-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
D&D: Is this the Golden Age?
- Thread starter dreamthief
- Start date
NoOneofConsequence
First Post
Lizard said:
Amen!!
I still remember the days when the idea of seeing Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson on the same stage was a fantasy.
In fact, I suggest people go back and read the early issues of Dragon (when it was "The Dragon"). You can get them on cd rom. Or even better yet, read the now out of print "Different Worlds". The industry has always had a nasty side - and a snobby one at that. Anyone who thinks WIzards are the evil empire (or even Hasbro for that matter) is showing that they're a little on the young side.
Wizards are the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus compared to TSR in the early eighties.
Last edited:
Hmmm. My "tune-ups" I mentioned is just a few thoughts I have on the books.
#1 - Don't write books that are 60% feats, 20% PRC, 10% magic items, and 10% filler.
#2 - More diversified modules. RttToEE was good, but it was just a huge meatgrinder epic dungeon crawl.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what WotC has done for the D&D brand, and they sure treated it better than TSR did.
I just hope we never get stuff like "The Book of Elves" where random filler and more powers is just inserted into a book that is pointless.
#1 - Don't write books that are 60% feats, 20% PRC, 10% magic items, and 10% filler.
#2 - More diversified modules. RttToEE was good, but it was just a huge meatgrinder epic dungeon crawl.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what WotC has done for the D&D brand, and they sure treated it better than TSR did.
I just hope we never get stuff like "The Book of Elves" where random filler and more powers is just inserted into a book that is pointless.
BenBrown
First Post
On Golden Ages
I can't remember the person quoted or the exact quote, but a well-known SF author, when asked about the golden age of science fiction said that it was "twelve" or something similar.
The golden age of gaming doesn't happen when games are objectively better, or selling better, or there are more of them; it's when you (meaning each of you individually) falls in love with the idea of gaming.
I can't remember the person quoted or the exact quote, but a well-known SF author, when asked about the golden age of science fiction said that it was "twelve" or something similar.
The golden age of gaming doesn't happen when games are objectively better, or selling better, or there are more of them; it's when you (meaning each of you individually) falls in love with the idea of gaming.
evil_rmf
Explorer
Chromnos said:
Well, about a month ago, www.walmart.com had 3e PHBs for $13.95. Sure, it isn't normal retail, but that's getting closer.
--evil_rmf
evil_rmf
Explorer
Re: On Golden Ages
That's true to a large extent. Things new to us often have extra thrill attached. Besides, when you are 12, you think the first time you do something is the first time *anyone* has done it.
However, there was a time when people really were the first (or in the first wave of) people to do something. With D&D, it was the late 70's into the early 80's. First with D&D, the AD&D. I remember waiting for A3 to come out. Couldn't wait. I remember very clearly the first time the word "Drow" was uttered. I remember thinking how cool and an improvement the boxed Greyhawk set was over the cardstock folder version. The game was thriving and expanding, but didn't feel cluttered.
For my money, the period between the original game coming out, through AD&D 1E (including the pre 84 basic and expert sets), up to (but not including) the release of Oriental Adventures and Unearthed Arcana is the golden of D&D. After the release of those two hardbacks, the game did feel very different. That different feel extended into the hardbacks as well as the modules.
Please note that I'm not trying to diminish anyone else's fond memories, nor am I slagging what DnD became post OA and UA. It was just different. Any other greybeards have similar (cause it be the same) recollections.
And I am sorry about all of the parenthesis (really, I am.)
--evil_rmf
BenBrown said:
That's true to a large extent. Things new to us often have extra thrill attached. Besides, when you are 12, you think the first time you do something is the first time *anyone* has done it.
However, there was a time when people really were the first (or in the first wave of) people to do something. With D&D, it was the late 70's into the early 80's. First with D&D, the AD&D. I remember waiting for A3 to come out. Couldn't wait. I remember very clearly the first time the word "Drow" was uttered. I remember thinking how cool and an improvement the boxed Greyhawk set was over the cardstock folder version. The game was thriving and expanding, but didn't feel cluttered.
For my money, the period between the original game coming out, through AD&D 1E (including the pre 84 basic and expert sets), up to (but not including) the release of Oriental Adventures and Unearthed Arcana is the golden of D&D. After the release of those two hardbacks, the game did feel very different. That different feel extended into the hardbacks as well as the modules.
Please note that I'm not trying to diminish anyone else's fond memories, nor am I slagging what DnD became post OA and UA. It was just different. Any other greybeards have similar (cause it be the same) recollections.
And I am sorry about all of the parenthesis (really, I am.)
--evil_rmf
Ulrick
First Post
While I do believe this is a great time for RPGs and D&D, I think the best is yet to come.
Things will get better. I don't buy into all this doom and gloom perspective posted on the other threads. Sure, WotC is going through tough times, but so are a lot of businesses in this country.
Everything has a cycle to it. Right now we're experience a wax in the industry. And yet there are people out there who think its a glut. Even so, I've seen a lot of growth.
When this cycle ends, there will be a glut. There's an unprecedented amount of D&D material out there. Its only sooner or later new ideas will be hard to come by.
The cycle wanes at this point. But that will be the time when creative and innovative people will break in something new to revolutionize the industry once again.
I'm not worried about the future of D&D. Its out of WotC's hands now. If Hasbro shuts them down, it will live on in 3rd party publishers. The d20 license had increased the survivalbility of the game.
Ulrick
Things will get better. I don't buy into all this doom and gloom perspective posted on the other threads. Sure, WotC is going through tough times, but so are a lot of businesses in this country.
Everything has a cycle to it. Right now we're experience a wax in the industry. And yet there are people out there who think its a glut. Even so, I've seen a lot of growth.
When this cycle ends, there will be a glut. There's an unprecedented amount of D&D material out there. Its only sooner or later new ideas will be hard to come by.
The cycle wanes at this point. But that will be the time when creative and innovative people will break in something new to revolutionize the industry once again.
I'm not worried about the future of D&D. Its out of WotC's hands now. If Hasbro shuts them down, it will live on in 3rd party publishers. The d20 license had increased the survivalbility of the game.
Ulrick
Similar Threads
