So sick of 2E fans bashing 3E

[JoeBlank]

not any more.

i've thrown off the yoke that was the 2000ed and/or 3.11ed for Workgroups.

i have players for my OD&D campaign.

OD&D(1974) is the only true game. All the other editions are just poor imitations of the real thing.

As a player in that OD&D game, I think I can agree with what a few other posters have said: The rules don't make the game, the players make the game.

With a different set of players, or under a different DM, you might have an entirely different game going, even though you were using the OD&D rules. Of course, when you put the word out that you are looking for OD&D players I think you are likely to attract the kind of players who want they style of game you have created.

The qualities I like about diaglo's OD&D game:

• No min/maxing, you can't min/max 3d6 in order.
• The players are focused on the game, they generally stay in character and off-topic discussions are kept to a minimum. This could be because the campaign is engaging and interesting, and it is also a result of having some fairly serious gamers, as opposed to casual gamers who are more interested in talking about movies or just getting together for beer and chips (not that there is anything wrong with that).
• No railroading. Despite the fact that our characters are in the military and have specific tasks on which we should focus, we are given free reign to decide how we will accomplish them, and in what order.
• Dynamic world. The game is not dependent on the actions of the PCs, in goes round and round regardless of what we do. The orc does not just sit in the room with the pie waiting for us to kill him.
• Consequences to action/inaction. As a dynamic world, if we choose to explore a dungeon while the mean giant roams free, the giant might take that time to send his orcs out to do evil, or to move his base of operations so we can not find him later.

There are probably other aspects I am forgetting, but those serve as some pretty good examples of what, to me, makes a game good. The kind of thing that makes me think about the game while away from the table, at home or at work while looking forward to playing again.

But to my point (finally!), I think you could accomplish this using any set of rules. Indeed, I feel the same way about Olgar Shiverstone's 3.x campaign (which has been on haitus but will be played again this weekend). Admittedly, there is a little min/maxing in that game, but the DM keeps it to a minimum by being strict about the rules expansions he allows, and by requiring that things like multiclassing be justified by character development.

Play the rules you like best, just play them your way. And let others do the same.

 

[MonsterMash]

That's because OD&D is the only true game, and all other games are just poor imitations of the real thing.

Also, nobody really played OD&D except diaglo and some guy called Gygax.

Not quite true - some of us did it in the UK too.

 

[JoeBlank]

Another point occurred to me while composing my above post: As others have said, any set of rules is just a box of rules. Pick which tools you want to use to make the game you want to play.

diaglo, even you have to admit that you use and allow "expansions" to the orginal 3 booklets. One could even say that you allow more "optional" rules in your game than the 3.x DMs who only allow the core rulebooks. Your rules include:

Supplement I Greyhawk

Supplement II Blackmoor

Supplement III Eldritch Wizardry

Supplement IV Gods, Demigods, and Heroes

the Strategic Review Issues 1,2,3,and 4

and parts of Swords & Spells


One could say this is similar to allowing Complete Warrior, Complete Divine, Players' Guide to Faerun, and certain articles out of Dragon magazine.

This is certainly not a criticism, as I said before you should pick the rules you like to make your game. From reading messageboards, including WotC when I can stand it, some DMs must allow any and all d20 material in their games. I don't see how they can create a focused world that comes to life with such a hodge podge of material, but if that is what they enjoy then more power to them