Code Name: Rogue
Location: Bartlett, IL (Somewhere in Chicagoland)
In junior high Roger first met up with his first future Rogue Judge, Tadd, who would later become his Left hand of Evil in running Rogue Judges. At this time though they just had a friendly rivalry over who was the better musician. By high school Roger took his various skills and began applying them to his future. He joined the chess club and made friends with many like-minded people. Traveling around the state with them to various competitions they became fast friends. Soon they began playing other games like Lost Worlds between chess games and Roger began organizing gaming sessions outside the chess club.
Honing his gaming skills from games like Dungeons and Dragons, Car Wars, Advanced Civilization, and Star Fleet Battles, Roger began wondering if he couldn’t design a game of his own. Beginning with a variation on Risk Roger began the long process of designing his own game. After a couple of years on major changes he finally came up with the basics of what would become Conquest of the StarLords.
In college Roger continued refining his game and continued to rely on his friends for playtesting. He managed to convince his friends to keep coming back to play as often as he could and in the process managed to refine his organizational skills as well. Roger also made new friends in college and one of them, Ron, introduced Roger to Gen Con for the first time.
Setting up in the Open Gaming Area of MECCA Roger managed to convince many new people to try his game. Buoyed by success Roger registered his game as an official event the next year. Bringing along Tadd as well Roger began the Gen Con tradition of StarLords. Over the next few years StarLords would continue to grow until hundreds had played and enjoyed it and he had to bring in Rob Hines as yet another judge.
Finding that the games he wanted to play often conflicted with his schedule Roger in consultation with the other judges decided to expand the games they offered so that he could play the games he wanted to. With Roger being the organizational force it was decided to name this new naming group Rogue Judges based on his nickname and the philosophy of “We judge what we want, when we want.” Over the next few years Rogue Judges welcomed in others who shared this view and because of the friendships Roger made with other judges he was able to bring in the Annual Diplomacy Tournament into the fold as well.