Man I loved getting more HP or just 1 new spell when I leveled in AD&D (and OSR). Meant you lived longer. My modern player taken back to Old School loved it to. Heck I'd say they were more excited.
I took a group of 5E players and had them play AD&D. All but one liked it. One guy said he felt like what he did actually mattered. He usually played a Fighter. Which yeah, AD&D you needed people in the front lines taking and giving damage. Not so much now.
The magic users, cleric and...
I play OSR because I want a less bloated game that's not so pro-player survival.
I say this as someone who is currently running (and enjoying) Daggerheart where the players literally cannot die unless they want to.
D&D is just too much and too fluffy. I honestly can't say I'd ever run...
Im not saying they shouldnt earn money, I'm not an idiot and I know how the world works. But I also know a Corp is in it for the bottom line and not for players happiness / whats best for the consumer. Yes, both can happen but at the end of the day money comes first. That's the real world.
As someone who bought a TON of 3rd Ed Unofficial/3rd party stuff that just collected dust, I never to rarely buy 3rd party material anymore for anything.
SD is a odl school style enough where having enough PCs/Hiringlings to fill gapes is needed. Need more front line beef but only 1 PC Fighter? Hireling. No Wizard or Cleric? Hireling. Etc
Horses with saddlebags and/or a cart/wagon holds all the stuff they need instead of having to trek back...
I bought the retro style box set and was missing rules etc. I had to look up a full book to get all the info I actually needed to play. An amazing oversight on a rather nice product.