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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Biohazard" data-source="post: 1804644" data-attributes="member: 15086">As my title suggests, I'm starting an MA in Sociology and I'm planning on doing a thesis on the Dungeons & Dragons subculture.  I'm especially interested in the different versions of the game and the groups of players who are dedicated to them.Having been a D&Der off and on for close to 20 years, I've seen the hobby both from the inside and from the outside.One thing I've observed is that every time a new edition of D&D has come out, the subculture has divided (or at least split in some form).  OD&D morphed into AD&D and B/X D&D.  AD&D morphed into AD&D 2e.  B/X D&D morphed into RC D&D.  AD&D 2e and RC D&D both disappeared, replaced by D&D 3.0 (not really a morphing, so much as an entire reworking of the game).  3.0 morphed into 3.5.It seems to me, based only on observation and the gamers I've encountered over the years, that most gamers "upgrade".  Most gamers want to play the latest version of the game.Yet some (many??) gamers stick with previous versions.This is the first question for my MA thesis and I'm trying to get some insights, and hoping you folks would be kind enough to give your thoughts, opinions, stories, perspectives.  The question is: How many D&Ders are playing previous versions of the game, and why are they staying with those versions?I know that exact numbers are impossible to find.  Yet even checking the traffic on websites can be revealing.  I've been lurking in three groups:dragonsfoot, mortality, and planetadnd.  All three (seem) to be strong pre-3.0 communities.  Yet all three have very little traffic compared with enworld.So are the AD&D 2e and OD&D and RCD&D and AD&D 1e fanatics a tiny minority? Or are they out there in larger numbers than we realize? And why are they playing what they're playing?Thanks in advance.</blockquote>

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