Why is there a rush to define vintage gaming?

[Henry]

I'd kind of like it if I could clarify "Old school RPG" for when I'm setting up a game with other folks, and some wouldn't come in disappointed because "element X", which they equate with the term, is not to be found. Or even more, some people hear the term and get turned off immediately without even looking twice, when if you describe what elements are in your "Old School" game, they might say, "why the hell have I been avoiding it all these years???" because the term was code for "Killer DM," or some such rot.

 

[Oryan77]

Why is there a rush to define vintage gaming?

Because the modern day 4e players are trying to figure out who to round up and put on the box trains and who gets to stay and play D&D.

Just do what I'm doing, hide in the walls with your group and play D&D real quietly. Hopefully the 3e players will soon rescue us and end the persecution.

 

[ggroy]

I'd kind of like it if I could clarify "Old school RPG" for when I'm setting up a game with other folks, and some wouldn't come in disappointed because "element X", which they equate with the term, is not to be found. Or even more, some people hear the term and get turned off immediately without even looking twice, when if you describe what elements are in your "Old School" game, they might say, "why the hell have I been avoiding it all these years???" because the term was code for "Killer DM," or some such rot.

In some circles, "old school rpg" is synonymous with making 12+ characters in advance before even starting to play the game. Sometimes even more characters have to be made up after all the initial 12+ characters die, before even leveling up to the 2nd level.

 

[jaerdaph]

Old School is like pornography - I know it when I see it.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

Because the modern day 4e players are trying to figure out who to round up and put on the box trains and who gets to stay and play D&D.

Just do what I'm doing, hide in the walls with your group and play D&D real quietly. Hopefully the 3e players will soon rescue us and end the persecution.

I'm going to have to round myself up?

1e saved me from 3e in the first place, I don't want to be "rescued" by 3e players.

 

[Marius Delphus]

As I implied in one of the other threads, I think the "old school" label is, in the end, personal to the person applying the label and can't usefully be constrained to mean any one thing.

 

[Umbran]

There are two reasons people want to hash this out. Not everybody is at it for both reasons, but the reasons are not mutually exclusive either.

1) Some folks feel there's actually an effective genre difference, and analysis of such can be enlightening.

2) It is an edition war with the serial numbers filed off - yet another way to divide gamers into "Them" and "Us".

 

[coyote6]

What Umbran said, plus what Henry said, plus what ggroy said, plus what XKCD said.

 

[Marius Delphus]

I understand what you're saying, but I'm still of the opinion that the whole thing is not destined to be very productive. I'm willing to be proven wrong, of course.

Regarding point (1), I'm inclined to doubt that taking a batch of characteristics which some attribute to older versions of D&D (and Tunnels & Trolls, and other older games), piling them all together, and labeling them "old school" is going to ultimately crystallize or clarify that discussion. In general, I'm wary of generalizing to this degree.

Regarding point (2), I don't think I can properly express my dismay at the tendency to do this (omitting "regrettable facets of human nature" rant), but it's both nothing new and to be expected, I suppose.

 

[catsclaw227]

I guess, if I were going to don my conspiracy hat, I'd wager that it's a drive by some people towards a revealing point where they can yank the tablecloth off and go "AHA! Not only are the dishes still standing, but there is no 'old school' and the people who are part of that movement* can't tell you why the old games are good, they're just being contrarians, and in fact the old games aren't good!" If I were going to don my conspiracy hat, that is.

Actually, from what I have observed and read on various blogs, the desire to codify and define "old-school" is being done by the proponents of old school gaming, not the conspirators you are accusing, which by your post seem to be 3e and 4e players.