Role-playing fans didn’t always have it so easy.  While now we have high-tech computers able to produce complex graphics and track tons of statistics, geeks used have to use ancient technology like pencil and paper to get their fantasy fix.  Dungeons and Dragons launched in 1974 almost single-handedly starting the role-playing industry.  Players bought books filled with statistics, monsters, spells, and story ideas to create their own characters and worlds.  Using dice and a lot of imagination, geeks were able to play complex games before computer processors could handle the challenges.  Of course, now video games can do all the fantastic stuff in Dungeons and Dragons, but the imagination side is so addictive, the game has an avid following still, with an updated version due out this year.