No way in hell I'd pony up for DDI, even for access to old-school D&D stuff.
I've no need to compromise. I own several copies of the AD&D core books, and I've cut apart the MM and PHB, scanned them, and now have PDFs which print really well (no, you can't have a copy, don't ask, I didn't do this to share with random jokers on the net.) I'm working on the DMG now, and will move on to the FF, MMII, UA, and D&DG when I'm done.
And there is always OSRIC.
WotC lost me as a customer of their RPGs years ago, and no amount of nostalgia on the part of Mearls, nor putting the PDFs of old editions back online would get me back, let alone some rented copy of the old material on DDI.
Look, I understand how compelling the subscription-based business model is for WotC, and I'm not fundamentally opposed to the model, or the idea of "licensing" things or services on a pay-per-month or pay-per-access basis. But for this particular type of product (table-top RPGs), and my particular situation (shelves stocked full, and electronic copies of key components) it's a non-starter for me as a customer. This isn't limited to WotC/D&D, either. I wouldn't pony up for a month sub to play any TTRPG such as Pathfinder, or Classic Traveller, etc..
Greetings!
I have to say URR-RAH! my brother! I entirely agree with you. I haven't purchased a single thing from WOTC since...2006 or 2007. I have, however, purchased a hard-cover book of OSRIC.
(1) I own *several* copies of AD&D books--all of them. I have three of everything. I own most of the game modules, and almost all of the boxed sets of everything.
(2) I literally own *thousands* of dollars worth of D20 and 3X books. As with AD&D, I have three or four copies of the core rulebooks. I have several entire bookcases *stuffed* with nearly everything they produced for 3rd Edition. I have a far more complete and thorough collection than many game stores ever had, I'm chagrined to say. However, overall, I'm pleased with my library. I have so much stuff--my collection can quite literally last a lifetime. I can run campaigns entirely without ever so much as using much of it, there is so much. Not enough time in the day or any one campaign to use all of it for certain.
I admit it. I became entirely soured on WOTC with 4E. I have several hundreds of dollars of books I have hardly even cracked open--when they came out with 4E. I am just exhausted with the endless treadmill of edition nonsense--all so as to fatten up the bottom line of WOTC? I don't think so.
Honestly, while initially I was somewhat willing to look at 4E as a consumer and fan--the more I thought about my vast library of 3E stuff now being entirely obselete--some of which as I noted I hadn't even had a chance to read thoroughly yet, let alone actually incorporate into my campaigns--and yet, now there's a new edition, and all that stuff is obselete and useless? Yeah, no way. I don't think so.
Then, the ongoing cascade of DDI, computers, Iphones, and all these technological paraphanellia--NO.
Not only NO--but EFF NO. I'm an "Old School" dinosaur, and proud of it. I play the games with friends and run the campaign at the TABLE. with pencils, paper, binders, graph paper, and rule books. As well as food, drinks, and damn fine cigars!
No computers, no phones, cameras, or whazzoos. just no already. I haven't played with that in the 30 years I've been playing D&D--since damn, 1979?--and I am not going to start now. I'm certainly not going to do so yoked into some rental-subscribtion scheme cooked up and saddled to me by WOTC just so they can maximize their "revenue stream". Sorry, this is where I get off from the "consumer train". I guess I've been done anyways since 2006 or 2007.
And, as a side note, marketing-wise, with all the whole thing with 4E--not just the rules per se--but the whole packaging--it has less to do with the specifics of the edition mechanics--and more to do with...just the whole set up--in how they have handled us, as customers, as fans, as hobbyists--as "Investors" in many ways--it has felt like I--and many of my friends, fellow gamers and compatriots--have been left behind, and really are not part of their *market segment* or *Target audience* anymore.
There's no need to compromise. I do not need to compromise my belifs, my expectations--or my wallet. No need to compromise at all, my friends. Not at all.
I haven't been a "customer" of WOTC for some 4 or 5 years now, and likely never will be again. As I slowly puff on my fine, Arturo Fuente cigar, enjoying the rich scent and flavour...considering my next 3E campaign, or a new AD&D campaign...that's just fine with me.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
