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<blockquote data-quote="Gus L" data-source="post: 9314688" data-attributes="member: 7045072"><p>This is interesting data - though a small sample size I'd think. As someone who was part of the OSR scene and publishing in it from 2011 through 2019 and then Post-OSR spaces since then it seems to reflect a specific fragment or category of players in those spaces or scenes that is made up largely of newer players and may be somewhat detached from the larger space/history. Many of the source spaces listed are more closely linked to the 5E space (not a bad thing - but not often a font of B/X play experience), and so somewhat outside the legacy of OSR design from the 2006-2020, while a few such as r/osr often seems to be actively dismissive of it (such as when the reddit forum seriously considered banning links to blogs...)</p><p></p><p>We all start playing new games from somewhere (including old games that are new to us), but I would be shocked if the B series of D&D adventures from the early - mid 1980's were the state for teaching how to play, despite being well known. Most of the B series are experiments in different forms of teaching the game - and most fail to one degree or another. </p><p>B1 is a strange, effectively producing a randomly stocked monster zoo with the marks of early 1970's map design and much of the "boardgame" feel of that era. It has promise in parts but in play it often lacks a coherent sense of place and it lacks the treasure to really work as a Palace of the Vampire Queen, 1970's sort of meat grinder dungeon.</p><p>B2 of course has long been well regarded and is one of the most widely published and played modules. Yet it's actually pretty sparse on advice for running the faction intrigue rich, "cavalry story" Western plotline that it aims for, or the heist/crime one that it sometimes gets subverted into. The subject matter and focus on wholesale murder of various humanoids also leave some players with a bad impression. </p><p>B3 is interesting, but a mess due to the internal TSR conflict over its first printing and the changes made to it for the next. Great imagery, fairy-tale sensibilities, but in play a slog that has never been especially well regarded. Its intro tools largely consist of a sort of choose your own adventure that is moderately successful at best and teaches a very constrained rules focused referee style if it teaches anything.</p><p>B4, like B2 is well regarded, and has a stronger set of advice and more robust set up for running factions, but I have never heard it described as especially easy to run and it leaves an entire buried city the referee must complete if the adventure is to continue logically.</p><p>B11 is a BECMI module. A drab Orcs in a Hole adventure with tedious moralizing and an absurdly small scope. It has a few bright spots in the writing, but it's basically a one page dungeon with advice aimed at keeping Patricia Pulling from raising a mob to burn down Lake Geneva.</p><p></p><p>I could go on - but I think that's enough for now.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gus L, post: 9314688, member: 7045072"] This is interesting data - though a small sample size I'd think. As someone who was part of the OSR scene and publishing in it from 2011 through 2019 and then Post-OSR spaces since then it seems to reflect a specific fragment or category of players in those spaces or scenes that is made up largely of newer players and may be somewhat detached from the larger space/history. Many of the source spaces listed are more closely linked to the 5E space (not a bad thing - but not often a font of B/X play experience), and so somewhat outside the legacy of OSR design from the 2006-2020, while a few such as r/osr often seems to be actively dismissive of it (such as when the reddit forum seriously considered banning links to blogs...) We all start playing new games from somewhere (including old games that are new to us), but I would be shocked if the B series of D&D adventures from the early - mid 1980's were the state for teaching how to play, despite being well known. Most of the B series are experiments in different forms of teaching the game - and most fail to one degree or another. B1 is a strange, effectively producing a randomly stocked monster zoo with the marks of early 1970's map design and much of the "boardgame" feel of that era. It has promise in parts but in play it often lacks a coherent sense of place and it lacks the treasure to really work as a Palace of the Vampire Queen, 1970's sort of meat grinder dungeon. B2 of course has long been well regarded and is one of the most widely published and played modules. Yet it's actually pretty sparse on advice for running the faction intrigue rich, "cavalry story" Western plotline that it aims for, or the heist/crime one that it sometimes gets subverted into. The subject matter and focus on wholesale murder of various humanoids also leave some players with a bad impression. B3 is interesting, but a mess due to the internal TSR conflict over its first printing and the changes made to it for the next. Great imagery, fairy-tale sensibilities, but in play a slog that has never been especially well regarded. Its intro tools largely consist of a sort of choose your own adventure that is moderately successful at best and teaches a very constrained rules focused referee style if it teaches anything. B4, like B2 is well regarded, and has a stronger set of advice and more robust set up for running factions, but I have never heard it described as especially easy to run and it leaves an entire buried city the referee must complete if the adventure is to continue logically. B11 is a BECMI module. A drab Orcs in a Hole adventure with tedious moralizing and an absurdly small scope. It has a few bright spots in the writing, but it's basically a one page dungeon with advice aimed at keeping Patricia Pulling from raising a mob to burn down Lake Geneva. I could go on - but I think that's enough for now. [/QUOTE]
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