Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
A moment of thankful reflection (RPG context)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 7999334" data-attributes="member: 6779310"><p>Having started gaming about the same time, I definitely consider myself a big of a grognard, as well... but the stuff after the snip? It already existed. </p><p>One-True-Way-ism... very clear in the rants by Gygax in Dragon. Even if he was doing it to be ironic, a lot of people seemed to take it to heart and generate a nasty GM vs Players mentality.</p><p>Very few people I knew actually wrote their own games. Most of them simply altered D&D to add things their setting, not a unique game. Most of them sucked. And the Photocopier made it possible to distribute their add-ons, but most weren't making their own games. </p><p></p><p>There was, by 1981, a good variety in print, too...</p><p>D&D vs AD&D was already a thing. And three rulesets in print Classic D&D (LBB), Holmes Basic, and AD&D. Mid 1981 brings us another basic: Moldvay. </p><p>Tunnels and Trolls came to be in 1975, as a reaction to reading the rules of D&D. Rejecting the wargamer inspired rules, it is the first game to really streamline the mechanics to consistent use. By 1979, it had become it's long-stable 5th edition. (Which is once again available, but was available thru the early 2000's... and, due to fan demand, is now available in PDF.) It's companion game, Monsters! Monsters!, was also in print.</p><p>Boot Hill was halfway between RPG and minis game, and was out.</p><p>Metamorphosis Alpha and Empire of the Petal Throne both came out around the same time as T&T... these D&D variants were official stuff... </p><p>Gamma World had become something other than Met Alpha...</p><p>RuneQuest and Traveller were both in print. As was Starships & Spacemen. </p><p>I think Space Opera dates to 1982,. Star Frontiers is also class of 1982. As is Cook's Expert Set for Moldvay or Holmes basic.</p><p>Oh, and there was also the Dallas RPG. (No combat! Social Situations resolved by die roll modified for RP!)</p><p>Palladium was just releasing the Mechanoids in Dec. 1981. </p><p></p><p>RuneQuest would expand out in the early 80's to a bunch of games, T&T would get a third in the early 80's as well. Palladium exploded with new games through the 80's... D&D would get 2 more revisions, AD&D two more as well, before 3E stopped both lines by introducing a new core engine, consistently 1d20 roll high.</p><p></p><p><strong>Which leads me to my own first grognardy thanks:</strong></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The multitude of Systems.</strong></p><p>The multitude of games has been an expensive, but rewarding, part of my lifetime learning passion. I was never satisfied with one game to rule them all. I tried to go that way with GURPS, but realized quickly (tho' not quickly enough), that I didn't like the approach of the mechanics.</p><p></p><p>My first indication there was a wider world was the middle of the AD&D DMG... with conversions for Boot Hill and Gamma World on pp. 112-114. Couple that with disliking AD&D by comparison to Moldvay... in 1983, I discovered people playing other RPGs.</p><p></p><p>And all those systems?</p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The willing-to-experiment players I've had over the years</strong></p><p>There is no benefit of multiple games if everyone wants to play only the one engine and only it's best genre...</p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The friendships forged by gaming, be it card, board, or RPG.</strong></p><p>This is where the computer games really don't hold a candle to the older forms. Computer games don't give the same level of interaction nor the physical proximity... nor, really, the emotional intimacy of a regular group of games players. </p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The very interesting online discussions. </strong></p><p>Most have been enjoyable. A few weren't enjoyable, but were definitely educational.</p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The ability to play with the best gamers I've ever had the pleasure to GM for.</strong></p><p>I've had a group of players for the last 7 years - all both able to think in character, play hard systems, and play systems hard, and do all that at the same time... And when I left Alaska, they had me keep GMing for them. Players who aren't afraid to give me story hooks. Players willing to suggest suitable complications.</p><p>Players well worth the time to prep for.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="aramis erak, post: 7999334, member: 6779310"] Having started gaming about the same time, I definitely consider myself a big of a grognard, as well... but the stuff after the snip? It already existed. One-True-Way-ism... very clear in the rants by Gygax in Dragon. Even if he was doing it to be ironic, a lot of people seemed to take it to heart and generate a nasty GM vs Players mentality. Very few people I knew actually wrote their own games. Most of them simply altered D&D to add things their setting, not a unique game. Most of them sucked. And the Photocopier made it possible to distribute their add-ons, but most weren't making their own games. There was, by 1981, a good variety in print, too... D&D vs AD&D was already a thing. And three rulesets in print Classic D&D (LBB), Holmes Basic, and AD&D. Mid 1981 brings us another basic: Moldvay. Tunnels and Trolls came to be in 1975, as a reaction to reading the rules of D&D. Rejecting the wargamer inspired rules, it is the first game to really streamline the mechanics to consistent use. By 1979, it had become it's long-stable 5th edition. (Which is once again available, but was available thru the early 2000's... and, due to fan demand, is now available in PDF.) It's companion game, Monsters! Monsters!, was also in print. Boot Hill was halfway between RPG and minis game, and was out. Metamorphosis Alpha and Empire of the Petal Throne both came out around the same time as T&T... these D&D variants were official stuff... Gamma World had become something other than Met Alpha... RuneQuest and Traveller were both in print. As was Starships & Spacemen. I think Space Opera dates to 1982,. Star Frontiers is also class of 1982. As is Cook's Expert Set for Moldvay or Holmes basic. Oh, and there was also the Dallas RPG. (No combat! Social Situations resolved by die roll modified for RP!) Palladium was just releasing the Mechanoids in Dec. 1981. RuneQuest would expand out in the early 80's to a bunch of games, T&T would get a third in the early 80's as well. Palladium exploded with new games through the 80's... D&D would get 2 more revisions, AD&D two more as well, before 3E stopped both lines by introducing a new core engine, consistently 1d20 roll high. [B]Which leads me to my own first grognardy thanks:[/B] [CENTER][B]The multitude of Systems.[/B][/CENTER] The multitude of games has been an expensive, but rewarding, part of my lifetime learning passion. I was never satisfied with one game to rule them all. I tried to go that way with GURPS, but realized quickly (tho' not quickly enough), that I didn't like the approach of the mechanics. My first indication there was a wider world was the middle of the AD&D DMG... with conversions for Boot Hill and Gamma World on pp. 112-114. Couple that with disliking AD&D by comparison to Moldvay... in 1983, I discovered people playing other RPGs. And all those systems? [CENTER][B]The willing-to-experiment players I've had over the years[/B][/CENTER] There is no benefit of multiple games if everyone wants to play only the one engine and only it's best genre... [CENTER][B]The friendships forged by gaming, be it card, board, or RPG.[/B][/CENTER] This is where the computer games really don't hold a candle to the older forms. Computer games don't give the same level of interaction nor the physical proximity... nor, really, the emotional intimacy of a regular group of games players. [CENTER][B]The very interesting online discussions. [/B][/CENTER] Most have been enjoyable. A few weren't enjoyable, but were definitely educational. [CENTER][B]The ability to play with the best gamers I've ever had the pleasure to GM for.[/B][/CENTER] I've had a group of players for the last 7 years - all both able to think in character, play hard systems, and play systems hard, and do all that at the same time... And when I left Alaska, they had me keep GMing for them. Players who aren't afraid to give me story hooks. Players willing to suggest suitable complications. Players well worth the time to prep for. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
A moment of thankful reflection (RPG context)
Top