1E Resurgence?

[Grimstaff]

Is it my imagination, or has there been an increase of interest (ie posts) in 1E the last few weeks?

I wonder if the inherent old-school feel of 4E hasn't led more than a few gamers to explore the style's roots a bit more? Or if "edition wars" fatigue is fostering a fondness for the less-complicated gaming environment of yore?

Whatever it is, glad to see 1E AD&D is not going to fade away any time soon...

 

[thedungeondelver]

Is it my imagination, or has there been an increase of interest (ie posts) in 1E the last few weeks?

I wonder if the inherent old-school feel of 4E hasn't led more than a few gamers to explore the style's roots a bit more? Or if "edition wars" fatigue is fostering a fondness for the less-complicated gaming environment of yore?

Whatever it is, glad to see 1E AD&D is not going to fade away any time soon...

I think it's the rabid 2e/3e/4e fanboys' realization that ONE EE CONQUERS ALL ...!

No, seriously? I think it's all of what you're saying. Nothing wrong with roots gaming.

Edit: BTW, it isn't just you. I've noted it as well. May blog about that. If I can get off my butt and blog again.

 

[HelloChristian]

One of the nice things about 4e is that it has people not only taking about 4e, but about all of the game's incarnations. It's really great to see so many versions of the game - as well as retro clones - being played. When I write for my zine, I really try to cover the edition bases. People have been very receptive.

It bums me out to see so many anti-4e threads. I just want people to game and have fun.

 

[Obryn]

Is it my imagination, or has there been an increase of interest (ie posts) in 1E the last few weeks?

I wonder if the inherent old-school feel of 4E hasn't led more than a few gamers to explore the style's roots a bit more? Or if "edition wars" fatigue is fostering a fondness for the less-complicated gaming environment of yore?

Whatever it is, glad to see 1E AD&D is not going to fade away any time soon...

Well, I'm responsible for at least a few of those.

My resurgence of interest in 1e comes from 3 main sources...

(1) I re-read the Gord the Rogue books recently, and loved the way I could see the game playing out in the novels.

(2) I was looking to see if I could convert ToEE to 4e. My verdict was, while I could, it would likely be better in the edition it was written for.

(3) As a DM, 4e feels a lot like RC/1e. This makes me want to play both 4e and 1e.

edited to add...

(4) I can't read through the 1e books without wanting to play/run it. Especially, putting to use all the DMing skills I've learned since my elementary- and middle-school days when I last ran it.

-O

 

[Grimstaff]

(3) As a DM, 4e feels a lot like RC/1e. This makes me want to play both 4e and 1e.

-O

I'm experiencing this same thing. Maybe I need 2 groups?

 

[jdrakeh]

I haven't really seen anything that would qualify as an AD&D resurgence (it seems to be the same few folks posting about it repeatedly), but I've seen a lot of new faces posting about the various incarnations of Basic D&D, OD&D, and the various clones of those systems.

 

[Obryn]

I'm experiencing this same thing. Maybe I need 2 groups?

I'm lucky enough to have this. They also trust me enough as a DM that I could say we're playing just about anything and they'd go with it.

-O

 

[thedungeondelver]

(4) I can't read through the 1e books without wanting to play/run it. Especially, putting to use all the DMing skills I've learned since my elementary- and middle-school days when I last ran it.

-O

It does something to one, doesn't it? I went digging though the sole AD&D book I had in 1999 - a copy of the PLAYERS HANDBOOK - looking for ideas to crib for a sorcerer transplanted to a HERO SYSTEM based Marvel Universe game we were running and the rest is history.

 

[Grimstaff]

I haven't really seen anything that would qualify as an AD&D resurgence (it seems to be the same few folks posting about it repeatedly), but I've seen a lot of new faces posting about the various incarnations of Basic D&D, OD&D, and the various clones of those systems.

Perhaps true (I've noticed a bit more 1E reference, ymmv), perhaps I should have said, "Resurgence of pre-2E D&D"?

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

(4) I can't read through the 1e books without wanting to play/run it. Especially, putting to use all the DMing skills I've learned since my elementary- and middle-school days when I last ran it...[emphasis added]

That last part mirrors my own experience when I returned to the older editions. One of the things that I picked up while running 3e was an appreciation for the "behind the curtain" stuff; basics of game design and understanding *why* specific rules exist or are written the way they are. When I started playing older editions, again, I took that attitude and applied it to the older editions, too, asking "why is this set up this way?" If you do that and you approach the game on its own terms, it often makes sense of rules and approaches that may not have made sense, before. (I touch on this in my "Considering OD&D?" musing.) I have a better understanding and appreciation of the game than I did when I was younger, and I think I do it a lot more justice, these days.