, the all story in details...in 5 hours....this is impossible!! Maybe the 500 characters if you rush it haha)
Quick math: - a 4 hours critrole or D20 session's UA-cam recap is usually anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes long. Let's average at 20 minutes. Meaning the 4 hours were divided by 12. - this campaign has been going for 20800 hours. Divided by 12... ...means you want to watch a 1733 hours and 20 minutes long video. 🤔 No you don't. You want to read the book.
The Saga of Wardhaugh. I could totally see that becoming a lengthy book series, possibly outnumbering Guin Saga. If he keeps his notes, God willing, it could be done.
I REALLY need a full documentary on the history of this game. Stories, interviews, discussions on the progression of the story, everything. Most video games and franchises don’t last this long… this guy’s a legend
This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I knew you could play DnD for several hours, days, even weeks. But I never imagined that there could be a campaign that could last this long, that's your second life at that point. I'm 19 years old, I hope I'll live long enough to see something like this on computer. Like a BG3 but online and infinite.
It won't never be the same. The social, live interaction between people is the key principle to this hobby. Not saying that it can't be good, but it will be different.
Imagine if they had hired a scribe to write out each session. Then they converted each year into a series of books and released it to the public to read.
Jokes aside, I wouldn't want to play in a game that's being recorded as a product. It would kill the natural spontaneity, make people self conscious, make it too much about pleasing the audience rather than on the folks at the table having fun. I've hosted a few just storytelling groups, and the people were initially annoyed I didn't let them recorder were later glad I stopped them.
@@jerrysstories711 That's interesting. I've been a GM for a long time and I've never had a player that wanted to record a session. Perhaps it's a generational thing.
@@Pooknottin Oh, I think it's almost certainly a generational things. "These kids these days! Can't have so much as an interesting conversation without them wanting to record it for a podcast! Why, back in MY day...."
His ending points on DnD correlating with friendships is spot on. If me and my friends didn't have our DnD campaign as our weekly event, we'd not see each other as much. Games bring friends together.
@@PeteQuad 2:42 This guy is a "history professor" and his universal medievel "African" villages are straw huts. If he wasnt a history professor you could chalk it up to ignorance but he is so its intentional.
@@PeteQuad lol um maybe you should do some research into what anglo means and who the saxons are, and then look up where the city of rome is on a map. 👍🏼
Keep going. My BEST FRIEND and I gamed for over 40 years. We started in 1979. I lost him to Flippen cancer 5 years ago. Only recently I was able to restart via ROLL 20 as a DM. Having a grand time. But I would give up almost anything for one more game session with my old friend. Alway amazed how every campaign or character stands on it own and become UNIQUE.
when he said '100 years ago.. which was 1989' was when I realized this man has such an insanely complex storyline for this and its probably the greatest tale ever
In reality the man has probably written enough lore and story to fill several collections of books... (ie. The frozen age, the Enlightened age, etc etc)
Yeah this waa nuts to me. Just to think that 100 years of ingame time has been played out in real time and dozens of generations have actually been playes by people.
I've had the pleasure of being in Rob's campaign for over 30 years now (since he came to Winnipeg for university in 1990). I'm on my 5th character right now, who is the grand-daughter of my 2nd character. Part of the allure is having these family lineages, and all the stories/history associated with those lineages, that you can draw upon when role-playing. I already know as well what my next character will be, because my current character's daughter is my only viable option, and I've been mulling over her possible paths for a while now. Rob is indeed a bit of a crazy DM, but we all keep coming back to the game because it is a well-oiled machine, there's lots of room for player co-creation in terms of the world-building, a compelling narrative (or more accurately, series of narratives), there's sometimes high drama and inter-personal conflicts (in-game and, occasionally, out of game), and at the end of the day: it's fun!
Some of the broad strokes about the rules are posted in the game links in the video notes above. There's one link to the Instagram page for the game, and one link to an external (public) website that explains some of the history in more depth. Our internal website is for players only.
Makes me wonder what it would take to create a D&D theme park only smaller like maybe an escape room but bigger. Imagine you pay a couple hundred bucks, they assign you a character, and you join a campaign for a week or so. 5-10 other people there with you in the same campaign. You may not know them at first. Who cares?
ok, funny thing. my dad and i have had a running game for five years now, im on the second generation (my first characters nephew). despite it being just me and my dad, we have poured so much of our lives into this that its become a huge portion of our lives and great memories for both of us. I love my dad and i would not be the nerd i am today without him!
@Spaceboyy You should give "The Malazan Empire" a read then. That's exactly what happened with this book series. 2 guys were playing a game like DnD, created a massive world and wrote a lot of books about it. The main book series alone is 10 books long and praised as a mature, dark and phiolosophical achievement. I haven't read it myself, but found a comment once that described it as "A 10 book analysis of the human being".
The players collaborate in recording much of the storyline and in developing detailed elements of their own cultures. One of us writes a "report" that tells the story of every session played (in a couple pages). With so many players, we do not all play every session so this written story is important to ensure everyone who plays is up to speed on what is happening in the campaign. Over the years, thousands of these reports have been archived.
Bro is like running a private server for 4 decade. His passionate and obsessive but still manage to balance his life. His like that 1 guy that can kept the circle of friends glue together and still having fun.
he got his current house for the gaming space in the basement, he definitely took up history all the way to becoming a professor to make his campaign better
@@photobackflip I mean many peoples family become attached to their family members significant other and are still friends with that person after they break up you are just looking for something to hate on him for
@@kan6039 It all depends on if they end on good terms or not. But really it should be the daughters decision, not the fathers. But I wonder where his line is for disturbing his game? Like if they broke up due to him being abusive would he still be allowed to play?
And on top of that, this guy is an incredible artist, craftsman, storyteller and I bet he is also an excellent host to the people who come to play the game
Wow Yes! Love this guy's energy =- so passionate. And 99% of responses share this passion. Wow!!! I haven't playing this game for ~30 years but fondly remember playing it most weekends. My DM was awesome - the occasional figurine and hand drawn maps in real time, but the scene created in his and our individual imaginations. Would so much be playing again if I knew this guy and had the opportunity to join his campaign(s)
@@ThePathOfEudaimonia he probably have everything noted somewhere, loving a game enough to play it for 40 years , im pretty sure he still keeps everything somewhere, he didnt need to write everything just give the notes to some editor .
In this world where everyone has both a full-time job and at least two side-hustles, getting four people and a Dungeon Master in the same room at the same time is a feat that makes cat-herding look like an act of the utmost simplicity. This guy has been not only running his game for multiple decades, by his own admission people fly in for the privilege of playing in it! The dude's gotta be doing something right!
I really hope this guy recorded or transcribed at least a fraction of his campaigns. 40 years of DnD is bound to have some crazy moments that belong in a history book or even a novel!
Last summer at the end of my vacation, I found out about the Crutial Role DnD streams. When I realized that they were playing 4 campaigns, three of which already had 150+ stream recordings each, and every stream lasts not less than 3 hours, I knew that I was unlikely to make up for those 8 years of content even in my lifetime. At best I'll have time next summer vacation, but that's only three months. Considering that English is a second language for me, plus I've never read fantasy and therefore have to open an Etymology or Urban Dixtionary for every unfamiliar word, this is an endless source of content. And I have a bunch of other interests that are also covered by specific streamers, and they too have years of content accumulated. All in all, it's hard to be the current generation when you have such a rich selection of entertainment, but you can only snatch a fraction of it. So I can't imagine how much time it would take to react to 40 years of DnD. A few human lives.
it's often hard to imagine a very old man playing these kinds of games but in this game I can picture a 80 years old game master with his knowledge of his world being the best game master ever
actually Gary Gygax didn't develop the game for " kids" to play it was intended for a mature audience of young adults and up. If you look at the original rules and game mechanics there used to be a lot of math involved that most individuals younger than a freshman in high school wouldn't understand.... I will only mention Dice Curves as an example.... The game is for all ages now. it has been dumb down and made easier for younger people to enjoy the game... I, however, do not like any edition after 2nd ...but that's just my personal preference.
@@ryang2573 It's going to get weirder, because some people will think CoD is casual junk, while others will have grown up with Fortnite and whatever games will come in the future. Maybe I'll get to call an 80 year old a stupid zoomer when I'm old.
This guy should really take the past 40 years of history, characters, and lore in his world and write a series of books. I bet people would love it. "Based on a 40 year running D&D campain."
Been running my own campaign setting since I was 14 and am now 37. Painting minis making maps, terrain and writing stories and lore. So I get this video to my core.
