Edition wars! Games other than D&D

[Treebore]

Yeah, I guess you could say I have been part of the Traveller and Shadowrun wars. I can only guess that I have because I use a blend of Megatraveller and Classic and a blend of Shadowrun 2 and 3. I haven't really fought anyone over it, because I only care about what I do and how my players like it.

D&D is a kind of different story. I never really fought anyone over which edition is better, again I never cared. The only time I argued is when 3.0 became 3.5, and my ire was with WOTC, not other DM's or players. I have argued that what edition you play doesn't matter as long as you have fun playing/DMing it. I believe I have also argued that 3E is not the end all, be all of RPG's, hence my willingness to play other RPG's and to give up DMing 3E in favor of Castles and Crusades.

Do I have preference's? Sure, but none that are commandments for people around the world to follow.

 

[the Jester]

Personally, other than dnd, I've seen edition wars over Gamma World (I still prefer 2e), Twilight 2000, Marvel Super Heroes (I preferred 2e) and Paranoia (I still prefer 1e).

 

[Jhamin]

There are some minor edition wars over 1st and 2nd editions of Palladium Fantasy.

In this neck of the woods they are not minor. 1st Edition Palladium Fantasy was a variant on 1st edition D&D that was extreamly well balanced & had alot of elegence to the system.
Many of the Palladium systems concepts had not yet evolved and alot of people liked it that way.

Palladium 2nd edition brought their fantasy game's systems into line with Rifts, Ninja Turtles, Nightbane, etc.. The Rifts/TMNT/Nightbane/Etc Palladium players were thrilled, the old school folk were livid.



And don't get folk around here started about Classic Battletech vs. Clickey Base Battletech

 

[Plane Sailing]

(waits for Diaglo to chime in about Metamorphasis Alpha and Starship Warden)

Hey, that was the first RPG I ever bought! I couldn't afford to buy the white box D&D set so I bought Metamorphosis Alpha, Dragon issue #4 and two d20's instead! We had such fun with MA that over the years I devised two entirely new rules systems that we could use within the setting. I bought the first gamma world but it never had the same appeal as MA.

Now MA was a game with a metaplot

 

[Plane Sailing]

And RuneQuest -- I far preferred RQ2 to RQ3. The focus was still on Glorantha, the mechanics were clearer, and I really, really liked it. RQ3 went off in some very strange directions. And don't ask me about the newer versions...

Even now RQ2 is still my favourite game system bar none. I'm working on an Eberron conversion for it in odd moments

I remember buying RQ3 when it came out and hated it. We never used RQ3 rules, even once.

 

[Pbartender]

7th Sea is another one. Fans of the "roll & keep" rules are generally put off by AEG's d20 conversion of the game -- Swashbuckling Adventures.

Of course, now the company has dropped both editions, so who exactly do you call the winner in that sad tale?

Carl

That's a shame. I was never a real big fan of the setting, but I'd always loved 7th Sea's game mechanics. The D20 version never interested me in the slightest.

 

[diaglo]

Gamma World
Star Wars
Traveller
Car Wars

you name it. people can't help but mess up a good thing.

 

[TerraDave]

(I'm still convinced edition actually means cosmetic change to those guys) are minor I still slavishly go and buy whatever the newest edition of CoC is.

It means that they are behind on the rent

 

[jrients]

Preferences:

Traveller: The Classic Little Black Books 1-3, unexpanded save for Supplement 4
RoleMaster: 2nd edition
SpaceMaster: 2nd edition
Boot Hill: 2nd edition
BattleTech: Pre-Clan
Gamma World: 1st or 2nd edition
Marvel: The Advanced version of the original game

Most of the above preferences are rooted firmly in nostalgia, except for Traveller. I never played Classic Trav back in the day, but really dig it nowadays.

 

[sjmiller]

Let's see, I have been part of the Great Traveller Schism (preferring CT over any of the corruptions), the Gamma World Divide (never did understand why they left 2nd Ed), the newly created GURPS Heresy (some feel 4th Ed was unnecessary), and the obscure DragonQuest Corruption (some heretics think TSR was right in distorting 2nd Ed into "the blue book of blandness").

I've heard of others involving RuneQuest, Boot Hill, Top Secret, Deadlands, Hero/Fuzion, Villains & Vigilantes, Big Eyes Small Mouth, World of Darkness (even modern vs historic), Jyhad vs Vampire:The Eternal Struggle (for CCGs), Talisman (boardgame), Blood Bowl (okay I was part of this one too), Star Trek RPG & TV Series, Star Wars Movies, RPG & CCG (all have version wars), 7th Seas, and I know I am missing some.

Gee, I guess being in the gaming community as long as I have sure lets you see much ado about nothing.