Is OSRIC the new in print "defacto" D&D?

[nightraven]

When I woke this morning I had a thought, I (and I think most people from my generation) always considered 1E AD&D the "base game" on which everything else was built (the defacto D&D) and measured. Yes, OD&D existed, but it was pretty loose, not complete enough. 1E nailed Gygax's vision, OD&D not really. 3E and 4E are too far removed to hold the defacto title. LL and S&W are likewise too loose and too unique (with strong brands). As I see it, OSRIC is going to be the in print standard by which all other versions of D&D (and clones, such as S&W, LL and C&C will be measured (the out of print will always be 1E of course). OSRIC's growth will undoubtedly be increasing in the future, but I wonder if anyone will notice. Off to work, I'll post more tonight.

 

[Aus_Snow]

It seems unlikely. But I suppose anything is possible.

In my opinion, AD&D was (and is) not the "base game" (etc.) you referred to. That would have to be OD&D, of course. Well, to be fair, IMO.

 

[S'mon]

I think you may have a point. As the retro-clone of the most popular iteration of D&D, and being very well done, OSRIC has a strong brand. On the other hand, it's the most complex of the retro-clones - BFRPG, Swords & Wizadry, and Labyrinth Lord are significantly more rules-light.

 

[Dire Bare]

When I woke this morning I had a thought, I (and I think most people from my generation) always considered 1E AD&D the "base game" on which everything else was built (the defacto D&D) and measured. Yes, OD&D existed, but it was pretty loose, not complete enough. 1E nailed Gygax's vision, OD&D not really. 3E and 4E are too far removed to hold the defacto title. LL and S&W are likewise too loose and too unique (with strong brands). As I see it, OSRIC is going to be the in print standard by which all other versions of D&D (and clones, such as S&W, LL and C&C will be measured (the out of print will always be 1E of course). OSRIC's growth will undoubtedly be increasing in the future, but I wonder if anyone will notice. Off to work, I'll post more tonight.

1e is the defacto version of the game? Don't see it. Is Gary quoted somewhere stating 1e "nailed" his vision? Does it matter?

Is 1e D&D? Yes. Is OSRIC D&D? Yes (not by brand of course). Is 1e somehow more D&D than 2e, 3e, or 4e? No. Not by any standards other than personal, individual ones.

If 1e and/or OSRIC is your favorite version of the game and what you play mostly, that's cool. But to try and elevate it to the holy grail of D&D games for the rest of us, that's a fantasy of a different sort.

 

[Dire Bare]

I think you may have a point. As the retro-clone of the most popular iteration of D&D, and being very well done, OSRIC has a strong brand. On the other hand, it's the most complex of the retro-clones - BFRPG, Swords & Wizadry, and Labyrinth Lord are significantly more rules-light.

I've heard good things about OSRIC, but "strong brand" is pretty relative. Within the nichey niche world of D&D clones, I would say so. But outside of that, no, not really.

Walk into your average FLGS and start asking for the OSRIC section or ask if anyone wants to start up a game using the OSRIC ruleset, and you'll most likely get a lot of blank stares.

 

[S'mon]

Walk into your average FLGS and start asking for the OSRIC section or ask if anyone wants to start up a game using the OSRIC ruleset, and you'll most likely get a lot of blank stares.

My LGS certainly did stock OSRIC scenarios, although Castles & Crusades has a lot more shelf space. But I meant strong among the retro-clones, yes.

 

[Fifth Element]

1e is the defacto version of the game? Don't see it. Is Gary quoted somewhere stating 1e "nailed" his vision? Does it matter?

Is 1e D&D? Yes. Is OSRIC D&D? Yes (not by brand of course). Is 1e somehow more D&D than 2e, 3e, or 4e? No. Not by any standards other than personal, individual ones.

If 1e and/or OSRIC is your favorite version of the game and what you play mostly, that's cool. But to try and elevate it to the holy grail of D&D games for the rest of us, that's a fantasy of a different sort.

This sums it up nicely. XP for you.

 

[Umbran]

As I see it, OSRIC is going to be the in print standard by which all other versions of D&D (and clones, such as S&W, LL and C&C will be measured (the out of print will always be 1E of course). OSRIC's growth will undoubtedly be increasing in the future, but I wonder if anyone will notice.

I'm going to guess that the rpg community at large will not notice. At one time, 1e was the most popular version of D&D around, but it has been decades since that was the case. The community has largely moved on to other things.
Most of them probably won't acquire OSRIC in print version, much less play it or use it as a standard by which they measure others.

 

[Mallus]

But I meant strong among the retro-clones, yes.

Which is a little like saying "He's strong, for someone raised on the Moon. Compared to other Moon-men he's strong".

I think of AD&D as the "base game" too, but for no other reason than it's edition I began playing. As for OSRIC and the retro-clones (now there's a nerd-rock band name), while I really like how they hearken back to the early days of gaming as a cottage industry and I'm glad they're being developed by fans with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and talent, they're going to be a blip in the RPG market, nothing more.

They can certainly set a high standard for a new generation of RPG-related cottage industry products. But the idea one of the them is going to emerge as the overall brand standard is wishful (magical?) thinking.

 

[Remathilis]

When I woke this morning I had a thought, I (and I think most people from my generation) always considered 1E AD&D the "base game" on which everything else was built (the defacto D&D) and measured. Yes, OD&D existed, but it was pretty loose, not complete enough. 1E nailed Gygax's vision, OD&D not really. 3E and 4E are too far removed to hold the defacto title. LL and S&W are likewise too loose and too unique (with strong brands). As I see it, OSRIC is going to be the in print standard by which all other versions of D&D (and clones, such as S&W, LL and C&C will be measured (the out of print will always be 1E of course). OSRIC's growth will undoubtedly be increasing in the future, but I wonder if anyone will notice. Off to work, I'll post more tonight.

Short answer: No.

Long answer: I can't foresee any of the clones (including C&C & Pathfinder) actually overtaking the current iteration of D&D in popularity. D&D has the brand-name, has a giant company to handle distribution and development (something, bless their souls, none of those companies begin to match) and there is a significant population of the game that left 1e long ago and (barring a few rediscovereries) have no desire to go back. That's not to say these games aren't good, or have an audience, but I don't forsee OSRIC becoming "delfacto" anything except a nice SRD-like version of AD&D 1e that people will use with their old school games.