Which decade would you choose?

[R_J_K75]

But I had to wonder whether it would even have been popular back then, or if we needed to go from there to here in order to appreciate it.

I 100% believe that there needed to be the natural progression of editions. 3E definitely paved the way, so without it there wouldn't be 5E.

 

[Henry]

If you had to be trapped in a decade from the 20th century, and live there, which would you choose? You don’t get to use your future knowledge to your advantage; you have to live the decade as it was but you’re your current age (you don’t get to be younger again!)

And - importantly - why?

1980s. A lot of my reasons are influenced by me living in the U.S. Making assumptions that (1) I am still living where I lived, and (2) I could have skillsets I have now that also exist in the decade, then:

1. U.S. Economy was doing phenomenally, and the U.S. still had a pretty healthy middle class.
2. U.S. was not involved in any major conflicts, other than the last remnants of the Cold War.
3. Both computers and Unix were things in the 80s -- I could have made a very comfortable living working for a larger university or corporation, even using the skills I have today. (Here, I'm being a little interpretive with "can't use your future knowledge to your advantage" - if I had the EXACT skills I had in the 80s, I'd be a kid and not know jack ! So I'm assuming skill sets that would have been available in the 80s )
4. TV had some of the most awesome shows ever produced running. Heck, everything from Dukes of Hazzard to MacGyver to Airwolf to Golden Girls were on.
5. I could even still play D&D, and possibly with some of the same people I played with back then (my D&D groups from back then was a mix of teens and twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings.)

Now, 80s weren't all wine and roses, I'm not ignorant - plenty of racial injustice and profiling, totally hidden because of no phone cameras yet or camcorders (camcorders existed, but not common), the AIDS epidemic, unrest all over the globe, still threat of nuclear war (even though we know in hindsight it didn't happen), but based on where I lived at the time, it was a relatively privileged life for me and my family, and I'm pretty sure I could have recreated such for myself and a wife and kids at the time as a university sysadmin or corporate drone.

 

[Ryujin]

The 1990s. Music was OK, if not great overall. Most of the medical advances we currently have, that have an effect on my life at my current age, already existed. And maybe, just maybe my employer (a computer manufacturer) would listen to me this time when I said, "You really need to look into this World Wide Web thing. It's growing quickly and could be a great advertising medium." They could have been another Dell. Instead they no longer exist.

 

[Maxperson]

The 90's. Good music. Not a lot of horrible things like the 2000's. Decent tech. Not as much global warming. Good MTG sets. I'd be playing 2e forever, but it had the best lore.

 

[aco175]

Pre-social media, but post internet. Might be a loop on a one-year span.

 

[opacitizen]

What do you mean trapped in a decade? Like they would last forever, repeating from 0-9? After 1999, I'd be back in 1990? Also, what does "live there" mean? For how long? Would I be aging as the decade loops over and over and over, or would I also be rolling back? Would I be forgetting the past 10 years with each reset?

 

[Maxperson]

What do you mean trapped in a decade? Like they would last forever, repeating from 0-9? After 1999, I'd be back in 1990? Also, what does "live there" mean? For how long? Would I be aging as the decade loops over and over and over, or would I also be rolling back? Would I be forgetting the past 10 years with each reset?

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I'd do 1990s. That way I get to not live in this decade anymore, but not be so far back that there are huge wars going on or anything.

 

[billd91]

1990s. I think people forget that there was a lot of optimism floating around. The Cold War seemed to be over. Iraq was contained. NATO worked together.

 

[cbwjm]

1980s, 1990s. Diabetes medicine is still good and I'd likely be able to afford to buy my own home. Nobody looks good (seriously, why all the shoulder pads and big hair?) But since I don't know what I know now I'll be none the wiser. Since I'm 41 I'll likely end up being overwhelmed by the technological advances of the next couples decades, hopefully I'll have kids to annoy who grew up with it and can solve my IT issues.