#RPGADAY: First RPG Played

The first role-playing game I ever played, like many my age I am sure, was whatever version of Dungeons & Dragons came with Zanzer Tem's dungeon. Basic I think, as I remember it only having had five levels, three alignments, and race-as-class.

I think I mostly enjoyed the game despite most of my games making absolutely no goddamn sense: I recall allowing my cousin, friends, and sometimes even oldest sister to often succeed because I did not want to hurt their feelings, or have them become frustrated and stop playing.

But, even as a child there were things I disliked, though given a lack of exposure to other role-playing games, game design, and the opinions of other gamers I would not understand precisely why until many years later:

• Race-as-class rubbed me the wrong way: I never understood why a halfling could not be a fighter or a magic-user, or an elf could not be a cleric.
• There were only three alignments, and I felt that they were too restrictive to your character's personality.
• Magic-users could not wear armor, period. I remember there being several kinds of half-assed reasons for this, which might as well have just said: this is for what we consider to be a balance reason, because if a wizard could wear armor at all it will break the game. This was one of those times where my sister asked why someone else could not just put it on for her, and I ended up having to say, "No, you just can't".
• The magic system was, at the time only a bit confusing (why do you memorize and forget spells, and why do you have to be completely rested to re-memorize them), but I had read some Dungeons & Dragons novels by then and just kind of accepted it. By the time 3rd Edition rolled around I started really disliking it (I'd been exposed to many other role-playing game by then), and soon after that I realized that it made absolutely no fucking sense.
• The adventure was incredibly rail-roady. Like, you would get caught, and other things would happen regardless of your actions. It was really frustrating for my players when I first ran it, as they basically could try rolling a stat, with only one of two outcomes occurring. 

Eventually I started getting some of the books for 2nd Edition, and never looked back: more classes and levels, non-weapon proficiencies, and races besides human that can actually choose a class? Good riddance, I say.