You see it played out in TTRPG forums all the time too. There’s always this pull between people who are okay with incomplete, fuzzy rules or Rule Zero versus people who just can’t even with any of that. They want codified rules without that fuzziness and if the system doesn’t offer it, they will look for systems that do.
Exactly. And Gary’s flipflop on that is understandable in context. Before it was his job, do what you want. When it was his job, these are the real rules and anything else sucks. When it was no longer his job, do what you want.
And to clarify "his job", we mean "selling books of rules suitable for tournament play", in competition with other publishers.
For me, the ultimate expression of D&D is in groups like Lanefan's here in Victoria, BC. I've been fortunate enough to chat with them about their games (I even hosted a few to play Dread together, which was super fun!) and their systems go right back to D&D's origins in games driven by local groups of like-minded enthusiasts. They basically run two distinct variations on 1e that have been accumulating their own own ideas and rules for decades, so that each is its own unique thing. They've shared their rules for me, and they are still recognizable to someone who cut his teeth on 1e, but at the same time are very much their own creative expressions.
Or earning his living from selling game books generally. When he was a hobbyist and selling OD&D, he still had a “do whatever” attitude. When selling D&D books was his main source of income, from just prior to AD&D and until his ouster, he had the more restrictive attitude. But yes, the fact that other people were making money from “his” game is one major reason for the switch. Once it was no longer his main source of income, he magically didn’t care anymore. It was entirely self serving.
Not just secret sauce but to me this is the basic recipe. Like, this is how it's supposed to work. Obviously not everyone feels that way and I respect that but my feeling has always been "but isn't hacking your own rules what D&D is?"
I think that’s one way of looking at it, but as evidenced by the 4e round table discussion, there’s a whole other side that looks at that and says “No, I’m the player, you’re the designer, I’ll tell you if your rules are good, and I expect them to be so, because I just want to focus on the ins and out of playing my character. I’m saving my creative juices for the characters, the setting and the adventure itself. Don’t ask me to leave my imprint on the rules. That’s the other guy’s job.”
I did not get that impression from the 4E round table at all.
I don’t know how one could miss it. I know Guder was annoying but it was rolling off of him every time he talked.
