OSR Old School Essentials Box Sets Kickstarter

[Greggy C]

As someone who has run and played OSE, follows it on various social media channels, doesn't dislike the system, etc., I think the greatest enemy to OSE is the confusing wide range of essentially the same product. New players are frequently befuddled by what to get.
The most frequently asked questions I see online are:
"What do I need to get started?"
"Do I need the Core Rulebook only?"
"Do I need the Advanced Guide?"
"Do I need these two separate Core Rulebooks?"
"What about this boxed set?"
This is the last thing that brand needs.

Not much they can do about it now, but I found all the different books confusing as to what I should buy. Too many of them. On the other side of the coin is Castles and Crusades. I'm still not 100% sure that I only need the "Players Handbook". DCC though super, easy, one book, done.

 

[Parmandur]

As someone who has run and played OSE, follows it on various social media channels, doesn't dislike the system, etc., I think the greatest enemy to OSE is the confusing wide range of essentially the same product. New players are frequently befuddled by what to get.
The most frequently asked questions I see online are:
"What do I need to get started?"
"Do I need the Core Rulebook only?"
"Do I need the Advanced Guide?"
"Do I need these two separate Core Rulebooks?"
"What about this boxed set?"
This is the last thing that brand needs.

To be fair, that's some pretty effective Channeling of TSR publishing standards.

 

[darjr]

It is confusing. I’ve actually stayed away in part because of it. This Kickstarter will be my entry. And I hope they coalesce the offerings?

Didn’t that sorta happen with the change from B/X essentials?

 

[Retreater]

Not much they can do about it now, but I found all the different books confusing as to what I should buy. Too many of them.

They could let the others go out of print and focus on the Advanced Fantasy Players and Referees Tomes as the core experience.

 

[darjr]

Also getting Erol Otus is cool. I want to reward that.

 

[Retreater]

Also getting Erol Otus is cool. I want to reward that.

I'm not denying they make a good product. I own most of what they've made. I'm saying only that their catalog of a bunch of similar core books is confusing to new customers and would likely benefit from simplification.

 

[darjr]

I'm not denying they make a good product. I own most of what they've made. I'm saying only that their catalog of a bunch of similar core books is confusing to new customers and would likely benefit from simplification.

No disagreement here.

If they did this with this Kickstarter would that be workable? Do you think?

Acceptable to past and future customers?

 

[Aldarc]

I'm not denying they make a good product. I own most of what they've made. I'm saying only that their catalog of a bunch of similar core books is confusing to new customers and would likely benefit from simplification.

I agree. That is one reason why I am interested in this product. It offers me an opportunity to have a clearer starting point of some sort plus the convenience of a box set.

 

[Volund]

I don't know if this has been clearly stated, but this KS is not offering any new OSE material. It is a reprint of previously published books with new artwork on boxes.

I backed the Advanced Fantasy KS and run a weekly OSE game. It's my favorite D&D system right now. But their product line is a mess and "what books do I need?" is a regular question on their FB page. Not even counting the 5 original softcover B/X Essentials books, 13 different books (+ 3 deluxe collector's editions) have been published for a set of rules that can be found in their entirety in just 2 volumes - the Advanced Fantasy Player's Tome and Advanced Fantasy Referee's Tome. Some OSE customers began with modular volumes while others started with the rules tomes, and Nectotic Gnome seems stuck with publishing parallel formats of the same rule system.

So this KS is satisfying three customer needs: folks who missed out on the Classic Fantasy 5-volume box set KS, folks who have that box set and want a matching box set of Advanced Fantasy expansion books, and folks who don't have any OSE books and for some reason want to wait the rest of 2022 for two box sets instead of buying the two Advanced Fantasy tomes available to buy today on the Exalted Funeral website.

 

[JohnF]

folks who don't have any OSE books and for some reason want to wait the rest of 2022 for two box sets instead of buying the two Advanced Fantasy tomes available to buy today on the Exalted Funeral website.

Can you elaborate? I’m in the camp of those who want in on OSE but are confused by the catalog. I don’t have OSE and would love to not wait long to give it a go. If I’m primarily interested in the B/X-y experience, can the Advanced Fantasy book(s) give that to me?