How to convince my players to give 2e a try?

It's unfortunate when you get a closed minded group of players. Continue running with whatever you're doing and drop in hints from time to time. Just try and get an hour or two out of them at the very least.
 

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So, ummm, it didn´t work out. No one wants to play 2E, not even give it a try, which makes me a sad panda...
Hate to hear that.. The DM does the majority of the work. Players should throw him a bone if he wants to do a one- or two-off once in a while. Maybe you should suggest someone else DM for a bit.
 


Get Skills and Powers, but don't use it as written. Make the players make their characters using the standard AD&D 2nd edition core books. Then give them 10 character points and let them buy stuff for their class and race from the Skills & Power books (not ground up customization). Give humans 20 points instead and if you allow restrictions and flaws, limit it to -10 points total in either. And watch what they buy, make sure they don't try to buy something twice, and watch to make sure it isn't anything game breaking. You could probably give them 3 per level after 1st to customize their characters at later levels (4 for humans), but you don't have to.
 

Personally, I would be none too keen to go back to an older system, partly for the hassle of getting the old source books, partly because I like the newer systems better. And partly because all the rulesets are massive enough that it is hard to keep multiple versions in my little head. But what would convince me?

Well, for one, I'd have to trust the ref and it would have to be part of a known group of friends but sounds like you have that covered. I would definitely not take it on faith that a ref and/or game group I did not know would make this worthwhile.

After that, it would come down to a personal appeal from the referee along the lines of, "I really want to ref and I really want to go back to AD&D2 because of the memories[or whatever is motivating you]." What you would need to address is rulebooks (tell them you won't need much, you'll copy the relevant parts, you'll help them find the books, etc.) and explain why it matters to you.

I'd certainly avoid getting into an edition merit discussion; that's a difficult path. You aren't going to convince me that 2E is better and I'd guess you aren't going to convince your friends either. But if you were a friend I trusted and you made it clear why you wanted to do this exercise, I'd give it a go although I would probably ask for the right to consider after some period of time (6months? a year?)

What if your group balks and one of the others offers to ref in a newer revision? Will you go along?

On a separate note, you'd have a lot of work convincing me to play Dark Sun, too. I really dislike that setting :p Just doesn't float my fantasy boat.
 

"Hi guys! I've got two choices for you tonight. We can either play Steve Jackson's TOON or AD&D 2e. Which would you prefer?"

"I've been dying to play Age of Camelot, let's do that tonight. And I'll work up a campaign for us to play next time. I don't mind ref'ing."

Or Munckins or cosmic encounters, etc. Refs get a lot of say but they shouldn't railroad the game group for a campaign, which is a considerable investment of time, anymore than they should railroad a group in a scenario.

I mostly ref but I always float my more out-there ideas before the group and sometimes they don't bite (like my military orders thread some months ago). That's life; I can work up another concept.
 

Personally, I would be none too keen to go back to an older system, partly for the hassle of getting the old source books, partly because I like the newer systems better.

I don't know that the hassle factor for finding old stuff is that high any more...seems like nearly any game book ever made I can find on the Internet (though not always at a price I'm willing to pay ;-)

And hey, fellow Portlander, Guardian Games on 3rd has SHELF-FULLS of old stuff, some from RPGs I don't even remember...heck, they even have an original copy of Eldritch Wizardry ;-)
 

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