"same game" is pretty much just the same world. nothing that special to old school DMs. If you make your own world, the world doesn't end just because the one quest/adventure/campaign ends. kudos to this guy for keeping his evolving world going for so long.
I have heard about this campaign for about 15 years. I am thrilled to actually find more info and see the dedication of the Dungeon Master. This is amazing and an inspiration to many of us.
Does he have characters in the game too? So all the terrain and pieces only belong to him? When a character dies, is that figure retired forever? Ths is interesting. So his daughter could have several ex boyfriends still playing and maybe a husband some day.
You play a character in a fantastical realm, and if you try do a specific action like lockpick or cast a spell or attack something it usually requires a dice roll. Add roleplay and you got a summary of Dungeons and Dragons.
@@11th_defender51 Searching does nothing actually even watching videos is not enough you need to play to understand which is the reason I still cant understand
@@irakligaming134 think of it like creating a super hero. Your character has stats or special abilities. You want to become more powerful by leveling up. The DM controls the environment like narrating a story. You can attempt to do anything you want....climb a wall, pick pocket, swim, all depends on your success of rolling a dice and your abilities. The game encourages diplomacy among players, reading, math and a overall sense of comradery. Amazing memories sitting around a D&D table with friends eating snacks, telling stories and defeating the bad guys!
I honestly wouldn't mind not having direct "control" over the figurine of my character. This man clearly dedicated his life to the game and people continue to drop in and play his campaign/s, he knows what he's doing.
I find it weird, if you've been playing for a long time, that a player wouldn't have brought their own character to the game!! that only they could touch!!😉😜
I just wouldn't want to be part of this game in the first place. I like RPGs and all but I don't like when it's taken so seriously. For me it's just a bit of fun with friends. I'm not ever gonna be this commited to a game. Very impressive stuff, I respect his commitment to the hobby and creativity, just saying it's not for me.
no he is just a very high IQ individual. To be considered a genius he needs more psychopathic traits that pushes him out of the basement and to the top of the pyramid
i don’t think it’s unreasonable at all for robert to move the figurines himself, he put so much effort in and knows exactly how to arrange them i would like that
@shelbybrown9228 It's actually strategic and part of the game. Rob moves the figs during play as he accounts for our dexterity, objects in our path, etc. in determining how far we can move. There is no hex grid system; allowing him to be dynamic and fast paced. We do in fact get to touch things, and are often helping with table/scenery change-ups. Edits in the video made it seem pretty harsh lol.
This guy has the same passion as other game developers and writers, only difference is that he's pouring it on D&D while the others are pouring it in game development. This type of passion for a certain thing is what I want.
Yeah and im sure this person doesnt want some douche higher up telling him what to add to his game (like bs transactions) that ruins companies or get people to lose their jobs, mad props for this fellow nerd🤘🏼🔥
How freaking insanely cool is this. In-lore 100 years ago was an event that happened IRL in 1989??? Imagine one of the dedicated players who's character was literally present a hundred years (IRL 33 years prior) ago and now today dies while trying do defeat the demon that resurfaced after 3 IRL DECADES, IMAGINE THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. This man is a TRUE GAMER
puts my game into perspective my 2 long form games have lasted IRL 3.5 years and 2.5 years but in game only 6 months passed in the first game and the current game about 9 months have passed.... Man this guy plays very quickly in his time tracking.
@@josephdelaney5681 it probably went quicker at the start, like they play 1 campaign and then he needs to prepare another one with a time skip inbetween and eventually he's become so good at increasing the scope and creating an expansive campagin so now they are much bigger we also don't really know how often they play, if they play a ton then go figure
I am curious how it works out. Just Imagine the scene of her 10 ex-boyfriends and her current boyfriend playing D&D with her dad in the basement, what a family reunion. 😂
he probably gives his players importance in his setting and it also constrains him in that sense, although he should definitely make some countermeasures so that his daughter feel confident sharing her hobbies with potential boyfriends.
@@Chris-hw4mq , please tell me how many women have you done in your life? Oh, wait, you have never had a woman in your life? You mean that you are criticizing a random person that you will never meet in real life, falsely claimed him as a virgin, never mind that he literally has a three-dimensional wife and children, and yet spent time doing those things instead of getting a woman in your own real world life? Yes, please do tell me how much better that you are than the man that is in the video again?
I've wept because of RP multiple times, and I'm not ashamed of it. When you get that immersed into a serious tale and everyone at the table is just as immersed as you -- it's a sensation like no others. Roleplaying and storytelling is the essence of the human experience. Telling tall tales and making up fantasy has been part of all cultures for thousands upon thousands of years.
he keeps logs of everything, the reason they said "he might need to get a bigger house" is because he has decades of papers of all the characters and everything that happened to them
This is so trippy, this guy taught me in second year and his daughter went to my high school! It's kind of mind-blowing because I've only heard him talk about Canadian history before now 😳
I laughed out loud when he explained about his daughter and her boyfriend but the boyfriend kept playing. Honestly this is incredible I would play this dudes game it’s incredible his passion.
@@dan2124 yeah that was incredibly creepy honestly. he is saying that the game matters more to him than his own daughter. why he had a daughter at all is beyond me. he didn't have to. the neckbeard above who thinks this is funny is digusting.
@@elaineabreu282 the only thing disgusting is you trying to be some creepy backseat parent to a young girl you don’t know, all because you watched a short video and heard him say one comical thing. You’re the type of woman that lost her own offspring so now you live your live pretending to own others. Seek help
being friends or being in a relationship means you get to experience different sides a person being in a relationship means you probably live together or whatever two different people might see one person differently if the daughter feels uncomfortable about her ex staying around at times then I'm sure her dad would make a decision
The “hardcore” death rule he has makes it so much more interesting IMO. When he was talking about it you can tell he was remembering back to some sad deaths at the table
I hope his daughter will continue the game after he’s gone. That’d be such an awesome family tradition of having a single game that is passed down through the generations.
@@alabarjhoni9742 You can still have a productive life and have hobbies. Now for him it is probably an obsession, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be able to enjoy it in moderation.
The idea of a person crying over the death of their character isn't weird to me. People cry over fictional character deaths all the time. Prime example being Lion King. I'd argue the game character is more intense because it's a part of you.
I'd actually liken it to an actor getting emotional over the death of or some tragedy related to a character that they've spent years, perhaps even a decade or more playing.
If you are out of the game you will also not be able to see your friends anymore. You not only lose a character that you put time, effort and emotions into you'll also lose some of your best friends. That's a legit reason to cry about.
I played RPGs when I was younger. Most campaigns just faded out, but one 2300AD campaign ended when my character was hit in the head with a 20mm round. Game master just rolled the dice and told me that "huh, it seems you died". We wrapped the game up, and I told him that "you go ahead, I'll come in a minute", and took that time to compose myself, as internally I was a wreck.
1:56 Okay that lower one of the most beatiful and badass things ive seen. If is a dwarf i was already interested in the race before and now im even more.
The game has been running for more than a hundred years in-game I can't imagine the story, must be amazing! Knowing that there must have been tons of legendary characters that changed the course of history or dominated or conquered amazing things just to die and be remembered as the history behind the actual world This should be turned into a book at some point at the very least
I think that the main thing to be taken here is not the length, but a line he said: "the game is based on friendship". He may be a bit obnoxious about his figurines and proud to a fault about what he's doing, but he is doing something great: he kept his friends together since high school. That's impressive.
you rely to much on friendship. a crutch that will handicap you later in life. prepare to ask everyone for help and not know how to do anything on your own
@@Buckdalorian1000 you rely too much on yourself. A crutch that will handicap you later in life. Prepare to come into a situation where you need help but will have no one to turn to because you pushed them all away
It takes a lot of passion for sure.probably helps that he's a teacher so he probably has skills in planning ahead what he wants the characters to be doing and getting into.
One thing not discussed here that I'd like to know is: how does he handle power creep over such a long period? Characters must reach level 20+ regularly. Also, like, do the people who are out of the game still come hang out because death should have meaning in a game but not to the point where people just stop hanging out. If the game never ends, being kicked out of it is a lifelong exile in real life lmao.
He mentioned that people have multiple characters, so prlly it's on you if whether you create a new character and spend time grinding it again, or you just leave the game.
@@tobiasruibal9429 It could also be a system of peaks and valleys. A person isn't always at their peak.. in fact it would destroy them if they were. 20 is definitely a peak. I kind of think it would be interesting to run a character leveling in reverse. Just as time passes they get weaker and weaker, more and more frail until they just can't go on any longer, retire, or get themselves killed doing something they really ought to know they shouldn't be.
