4E & Gygax

[Henry]

That's the problem with conspiracies -- lack of evidence is proof.

Tell him the true owner of the D&D copyright, Henry at ENWorld, scoffs at his claim. Also tell him that Gary passed away shortly before I acquired the copyright, making my plan to turn it back over to him a failure, and so after shopping it around for the past two years, I recently sold it back to WotC at a huge loss. I also dare him to prove otherwise.

 

[Morrus]

I couldn't get him to state a specific source, which was another reason I was highly skeptical. I suspect it arose from shop talk with the other gamers in his group, one of which I know is prone to "flights of fancy" and claims of inside knowledge from a "company source" - in whatever game they may be playing.

He also made a claim that Wizards had sold the rights for D&D back to Paizo (along with some other wild claims about Paizo), which from the "If you were the CEO of Paizo" and their own site I was blatantly able to prove to be untrue at this time. I just couldn't locate any evidence to refute his other claim about Gygax.

You don't need to refute his claim; he made the claim, so the burden of proof is on him. And if he won't even cite his source - I simply suggest you laugh at him.

It's nonsense, and it wounds like he has a habit of claiming nonsensical stuff. WotC selling D&D to Paizo? Really?

Just leave him to it! I can put him in touch with someone who believes the world is being run by mole men, if that helps.

 

[coyote6]

It's nonsense, and it wounds like he has a habit of claiming nonsensical stuff. WotC selling D&D to Paizo? Really?

Not just selling D&D to Paizo -- selling it back to Paizo. At what mythical moment did Paizo own D&D? And how did they come to not own it any more?

BTW, Henry, when you bought D&D, you promised me an awesome Eberron or Greyhawk movie in exchange for cash to finance the deal, and I'm still waiting. You owe me Scarlett Johansson in chainmail or Halle Berry as Eclavdra, dammit.

 

[Herschel]

LoL: GameSpy:Have you had a chance to play or even look at some of the current (3E) Dungeons & Dragonsgames? Gygax:I've looked at them, yes, but I'm not really a fan. The new D&D is too rule intensive. It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game. It's done away with the archetypes, focused on nothing but combat and character power, lost the group cooperative aspect, bastardized the class-based system, and resembles a comic-book superheroes game more than a fantasy RPG where a player can play any alignment desired, not just lawful good.

 

[Stormonu]

You don't need to refute his claim; he made the claim, so the burden of proof is on him. And if he won't even cite his source - I simply suggest you laugh at him.

I've been fighting D&D rumors all my life (starting with the "D&D is evil"), so it's a habit . Furthermore, I wanted to confirm my suspicions (as much as is feasible) before I started spouting off like a fool* and be proven wrong. Like I said, I could disprove the Paizo stuff because I had been following it pretty closely, but the "Gygax wrote 4E" caught me off-guard, and I haven't been following 4E very closely (I've got the PHB I-II, MM I-II and DMG, but that's the extent of my collection/semi-intimate knowledge of 4E).

* I do that enough as it is, no need to add to it when I can avoid it.

 

[Bullgrit]

GameSpy:Have you had a chance to play or even look at some of the current (3E) Dungeons & Dragonsgames? Gygax:I've looked at them, yes, but I'm not really a fan. The new D&D is too rule intensive. It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game. It's done away with the archetypes, focused on nothing but combat and character power, lost the group cooperative aspect, bastardized the class-based system, and resembles a comic-book superheroes game more than a fantasy RPG where a player can play any alignment desired, not just lawful good.

If this is an accurate quote, it makes me doubt he actually read the D&D3 game. It also makes me doubt he remembers what he actually created in AD&D1.

Bullgrit

 

[Stormonu]

LoL: GameSpy:Have you had a chance to play or even look at some of the current (3E) Dungeons & Dragonsgames? Gygax:I've looked at them, yes, but I'm not really a fan. The new D&D is too rule intensive. It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game. It's done away with the archetypes, focused on nothing but combat and character power, lost the group cooperative aspect, bastardized the class-based system, and resembles a comic-book superheroes game more than a fantasy RPG where a player can play any alignment desired, not just lawful good.

hmm...I seem to remember another interview, done at the outset of 3.0E in which he was praising the game (if being a bit evasive in details). I know by the time 3.5 rolled out, he was unhappy with the game and didn't want to talk about it anymore with anyone. Unfortunately, my work seems to be blocking access to most of the reviews I can find through Google, so I can't find it/link it. I'd hate to have been imagining that article

 

[CovertOps]

LoL: GameSpy:Have you had a chance to play or even look at some of the current (3E) Dungeons & Dragonsgames? Gygax:I've looked at them, yes, but I'm not really a fan. The new D&D is too rule intensive. It's relegated the Dungeon Master to being an entertainer rather than master of the game. It's done away with the archetypes, focused on nothing but combat and character power, lost the group cooperative aspect, bastardized the class-based system, and resembles a comic-book superheroes game more than a fantasy RPG where a player can play any alignment desired, not just lawful good.

Find anyone who dislikes 4e and I'll bet they say that Gary's comments were one edition too soon.

 

[Longtooth Studios]

Just leave him to it! I can put him in touch with someone who believes the world is being run by mole men, if that helps.

Who? That's awesome!

Having been born on Mr. Gygax's birthday, and the year that the game was first published, I have always entertained the fantasy that I was destined to play the game, but that doesn't even come close to world running mole men! I really should consider changing my delusion.

I am always amazed at how much others know about Mr. Gygax, whom I regrettably never met. With so much hearsay being spread, its hard to sort fact from fiction.

 

[Woas]

sigh


I heart the internet....