 September 22, 2017 - 2:57pm | Interesting reading fills in some puzzle pieces. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3866268-TSR-Pt-4.html I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 22, 2017 - 3:19pm | Repeatedly the identity of the interviewed person is redacted. Its a woman. Her view of wargamers: "a typical wargaming enthusiast is overweight and not neat in appearance" Another redacted name but no doubt we can find out who it was: "In 1973 Gugax, Donald Kaye and ___________ formed a partnership in the gaming industry that evolved in 1975 inot TSR." It is interesting that the woman giving this interview to the FBI is concerned with the facts that Gary is eccentric, a drug user, carries a firearm, is seeking to evade paying taxes, is part of a group of enthusiast that are over weight and not neat in appearance, and warns the FBI that wargamers are very loyal to each other so they should be careful who they talk to lest the investigation be derailed. It seems that the the investigation was started in conjunction to bomb threats against TSR but she spent a lot of time throwing Gary under the bus with the FBI "he carries a gun and uses drugs" doing her best to get the FBI to go after him. She also know details of court settlements between Gary and TSR- money paid and etc. I think we can surmise, or at least I feel that I can surmise, the identity of the interviewee: non other than the then present head of TSR Lorraine Williams. I'll admit I have been among the first to rail on her in the past for killing Star Frontiers as an active product but the view I get of her in this FBI interview is rather sad and pathetic. Its entirely possible that her killing it saved it from becoming a mash up of Star Wars and Gama World in the hands of Kim Eastland which may have done us a favor. Star Frontiers isn't dead despite her best efforts and the Buck Rogers RPG that replaced it has few to no fans and no fan community keeping it alive. We are an alive and thriving community with fan magazines and several fan websites with lots of activity and the rare heated discussion. I raise my glass of Yazirian Brandy and offer a toast to you my fellow Frontiersman, "I'm proud to be numbered with you, long live the Frontier!" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 22, 2017 - 6:52pm | It couldn't possibly be Whore-aine Williams, because she too is overweight and not neat in appearance. |
September 22, 2017 - 9:56pm | It couldn't possibly be Whore-aine Williams, because she too is overweight and not neat in appearance. I kept thinking about how she's the only person that would fit for who the FBI interviewed and how ironic that she criticized wargamers for things that applied to her. and despite that I still think its her. Just knowing the details of court settlements suggests its her, to the best of my knowledge Gary never told, other than to say he got paid a lot. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 23, 2017 - 5:41am | Funny thing is I watched the Futurama episode with Gary Gygax in it and to be frank they had him as overwieght and not the sharpest dresser in the group. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 23, 2017 - 7:02am | It probably is her, I just found it amusing how she described herself perfectly when describing the "typical gamer". As far as stereotyping goes....I am overweight. Granted I doubt she had someone who rumbled in to a gaming session on a motorcycle in mind when she staked that claim. ;) |
 September 23, 2017 - 8:43am | Interesting read... the bomb described from the aircraft sounded like one from the Unabomber. That would have been a target... he is anti-technology... so planes would be on his hit list. Just like the guy my husband knows who survived an Unabomber bombing, whose sin was running a Computer store... just saying that seems more up Ted's ally than Gary's or anyone in the gaming community no matter how pissed off they were at TSR. She seems angry in general and several old school gaming groups or businesses and thus the people associated with them. I noted no mention of crazy religious types that think RPG is satanic, and by the time this report was done that crap had already happened... I still run into that BS. The fact is she is biased as heck and was out to use the FBI to get even for something which is not helpful if TSR was getting threats, which they probably where. Clouded judgement, personal biases and paranoia does not solve cases. Just saying and I bet the FBI figured that out. I like how she first talks up the academia parents of the folks who play war games or RPGs and how smart those people are but then thrashes everyone at the end in academia. Umm maybe it was just that specific college she hated? She had issues for sure it seems with more than just Gary. I wonder who the FBI showed the IED too and what the big blank box said. Just a crazy read... makes you wonder what the agents actually thought about it all, they just reported the info passed to them. I wonder what they said to each other off the books. I wonder what the significance of F.C. was to the FBI as they did explain possible meanings in the report or how TSR's bomb threats tied into the Airlines's bomb. Just Interesting all around. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
September 25, 2017 - 5:08am | Or did someone think making a bomb threat herself against her own company would be a good way to get Gygax into trouble? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
September 25, 2017 - 11:24pm | It's a pity Mentzer is no longer part of Dragonsfoot, he often contributed detailed info as to what the wildebeest did to the company. He even coined a hilarious nickname for her somewhere along the way, I wish I could remember what it was now but I just remember spraying Mt. Dew out of my nostrils when I read it... Anyways here's a lengthy thread on the topic if anyone is interested in delving through 9-10 pages worth of dialogue (and said comment may be lurking within those posts): P.S. "ExTSR would be Frank Mentzer's handle there. P.S.S. you'll find more examples of the typical trolling Frank mentioned in his "Departure Thread" in the LW thread... |
September 26, 2017 - 8:12am | It's a pity Mentzer is no longer part of Dragonsfoot, he often contributed detailed info as to what the wildebeest did to the company. He even coined a hilarious nickname for her somewhere along the way, I wish I could remember what it was now but I just remember spraying Mt. Dew out of my nostrils when I read it... Anyways here's a lengthy thread on the topic if anyone is interested in delving through 9-10 pages worth of dialogue (and said comment may be lurking within those posts): P.S. "ExTSR would be Frank Mentzer's handle there. P.S.S. you'll find more examples of the typical trolling Frank mentioned in his "Departure Thread" in the LW thread... Thanks Shadow, that was very instructive. I myself have largely focused on what she did to Star Frontiers and not quite so much what she did to the company and D&D. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
