I'm calling it: The Edition War is over! And the winner is...

[Man in the Funny Hat]

There is a Best Edition of D&D, but it is the one that you are playing.

Which, of course, is a concept the 1E DMG repeats many times.

Also, see the sig.

 

[Mercurius]

The edition war may be over, but the low-grade guerilla style conflict will go on for years.

Besides which, I think lumping 3e variants (such as Pathfinder and Trailblazer) with "old school" is a mistake; those are really two completely different schools of gaming, with different blogospheres, a different fanbase, and just a different vibe altogether.

My intention was not to lump games into types, but to describe tiers of variations of D&D. The 3e variants and the retro-clones are in the same tier because they are both "one step removed" from official D&D. It has nothing to do with what "school of gaming" they are, their fanbase, vibe, etc.

 

[Desdichado]

Oh. One step removed? Well, that's debatable, but at that point we're just nitpicking too, so... eh.

Speaking of my little pony the RPG;

 

[Nai_Calus]

*dies laughing*

And the edition wars have totally been won by F.A.T.A.L.

 

[Keefe the Thief]

...whatever edition you play.

OK, that's a little facetious--even cliche at this point--but bear with me; I am going somewhere with this!

As I see it, there are three "tiers" of D&D games:

1. The"Official" ones published by TSR or Wizards of the Coast, that include OD&D, BECMI in its various incarnations, AD&D 1ed, AD&D 2ed, D&D 3E and 3.5E, and D&D 4E.
2. The "Unofficial" OGL or "Retro-clones" published by a company other than TSR or WotC, such as Pathfinder, Fantasy Craft, Labyrinth Lord, Trailblazer, Monte Cook's stuff, etc.
3. The house ruled variants used in countless campaigns.

(Arguably you could add a fourth between 2 and 3 above, in which an individual DM has gone one step further than a few house rules and come up with their own variant, but I'm still including that within the 3rd group until it gets formally published, even only as a PDF, and then it enters the 2nd group).

So there are well over a dozen published variants of D&D, plus literally thousands of different gestalts of house rules. One thing I find fascinating is just how many DMs take it upon themselves to write their own version of D&D, the one that will be "the Best Edition of All," combining one's personal favorites from across different games and publishers and three and a half decades.

Heck, I'm doing one, albeit rather casually. But it seems like a natural progression for a D&D player. Personally speaking I have been into RPGs for close to 30 years (gasp!) and I have tried my hand of game design a few times (albeit always rather casually). But D&D, of all games that I have been into, seems especially prone to the House Rule, whether simply DM-designed Feats and Classes, or a reworking of the entire game ala the 2nd category above.

And you know what? I love it. I love the fact that a large percentage of DMs take it upon themselves to fiddle with the system--that is a large part of the fun for me and, I imagine, everyone else that does it. We don't really do it because "X Edition Sucks" but because we like to tinker, we are creative people, and we want to try to come up with the best version of our beloved game as we can.

We can talk about which "official" or "unofficial" version is better or worse. But really, whether we realize it or not, we are always matching it up against our own personal edition of D&D. We may not even house rule it or have our own rules set, but we have our own edition, our own version of the game. We may play a certain edition exactly as RAWly as possible, but even then...I am guessing that there is divergence, however slight--and if only in emphasis. There is always the X-Factor, whether we call it DM Fiat, DM's discretion, collaborative consensus, or simply individualized tone and style. Each and every one of us--especially as DMs--plays a different version, "edition" even, of Dungeons & Dragons. And that is exactly as it should be.

So the thing is, there really is no Edition War, because there is no winning or losing, and there certainly is no One Edition to Rule Them All. There is only an ongoing, perennial, Eternal Debate--a conversation, really, as to what works best, what we like best, and how can we bring it to the "official" (or unofficial) version of our choice that most of us use as a template and framework to start from, not a static set of codified rules.

So let's keep the Debate going--or Dialogue, if you prefer--yet with the understanding that it never was a War. There is a Best Edition of D&D, but it is the one that you are playing.

I really wish you were right. But the illusion last only as long as i don´t browse ENworld and read any threads.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Oh. One step removed? Well, that's debatable, but at that point we're just nitpicking too, so... eh.

Speaking of my little pony the RPG;

As a rabid Dragonlance fan, I heartily approve. Hey, how could I say "neigh"?

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[Dragonhelm]

I think Mercurius hit the nail on the head.

What is the very core of what a game system is supposed to do? It's supposed to be a tool, used for conflict resolution and to enhance the adventure.

Different tools do different things, depending on what you want to do. Sometimes, more than one tool will do the same job and it amounts to preference.

Let's look at another analogy. Say you're an artist, and someone says to draw a picture of a vase. How would you go about it? Pencils, oil paint, sculpture, computer animation? It all leads to the same end - a picture of a vase.

See my sig for another take.

When I look at gaming, I have my preferred system (4e), which works best for me. Yet I'm looking at Pathfinder, C&C, and prior editions of D&D for ideas. I may run a game someday using 4e rules and the Pathfinder setting. I borrow the Pathfinder flavor for some of my D&D rules (i.e. goblins and kobolds). Prior editions of D&D offer me ideas as well. Heck, some system may have some character idea (from a kit, PrC, or whatever) that I can create in my current game system.

I also realize that others use their preferred game systems. One friend is a Pathfinder fan, and another friend is a True20 fanatic. When I play in their games, I use their system.

I think we focus too much on how we get from point A to point B, and miss out on the journey in between. Really, what's more important - game system, or the fun you have with your friends on an adventure?

 

[Nifft]

Really, what's more important - game system, or the fun you have with your friends on an adventure?

The most important things are:
- Winning internet fights.
- Seeing your opponents driven to other forums.
- Hearing the lamentations of their mods.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Truth Seeker]

As someone said at the Ennies '09, "Play the games you like".

So true those words are...