@@Exile_Sky Yes, but that would depend (since it's an rpg) on the kind of character you have, refering to demon, fairy, wolf, human, etc; So some of this species can survive a lot through time, without actually getting older, and in fact, getting stronger overtime. So that's the problem with "peak times" in mmo rpg games, even if you're human, it's hard to define how times works inside the game, and no one would want humans, since they would die and get weaker overtime compared to (for example) a vampire, he can be human and vampire at the same time.
@@tobiasruibal9429 "it's hard to define how times works inside the game" No it's not. You just declare it. DM is literal God, and if the DM hasn't given thought to this I'd argue that they must be just running off modules or only running short term campaigns. "refering to demon, fairy, wolf, human, etc; So some of this species can survive a lot through time, without actually getting older, and in fact, getting stronger overtime." Uhh, no they actually don't. The entire point of the Fae Court, the War of Evil, and the Conflict in the Heavens is that in spite of being "immune to time" entities wax and wain in power all the time for all kinds of reasons, and they are each attempting to usurp one another and avoid being usurped. Sometimes brought to the state of the lowest mortal, to the highest gods. You should really engage with not only the base lore in some of the old campaign worlds, but fantasy in general. Long lived does not = constantly increasing in power. Long lived doesn't even mean remaining the same across time. Long lived just means a distant expiration date. Congratulations, you have the "potential" to live for a long time. Lets see how long you stay in peak condition. If the player want to keep playing that character there are any number of plot contrivances and conveniences that can be used to keep using them while bringing them back low or remain low for the events of the game.
How many fragile, sensitive, vulnerable people has this man unwittingly carried allow, and helped people through their lives, simply by always being there, with something real and valuable and permanent. Amazing story, quite a guy.
I hope this man writes books of the adventures he’s witnessed and created of his players and a book giving guidance and tips to Dungeon Masters or creative writers.
Better yet, write books in-universe relating the stories that happened around the world imagine one of your characters reading stories of other characters or even about your own late character
You can't just clone this kind of game -- you'd have to clone tens of thousands of hours of table history, as well as the minds of all the players and the DM. *How* he did it is well known -- he said it himself, make the rules your own and then never, ever, stop. The world documentation would be similar in volume to a detailed history of the world over a span of a century or more. He didn't say it, but even discounting his time in painting, there are probably close to a million dollars in miniatures in his basement, never mind the terrain. This is far bigger than Gygax or Arneson's original campaigns. This is the game that never ended...
All good points. Most agree that protecting priority value onto someone else is a fail. That said, I’d be interested in asking what other life activities he focuses on? - travel with his daughter? physical health?
He should really write a book series (or have someone else write it) on the entire story so far. I think it would be really interesting to experience a story that's been building upon itself for 40 years.
Novelists make good world builders, but it's the theater geeks/screenwriters you want as a GM. They are better at speaking, improv, using audio/visual assets, and most of the salient GM skills. Source: Failed novelist with a decade-long campaign, who finally realized his entire approach to GM'ing was wrong.
I've been playing D&D for almost 30 years now (started in 95). My stepdad got us into it. He has a saying now because everyone in the group is much older and has other responsibilities, "We don't get together to play, we play to get together"
This dude should have wrote the ending to Game of Thrones... Look at this passion, look at this commitment. This is what the world needs. In anything. D&D is not for me, but I respect this dude.
Robert seems a very wholesome guy, and its fun seeing people embrace what they are passionate about. His bit about how it acts like a plank in his friendships spoke to me. Over the years, I have had friends who I value that we have just stopped seeing each other due to this "lack of a plank".
As someone who writes, I absolutely understand weeping at the loss of a character. They’re like an old friend. You know everything about them, you’ve helped them fall in love, start families.
People need to understand that video games and games like this are no different then a movie a book. A really good book can evoke a lot emotion. There is no reason DnD cant do the same.
I wish one day theyll produce a rpg video game where you can do anything you want not restricted by choices. Maybe VR will be the answer to that, but its not there yet.
@@MaxBlight The real issue is hardware limitations. There are some great sandbox games out there that actually come very close but at the end of the day you're at the mercy of computing power and memory. until we have the technology and AI that can provide a 1 to 1 simulation of life DnD will have to do, youre only limited by the dungeon masters imagination
Playing AD&D 2nd edition in the late 80's and early 90's with my buds are some of my fondest memories. No video game, no twitch stream, can ever equal being at the table with your best friends.
I get misty eyed over life before the internet too. Spending time with friends and actually talking to them and not sending them 'thumbs up' and short messages and emojis via social media is no substitute for real communication and time spent in their company or talking to them at length on the phone. Is it possible that human friendships themselves are evolving and changing during this era of rapid communications & technological advancement? I observe people at close range, intimately, and the entire thing looks totally different to when I was growing up, psychologically AND behaviourally.
I can agree, DnD has kept my friend group together for 7 years now, we all meet weekly even though we split our paths 4 years ago, it's such a powerful glue for friendships.
Whay you said about "needing planks" to keep frienships alive, it really resonated with me and I'm envious of the community you have. We always say things like "we should hang our sometime", but we never do. My friends are still my brothers, but we really dont see each other much anymore. We all have lives and we really dont have that plank.
he 100% became a history professor because he wanted to learn stuff for his campaign
so true!! I've become obsessed with learning history for mastering dnd games too
History is the best reference for great storytelling cuz history can be ridiculous!!!
Lmao. Don't forget tenure! He can then plan his job around the game without fear of losing it.
I wonder how many catastrophic events have happened in 40 years. Is it all on a single planet?
@@leeks1408 fr. you can make SO much history into D&D
He has the exact personality I would expect a 40 year dungeon and dragon pro wld have. 😂
Bro I tried not to tear up when he said "So, as long as I keep doing it, hopefully all my life, I won't lose my friends". That's why he's so passionate. He gets to build a world so everyone has a place to stick together.
Man this needs to go on long after he passes, God bless him. Shame to break it up.
Who's cutting onions?
Yup nailed it
That was the tearjerker for me too
OMG SAME!!!
I'm a lifelong friend of Robert's and been playing the game for over 25yrs. His commitment and passion is un matched.
Hey buddy!!! I'm working through the comments and look who I found. I posted a link to the HIstory, Part I, in reply to the first comment. I just realized you might not recognize me yet. Darian retired, this is the new character. :)
Hey gents,
Thought I’d find you here!
Lhoris; via the 3D print account.
Congrats to Robert on 40 amazing years and to all of us for the friendships we’ve made along the way!
Haha old friends on a new platform!
"Commitment and passion" is a nice way to say Rob is clinically insane. But yes -- how else would one keep the same game going for 40 years?!
This story is amazing, tell Robert he’s an inspiration!
I met the boy who would become the man who was the great love of my life when we were 14 and 15, this was in 1984. Within a month of meeting we began a game that lasted until 6 weeks ago when my husband suddenly died. the first day we began playing was a real trust fall when we immediately threw the dice away and he said. "So what does she do?" and we were off and running, our imaginations taking flight. In 42 years we played a nearly linear campaign that saw the rise and fall of gods and empires and even the universe itself. We created great dynastic families that we played with for generation after generation. 6 weeks ago half this marvelous universe fell into darkness and a hundred stories came to a startling end, it's funny how some days I weep as much for all the wonderful characters he played as well as for the very wonderful creative man himself. I wish Robert a very long and happy life and I am so very happy to know of someone else who has held so tightly to the marvelous world of his and others imaginations. Good journeying to you all.
Oh gosh, I’m sorry to hear that 😢
Maybe you could make a novel about that universe.
@@joshuathompson9346 I have thought about it, very good thought.
I'm so, so sorry. What is so crushingly beautiful about creative people though, is that what they create holds remnants of them. You still have those memories and those stories. I hope you find that there are a lot more adventures to be had out there. Be well.
@@yarddweller we forgive you.
A history professor running a dnd campaign, bet the story is insane
Or extremely tedious lol
@@spamcan9208 could very well be
I was thinking the same! Sounds so fun
It would make more sense if he was a genre fiction writer. History is not a narrative story with character arcs, and studying history doesn't mean learning the story of the past, even though that's what it seems like it is.
@@LymbicSystemuwu I can’t say anything about the quality of his writing. But when it comes to he history background, you can feel it in the interconnection between events, in the grand scheme of things on a large scale, as well as in the context of every place and nation they encounter. You’ve seen how he geeked out at the different time period and civilizations the players would encounter, that’s what you get with a history nerd dm
A history professor, who has crafted a 40+ year D&D game, that has kept friendships alive, and has also brought him closer with his young daughter. If being happy means doing what you love, this may be the luckiest man alive. He has certainly earned it though lol
Lol
well said :)
Lol
You think this is fulfilling?
