With Hampshire College closing, I took a moment to look at the alumni that have gone through the school and I got quite a big surprise. Two, in my eyes, of the most influential tabletop role-play game designers are not only alumni of the school but also apparently local western Massachusetts residents.
D. Vincent Baker and Meguey Baker graduated from Hampshire College and while I am sure they can speak more about how their experience at Hampshire College informed their careers and trajectories, I believe their impact is important to highlight as we mourn the loss of a flexible higher education instruction style which allowed innovative approaches in studies and which mirrored in some ways the flexible studies at UMass Amherst BDIC program which I graduated from.
For those who are unaware, tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) are a type of game where you and other participants pretend they are a character in a scenario presented by a game director or gamemaster. When something happens in the game to your character, the director establishes if the action succeeds or fails according to the rules, usually involving chance through dice.
The most well-known and oldest of this style of games is Dungeons & Dragons (1974) with many other similar games developed for different genres and styles. TTRPG games, especially early on, were difficult to play as a first-time player because of the overload of information you needed to know first before playing the game. Independent game developers in the early 2000s through online forums began to approach TTRPG’s differently where more emphasis was places on narrative game design, or where the development of story in game satisfies the player more so than a simulation of a scenario or “winning.”
While many authors published various games in this narrative focused direction, the Bakers eventually created the game Apocalypse World in 2010, an award-winning game with two editions and inspiring many games based on the approach taken in Apocalypse World. In addition to a much more approachable game for a first-time player, the flexibility and creativity for all players to engage with the scenarios presented to them was seen by some as a breath of fresh air and creativity.
While they have done much more than what I’ve listed here, and speaking more as a fan than from direct knowledge, I can imagine that the pedagogical approach at Hampshire College would have certainly supported their approach to creativity and flexibility in game design, as game design as a path of study did not effectively exist in higher education in the late 1990s/early 2000s. I wonder then what other influences Hampshire College I will see and feel in different forms, hobbies, and work. It really makes me think it is true shame that we will no longer see such an institution continue.
As a side note, for those interested in this flexible type of studies after Hampshire College closes, I would still encourage those interested who will study in the Five Colleges to take advantage of taking classes at the other institutions. For those at UMass, the BDIC track (bachelor’s degree with individual concentration) was a life saver for my own studies.
Thank you to the Bakers for your TTRPG work (and hours of stories at my table) and wishing for a bright future for higher education in challenging times.
Michael Venne lives in Florence.