D&D General Dnd and what has changed

[mamba]

3E will never need a retroclone, it has the OGL/SRD.

which is a poor substitute for a retroclone.

I assume it is that the PDFs can easily be bought and PF1 functioned as that retroclone for most of the time there was major interest in one.

I'm not sure why there are so few attempts to reproduce 2E, the only one I know of is For Gold and Glory.

same, the only one I am aware of, I’d certainly be more interested in a modernized 2e than any of the existing 1e / BX clones

 

[mamba]

Can I ask why it had soo many backers?

you can ask, but all we have is speculation I assume. I know that is all I have, so consider that when reading my answer

I assume it is because OSRIC was the original first retroclone, that showed that it can be done and kicked off all the other retroclones. That spot earned it a place in history and probably some goodwill & nostalgia that was paying off here