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Not only did I observe the limits, but I currently observe the limits. :)

I consider 1e AD&D to be the de facto standard for "this is Dungeons & Dragons." Despite variations, I consider all of the TSR D&D editions to be pretty much the same game, as far as their core rules go. I think WotC D&D broke with that to some degree with 3e, and to a greater degree with 4e...

A megadungeon excels as sort of campaign sandbox. It doesn't give you a story-arc to play, it gives the the backdrop and the tools for creating your own stories through play in the dungeon. It gives you lots of rooms and detail so it can support many and various groups. It can support...

I'm not sure such a beast exists. BRP might fit the bill, depending on your definition of "rules light." The basic rules are pretty straightforward and easy to grasp, and since it's skill-based, character customization is "built in."

Even more significantly (to me, anyway), it's being released for Swords & Wizardry, as well. Since Rappan Athuk began its life as a dungeon for TSR D&D, having a version for Swords & Wizardry is kind of like it "coming home." (A Pathfinder version is cool, although likely to be very similar...

Crocodile Dundee figured out a method.

Attack the party with 2-12 housecats from the MMII: AC6 MV5 HD1-5hp #AT2 D1-2/1 Special: Rear claws for 1-2. Tougher than kobolds and with up to 3 attacks per round (gets the rear-claw attack if both forepaws hit). Wouldn't normally attack man-sized creatures, but these are -- no doubt --...

On my "active gaming" shelves: Original D&D + Supplements, 1e AD&D On my "reference" shelves: Holmes, '81 B/X, '83 BECMI and RC In storage boxes: 2e AD&D, 3.0 D&D, Castles & Crusades Never bought 3.5, 4e, or Pathfinder (and have never played Pathfinder). Oh, I also have copies of OSRIC, Swords...

Here's what I think: TSR was killing AD&D: running it right into the ground. Bad thing. WotC "killed AD&D" as an in-print game. Bad that AD&D is no longer in print, but also neutral because the AD&D trademark is no longer tied to an in-print and ever-changing game. "AD&D" has a stronger and...

Seconded. FWIW, I prefer the classic Traveller (or Mongoose Traveller) mechanisms over the d20 variants, too.

I've got no problem with someone playing a gay character, or a bisexual character, or whatever. Nevertheless, "exploration" of a character's sexuality is not the kind of thing I want in a role-playing game. (And it doesn't matter what sexual orientation we're talking about.) I find that more...

Wow, tough call. I think I'd lean towards Call of Cthulhu. It excels at one-shots, and the percentage-based BRP concept is easy for newbies to grok. I think the horror aspect may also have broader appeal than Traveller's brand of sci-fi (although if you sell Traveller as "Firefly-style...

I think Gary was mistaken about the importance of a unified standard set of D&D rules. That might be good for tournaments, and it might be good for the company selling the game, but I don't think it's critical for the game or the hobby. I can definitely say that *I* don't need a publisher like...

Fortune and glory! (I'm of the opinion that when you present a sandbox with interesting bits and tell the players the goal is fortune and glory, you get the best of both worlds: the freedom of the sandbox, but also a story (or stories) that will come about through play. Sandbox doesn't mean...

I'd use BRP. (In fact, I did a one-shot survival horror with BRP a few years ago.)

I think the secondary skill "system" is the best approach to skills in the class/level paradigm of D&D. I much prefer it over grafted-on non-weapon proficiencies or the "general skills" of later Basic/Expert/Etc. D&D (or the hybrid class/level + skill system approach of WotC D&D, for that matter).

Nice list of swashbuckler influences. Stanley Weyman is another good author to add to Sabatini, Dumas, et alii. I've been dying to run a game of Flashing Blades. Oh, check out The Shaman's Flashing Blades campaign wiki.

That's how it works for me, too. I'd also add the Thieves World anthologies, along with Moorcock and Leiber. I might steal isolated elements or ideas from REH or Tolkien, but the overall approach and feel is much more Moocock/Leiber.

There's also Fight On! and Knockspell. They're not free, and their focus is broader (i.e. not just 1e, but also OD&D and other older RPGs), but you can get them as printed magazines, which is nice.

Depends on the system. Some systems are designed to work with called shots, and in that case, I think they're great. D&D, on the other hand, was designed with a much more abstract approach to combat, and I dislike called shots in D&D. More thoughts on it here.