@danielG5236 clearly. You think it isn't?
Honestly, lots of respect to this guy. He's managed to raise a family, have a successful career, and maintain a major hobby simultaneously. That's major balancing, and it's admirable.
I seriusly want to play dnd but i dont know the f ing basic rules
@@sjoerdgalema5007 dwarves always win
He’s a cereal killer
@@deeree1037 niceeee
@@sjoerdgalema5007 Honestly its not that hard if you have some basic gaming knowledge(conceptualizing buffs/ modifiers/etc.), if you have played any RPG video game you cam probably get the hang quite quickly. if not, its still easy and most players and DMs love having new players learn the game. What I will say is that the right group makes all the difference. so if you decide to take the plunge and the first experience isn't ideal don't give up and maybe try with a different group.
i have never played dnd in my life i dont even know what its about really but watching this man be this passionate about this was really heartwarming. Especially near the end when he was talking about how this really holds friendships together for him and it makes him feel like he is in a diff world almost like a dream
A man telling his daughter "your relationship might not last forever but the game lasts forever" is next level LOL what a guy
I was OK with how strange this seemed to me...until he basically said his game was more important than his daughter's comfort level
@@thomaskendrick6766 i would think he meant on a simple teen break up level. not like if her ex assaulted her would he still invite the guy to play.
@@thomaskendrick6766 Nahh, a grown man knows that one teenage brokeup is not the end of the world for anyone, and that dont have why disteurbed the storyline of the others. Wise words on disguise: the life goes on.
@@thomaskendrick6766 Yeah, totally. I respect his control of his life and commitment to HIS game, but wouldn't want to spend hours in this guy's house for "fun!" He's not a good dad, he's a committed GM. He's said I/me/my dozens of times, but barely said "their enjoyment" or "their fun." Those are some a big red flags. But oh well, everyone can still have fun their own way.
@@mistersniffers5922 As a player, the lifelong friendship thing trumps pronouns used in an interview. I think the fact I've played for 38 of the 40 years suggests I'm enjoying myself and it is rather fun. As a close friend, I'd also suggest that he's not only a committed GM, but a really good dad and friend. He's also had a successful career, even though he's just a mediocre hockey player :P
I just want a 5 hour long video explaining the whole time line of this game with all the character events, deaths, additions, and story arks now, this is so impressive and admirable
I don't think your attention was too great during this video even. How would you think that 5 hours is enough to explain everything in details?
@@jonintrovertednerd9988you can resume a country's history in a few hours, it's maybe not complete but you can have an idea of the thing....so why not here!??
(But yeah, the all story in details...in 5 hours....this is impossible!! Maybe the 500 characters if you rush it haha)
@@jonintrovertednerd9988 yeah for real more like 50 hours
Quick math:
- a 4 hours critrole or D20 session's UA-cam recap is usually anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes long. Let's average at 20 minutes. Meaning the 4 hours were divided by 12.
- this campaign has been going for 20800 hours. Divided by 12...
...means you want to watch a 1733 hours and 20 minutes long video.
🤔
No you don't.
You want to read the book.
@@Lau_wings I'm 8 minutes into that video and I can tell I'm going to love it. I went hard as a kid and read all the books.
"This relationship might not last forever, but the game will".
Love is strong, but passion for dnd is stronger.
Facts
a bit too much obsession in those words
boyfriends are temporary,game is eternal
@@lukakustudic9466 imagine him dying into the game after 40 years xd
Hi
This is so admirable like honestly it sounds like he's unapologetically happy and i'm happy for him
😂
He should hire a scribe to prepare a recorded history and events of the game. And make it a series of novels and documentaries.
The Saga of Wardhaugh.
I could totally see that becoming a lengthy book series, possibly outnumbering Guin Saga. If he keeps his notes, God willing, it could be done.
I bet there’s a person in his group who writes everything down
It probably wouldnt be that good. the fun is experiencing it and it holding meaning to yourself in specific. The story wont need to be amazing
Yeah, surely.
Yessir, signed
I REALLY need a full documentary on the history of this game. Stories, interviews, discussions on the progression of the story, everything.
Most video games and franchises don’t last this long… this guy’s a legend
That would be a great documentary
Underrated comment
Right!? I'm intrigued! I want to know everything!
This right here
This guy should make a youtube channel just talking about the history of the game.
This guy is literally the definition of being dedicated. He became a history professor just to craft more believable worlds for his DnD game. Insane.
hes living his dreams lol
Or insanity.
Bet he never made love to a woman in 'real life'.
@@markjones1337 It shows you his daughter in the video lol.
@@markjones1337 it literally shows his daughter. Not to mention she is an absolute baddie. I bet he had a real dime
This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my entire life. I knew you could play DnD for several hours, days, even weeks. But I never imagined that there could be a campaign that could last this long, that's your second life at that point. I'm 19 years old, I hope I'll live long enough to see something like this on computer. Like a BG3 but online and infinite.
Is simple and possible, you just need to be the game master forever, or you could bring AI
It won't never be the same. The social, live interaction between people is the key principle to this hobby.
Not saying that it can't be good, but it will be different.
I was half expecting him to say that if you die in the game they kill you in real life. *That's how hardcore this game is*
Oh man I got a good laugh out of that
lol
thats my kind of humour :D
SAO happened last year
Lol dude 😂
Imagine if they had hired a scribe to write out each session. Then they converted each year into a series of books and released it to the public to read.
Hire a scribe? Recording the games electronically might be simpler...
Jokes aside, I wouldn't want to play in a game that's being recorded as a product. It would kill the natural spontaneity, make people self conscious, make it too much about pleasing the audience rather than on the folks at the table having fun. I've hosted a few just storytelling groups, and the people were initially annoyed I didn't let them recorder were later glad I stopped them.
@@jerrysstories711 That's interesting. I've been a GM for a long time and I've never had a player that wanted to record a session. Perhaps it's a generational thing.
@@Pooknottin Oh, I think it's almost certainly a generational things. "These kids these days! Can't have so much as an interesting conversation without them wanting to record it for a podcast! Why, back in MY day...."
@@jerrysstories711 I'm not that old, but I'm getting there.
His ending points on DnD correlating with friendships is spot on. If me and my friends didn't have our DnD campaign as our weekly event, we'd not see each other as much. Games bring friends together.
My favorite part is when he talks about the three countries of England, Italy, and Africa.
@@ertavampy4622 you heard England and Italy but that's not what he said
@@PeteQuad 2:42
This guy is a "history professor" and his universal medievel "African" villages are straw huts. If he wasnt a history professor you could chalk it up to ignorance but he is so its intentional.
@@ertavampy4622 wow listen again and tell me again where those country names were said
@@PeteQuad lol um maybe you should do some research into what anglo means and who the saxons are, and then look up where the city of rome is on a map. 👍🏼
Keep going. My BEST FRIEND and I gamed for over 40 years. We started in 1979. I lost him to Flippen cancer 5 years ago. Only recently I was able to restart via ROLL 20 as a DM. Having a grand time. But I would give up almost anything for one more game session with my old friend. Alway amazed how every campaign or character stands on it own and become UNIQUE.
when he said '100 years ago.. which was 1989' was when I realized this man has such an insanely complex storyline for this and its probably the greatest tale ever
In reality the man has probably written enough lore and story to fill several collections of books... (ie. The frozen age, the Enlightened age, etc etc)
@@Legohaiden this guy need to put this lore out !!!
Yeah this waa nuts to me. Just to think that 100 years of ingame time has been played out in real time and dozens of generations have actually been playes by people.
oh god tbh, kinda tragic that in 2089.... 1989 was 100 years ago
im scared
@@BeautifulGreen252 i know you're trying to be edgy but that's just factually incorrect
I've had the pleasure of being in Rob's campaign for over 30 years now (since he came to Winnipeg for university in 1990). I'm on my 5th character right now, who is the grand-daughter of my 2nd character. Part of the allure is having these family lineages, and all the stories/history associated with those lineages, that you can draw upon when role-playing. I already know as well what my next character will be, because my current character's daughter is my only viable option, and I've been mulling over her possible paths for a while now. Rob is indeed a bit of a crazy DM, but we all keep coming back to the game because it is a well-oiled machine, there's lots of room for player co-creation in terms of the world-building, a compelling narrative (or more accurately, series of narratives), there's sometimes high drama and inter-personal conflicts (in-game and, occasionally, out of game), and at the end of the day: it's fun!
Is there any way that he will post his homebrew version of the rules? I'm extremely curious
I'm sure somebody would be willing to scribe it out for him, it seems so interesting and indepth
Just because of your username, read the comics for black powder red earth.
