NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="havard" data-source="post: 6393860" data-attributes="member: 20941">Hi MerricB!Thanks for starting this thread. As you mentioned originally, it was the out of court settlements with Arneson that forced TSR to keep producing material for "Classic D&D" (A better term than "Basic" in my opinion). Although it sold surprisingly well, it was still obvious that TSR wanted their customers to start with Classic and then move on to Basic. On the other hand many of us stayed with Classic or as in my experience, we kept playing both games, realizing that both had their distinct qualities. Most likely Classic D&D was also a big hit with more casual gamers who might be interested in chatting about their gaming experiences on forums 30 years later as well as gamers who moved onto other RPGS rather than AD&D.  TSR's message to Classic Fans that they were not really a priority with the company became more and more clear as we got into the 1990s. This probably caused some to switch to AD&D  (or other games), while some of us more hardcore fans simply became more partisan, pointing out that Classic D&D had qualities that AD&D did not have. Another factor worth mentioning is the importance of Classic D&D internationally. The Red Box was apparently translated to over 50 languages, including Mandarin Chinese. In Europe AD&D was not translated untill years later if at all. Take a look at the number of European posters in places like the Mystara forum at <a href="http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewforum.php?f=3" target="_blank">The Piazza</a> to see part of the legacy of Classic D&D. One strength Classic D&D had in being seen as the "red headed step child" of TSR was that this was a line where designers could explore areas which were considered no-nos for the AD&D Flagship. Consider the detailed exploration of playing godlike beings in the Immortals Set.-Havard</blockquote>

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