Older Grognard posting response. When I started my gaming path, there was the white box set(D&D), the black box set(Traveller) and the 5x7 ziplock set(Star Fleet Battles). There were a few other things but as a poor starving college student, funds were limited and choices had to be made. Large university in a small otherwise rural city with one small FLGS. The size of the rental spot meant the Game Shop(real name) also had to make stocking choices. Later in my college experience came AD&D and a larger boxed set of SFB. Many of those games had a variety of players including many women. The ladies weren't just girl friends of players but free range women choosing to play the game. At the time, Gamers were the wierdos. So we really didn't care if you were female, gay, liberal, went to church or not, etc. When you are already the wierd nerd group, you don't want to be too exclusive. The movie Revenge of the Nerds really did hit close to home for many an early Gamer.
3rd party content was considered stuff in magazines like Dragon, White Wolf and Space Gamer. Of course, this was all pre Internet or even BBS. Some GMs allowed it. Others didn't. When everything is print and photocopies of print, it is much harder to keep a lot of stuff available. We often played in university supplied meeting areas so all game stuff had to be transported there and back. And stored in small dorm rooms. A lot of theater of the mind combats as maps and minis were expensive(and minis being made of lead, heavy).
Because of the rather inclusive nature of those early games, I found it hard to understand the whole 'Gamer Gate' thing. Why wouldn't you want women in gaming?
I think part of the issue today is that gaming is pretty much mainstream so players think they can be exclusive. It is no longer that small outcast band of gamers against 'normal' society. Gaming is normal. Oddly now, many gamers seem to have become rather tribal. "Oh, we only play <game X>, all others are inferior."
If the 'alphabet soup' thing bothers you, don't engage. Over the years, I noticed that many of the people yelling for tolerance are some of the most intolerant people toward those that disagree with any aspect of the thing in question. Something to keep in mind before responding to that 'player wanted' ad.
As far as 3PP, the Internet and portable devices make it possible to have the equivilent of 20+ feet of bookshelves of material at the table. So many players have an expectation that all GMs will of course allow supplement "The Lifestyle of Gray Spotted Round Eared Elves." , and get mad when the poor GM says No. And yes, during the 3e era, there were a lot of folks that published a lot of PDF material. Some good, much not so much. It kind of died down when 4e and the GSL came out. Many shifted for a few years to publishing for Pathfinder but with 5e and the newer OGL, lots of stuff is out. Crowdfunding also contributes. When you can collect the money before committing to a product, it really allows a lot of new stuff.
On knowing the game material, the Internet is the enemy. Too many players are dependent on resources like D&D Beyond or Archives of Nethys. "Why do I have to memorize anything, it is just a quick search away!" Oddly, I have seen VTTs really slow games down as players waste time searching for stuff every time it is their turn to go. Having a plan before it is your time slot seems a foreign thought to many players.
There really are a lot of good groups and players out there. But sorting through all the chaff to find a group compatable with what you think you want can be a chore. Try not to go in with a lot of expectations. Try new stuff. Sometimes it works out.
3rd party content was considered stuff in magazines like Dragon, White Wolf and Space Gamer. Of course, this was all pre Internet or even BBS. Some GMs allowed it. Others didn't. When everything is print and photocopies of print, it is much harder to keep a lot of stuff available. We often played in university supplied meeting areas so all game stuff had to be transported there and back. And stored in small dorm rooms. A lot of theater of the mind combats as maps and minis were expensive(and minis being made of lead, heavy).
Because of the rather inclusive nature of those early games, I found it hard to understand the whole 'Gamer Gate' thing. Why wouldn't you want women in gaming?
I think part of the issue today is that gaming is pretty much mainstream so players think they can be exclusive. It is no longer that small outcast band of gamers against 'normal' society. Gaming is normal. Oddly now, many gamers seem to have become rather tribal. "Oh, we only play <game X>, all others are inferior."
If the 'alphabet soup' thing bothers you, don't engage. Over the years, I noticed that many of the people yelling for tolerance are some of the most intolerant people toward those that disagree with any aspect of the thing in question. Something to keep in mind before responding to that 'player wanted' ad.
As far as 3PP, the Internet and portable devices make it possible to have the equivilent of 20+ feet of bookshelves of material at the table. So many players have an expectation that all GMs will of course allow supplement "The Lifestyle of Gray Spotted Round Eared Elves." , and get mad when the poor GM says No. And yes, during the 3e era, there were a lot of folks that published a lot of PDF material. Some good, much not so much. It kind of died down when 4e and the GSL came out. Many shifted for a few years to publishing for Pathfinder but with 5e and the newer OGL, lots of stuff is out. Crowdfunding also contributes. When you can collect the money before committing to a product, it really allows a lot of new stuff.
On knowing the game material, the Internet is the enemy. Too many players are dependent on resources like D&D Beyond or Archives of Nethys. "Why do I have to memorize anything, it is just a quick search away!" Oddly, I have seen VTTs really slow games down as players waste time searching for stuff every time it is their turn to go. Having a plan before it is your time slot seems a foreign thought to many players.
There really are a lot of good groups and players out there. But sorting through all the chaff to find a group compatable with what you think you want can be a chore. Try not to go in with a lot of expectations. Try new stuff. Sometimes it works out.
