PSA: "Dead" games are still playable

[Reynard]

Tangentially related to the OGL 1.1 kerfuffle, but more broadly applicable.

Just because a game is not currently supported by its creator or publisher does not mean that you can't play it. Just because only a small community of folks keep it alive doesn't mean you can't find players. just because you have to make your own "supplements" doesn't mean it isn't worth it.

If you love a game, don't stop supporting and playing it just because the company stops supporting it or it gets "de-authorized" or whatever.

 

[aco175]

I am not sure my table could go back to play 1e/2e- maybe 3e/Pathfinder. Every change brings in some new rules and options that stick for a reason and to make a play at 2e and still have things like THAC0 and no feats and the d20 system for stats would be a big step back. I have not looked much at some of the new remakes of the OSE and such so they may have changed enough from the original to be its own game by now.

 

[Reynard]

I am not sure my table could go back to play 1e/2e- maybe 3e/Pathfinder. Every change brings in some new rules and options that stick for a reason and to make a play at 2e and still have things like THAC0 and no feats and the d20 system for stats would be a big step back. I have not looked much at some of the new remakes of the OSE and such so they may have changed enough from the original to be its own game by now.

I'm not really talking about "going back." I'm talking about abandoning a game because it has run its publication course or the company goes under or whatever.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I still play 2E pretty exclusively when I do D&D

 

[Celebrim]

I'm often surprised by how big the Star Wars D6 community still is despite the fact that it's dead and despite me realizing just how poor the editing of the original game line actually was. Like the IP content is still really well done, but the rules themselves show no sign of having any product manager or editor creating guidelines for rules leading to it feeling like all equipment, vehicles, starships, droids, and alien creatures have stats generated by a random number generator.

 

[Reynard]

I'm often surprised by how big the Star Wars D6 community still is despite the fact that it's dead and despite me realizing just how poor the editing of the original game line actually was. Like the IP content is still really well done, but the rules themselves show no sign of having any product manager or editor creating guidelines for rules leading to it feeling like all equipment, vehicles, starships, droids, and alien creatures have stats generated by a random number generator.

I still run it at cons on a regular basis and always fill seats.

 

[payn]

If your company gets sued out of business, I guess you can just keep doing the work for no pay.

 

[Retreater]

It sure makes it harder when the tools you're accustomed to using get taken away: character builders, encounter calculators, PDFs, messageboards, etc.
In many cases, it's simpler to find a new game.

 

[Bedrockgames]

It sure makes it harder when the tools you're accustomed to using get taken away: character builders, encounter calculators, PDFs, messageboards, etc.
In many cases, it's simpler to find a new game.

A lot of games have character builders these days

 

[GMMichael]

If you love a game, don't stop supporting and playing it just because the company stops supporting it or it gets "de-authorized" or whatever.

This might not be the actual issue though. Yeah, you-singular can keep playing a game. By yourself. But there's a mass market out there, and it responds to what advertisers are telling it, right here, right now.

"Hey local game community, let's try a game of (dead game)!"

"Yeah, sorry, we just got the sample app of the new 1D&D game through Facecrack, and our dragonborn-species paladins can't level up unless we use the QR codes in the new player's handbook *copyright *trademark *all rights reserved. Maybe next time?"