Retro-gaming

[mach1.9pants]

When did this all start, and what is the appeal?

I guess it started when the original first wave of DnDers/RPGers hit such an age that nostalgia becomes the norm.
That'd be about my age!

 

[Ariosto]

Come to think of it, the common frame of reference -- in combo with on-line texts but not burdensome licenses -- is one appeal of most "retro" games. The riffs on TSR-D&D pretty much share the "lingua franca" we once knew, but with the OGL in place of the sort of rabid lawyering that infamously tried to trademark "Nazi" (for an Indiana Jones game).

I could release supplements about starships or superheroes and direct people to GORE for the basic "game grammar". It has always been the case in theory that "crunch" was not really "intellectual property" -- but the sharing of ideas has broken out of a practical chilling effect.

On balance, I think that ought to be beneficial for commercial publishers and brand owners as well as for hobbyists. Fan-produced material was from the start the "free advertising" that built the market for RPGs.

 

[Ariosto]

On graphics: Even if an all new MF cover is beyond budget, a new coloring might be worthwhile for a print release.

The fellow who did the covers for S&W, and whose work appears as a background / frontispiece in OSRIC2, knocks my socks off. Unfortunately, I can't recall his name just now.

Stuff like that can also appeal to "new school" people. It's not imitation anything (for all that it stands nicely next to classic Erol Otus), and that combination of personal vision and technical competence -- true "art" -- strikes chords all around.

 

[Treebore]

The fellow who did the covers for S&W, and whose work appears as a background / frontispiece in OSRIC2, knocks my socks off. Unfortunately, I can't recall his name just now.

Mullen?

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

Thanks treebore, I had most of them but AD&D 3 I did not and was hard to find. May get things thrown at me but I really wish he had not made it like that it's distracting and hard to read.

Good thread though lots of fun links. I got wayfarer while it was free but have not given it a good once over yet

 

[Mythmere1]

Pete Mullen is the artist for the Swords & Wizardry game covers, and his work definitely rocks. He also did the Swords & Wizardry WhiteBox cover, the cover for the 0e/S&W Monster Book, and the cover for The Spire of Iron and Crystal (a module). His work is also featured on Guy Fullerton's 1e adventure Fane of Poisoned Prophesy and Knockspell Magazine #1.

His website is here: [The Cave: Art Gallery]

 

[Goblinoid Games]

Mutant Future rocks like a Diamond Dog, and I look forward to seeing it in due time (i.e., ASAP) irradiating game shop shelves across the land!

There are a lot of exciting things happening right now, so we'll have to see how it goes. My goal was to get Mutant Future into game stores in 2009. It's been a roller coaster of events that sometimes makes that look unlikely, but right now I'll say things are looking up.

 

[Odhanan]

Swords & Wizardry is an attempt to do something similar for OD&D, although it takes some more fundamental liberties and tries as well to please those who like such "modern" touches as ascending AC.

It is worth noting that there are two different version of Swords & Wizardry. The original version (free PDF file from lulu) is basically OD&D + selected elements of Supplement I Greyhawk, while S&W White Box (right click, save as, free PDF from Mythmere Games) is the emulation of the original game itself, without supplemental elements.

 

[howandwhy99]

One of the things I've noticed recently is the growth of the "retro-game,"...

...When did this all start, and what is the appeal?

In D&D retro-games started almost the moment D20 was published back in 2000. For other games it's probably different.

The appeal is the games are no longer intended to be the same activity. Prior to the confusion of the 90's RPGs were about playing roles. Now they are designed to play characters.

(one's a guessing game with a magic and mystery in each moment. The other is a story game were consequences are secondary, if considered at all)

 

[Doug McCrae]

the sort of rabid lawyering that infamously tried to trademark "Nazi" (for an Indiana Jones game).

That's a myth. From the rec.games.frp.dnd FAQ -

C8: Did TSR really try to trademark the word "Nazi"?

A: No, though that is a popular rumor, especially among people who are
looking for any excuse to hate TSR. This incident comes out of the
Indiana Jones RPG. The statement in question actually says
"NAZI(TM)*; (TM) & (C) LFL 1984; *trademarks of Lucasfilm, Ltd. used
under authorization." In other words, TSR has never made any claim
to a trademark on the word "Nazi," but Lucasfilm, Ltd. has made such
a claim.

However, before anyone decides to start railing on Lucasfilm,
realize that the trademark in question is of the word and the
associated artwork. That is, there is no claim that the word
"Nazi" by itself is a trademark, but there is apparently a trademark
on the word when accompanied by the specific artwork that was seen with it in that module.