@@alexisvillanueva1570 I saw that was a video game, but didn't know it was comic too.
Some of the broad strokes about the rules are posted in the game links in the video notes above. There's one link to the Instagram page for the game, and one link to an external (public) website that explains some of the history in more depth. Our internal website is for players only.
This man needs to have a giant warehouse with his entire world laid out.
agreed
@@Mrslideways I would fund his kick-starter, even if I never, ever got to step foot in it.
@@theeatherlash69 I would fund the whole frickan company that gave him the idea of a kickstarter
I hate the modern world
@@karkkimarkkinat2109 ok boomer
This is one of those people called geniuses, without a joke. Such love for what he does is something most of us can't even dream about
This guy became a history professor so he could have the knowledge to continue his epic DND campaign. Respect.
Not gonna lie, I teared up a little when he mentioned how his daughter has been playing with him since she was 6. That's just...so, so sweet.
And she just had to be a fairy
@@xenird whats wrong with fairys
@@mahmoodabdulbaqi824 nothing, just a 6 yo girl liking fairies
@@xenird 💛
Gyatt
I've never wanted to be invited to something so badly before, this sounds like the coolest experience
YOOOOO didn't expect to see you here, lets hope the YT Algorithm does the same as this video to yours. Great stuff!
Fax! D&D is so much fun and the DM makes that happen
Makes me wonder what it would take to create a D&D theme park only smaller like maybe an escape room but bigger.
Imagine you pay a couple hundred bucks, they assign you a character, and you join a campaign for a week or so. 5-10 other people there with you in the same campaign. You may not know them at first. Who cares?
Yeah me too mate!!
Yess
ok, funny thing. my dad and i have had a running game for five years now, im on the second generation (my first characters nephew). despite it being just me and my dad, we have poured so much of our lives into this that its become a huge portion of our lives and great memories for both of us. I love my dad and i would not be the nerd i am today without him!
This guy needs to write books on exactly what happened in the campaign for 40 years. I'd buy that book so fast.
He's too dedicated to the game to write a book 😂
Too busy playing the game.
@Spaceboyy
You should give "The Malazan Empire" a read then. That's exactly what happened with this book series. 2 guys were playing a game like DnD, created a massive world and wrote a lot of books about it. The main book series alone is 10 books long and praised as a mature, dark and phiolosophical achievement.
I haven't read it myself, but found a comment once that described it as "A 10 book analysis of the human being".
He needs to make it into a game of thrones type show that would be sick
We will see that when he dies and this would be the next Lord of the rings
I’ve been playing a dnd game for 12 years now, session 1 was back in 2010, session 2 is yet to happen due to scheduling issues but I’m hopeful
So you havent been playing a dnd game for 12 years... youve been WAITING to play a dnd game for 12 years
waiting 12 years is some major hopium my friend
I've never seen a joke fly past multiple people that fast and majorly.
that reminds me, I have a yu-gi-oh duel to get back to, some day...
@@halocray impressive lolol
Bro needs a real scribe. Could have written an entire series of fantasy just documenting this game
Given the time and scale of his game, I'm sure this guy keeps meticulous records.
@@nuke___8876 now im hoping i see it in my lifetime 💀
@@BooksRebound I can’t get through Book 1. All I know is that I really want to chuck a puppet off a cliff. That’s where I’m at. 😂
The players collaborate in recording much of the storyline and in developing detailed elements of their own cultures. One of us writes a "report" that tells the story of every session played (in a couple pages). With so many players, we do not all play every session so this written story is important to ensure everyone who plays is up to speed on what is happening in the campaign. Over the years, thousands of these reports have been archived.
@@garavanaanoriel4604 for curiosity sake, how often sessions hapoen and how long they go?
Bro is like running a private server for 4 decade. His passionate and obsessive but still manage to balance his life.
His like that 1 guy that can kept the circle of friends glue together and still having fun.
Netflix should hire this guy and produce a series for each depicting stories of some of his player's characters.
100%
Animate it like the old heavy metal movie and im in
That series would last decades
Dungeons and Dragons: Roll to survive
Yes!!
i hope he writes a book about the adventures they had.
would be a great read for sure
They should hire Brandon Sanderson asap
So true
It’s all made up
If that were a series I’d read that lol
Movie coming to a cinema near toy
What's even more insane is that the campaign predates his teaching career, and likely even predates his aspirations to become a history professor.
he got his current house for the gaming space in the basement, he definitely took up history all the way to becoming a professor to make his campaign better
Something tells me he became a history professor for the express purpose of learning more for his campaign
That’s cool tho to see this dude genuinely happy & so passionate about his craft
This is honestly one of the coolest things i've seen, it'd be class to be a part of something like this.
Honestly genuine respect to that guy. Just a dude having fun with his life and that’s what we all try to achieve
"When you break up with him, I can't break up with him" - why would you respect that decision?
@@photobackflip I mean many peoples family become attached to their family members significant other and are still friends with that person after they break up you are just looking for something to hate on him for
@@kan6039 It all depends on if they end on good terms or not. But really it should be the daughters decision, not the fathers. But I wonder where his line is for disturbing his game? Like if they broke up due to him being abusive would he still be allowed to play?
your goal in life is just to have fun ?
(i explained my view below in the reply section , stop replying to my comment every time you see it plzzz)
@@mochalo4912 that is not a bad goal in life it's actually a pretty good one even if it is simple
A DM able to keep the attention of players for that long is nothing short of a wizard.
I disagree
I think a red troll can keep their attention that long
If he wields the hypno skull ring of assery.
1d4 time dmg
s of the coast
Probably casts charm person on every player!
ALL HEIL! 🙇🏼♂️🔥
I've never played D&D but the sheer commitment and passion that goes into all this is exciting
you definitely should it's a lot of fun if you have a good imagination
Try a RPG, at least one time, at least a « one-shot » mission in a world that you aware of the lore (e.g. Star Wars)
I second that.
I third it
I fourth that
He is not a DM. He is already the game engine and logic at this point.
And on top of that, this guy is an incredible artist, craftsman, storyteller and I bet he is also an excellent host to the people who come to play the game
All the other stuff are good, but he could do a better job with the female figurines lol
Nah he looks like a very egotistical domineering DM tbh 😂 would never personally play with him
@@nilvoidzero000 what does that even mean
@@Mattychii probably painting them better but i dont see it much of a problem imo
@@nilvoidzero000titties not large enough
So basically this dude spends his entire life being creative af and sharing that with everyone, incredible
What we strive for!!
Wow Yes! Love this guy's energy =- so passionate. And 99% of responses share this passion. Wow!!! I haven't playing this game for ~30 years but fondly remember playing it most weekends. My DM was awesome - the occasional figurine and hand drawn maps in real time, but the scene created in his and our individual imaginations. Would so much be playing again if I knew this guy and had the opportunity to join his campaign(s)
He should write a book on the history of the game, deeds that happened and sell them in chunks. Like a Simarillion type deal
I'd read that! Nah just kidding, I can't read.
that would be really cool
No time to write books.
There are figs to paint and stories to play!
@@ThePathOfEudaimonia he probably have everything noted somewhere, loving a game enough to play it for 40 years , im pretty sure he still keeps everything somewhere, he didnt need to write everything just give the notes to some editor .
@@Naturalcalvezilla Good point!
In this world where everyone has both a full-time job and at least two side-hustles, getting four people and a Dungeon Master in the same room at the same time is a feat that makes cat-herding look like an act of the utmost simplicity. This guy has been not only running his game for multiple decades, by his own admission people fly in for the privilege of playing in it! The dude's gotta be doing something right!
I really hope this guy recorded or transcribed at least a fraction of his campaigns. 40 years of DnD is bound to have some crazy moments that belong in a history book or even a novel!
Last summer at the end of my vacation, I found out about the Crutial Role DnD streams. When I realized that they were playing 4 campaigns, three of which already had 150+ stream recordings each, and every stream lasts not less than 3 hours, I knew that I was unlikely to make up for those 8 years of content even in my lifetime. At best I'll have time next summer vacation, but that's only three months. Considering that English is a second language for me, plus I've never read fantasy and therefore have to open an Etymology or Urban Dixtionary for every unfamiliar word, this is an endless source of content. And I have a bunch of other interests that are also covered by specific streamers, and they too have years of content accumulated. All in all, it's hard to be the current generation when you have such a rich selection of entertainment, but you can only snatch a fraction of it.
So I can't imagine how much time it would take to react to 40 years of DnD. A few human lives.
Whats there Name on twitch?@@zorkitipafed4626
@zorkitipafed4626 Awesome idea! That would be so much fun watching that on UA-cam.
