Gabe of Penny Arcade Slams the OSR

[Fifth Element]

Nice thinly veiled slam against the old-school players out there. Also, what's with the comments about 'armor deteriorating' and 'magic items breaking'*? Since when are those part of any old-school D&D rule set or retro-clone?

Okay, my eyesight's not great, so just let me squint at it like this...no, maybe if I angle it a bit...nope, sorry, no matter how hard I try I just can't see what you're seeing there. Maybe it's you?

 

[awesomeocalypse]

Some people might, but it is more of a renaissance than revolution to me.

*Googles*

*Feels dumb*

Okay, total honesty here, early on when I first got into the online RPG community, I asked what OSR stood for and was told "Old School Revolution". I accepted that answer unquestioningly, and ever since have gone through a *shocking* number of conversations about gaming which touched on the OSR, all the while thinking it meant Old School Revolution, with the side effect that at, in the back of my mind, the thought "my *god* these people are pretentious" was pretty much on constant loop.

"Renaissance" is inifinitely better, and now I feel dumb for judging others based on ignorance.

Ah well, learn something every day. Thanks for the lesson, anyway.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

*Googles*

*Feels dumb*

Okay, total honesty here, early on when I first got into the online RPG community, I asked what OSR stood for and was told "Old School Revolution". I accepted that answer unquestioningly, and ever since have gone through a *shocking* number of conversations about gaming which touched on the OSR, all the while thinking it meant Old School Revolution, with the side effect that at, in the back of my mind, the thought "my *god* these people are pretentious" was pretty much on constant loop.

"Renaissance" is inifinitely better, and now I feel dumb for judging others based on ignorance.

Ah well, learn something every day. Thanks for the lesson, anyway.

Well to be honest with ya, I thought it was Old School Revival and I also think the OP is being way over the top and have a cuppa of somthing hot, go chat with a friend and lay off the intrawebs for a while and get their prespective re-callibrated.

 

[rogueattorney]

I don't think he's slamming OD&D. I do, however, think he's doing a disservice to his players by treating it as a museum piece instead of a game that people are still playing. Like the difference between playing Wii bowling and actually going to the alley and giving the balls a roll, I'm not sure how the "virtual" nature of the experience really helps in understanding what the game's about.

 

[Maggan]

I accepted that answer unquestioningly, and ever since have gone through a *shocking* number of conversations about gaming which touched on the OSR, all the while thinking it meant Old School Revolution

If it's any consolation, you're not the only one who's done that. I did, e.g.

/M

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Maybe seeing for just a night what it was like back then, will give them a greater appreciation of the game they're playing now.

Nice thinly veiled slam against the old-school players out there. Also, what's with the comments about 'armor deteriorating' and 'magic items breaking'*? Since when are those part of any old-school D&D rule set or retro-clone?

*OK. He MIGHT be referring to the Item Saving Throw tables in the DMG, but I am not sure.

He might be talking about how fricking HARDCORE those older editions are.
I mean item breakage rules, save vs. death, a rust monster just rolling up on you and within a few rounds leaving your fighter weaponless and naked.

I think THAT'S what he's talking about.

 

[coyote6]

Nice thinly veiled slam against the old-school players out there. Also, what's with the comments about 'armor deteriorating' and 'magic items breaking'*? Since when are those part of any old-school D&D rule set or retro-clone?

*OK. He MIGHT be referring to the Item Saving Throw tables in the DMG, but I am not sure.

OD&D had a DMG?

I, too, think you are misreading the situation.

 

[MacMathan]

Seems to assume a lot of malicious subtext in what was an interesting and generally positive post.

I read it and did not get that at all and I am in a S&W game currently.

 

[Obryn]

I don't think he's slamming OD&D. I do, however, think he's doing a disservice to his players by treating it as a museum piece instead of a game that people are still playing. Like the difference between playing Wii bowling and actually going to the alley and giving the balls a roll, I'm not sure how the "virtual" nature of the experience really helps in understanding what the game's about.

Perhaps, but from how the post read, that's all he and his player group were up for. They evidently are totally satisfied with the game they're playing; this was a once-off diversion.

-O

 

[Relique du Madde]

Nice thinly veiled slam against the old-school players out there. Also, what's with the comments about 'armor deteriorating' and 'magic items breaking'*? Since when are those part of any old-school D&D rule set or retro-clone?.

It's not. It's an aspect of simulation-ism entering into a game's rules. Think of it like this, if you take a base ball bat and swing it against a steel wall it would eventually break. Now, extend that into Magical Items. The chance of that magic baseball bat breaking might become smaller, but eventually the wood structural strength gives out and it snaps in half.

Hell, even World of Warcraft has items degrading over time due to use (mostly from dying), and WoW is not even close to being Old School DnD.