Define the term "campaign"

[Ariosto]

If we were to say that WWI and WWII were the same military campaign, then I'd accept the "world setting" version of the term. But they weren't the same military campaign.

I'm not sure to what your "non-acceptance" might amount. Presumably you are aware of what you are rejecting, and so shall not be genuinely flummoxed by the usage in old books and magazines.

 

[Umbran]

I'm not sure to what your "non-acceptance" might amount.

Just a personal opinion, which seems to me what Bullgrit asked for.

Presumably you are aware of what you are rejecting, and so shall not be genuinely flummoxed by the usage in old books and magazines.

Well, The Ancients are not the end-all, be-all of gaming. While they had some wisdom, that doesn't mean we are stuck with their terminology for all eternity. The world turns, life goes on, and word use changes.

 

[Ariosto]

Now, we could all look at this and consider that when using the term, “campaign,” in this forum, if you don’t mean a series of adventures undertaken by a group of PCs, you probably should explain your different intent in your post.

I think that dog won't hunt.

It would be a proof of concept, though, for you, Bullgrit, to explain your intended meaning of 'campaign' in each post!

That's in the post itself, not in the signature. For one thing, folks may be in the habit of ignoring signatures. For another, it is consistency with present usage that counts. You must come up with something or other if ever you refer to "the Blackmoor campaign"!

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

You must come up with something or other if ever you refer to "the Blackmoor campaign"!

Perhaps we would all do well to take a lesson from Prince and call it "The Setting Formerly Known as 'The Blackmoor Campaign'."

 

[Ariosto]

It's sort of funny how some people invest so much energy in trying to force other people to use a word their way -- instead of in actually building understanding.

It's also sort of sad.

 

[jonesy]

Perhaps we would all do well to take a lesson from Prince and call it "The Setting Formerly Known as 'The Blackmoor Campaign'."

Where was it ever called "The Blackmoor Campaign"?

Observe:
"The First Fantasy Campaign begins, appropriately enough, with an overview of "Blackmoor, the Campaign," which was a series of wargames scenarios that provided the backdrop for the setting."

The supplement was titled simply "Blackmoor". And later it became the "Blackmoor Campaign Setting".

 

[MarkB]

A campaign can survive both changes in character roster and changes in player roster. I've had campaigns with over 100% change in characters and a couple of campaigns with 100% player change over a few years.

I've certainly seen the former. I remember when I first ran a really gruelling published campaign, Red Hand of Doom, and the PCs reached a town where they were supposed to be hailed as the heroes who'd successfully defended a particular bridge earlier in the campaign. I was halfway through describing this when it dawned on us that none of the characters who had been at the bridge battle were still alive at this point.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Where was it ever called "The Blackmoor Campaign"?

I really have no idea. My statement was a tongue-in-cheek response to the post above mine in which the term "the Blackmoor campaign" was used. Obviously my lame attempt at humor failed. Not the first time.

The term "campaign" is in fact fairly well-defined. In an earlier post, I excerpted text from several sources published in the last 10 years-- 3.5e DMG, 4e DMG, Labyrinth Lord, Wikipedia-- in which it is fairly clear what a campaign is considered to be nowadays.

I think it's quite reasonable that someone encountering the term on a modern message board would expect it to be used with its most common meaning in the context. It's up to those who use it in its more dated mode to be clear what they mean if it truly poses an obstacle to understanding-- especially in a forum like this where there is a wide variation in age, culture and experience.

Imho, that is "building understanding".

 

[Ariosto]

Where was it ever called "The Blackmoor Campaign"?

With that arbitrary capitalization? Apart from what you quoted? Somewhere, almost certainly!

Gygax once wrote, "As BLACKMOOR is the only campaign with a life of five years, and GREYHAWK with a life of four is the second longest running campaign, the most able adventurers should not yet have attained 20th level except in the two named campaigns. To my certain knowledge no player in either BLACKMOOR or GREYHAWK has risen above 14th level."

It's up to those who use it in its more dated mode to be clear what they mean

Well, you'll have to take that up with Gary, I guess.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Well, you'll have to take that up with Gary, I guess.

Ok, then?