@@zorkitipafed4626Yeah, that'll take LIFETIMES to get through.
@@zorkitipafed4626 "So I can't imagine how much time it would take to react to 40 years of DnD"
Probably.. 40 years
it's often hard to imagine a very old man playing these kinds of games but in this game I can picture a 80 years old game master with his knowledge of his world being the best game master ever
what do you mean? when i retire it will be one big lan party with the boys until we all go to valhalla. XD
actually Gary Gygax didn't develop the game for " kids" to play it was intended for a mature audience of young adults and up. If you look at the original rules and game mechanics there used to be a lot of math involved that most individuals younger than a freshman in high school wouldn't understand.... I will only mention Dice Curves as an example....
The game is for all ages now. it has been dumb down and made easier for younger people to enjoy the game... I, however, do not like any edition after 2nd ...but that's just my personal preference.
Imagine the rest homes of the future. Instead of a bunch of geezers playing Bingo and Bridge you'll have competitive Halo and CoD tournaments.
@@DarkestCrusade To valhalla!!! XDDDDDDDDDDDD
@@ryang2573 It's going to get weirder, because some people will think CoD is casual junk, while others will have grown up with Fortnite and whatever games will come in the future. Maybe I'll get to call an 80 year old a stupid zoomer when I'm old.
This guy should really take the past 40 years of history, characters, and lore in his world and write a series of books. I bet people would love it. "Based on a 40 year running D&D campain."
I don't read, but I'd definitely read this
Its Game of Thrones but based on real Events that kinda happened :D
ye. Totally agreed!
True. Would really love to hear more about the story
amen
Been running my own campaign setting since I was 14 and am now 37. Painting minis making maps, terrain and writing stories and lore. So I get this video to my core.
What does your wife think about that?
@XenittX well my x wife was a drunk ans woild smash my minis my new fiance olays with me and my kids love it too
Imagine starting this game in the 80s as a young adult, introducing it to your kids, and now being able to play the same game with your grand kids.
"same game" is pretty much just the same world. nothing that special to old school DMs. If you make your own world, the world doesn't end just because the one quest/adventure/campaign ends. kudos to this guy for keeping his evolving world going for so long.
The Never Ending Story.
Nerds
Maybe kids is a bit of a stretch....Wtf??I wrote this to soon.
@@nolifezay4636 What ever happened to that candy? Is it still around?
I have heard about this campaign for about 15 years. I am thrilled to actually find more info and see the dedication of the Dungeon Master. This is amazing and an inspiration to many of us.
😂
Does he have characters in the game too? So all the terrain and pieces only belong to him? When a character dies, is that figure retired forever?
Ths is interesting. So his daughter could have several ex boyfriends still playing and maybe a husband some day.
@@recoveringsoul755 me LMAO
I started playing in 1980. It's the most incredible game. Robert is the ultimate dungeon master. Very cool. :)
i don't even know what it is 😂😂
like how do u even play it?
You play a character in a fantastical realm, and if you try do a specific action like lockpick or cast a spell or attack something it usually requires a dice roll. Add roleplay and you got a summary of Dungeons and Dragons.
@@irakligaming134 you've never heard of d&d? That's pretty surprising. If you want to know you can search it up.
@@11th_defender51 Searching does nothing actually even watching videos is not enough you need to play to understand which is the reason I still cant understand
@@irakligaming134 think of it like creating a super hero. Your character has stats or special abilities. You want to become more powerful by leveling up. The DM controls the environment like narrating a story. You can attempt to do anything you want....climb a wall, pick pocket, swim, all depends on your success of rolling a dice and your abilities. The game encourages diplomacy among players, reading, math and a overall sense of comradery. Amazing memories sitting around a D&D table with friends eating snacks, telling stories and defeating the bad guys!
I admire this mans dedication and consistency. I wish i had 10% of this mans commitment.
I honestly wouldn't mind not having direct "control" over the figurine of my character. This man clearly dedicated his life to the game and people continue to drop in and play his campaign/s, he knows what he's doing.
He's his own Shakespeare and I wouldn't want to interfere with his play, that's for sure.
I find it weird, if you've been playing for a long time, that a player wouldn't have brought their own character to the game!! that only they could touch!!😉😜
if I spent thousands of hours painting those figs I wouldn’t want anyone else to touch them either haha
@@youtmeme i saw in the hands of one of the players a figurine so im sure many of them bring their own figurine
I just wouldn't want to be part of this game in the first place. I like RPGs and all but I don't like when it's taken so seriously. For me it's just a bit of fun with friends. I'm not ever gonna be this commited to a game. Very impressive stuff, I respect his commitment to the hobby and creativity, just saying it's not for me.
How he has curated this story is absolutely genius, allowing history to essentially tell the story just add fun creative stuff to it.
He should actually start directing games, I bet he would do a 10x better job then most game companies atm
no he is just a very high IQ individual. To be considered a genius he needs more psychopathic traits that pushes him out of the basement and to the top of the pyramid
i don’t think it’s unreasonable at all for robert to move the figurines himself, he put so much effort in and knows exactly how to arrange them i would like that
I paint semi professionally and only other people that can touch minis are ones that paid for them to get them shipped over 🤣
@shelbybrown9228 It's actually strategic and part of the game. Rob moves the figs during play as he accounts for our dexterity, objects in our path, etc. in determining how far we can move. There is no hex grid system; allowing him to be dynamic and fast paced.
We do in fact get to touch things, and are often helping with table/scenery change-ups. Edits in the video made it seem pretty harsh lol.
@@brodylavoieI wanna play 😭
Yeah I think it makes sense right? Particularly when they are creating the story it enables setting the scene better
@@brodylavoie that's awesome
"As long as I can keep [the game going], I won't lose my friends" That surprise gut-punch at the end says it all.
Oh look, a guy who's doing something that makes him and others happy. Lets encourage more behaviour like this.
That doesn't need to be encouraged. It's innate.
This is the internet, that's not how it works!
NO LETS SHAME HIM OUT OF EXISTENCE NO FUN ALLOWED
@@FlynLatif
Why does this sound so condescending
This guy has the same passion as other game developers and writers, only difference is that he's pouring it on D&D while the others are pouring it in game development. This type of passion for a certain thing is what I want.
What's stopping you?
Grab a laptop
Start learning
Its what I did
@@Old_Longshanksfriends... that's what stops him
@@Old_Longshanks he wants to find passion for something, not necessarily dnd
@@pear-zq1uj He didn't mention D&D, he just said to grab a laptop and start learning.
Yeah and im sure this person doesnt want some douche higher up telling him what to add to his game (like bs transactions) that ruins companies or get people to lose their jobs, mad props for this fellow nerd🤘🏼🔥
this guy isn’t a dungeon master, he is The Dungeon Lord
Lord/Master, same thing really.
This guy is the dungeon god
WRONG!!! He is the Dungeon God!
@@dancollin3465 *God
Just God lol
Pretty sure DM means Dungeon Messiah
I found this quite moving. there is a lot of beauty here. What a legacy!
"But... i have been with you guys for 40 years..." - "Sry.. your dead. you're gone"
😂
After 40 years of leveling up I'm sure one them there ol wizards has a resurrect spell 🤷♂️
Actually I think the plot armor would be so strong then that they just come back as a ghost or something
You could make a new charchter though? I dont play but isnt rhat normal?
Wait never mind he said he would do that lmao
How freaking insanely cool is this. In-lore 100 years ago was an event that happened IRL in 1989??? Imagine one of the dedicated players who's character was literally present a hundred years (IRL 33 years prior) ago and now today dies while trying do defeat the demon that resurfaced after 3 IRL DECADES, IMAGINE THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION. This man is a TRUE GAMER
puts my game into perspective my 2 long form games have lasted IRL 3.5 years and 2.5 years but in game only 6 months passed in the first game and the current game about 9 months have passed.... Man this guy plays very quickly in his time tracking.
I got to your comment - when it was mentioned in the video lol .
@@josephdelaney5681 ive never played DND. Sounds so cool
@@josephdelaney5681 it probably went quicker at the start, like they play 1 campaign and then he needs to prepare another one with a time skip inbetween and eventually he's become so good at increasing the scope and creating an expansive campagin so now they are much bigger
we also don't really know how often they play, if they play a ton then go figure
Its all made up and chaotic, no real rules when there are rules for everything when there can't be rules for everything.
"if you break up with him, I can't break up with him" this game needs to be a sitcom
I am curious how it works out. Just Imagine the scene of her 10 ex-boyfriends and her current boyfriend playing D&D with her dad in the basement, what a family reunion. 😂
he probably gives his players importance in his setting and it also constrains him in that sense, although he should definitely make some countermeasures so that his daughter feel confident sharing her hobbies with potential boyfriends.
