Mezuka
Hero
The Rubber Band Effect is the way I've come to understand the pull toward TSR editions. I started in 1980 with Holmes and played every edition since. I saluted the changes that came with 3e and liked a lot of the decisions made with 4e.
After playing 5e for several years I started to feel the rubber band pull of the old TSR editions. In 2021-2022 I reread Basic (Moldvay), AD&D and 2e. I read many OSR games and other simulacrums. I can't play these games anymore. I've changed.
There is an undeniable tension between my memories of the 'good old TSR times' and 5e. I know perfectly well that 'good old times were not that good. We bickered a lot over the rules. The really good memories stem from an AD&D campaign, not DMed by me, which was very interesting as a player. It allowed me to play a character up to level 12.
The other good TSR memories are from an AD&D2e campaign I ran with a stable group for several years. I developed a region of a continent over time and it was my best campaign.
With 3e, 4e I wasn't able to replicate that either as a player or as a DM. It's not the fault of these editions. The player groups were riddled with problems. Despite playing them for several years, I have no good memories of these two editions. I only have good memories of d20 Modern.
With 5e I was able to replicate an old-school-style campaign - start a small build around it. It went very well for two years. It crashed because two players changed over time. Covid and divorce between the two didn't help. I think I'm still traumatized by this event two years after the fact. This too makes me long for the 'good old times.
Even if I know they are mostly 'pink coloured memories' the pull is strong. My way to cope with this is to play solitary (no DM) sessions of Castles & Crusades once in a while.
I have a stable group of players in their mid-40s but D&D is off the table. They don't want to play C&C either. I GM mostly the AGE system with them. At 57 I have nothing to complain about. I GM every other week and I'm a player in between.
Still, the rubber band is pulling. I've come to believe visiting forums and FB groups is nourishing the longing for my TSR days because I read about other players’ experiences. Consequently, I’ve decided to stop visiting them.
Goodbye!
After playing 5e for several years I started to feel the rubber band pull of the old TSR editions. In 2021-2022 I reread Basic (Moldvay), AD&D and 2e. I read many OSR games and other simulacrums. I can't play these games anymore. I've changed.
There is an undeniable tension between my memories of the 'good old TSR times' and 5e. I know perfectly well that 'good old times were not that good. We bickered a lot over the rules. The really good memories stem from an AD&D campaign, not DMed by me, which was very interesting as a player. It allowed me to play a character up to level 12.
The other good TSR memories are from an AD&D2e campaign I ran with a stable group for several years. I developed a region of a continent over time and it was my best campaign.
With 3e, 4e I wasn't able to replicate that either as a player or as a DM. It's not the fault of these editions. The player groups were riddled with problems. Despite playing them for several years, I have no good memories of these two editions. I only have good memories of d20 Modern.
With 5e I was able to replicate an old-school-style campaign - start a small build around it. It went very well for two years. It crashed because two players changed over time. Covid and divorce between the two didn't help. I think I'm still traumatized by this event two years after the fact. This too makes me long for the 'good old times.
Even if I know they are mostly 'pink coloured memories' the pull is strong. My way to cope with this is to play solitary (no DM) sessions of Castles & Crusades once in a while.
I have a stable group of players in their mid-40s but D&D is off the table. They don't want to play C&C either. I GM mostly the AGE system with them. At 57 I have nothing to complain about. I GM every other week and I'm a player in between.
Still, the rubber band is pulling. I've come to believe visiting forums and FB groups is nourishing the longing for my TSR days because I read about other players’ experiences. Consequently, I’ve decided to stop visiting them.
Goodbye!