At what point are you no longer playing AD&D?

[Delta]

I think I'm using the wrong terminology to describe what I'm talking about. I was referring to groups where the role of DM is shared equally between players...

Well, I'd call that a "no DM" game. You might want to look at Ryan Dancey's recent blogs where he argues for getting rid of DMs in D&D. That, I agree, would be a different game.

 

[Seule]

In my opinion it's AD&D as long as the people playing it believe that it is still AD&D. Only they know what informed any changes they made to the system/setting, and how drastic they actually are.

Yes, this means that you can have tables with slight changes that aren't playing AD&D any more, while other tables playing something almost unrecognizeable still are. It's all in the attitude.

--Penn

 

[Raven Crowking]

In another thread I propose co-DMing is something that would go beyond the scope of being AD&D, as would those that never role dice, but story tell the entire time.

You'd have a tough time with that one, as I believe Mr. Gygax co-DMed.

 

[howandwhy99]

Many believe that when they took out the original Chainmail combat system and put in the current d20 one, it was no longer D&D.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

For me it was the loss of the combat table. We currently have a hybrid C&C/3.5 campaign (mainly C&C) but it is still called "D&D night". When this campaign wraps up I don't know what system we'll go with next year, but whatever it is we'll still call it D&D.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

D&D is like porn; It's difficult to define, but I know it when I see it.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

When talking about, "playing D&D," I tend to be quite inclusive, particularly if I'm talking to someone who is not that familiar with role-playing games in general, or to whom I am only talking in passing (making small talk, or whatever).

I'll say, "I'm going to be playing D&D this weekend." if I'm going to be doing basically any sort of role-playing, whether that's the actual D&D game, or when its Iron Heroes or RIFTS or HOL. Mostly I do this because saying, "I'm going to be playing HOL, this weekend." inevitably gets a, "What's that?" to which I have to respond, "It's like D&D, only on crack." So... saying, "D&D" rather than "HOL" (or some other variant on the lesser known rpg title) is just that much easier.

I wouldn't say that I'm going to be playing D&D if I were playing, for instance, HALO or Hockey, Texas Hold 'em, or something like that...

Later
silver

 

[Valiant]

Delta: Well, I'd call that a "no DM" game.

That works much better, thanks.

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

Yeah, your definition of co-DMing is basically just the players knowing the rules. I think that if the DM has to hide behind a lack of player knowledge, then you're not playing ADnD.

Now if he's advised to enforce a lack of player knowledge, for example to arbitrarily deduct large sums of gold or magic items from the character of any player who exhibits knowledge found in the DMG, you're playing AD&D true to spirit.

 

[RFisher]

Technically, I'd say the AD&D I played as a kid wasn't really AD&D but classic D&D with an AD&D veneer. But I still call it playing AD&D.

I also have a tendency to call Osric truer AD&D than AD&D itself.

I don't know that any distinction really matters. All that matters is that for any particular use of the term, I try to be clear about what I mean in that specific context.