Are Gognards killing D&D?

[Cyronax]

Yeah, Brom rocks.

When Baxa started doing a majority of the art for Dark Sun it almost put me off the entire setting…

Brom's rendition of Cyric (I think from Prince of Lies), also led me to have a brief and joyless flirtation with 2e Forgotten Realms. Ick.

I have since gotten a hold of the original gray FR boxed set and fell in love (I actually want to run a campaign in 1e Cormyr now). Its just all the stuff since Time of Troubles onward that ruined the setting for me.

But let that be a lesson of the power of Brom.


Message to WoTc: Get Brom to illustrate every single rendition of Dragonborn!

C.I.D.

 

[Doug McCrae]

The definition of grognard seems to be extraordinarily slippery, almost as bad as 'powergamer' or 'anime'.

This is my preferred usage on ENWorld:

"players who prefer some past, usually out of print game or edition of a game, to current games or currently-printed editions of same."

So there can be 21 year old 3e grognards, while I, at 37, am not a grognard.

 

[Steely Dan]

Its just all the stuff since Time of Troubles onward that ruined the setting for me.

I feel that FR has become a bit polluted, so I am looking forward to this Spellplague shake-up action.

 

[mhensley]

Yes, they have to attract new gamers. But they don't have to change the game to do that.

I'm betting that their market research said otherwise.

 

[Cyronax]

The definition of grognard seems to be extraordinarily slippery, almost as bad as 'powergamer' or 'anime'.

This is my preferred usage on ENWorld:

"players who prefer some past, usually out of print game or edition of a game, to current games or currently-printed editions of same."

So there can be 21 year old 3e grognards, while I, at 37, am not a grognard.

I'm a grognard for campaign setting content, not for rules crunch per se.

For examples, as I said earlier, I find the original boxed set for FR superior to all the FR setting guides that came later. Had more consistency and less sense, of .... oh..we need to "just hand wave Bane's resurrection to sell books."

Same with Greyhawk. I generally like what has been done with Greyhawk because it really tried to maintain a consistent flavor the whole time, largely thanks to a group of grognards from the old AOL Greyhawk Board who really tried to maintain what was good about Greyhawk and then build off it. Its had a little less content than I would have liked, but at least we got a lot of great DUNGEON adventures (which are actually some of the best written and easily customizeable ones out there).

Anyway, my point bascially parrots Doug McCrae: the grognards have variety.

 

[CleverNickName]

Who said anyone is killing D&D? Shouldn't we wait until we have at least seen the new game before we start screaming "murder?"

I'm just sayin'.

 

[Cyronax]

I feel that FR has become a bit polluted, so I am looking forward to this Spellplague shake-up action.

I actually am as well. I don't like the implementation of the Spell Plague, nor do I like the way certain lawful or good gods killed other lawful or good gods over some tart goddess, but it'll be nice to have an FR that isn't all about Khelben or Elminster. (AND YES! I know that its up to the DM to decide/control the high level NPCs, but I couldn't ever DM an adventure without one of my old player's questioning my grasp of 'the true FR universe.')

Stupid Alustriel of Silverymoon.... she was N in my version of FR ... and an Archdruid .... so what? Is that a reason to spend half a session bickering with the DM?

Edit: Oops ... sorry to threadjack so severely. Rant done.

C.I.D.

 

[Aeolius]

I'm betting that their market research said otherwise.

I am reminded of this sketch from Michael Nesmith's "Elephant Parts" video:
Large Detroit Car Company

 

[Brother MacLaren]

I'm betting that their market research said otherwise.

I think their market research is focused on how much money they can make, as it should be for a business, and not how many new gamers they could bring into the hobby. Selling new sets of core rules and splatbooks will make far more money than selling campaign settings and modules, even if they bring in 0 new gamers and alienate 25% of their customer base.

 

[Steely Dan]

Is that a reason to spend half a session bickering with the DM?

No, it's never good to waste half a session bickering about anything, but when you get campaign setting fan-boys, whoa, it can be trying.