ThrorII
Adventurer
In OD&D, B/X, and BECMI "Law" and "Chaos" had specific meanings. "Law" meant pro-civilization, progress, and natural order, while "Chaos" meant undeath, destruction, and cruelty. Neutral meant just trying to get by in the world and not get actively involved in that battle.
In one of the Strategic Review Magazine issues in 1976, Gary Gygax published his revised alignment system to 5 points, adding a Good-Evil axis ("Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Evil, Neutral"). This 5-point alignment was used in Holmes Basic, but dropped a few years later in B/X. Despite Gary's best attempt, it really never caught on.
The 5-point Alignment system was expanded yet again in AD&D 1e, in 1979...now to the standard 9-point system.
Personally, while I play B/X exclusively nowadays and prefer the Law-Neutral-Chaos dynamic, the 5-point is probably clearer and easier than the current 9-point.
In one of the Strategic Review Magazine issues in 1976, Gary Gygax published his revised alignment system to 5 points, adding a Good-Evil axis ("Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Evil, Neutral"). This 5-point alignment was used in Holmes Basic, but dropped a few years later in B/X. Despite Gary's best attempt, it really never caught on.
The 5-point Alignment system was expanded yet again in AD&D 1e, in 1979...now to the standard 9-point system.
Personally, while I play B/X exclusively nowadays and prefer the Law-Neutral-Chaos dynamic, the 5-point is probably clearer and easier than the current 9-point.