Which means they have to maintain a good relationship😂
Called the 50 year old virgin
@@Chris-hw4mq , please tell me how many women have you done in your life? Oh, wait, you have never had a woman in your life? You mean that you are criticizing a random person that you will never meet in real life, falsely claimed him as a virgin, never mind that he literally has a three-dimensional wife and children, and yet spent time doing those things instead of getting a woman in your own real world life? Yes, please do tell me how much better that you are than the man that is in the video again?
I've wept because of RP multiple times, and I'm not ashamed of it.
When you get that immersed into a serious tale and everyone at the table is just as immersed as you -- it's a sensation like no others. Roleplaying and storytelling is the essence of the human experience. Telling tall tales and making up fantasy has been part of all cultures for thousands upon thousands of years.
yeah right…
@@znn4125 trust me bro if you got a taste of what it's like you'll understand..
This man has probably the most epic story moments in dnd history that he might not even remember z_z
"in the bushes you encounter Julius Caesar but he got stab by Hitler so uhhh, roll for initiative"
Being a history professor, I imagine he keeps meticulous notes.
@@elmoisamac he would have to, every detail is important to remember otherwise the story will get messed up.
he keeps logs of everything, the reason they said "he might need to get a bigger house" is because he has decades of papers of all the characters and everything that happened to them
Guy literally reincarnated a demon after 31 years
This is so trippy, this guy taught me in second year and his daughter went to my high school! It's kind of mind-blowing because I've only heard him talk about Canadian history before now 😳
Seems like the guy's also a professional, dont mix business with pleasure.
He's a Canadian teacher then?
@@alrightokay1771 Yes. He's a professor at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario).
He does the mandatory second year history course at UWO, super good prof.
@@bigwigbirdman what does he cover history wise?
I laughed out loud when he explained about his daughter and her boyfriend but the boyfriend kept playing. Honestly this is incredible I would play this dudes game it’s incredible his passion.
I'll be honest. I found that super uncomfortable. It's like "wow, nice of you to show your daughter that she means more to you than your D&D game"...
@@dan2124 The daughter can get over the awkwardness, the game has been around longer than her or her ex.
@@dan2124 yeah that was incredibly creepy honestly. he is saying that the game matters more to him than his own daughter. why he had a daughter at all is beyond me. he didn't have to. the neckbeard above who thinks this is funny is digusting.
@@elaineabreu282 the only thing disgusting is you trying to be some creepy backseat parent to a young girl you don’t know, all because you watched a short video and heard him say one comical thing. You’re the type of woman that lost her own offspring so now you live your live pretending to own others. Seek help
being friends or being in a relationship means you get to experience different sides a person being in a relationship means you probably live together or whatever two different people might see one person differently if the daughter feels uncomfortable about her ex staying around at times then I'm sure her dad would make a decision
This deserves a documentary and a TV show.
The “hardcore” death rule he has makes it so much more interesting IMO. When he was talking about it you can tell he was remembering back to some sad deaths at the table
When my first character was killed, I actually cried. Of course i was 9 and it was 1981..😆
Hardcore would actually be, when your character dies, you actually die.
@@j3ffn4v4rr0 trust me when these dude's character die they die too bunch of diehard nerd
@@j3ffn4v4rr0 NO, NOT BLACK LEAF!
@@gabrielfournier2511 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I hope his daughter will continue the game after he’s gone. That’d be such an awesome family tradition of having a single game that is passed down through the generations.
she still won't be allowed to touch the figs tho
@@adamwright4135 there's already a record breaking ouiji board constructed under the house for this very reason
I almost died laughing when he was like ya if she gets a boyfriend to play, the game is way more important then my daughters feelings.
i hope his daughter has a life instead
@@alabarjhoni9742 You can still have a productive life and have hobbies. Now for him it is probably an obsession, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be able to enjoy it in moderation.
The idea of a person crying over the death of their character isn't weird to me. People cry over fictional character deaths all the time. Prime example being Lion King. I'd argue the game character is more intense because it's a part of you.
Darn right. Anything you've invested time in is going to mean something to you!
As someone who sob during Tony Stark's sacrifice during the MCU, I agree
I'd actually liken it to an actor getting emotional over the death of or some tragedy related to a character that they've spent years, perhaps even a decade or more playing.
If you are out of the game you will also not be able to see your friends anymore.
You not only lose a character that you put time, effort and emotions into you'll also lose some of your best friends.
That's a legit reason to cry about.
I played RPGs when I was younger. Most campaigns just faded out, but one 2300AD campaign ended when my character was hit in the head with a 20mm round. Game master just rolled the dice and told me that "huh, it seems you died". We wrapped the game up, and I told him that "you go ahead, I'll come in a minute", and took that time to compose myself, as internally I was a wreck.
1:56 Okay that lower one of the most beatiful and badass things ive seen. If is a dwarf i was already interested in the race before and now im even more.
The game has been running for more than a hundred years in-game
I can't imagine the story, must be amazing!
Knowing that there must have been tons of legendary characters that changed the course of history or dominated or conquered amazing things just to die and be remembered as the history behind the actual world
This should be turned into a book at some point at the very least
i was wondering if hes noted down or written the story since started, at least something general. that would be a dope book(long but dope).
I would read that book
The fact that these legendary characters exist, yet there is still more to fight shows just how massive his world/story is. Absolutely phenomenal
that is some fast progression. my longest story was 4 irl years and ingame only 2.5 years passed
@@rksworld4405 There is a possibility that he did some timeskips between campaigns.
Not every adult has the amount of fun he seems to be having. Everyone should strive to find something that'll entertain them for this many years
Unless it's CDDA. That's a love-hate hobby that'll leave you cynical.
@@sirosagaming8228 what is CDDA?
@@bobzandvliet I think this can speak better on it than me. ua-cam.com/video/Cyoj4-niEPc/v-deo.html
@@bobzandvliet Cataclysm dark days ahead, a rougelike game that is crazy
@@MrIIXXIIXXII see? He gets it
This guy needs his own Netflix series where he narrates some of his adventures. He has decades worth of tales to tell!
That would be a good investment for Netflix to make instead of putting thire money into shows nobody watches!
@@roberthenricksen2979 Nobody would watch this. Not that many people play that game.
@@capybaraponque611 hahahaha
@@capybaraponque611 Yes, they should instead take his stories and turn them into a series.
@@capybaraponque611 😂😂😂😂😂
He's not just the forever DM, he's the ETERNAL DM.
I think that the main thing to be taken here is not the length, but a line he said: "the game is based on friendship".
He may be a bit obnoxious about his figurines and proud to a fault about what he's doing, but he is doing something great: he kept his friends together since high school. That's impressive.
Unless their character dies and they have no alternative character built - friendship's over.
you rely to much on friendship. a crutch that will handicap you later in life. prepare to ask everyone for help and not know how to do anything on your own
@IBmai_Toqué he’s right you know
@@Buckdalorian1000 you rely too much on yourself. A crutch that will handicap you later in life. Prepare to come into a situation where you need help but will have no one to turn to because you pushed them all away
@@thattubaguy217 "Too much on yourself" No such thing exists
This guy has it all: good friends and something he's really passionate about.
Not only that, even a nice job. A daughter that shows interest etc. he deserves it!
Well almost, looks like he's short on chairs.
@@MakinMoneyISeasy LOL
and an outlet for his god complex lol
money too and a loving daughter
Say what you will, but this guy is living his life how he wants, and with upmost passion. Something we all desire.
Full respect
I certainly wish I could play with this man as DM.
Truly great DM's are more rare than astatine.
@@jasonjackson1708 that is an oddly specific rare element xd
@@perplexingpantheon As are most great DM's. :)
*uTmost
Many people want to keep their friends together but dont have the skills to do so, this man has the friendship-maintaining skill
Honestly, this guy has massive dedication for being able to make a campaign last this long
Imagine creating a story for 40 years straight. Bro might as well made his own universe
It takes a lot of passion for sure.probably helps that he's a teacher so he probably has skills in planning ahead what he wants the characters to be doing and getting into.
One thing not discussed here that I'd like to know is: how does he handle power creep over such a long period? Characters must reach level 20+ regularly. Also, like, do the people who are out of the game still come hang out because death should have meaning in a game but not to the point where people just stop hanging out. If the game never ends, being kicked out of it is a lifelong exile in real life lmao.
He mentioned that people have multiple characters, so prlly it's on you if whether you create a new character and spend time grinding it again, or you just leave the game.
