OD&D 4E and its effect on 1E/OD&D

[Valiant]

With 4E coming out, I wonder if we'll see more 3.5 players start looking at 1E and OSRIC/C&C (and other new 1E support material). To some extent I think 4E is a response to public awareness of these 2 systems (a return to simplicity). Certainly, they're promo tries to play off of the evolution of 1E (grounding it in the games roots). Why not get people to actually take a look at the original game.

 

[HellHound]

I still occasionally run my Rules Cyclopedia campaign, but I don't see 4e as pushing people back to the old rules. I think most 3.5 players will transition to 4e, and those who don't like 4e will just stick with 3.5.

One thing that a simplified rules set can do which I didn't find with OSRIC and C&C is that you can simplify how things work without removing the 'fiddly bits' that help players feel that their characters are unique.

 

[Irda Ranger]

With 4E coming out, I wonder if we'll see more 3.5 players start looking at 1E and OSRIC/C&C (and other new 1E support material). To some extent I think 4E is a response to public awareness of these 2 systems (a return to simplicity). Certainly, they're promo tries to play off of the evolution of 1E (grounding it in the games roots).

Sorry, no.

I don't think that 4e is a "response" to C&C/OCRIC so much as a symptom of the same trend - a game publisher realizing that 3.5 is too complicated for a lot of people, and publishing rules that do away with that complexity.

Also, for those who like 3.5 just fine (thank you), there's no incentive to move to 1e/"old school" systems just because of 4e. They'll stick with their 3.5 books.

For those who want 3.5, just "a little simpler", they'll get 4e.

 

[Valiant]

I'm not saying 3.5 is broken. IMHO it works well for the system that it is. And I'm sure 4E will work well too. However, transition times like this can be good for shaking things up. Getting people interested in earlier versions (and perhaps try them out). One can play both 3.5 and 1E and have fun with both (I do, monthly). I never understood the hostility 3E players seem to have toward earlier versions of the game. Its not better or worse....just different, and IMHO worth checking out (see what Gygax is all about).

 

[Quasqueton]

I never understood the hostility 3E players seem to have toward earlier versions of the game.

Not caring about earlier versions of the game is not hostility toward earlier versions of the game. I played earlier versions of D&D, but I prefer the current version of the game. If the next version somehow turns out to be crap, I'll stick with the current version; I won't feel the need to regress to an earlier version.

I never understood the need of earlier versions players to constantly try to sell the earlier versions to the current version players.

a return to simplicity [AD&D1]

AD&D was/is not a simple game system, by any stretch of the imagination.

Quasqueton

 

[diaglo]

i'm running an OD&D(1974) campaign currently. i plan to continue doing so.

and i'm always open to getting more volunteers.

 

[Desdichado]

With 4E coming out, I wonder if we'll see more 3.5 players start looking at 1E and OSRIC/C&C (and other new 1E support material). To some extent I think 4E is a response to public awareness of these 2 systems (a return to simplicity). Certainly, they're promo tries to play off of the evolution of 1E (grounding it in the games roots). Why not get people to actually take a look at the original game.

Seems like a stretch of logic to me. I don't think 4e is a response to anything so much as it is a response to WotC's need to kick their revenue stream up a notch or two. That said, no doubt the designers are also looking at things that didn't work in 3e and 3.5 quite as well as hoped; the things that were too fiddly and cumbersome, etc. However, I don't see that as a return to 1e, OSRIC or C&C principles. If anything, it seems to be heading the other direction in many ways. Simplify play yes, yet make even more options for players available, and allow even more customization. In fact, those are kinda the antithesis of the 1e, OSIRC and C&C vibe, which got to simplicity by simply not having any real options to speak of (relatively speaking, of course.)

And I suspect that WotC is doing that because they've got market research suggesting that that's the direction the market demand is going. If that's the case, the 1e, OSRIC and C&C market niche will remain essentially what it is now; a stable yet small niche of gamers with old school tastes. I doubt that's a markedly growing demographic. In fact, I'd suspect that the release of 4e may take a chunk out of the demographic altogether as OSRIC, 1e and C&C players try out 4e and many of them decide that they like it and stay.

 

[Desdichado]

I'm not saying 3.5 is broken. IMHO it works well for the system that it is. And I'm sure 4E will work well too. However, transition times like this can be good for shaking things up. Getting people interested in earlier versions (and perhaps try them out).

I fail to see how the release of 4e is going to get people interested in looking at 1e. Seriously; what's the logic there? Sounds more like wishful thinking to me. I think 3.5e players like 4e, they'll move to 4e. If they don't, they'll stay with 3.5e for the time being. Why would they suddenly look to 1e, OSRIC or C&C if they haven't already?

I never understood the hostility 3E players seem to have toward earlier versions of the game. Its not better or worse....just different, and IMHO worth checking out (see what Gygax is all about).

I never understood why people think there is such hostility. Most 3e players (at least those that post and vote in polls and stuff around here, and those I know from my local groups as well) all played the older editions back when they were current. I know I did, and I left D&D altogether because of 1e, honestly. It was a clunky system, not a simple system, and it didn't allow me to do what I wanted with the game without massive rework. I'm not saying 3.5 is the be-all end-all either, but it benefits from decades of watching D&D, the rest of the RPG market outside D&D, and seeing what works and what doesn't and putting it all together in a reasonably attractive package. I wouldn't go back to 1e; and frankly if my group were suddenly consumed with a desire to do so, I'd probably give the game a pass.

But I'm not hostile towards it. I do get a little peeved at the elitist grognards who think it's cool to constantly piss on 3e, though. Not that I'm sensing you're one of those, but sadly it's a common vibe from some. I am somewhat hostile towards being insulted for my preferences.

 

[Aus_Snow]

4e will get a lot of people to look at 4e, I suspect.

Also, it will have zero impact on some 3e (or d20) DMs. . . *whistles innocently*

 

[WSmith]

Well, if 4e does drive some 3.x players in southern NJ to want to try out OD&D or AD&D, I invite them to let me know.