D&D 5E Ray Winninger, in charge of D&D, states his old school bonefides.

[JEB]

Why does it matter? Where is the unfairness? Who is it unfair to?

The creators who worked on products that weren't really problematic, but are having their works lumped in with material like Oriental Adventures, for one. Some of whom still work on the game today and are clearly working to make it better, like Jeremy Crawford. (Unless he's disavowed Heroes of the Feywild as an old shame and I missed it?)

And the fans who enjoyed said products (to include fans who jumped on with 4E just before the 5E switchover), and could read in that disclaimer the implication that the things they liked were wrong, whether or not that implication has merit in an individual case. Many take such things as implicit criticism of themselves as well as of the work.

Note, arguing that folks shouldn't be offended by something is generally a non-starter... all you can do is try to understand and accept why they might be offended.

 

[Greg Benage]

I'm sure many older fans agree there's stuff in the back catalog that merits the disclaimer. That doesn't mean they're fine with every single D&D product prior to 5E being labeled as potentially problematic.

I’m usually in the “woke gone too far” camp around here, but I honestly can’t even imagine what it would be like to care. On all sides and in all subgroups, it’s amazing to me how whiny, entitled and delicate so many are in the online ttrpg community.

Buy what you* want and play what you want, but please, for the love of Gord, stop whining.

*Not you you - the older-generation “theys” you’re talking about.

 

[Campbell]

While I would much rather see specific disclaimers I think most folks upset at those disclaimers would be much more upset at targeted disclaimers especially if there weren't any on WotC edition material.

 

[Fenris-77]

I was hoping for something more tangible than "I'm old and did some work there back in the day". Just saying...

 

[BookTenTiger]

I was hoping for something more tangible than "I'm old and did some work there back in the day". Just saying...

What would that even look like?

 

[JEB]

While I would much rather see specific disclaimers I think most folks upset at those disclaimers would be much more upset at targeted disclaimers especially if there weren't any on WotC edition material.

Targeted disclaimers would certainly have made dedicated fans of those specific products much more upset, agreed. But most of the other older fans probably wouldn't have cared, so long as it wasn't one of their favorites that got targeted.

 

[Mistwell]

Ray Winninger felt like flexing his old school bonafides.

Edit to add:

I'm fairly certain he was responding to 5e old school style players. I'm not sure that makes any difference for some but maybe.

I responded to him that it definitely counts, and also that I looked forward to when he revives Greyhawk as a 5e setting.

He just clicked like on it without a denial.

Just sayin!

 

[Fenris-77]

What would that even look like?

Some kind of actual experience and enthusiasm for the specifics of old school gaming? IDK. I wasn't thinking there was a right answer, just that there could have been a more convincing answer.

 

[darjr]

I responded to him that it definitely counts, and also that I looked forward to when he revives Greyhawk as a 5e setting.

He just clicked like on it without a denial.

Just sayin!

Cool! Greyhawk!!!!!

 

[Mordhau]

And the fans who enjoyed said products (to include fans who jumped on with 4E just before the 5E switchover), and could read in that disclaimer the implication that the things they liked were wrong, whether or not that implication has merit in an individual case. Many take such things as implicit criticism of themselves as well as of the work.

Really? What an odd and self defeating way to think about things.