@@tobiasruibal9429 It could also be a system of peaks and valleys. A person isn't always at their peak.. in fact it would destroy them if they were. 20 is definitely a peak.
I kind of think it would be interesting to run a character leveling in reverse. Just as time passes they get weaker and weaker, more and more frail until they just can't go on any longer, retire, or get themselves killed doing something they really ought to know they shouldn't be.
@@Exile_Sky Yes, but that would depend (since it's an rpg) on the kind of character you have, refering to demon, fairy, wolf, human, etc; So some of this species can survive a lot through time, without actually getting older, and in fact, getting stronger overtime. So that's the problem with "peak times" in mmo rpg games, even if you're human, it's hard to define how times works inside the game, and no one would want humans, since they would die and get weaker overtime compared to (for example) a vampire, he can be human and vampire at the same time.
@@tobiasruibal9429 "it's hard to define how times works inside the game"
No it's not. You just declare it. DM is literal God, and if the DM hasn't given thought to this I'd argue that they must be just running off modules or only running short term campaigns.
"refering to demon, fairy, wolf, human, etc; So some of this species can survive a lot through time, without actually getting older, and in fact, getting stronger overtime."
Uhh, no they actually don't. The entire point of the Fae Court, the War of Evil, and the Conflict in the Heavens is that in spite of being "immune to time" entities wax and wain in power all the time for all kinds of reasons, and they are each attempting to usurp one another and avoid being usurped. Sometimes brought to the state of the lowest mortal, to the highest gods.
You should really engage with not only the base lore in some of the old campaign worlds, but fantasy in general. Long lived does not = constantly increasing in power. Long lived doesn't even mean remaining the same across time. Long lived just means a distant expiration date. Congratulations, you have the "potential" to live for a long time. Lets see how long you stay in peak condition. If the player want to keep playing that character there are any number of plot contrivances and conveniences that can be used to keep using them while bringing them back low or remain low for the events of the game.
you can do it like god of war games, just think of some dumb excuse to return them to level 1 each time they reach 20
How many fragile, sensitive, vulnerable people has this man unwittingly carried allow, and helped people through their lives, simply by always being there, with something real and valuable and permanent. Amazing story, quite a guy.
Yyyeeeeeaahhh....
And then those people die in their game and are never allowed to play again😂
@@heebo1202 That's a pretty horrible thing to be getting so excited about..
@@DarwinHandy yeah it's easy tp laugh about it online but if it happened to me or someone i know it would be a different story
Just a bunch of losers. I guarantee each one of them are pedos.
@@heebo1202 its not that they're banned forever. he did state that if they dont have a spare character on hand, they're out until they get a new one
The lore for this campaign must be CRAZY
I hope this man writes books of the adventures he’s witnessed and created of his players and a book giving guidance and tips to Dungeon Masters or creative writers.
Better yet, write books in-universe relating the stories that happened around the world
imagine one of your characters reading stories of other characters or even about your own late character
Guys we need to make a campaign to make this guy spread his lore, he is probably holding the masterpiece of all rpg.... the depth seems amazing.
You can't just clone this kind of game -- you'd have to clone tens of thousands of hours of table history, as well as the minds of all the players and the DM. *How* he did it is well known -- he said it himself, make the rules your own and then never, ever, stop. The world documentation would be similar in volume to a detailed history of the world over a span of a century or more. He didn't say it, but even discounting his time in painting, there are probably close to a million dollars in miniatures in his basement, never mind the terrain.
This is far bigger than Gygax or Arneson's original campaigns. This is the game that never ended...
@@SilntObsvr you do it the same way he likely did. Piece by piece, story by story
send the link
I'm not sure it'd be fun to play with him. Apparently you can't even breath next to his figures. You can't do anything unless he allows you.
It's inspiring how someone could be so obbssessed, passionate, & dedicated to something and still maintain a job and family.
That's what I was thinking. 😂
@@katiestevenson7742 It's not hard. It's all about balance.
All good points. Most agree that protecting priority value onto someone else is a fail. That said, I’d be interested in asking what other life activities he focuses on? - travel with his daughter? physical health?
@NobddyI mean I wouldn’t want people to touch figurines that I hand painted and have probably kept for over a decade.
@@Anekiiifor some of us balance is hard :D
This history professor is a beautiful soul and an amazing man. ❤
He should really write a book series (or have someone else write it) on the entire story so far. I think it would be really interesting to experience a story that's been building upon itself for 40 years.
That's a great idea
not one book for sure, 20 000 hours of DnD come on thats a least 5 books
and it could help generate money that he could put into making more figures and terrain
yeah
Novelists make good world builders, but it's the theater geeks/screenwriters you want as a GM. They are better at speaking, improv, using audio/visual assets, and most of the salient GM skills.
Source: Failed novelist with a decade-long campaign, who finally realized his entire approach to GM'ing was wrong.
My game also lasted 40 years! we started session one 40 years ago, can't wait for session 2!
Tell me more.
LoL
That one was good, really good 🤣
That’s how it is for my group 😭😭😭
lol
"When you break up with him, I cant break up with him"
love this mans priorities, he truly is a gamer
HAHAHA Best Line
I've been playing D&D for almost 30 years now (started in 95). My stepdad got us into it. He has a saying now because everyone in the group is much older and has other responsibilities, "We don't get together to play, we play to get together"
I have nothing but respect for this guy's dedication to the game.
Good for this guy. Dude went all-in with no apologies. Probably has a high quality of life and gives zero f*cks of what others think. BOSS!
Only way to fly. =)
so motivational. simultaneously bucking trends about serious gamers as well.
No it is just sad AF
@@seetheanimal5867 ur sad
@@nichtkarllauterbach6875 Literally his choice no need to be snooty
This dude should have wrote the ending to Game of Thrones... Look at this passion, look at this commitment. This is what the world needs. In anything. D&D is not for me, but I respect this dude.
So you’re saying he should have written GoT instead of D&D?
People should have been watching this game instead of watching GOT
@@squirrelsyrup1921 yeah but where can we watch this guy's game?
Dunno, keeping something going for 40 years implies you might not be the best at coming up with endings.
@@J4hk2 it's not that he can't but he doesn't want it to.
Robert seems a very wholesome guy, and its fun seeing people embrace what they are passionate about. His bit about how it acts like a plank in his friendships spoke to me. Over the years, I have had friends who I value that we have just stopped seeing each other due to this "lack of a plank".
As someone who writes, I absolutely understand weeping at the loss of a character. They’re like an old friend. You know everything about them, you’ve helped them fall in love, start families.
Pathetic
You're also the one the traumatize and absolutely brutalize them in any way you see fit. So I think it kinda balances out lol
I feel that way about my Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord characters and their relatives after just a few sessions.
you write like mom
MOMMY
People need to understand that video games and games like this are no different then a movie a book. A really good book can evoke a lot emotion. There is no reason DnD cant do the same.
I agree
There’s more emotion and humour in one session of our games than a full film or even an entire series of some crap I’ve seen in the last few years
Exactly its just using our spare time to enjoy a medium of story telling. Never gotten why people have such a hatred for something they do there self
I wish one day theyll produce a rpg video game where you can do anything you want not restricted by choices.
Maybe VR will be the answer to that, but its not there yet.
@@MaxBlight The real issue is hardware limitations. There are some great sandbox games out there that actually come very close but at the end of the day you're at the mercy of computing power and memory. until we have the technology and AI that can provide a 1 to 1 simulation of life DnD will have to do, youre only limited by the dungeon masters imagination
Playing AD&D 2nd edition in the late 80's and early 90's with my buds are some of my fondest memories. No video game, no twitch stream, can ever equal being at the table with your best friends.
PnP for the win. Virtual if it must be do to distance, but you still need to see the other folks.
I get misty eyed over life before the internet too. Spending time with friends and actually talking to them and not sending them 'thumbs up' and short messages and emojis via social media is no substitute for real communication and time spent in their company or talking to them at length on the phone. Is it possible that human friendships themselves are evolving and changing during this era of rapid communications & technological advancement? I observe people at close range, intimately, and the entire thing looks totally different to when I was growing up, psychologically AND behaviourally.
I can agree, DnD has kept my friend group together for 7 years now, we all meet weekly even though we split our paths 4 years ago, it's such a powerful glue for friendships.
Same, when I was stationed in Germany back in the 80's we played ALOT of AD&D in the barracks, just fun pick up games. Miss those times!
Agreed
Whay you said about "needing planks" to keep frienships alive, it really resonated with me and I'm envious of the community you have.
We always say things like "we should hang our sometime", but we never do. My friends are still my brothers, but we really dont see each other much anymore. We all have lives and we really dont have that plank.