Is the AD&D 1E Revival here to stay?

[Melan]

The interest was probably always around. It is the organisational potential of the Internet - and the existence of sites where a critical mass of people with an interest in old style D&D exists - which make it possible to support this niche with actual products.

 

[Particle_Man]

i submitted my version of it for the WotC setting search.

Does that mean that you lost the rights to publish it? If you have submitted something and have the rights, either you or a pdf maker savvy friend can make a pdf from it. I would be interested. You obviously put your heart into your work.

 

[grodog]

One thing though. What I meant by "has been rejected" was not that it doesn't provide old school gaming, I meant that it is now not generally seen as the vehicle for recreating AD&D.

I think that this is a very important distinction to make, and to understand: it is possible for a product to have been rejected by the AD&D fan core market (as with Hackmaster, and perhaps C&C), but to still be a commercially viable system with a dedicated fanbase. If the product is self-sustaining, like C&C seems to be, then the difference becomes somewhat academic and immaterial---the differences between AD&D and C&C can then be lumped into the stylistic execution category that Maggan originally alluded to. If the product is not a sustained commercial successor to AD&D (Hackmaster), then it's easier to point to it and say "yes, that's been rejected by the AD&D core market" and be "right" FWIW.

For all C&C fans out there, this is not a slam against the system. It's just that C&C fon concept to released product to play sessions evolved into something different. Which is why OSRIC is getting that part of the action, so to speak.

And again, I think this dovetails nicely with your points about style (how the game is played, what kinds of adventures are being published for it, the publishers' vision, etc.) vs. substance (what the rules tell you to do to resolve combat or drowning or whatever).

 

[grodog]

i submitted my version of it for the WotC setting search.

You submitted Greyhawk too?

 

[RFisher]

Drop that question on OGF-l and ask there -- that's where I hear most talk about it.

I wonder, though, how many of the people expressing a wait-&-see attitude have any interest in producing Osric-compatible products in any case.

There are people out there who just want to game.[...]

My group asked me to DM D&D. We play lots of different games, but the group was really wanting to play some D&D, & the other guy who usually DMs had his hands full with the 3e game he was running for their Saturday group.

The fact that I'd decided I didn't want to DM 3e anymore hadn't come up before. So, I put it out there: Does it have to be 3e? I'd prefer classic D&D. Perhaps C&C as a compromise?

In the end, they were happy to let me use the system I wanted.

Which has been my experience with the vast majority of people I've played with: If someone is willing to run it, they are willing to play it. I've seen gamers constantly bad-mouth a system & claim they'd never play it, only to be the first one to agree once someone offered to run that system.

 

[WSmith]

I think the timing was right, nay, perfect for OSRIC, and I am not just saying that cause my name is on the inside cover. In the tabletop gaming industry, there is always a "turn around." Right now, a lot of the younger gamers out there that do play 3e, and are curious. Retro is cool right not, (though I do suspect that the whole return to retro retail marketing movement is about the jump the shark soon, but that is for another board.) Anyway, Most of us Dragonsfoot and Knights and Knaves regulars have heard this story over and over (which is actually a nice story to hear)...

I am so glad I found this place. I haven't played AD&D since college, X years ago. Last week I was emptying out my stuff from my Mom's basement and discovered all my old D&D books I had packed away; the Players Handbook, the Monster Manual, the DMs Guide and tons of other stuff. I started reading and couldn't put the books down. I am glad to see others still share the same interest in old style D&D.

For whatever reason, basement and attics that were once loaded with AD&D treasues are being looted across the land as we speak.

 

[Particle_Man]

While I am a C&C fan, I hope that OSRIC publications do very well, as anything published for OSRIC is easily usable for a C&C campaign.

 

[tx7321]

Melan originally posted: "The interest (in 1E) was probably always around."

I think your right. I feel hidden below the carpets of 2E and now 3E is a hardwood floor of 1E. Not dwelled on, but not forgotten. Below that hard wood floor is the subfloor of OD&D, and below that is Diaglo....trapped and scratching to get noticed.

In all respect to the above poster, the Trolls have stated that they wanted to create a system that was equally inviting to 3E players as it was to 1E and 2E players. It was there stated goal NOT to recreate AD&D. And Gary Gygax's involvement I think proves that (as he is not the type to live in the past, and wouldn't associate with a C&C that = an AD&D 1E clone IMO).

TLGs market strategy was an interesting one, but with 1 possibly fatal flaw:
The risk of this kind of market strategy is "you can't make all of the people happy all of the time". C&C goes after too broad a market I think. Its saving grace is, in fact, Gary Gygax. If you took Gary out of the picture, I think C&C wouldn't be able to hold onto the 1E crowd as it has. What would really be cool to see is Gary Gygax doing an OSRIC module for ER or someone with a hard core 1E track record. That would really help out the "revival" movement IMO. I don't see why he couldn't do both. And for that matter, I'd like to see TLG start publishing OSRIC material, why should they stick to only C&C (which is a different game, even if it is similar). They could really corner the market and still keep pumping out C&C stuff, (given their size, funding and access to Gary they could jump start the revival).
And by splitting their focus (C&C and OSRIC) they wouldn't step on 3E players toes who have made the switch to C&C (thus could keep the same C&C artists, focus and what have you/ while hiring some of the late 70s artists and writers to do basically new early TSR modules (without TSR written on them, rather "OSRIC compatable"). I mean, who wouldn't love to see that? And, if I understand Papers and Paychecks correctly, he isn't charging any royalty (what a great guy )

 

[Maggan]

In all respect to the above poster, the Trolls have stated that they wanted to create a system that was equally inviting to 3E players as it was to 1E and 2E players. It was there stated goal NOT to recreate AD&D.

Yes. But the reception of the news of C&C brought forth a lot of interest from people wanting it to be a vehicle for the recreation of AD&D. And there was a lot of talk about how this would be done by C&C, mostly outside of the Troll's realm. I remember long threads about requests for rules that brought it closer to AD&D than D&D3e.

As far as I remember, the vision of C&C was kinda confused for a long while. Playtesters were very excited, but couldn't say anything due to NDAs, which meant that there were those who pinned their hopes for a reborn AD&D on C&C. But I might be misremembering the events as they occurred.

Which is exactly why a clear vision is paramount for a thing like OSRIC to prosper.

/M

 

[diaglo]

You submitted Greyhawk too?

using the OD&D boxed set rules.