Listening to old-timers describe RP in the 70s and 80s

[Willie the Duck]

The dungeon map ends up on graph paper, sure, but there's an intermediate step where the bit of the map currently in play is on something bigger - a chalkboard, a piece of plain newsprint, a dry-erase board, whatever - and that's where the minis went.

Okay, yes. And when the two marry perfectly and transitions are seamless and everything is communicated perfectly, then things like the caller are solving problems which aren't showing up.

 

[Geekrampage]

Currently playing OSE on Foundry with 5-6 players.

Although we don't officially have a caller, we have a de-facto caller - one player who is designated as making decisions for where the party is going next in the dungeon.

Their sole purpose is to eliminate tedious debates about which door to open next or which corridor to take. There's a brief discussion of "Left or right? What does everyone think?" with the answer usually being, "Whatever you decide, man. We go where you go."

That player choose left, everyone goes left (unless they say otherwise).

Also useful for deciding whether to press on, risking more or tougher encounters, or to leave the dungeon and rest.

Its not an official position or title, just a player the other players passively default to, the player who seems to have the most opinion. Whopever that specific player is might change from dungeon to dungeon or week to week.

 

[The Soloist]

I was there in the trenches in the early 80s. We quickly outgrew the style mentioned in the OP.

Instead, we started doing long-term campaigns with actual PC goals. The most memorable was owning a valley around Name Level and putting the rightful heir to the throne back in the chair after destroying the usurper and his cronies.

We went from level 3 to level 12. We did not start at level 1. We rolled 5d6 and kept the best 3, distribute to have the character you wanted to play.

One group I knew was into heavy role-playing, always staying in character and doing lots of social encounters and political intrigues at the court. No dungeons.

 

[edosan]

We went from level 3 to level 12. We did not start at level 1. We rolled 5d6 and kept the best 3, distribute to have the character you wanted to play.

This is more or less what we did, which is why I laugh to myself when the "3d6 down the line is the only way to play!" crowd starts talking.

IME the people that try to tell you how everyone used to play back in the day do not reflect my experience at all.

 

[The Soloist]

IME the people that try to tell you how everyone used to play back in the day do not reflect my experience at all.

They are proselytizing.

 

[Cruentus]

This is more or less what we did, which is why I laugh to myself when the "3d6 down the line is the only way to play!" crowd starts talking.

IME the people that try to tell you how everyone used to play back in the day do not reflect my experience at all.

It fits my experience. We did 3d6 down the line in B/X, and in 1e, until we read about 4d6 pick best 3 and assign, then we did that. That was the default for every edition after. Now that I’ve gone back to B/X, we do 3d6 down the line or playbooks from Beyond the Wall, depending on how we want our campaign to run.

Everyone’s experiences will vary, obviously.

 

[Lanefan]

We went from level 3 to level 12. We did not start at level 1. We rolled 5d6 and kept the best 3, distribute to have the character you wanted to play.

Same here except we start at level 1.

 

[Mannahnin]

I was there in the trenches in the early 80s. We quickly outgrew the style mentioned in the OP.

Instead, we started doing long-term campaigns with actual PC goals. The most memorable was owning a valley around Name Level and putting the rightful heir to the throne back in the chair after destroying the usurper and his cronies.

We went from level 3 to level 12. We did not start at level 1. We rolled 5d6 and kept the best 3, distribute to have the character you wanted to play.

One group I knew was into heavy role-playing, always staying in character and doing lots of social encounters and political intrigues at the court. No dungeons.

This is more or less what we did, which is why I laugh to myself when the "3d6 down the line is the only way to play!" crowd starts talking.

IME the people that try to tell you how everyone used to play back in the day do not reflect my experience at all.

This is part of why Jon Peterson's The Elusive Shift is so good. Showing the incredible divergence of play styles and attitudes toward the concept of an RPG that sprang up right from the early years in the 70s, as documented in contemporaneous letters, zines and other publications.

So many people used to assume that their own group's play style was the norm.

 

[Thrandir]

This is part of why Jon Peterson's The Elusive Shift is so good. Showing the incredible divergence of play styles and attitudes toward the concept of an RPG that sprang up right from the early years in the 70s, as documented in contemporaneous letters, zines and other publications.

So many people used to assume that their own group's play style was the norm.

You have nailed it on the head.
The style of play I now DM is very different to what I played back in the mid 1970's (when I first started playing) and it continues to morph and grow.
Each and every gamer I meet and get chatting too all have different takes on the games they play and gaming in general. This is healthy when people remember that it is a game and if you are happy with what you are doing then stick with it. What isn't healthy is the vitriol levelled at people because they have a different opinion of how a game should be played or which version is the best etc...

For me 3.x (with it's quirks & complexity + tweaks we use) is what I am comfortable with; while I have tried the later editions (4E & 5E) they just don't meet the joy that 3.x gives me and the group I play with.

The renaissance that 5th has set off in all table top gaming has to be applauded for stoking and awaking people's desire to play table top role play games again.
Do I personally play this version - no, but I do appreciate what it has done for the hobby I have been playing for over 47 years, I may change edition as it were if a backwards compatible version ever sees the light of day.