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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Korgoth" data-source="post: 4875782" data-attributes="member: 49613">I consider this a "3E / OGL" topic because I think it may be a trend which came about as a result of 3rd Edition and D20. When I recall how we used to play AD&D 1E back in the day, or how I run OD&D now, I would say that the style of game with which I am familiar (and enjoy) could be characterized as "fast and loose".For example, back in the day I was in multiple long-running AD&D games. And yet we never used the nigh-incomprehensible Initiative system presented in the 1E DMG. Initiative was basically just handled by common sense, judgment calls and situational concerns. I still handle it that way today. I don't want to roll for initiative. I just want to go with what works.For example, one side moves up to a group that has pole weapons. The pole side gets to strike first that round. The next round, the other side gets to go first (if they're still standing) because they're now inside the reach. Or one group is concealed in the bushes... the other group in the clearing knows that they're there, but not exactly where. The group in the bushes can go first if they conduct missile fire, but if they decide to run out into the open (from difficult terrain) then the other side will be ready for them, etc.Initiative is just one example. For the most part, we never really cared (and I still don't care) what the rules say. The rules, on this model, are treated as guidelines. And I think that works for Old School games because everything is pretty modular and the individual PC doesn't have too many powers that actually require consistent application of the rules beyond the basics of combat, etc.I would contrast this with the ethos of 3E and later. In those games, PCs have all these feats, skills, powers, class abilities, etc. that require consistent application of the rules to really be useful. Inititiative for example... there are feats, ability bonuses, class powers, all sorts of things that interact with it. If the DM throws out that rules subsystem, all the sudden somebody's PC just got nerfed. The whole thrust of having all these complex powers and chains of bonuses is that you're supposed to use the rules as written, use them all, and use them consistently without much intervention of judgement calls and on-the-fly rulings.Just an observation. Sometimes I'm a bit surprised, I guess, when people seem to care about what the rules say and what it says on page X, etc. I'm more of a "close the book and listen to the Ref" guy. I'm not arguing for one way being better or worse (I may have an opinion on that, but I'm keeping it to myself)... just that it's an interesting difference.</blockquote>

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