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<blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 6024089" data-attributes="member: 32740">I think it is arguable that 3rd Edition was the first time that actual game design theory was given any influence upon D&amp;D rules.&nbsp; Every edition prior to that was only technically written by a professional game designer in that they received pay for the effort.&nbsp; But did they REALLY know what they were doing?&nbsp; Even though 3E designers may have had some actual schooling or greater clinical understanding of game rules doesn't mean that RPG design wasn't a field that was only barely crawling out of infancy.&nbsp; It seems to me that game designers are still learning their craft and still making great leaps of understanding regarding their field of endeavor.&nbsp; To oversimplify to make a point - these people often still don't know or understand just what it is they're doing.&nbsp;A good DM and cooperative and involved players can overcome tremendous faults and omissions in a set of rules.&nbsp; It does not matter if that set of rules was written yesterday or 35 years ago.&nbsp; Obnoxious players were a problem three decades ago and things have not changed simply by creating newer rulesets with go-faster stripes.&nbsp; A bad DM can still render a fine set of rules an intolerable gaming experience.&nbsp; Though I have no experience with 4E rules I have no reason to doubt that one can run a fine &quot;Old School&quot; game with them.&nbsp; I have decades of familiarity with AD&amp;D rules and know that you can run a game with them which has a complete lack of commonality with &quot;Old School&quot; ideas about playing D&amp;D.Old School is not about understanding how the rules you use want you to play the game - it is about how you wish to play the game using the rules that you are given.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Man in the Funny Hat, post: 6024089, member: 32740"] I think it is arguable that 3rd Edition was the first time that actual game design theory was given any influence upon D&D rules. Every edition prior to that was only technically written by a professional game designer in that they received pay for the effort. But did they REALLY know what they were doing? Even though 3E designers may have had some actual schooling or greater clinical understanding of game rules doesn't mean that [U]RPG design[/U] wasn't a field that was only barely crawling out of infancy. It seems to me that game designers are still learning their craft and still making great leaps of understanding regarding their field of endeavor. To oversimplify to make a point - these people often still don't know or understand just what it is they're doing. A good DM and cooperative and involved players can overcome tremendous faults and omissions in a set of rules. It does not matter if that set of rules was written yesterday or 35 years ago. Obnoxious players were a problem three decades ago and things have not changed simply by creating newer rulesets with go-faster stripes. A bad DM can still render a fine set of rules an intolerable gaming experience. Though I have no experience with 4E rules I have no reason to doubt that one can run a fine "Old School" game with them. I have decades of familiarity with AD&D rules and know that you can run a game with them which has a complete lack of commonality with "Old School" ideas about playing D&D. Old School is not about understanding how the rules you use want you to play the game - it is about how you wish to play the game using the rules that you are given. [/QUOTE]

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