Referendum on AD&D 2e

[Atom Again]

Thanks to everyone who participated in my poll on older versions of D&D. I would now like to narrow the focus a bit and ask about one version of D&D in particular: AD&D 2e. Thanks in advance to everyone for voting in this poll!

 

[Kanegrundar]

Nope. I simply won't play 2E anymore. 2E killed my interest in D&D for many years (until the release of 3E), so I have no desire to go back to it.

Honestly, the only other editions of D&D I will play other than 3E is Basic.

Kane

 

[Wombat]

My feeling is that a good GM can make up for any system.

I am not at all fond of GURPS, but a friend of mine ran a great GURPS Tekumel/Petal Throne campaign.

I am not all that interested in trying to learn 2nd AD&D, but I would if there was a GM I trusted.

OTOH, I'd far rather play Ars Magica, Over the Edge, Star Trek (FASA or CODA), and a few other systems over 2nd AD&D...

 

[Pinotage]

Nope. Never played it never will. Why play 2e under a good DM when you can play 3e under a good DM?

 

[Alhazred]

I voted 'YES', although I'd be more willing to play a one-shot adventure than an entire campaign. Why have French's when you can have Dijon?

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Nope. I simply won't play 2E anymore. 2E killed my interest in D&D for many years (until the release of 3E), so I have no desire to go back to it.

Honestly, the only other editions of D&D I will play other than 3E is Basic.

Kane

I felt I could not add anything to this statement as it echoes exactly how I feel. Especially the part about 2e killing my interest. It drove me away. I will do my best to only play 3e or orginial, at this point.

 

[Nisarg]

2e had all of the archaic complexity of 1e, with none of the fun or spirit.

It was a marketing design, inspired by people who not only did not know anything about roleplaying but actively despised roleplayers.
Its complete lack of originality or creativity forced it to constantly fall behind the industry trends rather than lead them, allowing white wolf and others to swoop into a badly weakened "idea market" and lead roleplaying off a proverbial cliff, all the while 2e following merrily behind them.

In short, 2e is responsible for more people quitting D&D and quitting roleplaying than any other rpg in the history of gaming.
Way moreso than vampire.

I lost 8/10ths of my roleplaying community due to that combination of people quitting the game in frustration over 2e AD&D (the system, the marketing, the overwhelming mass of bad overpriced products, the lack of responsiveness to the gaming community, etc), and in frustration over the metaplotty-angsty-story-driven direction roleplaying was heading due to TSR's lack of leadership.

When TSR went bankrupt, I thought that was it... 2e had killed TSR, and TSR's fall would surely lead to the end of roleplaying. But then Wizards, a company that made that annoying card game I hated, came along and bought out TSR.. I was sure they were going to produce some terrible version of D&D that would be all "magic the gathering"-esque. But instead, they got Jonathan Tweet, they got Monte Cook, they got Ryan Dancey and they got Open Gaming and D20! Not only did they save roleplaying, but they lead it to a new golden age.

So, with that said, and given the inherent blandness of the 2e system, its lack of fun, its overcomplexity, and the fact that it was designed by a company that hated gamers, thought it could "tell gamers what they'll play", and nearly drove the entire hobby to ruin... why would ANYONE want to play 2e ever again?

Now, 1e I can understand, yay grognards all the way... there's nothing wrong with an overly complicated, archaic nearly-unplayable system as long as its FUN and has a good spirit!

Nisarg

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

No way!

At least as far as the ruleset goes. Way too many bad memories.

Some of the setting material is still really good, but that has almost nothing to do with mechanics.

I'd far rather play almost any other system.

 

[Turanil]

Why have French's when you can have Dijon?

Ahem... I am French and yet I don't understand the meaning of this phrase... I guess that people from other countries will have an ever harder time to get it. Hum, i don't want to be unpleasant in saying that though...


Anyway: concerning the topic at hand, i don't want to go back to AD&D 2e, though I did prefer the books in terms of layout and illustrations. I would be glad to try a Castle & Crusade campaign though...

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Ahem... I am French and yet I don't understand the meaning of this phrase... I guess that people from other countries will have an ever harder time to get it.

French's is a brand of common yellow mustard, with dijon being a more highly spiced, exotic flavor of mustard.


Regards,
Eric Anondson