Too many cooks - the problem with Campaign Settings

[rogueattorney]

Should the same logic be applied to those whose original vision created D&D?

Well, yeah. Gygax & Arneson's vision for D&D was different from Gygax's visions for AD&D1 was different from Frank Mentzer's vision for D&D was different from "Zeb" Cook's vision for AD&D2 was different from M. Cook, Tweet, etc.'s vision for D&D3, etc.

There really is no denying the changes in the respective versions. Those changes are due to the designers' differing visions on the way the game should be. As more and more "cooks" are added to the D&D rules "pot", the game gets farther and farther away from the original conception of the game.

What many of us grognards miss about the oldest versions of the game, and I think what Merric was talking about in regard to the settings, is that in their original incarnations there is something very organic and personal going on with the original creator that isn't really replicated with designers who aren't working on their "baby".

While the changes might "work" or even be "better", often times there is something that just isn't quite right. I have this vision of a living organism, onto which people keep sticking mechanical appendages. Eventually, the thing that made it alive in the first place becomes obscured and only the artificial add-ons can be seen.

R.A.

 

[Nightfall]

My vision of the Scarred Lands will never die. Cause I am THE Sage!!!

 

[MerricB]

What many of us grognards miss about the oldest versions of the game, and I think what Merric was talking about in regard to the settings, is that in their original incarnations there is something very organic and personal going on with the original creator that isn't really replicated with designers who aren't working on their "baby".

Somewhat.

With the initial design, you attract your initial audience. They respond to aspects of what you created.

Then someone else comes along and adds to it. The additions may appeal to some of the original audience and they may attract a new audience. The resulting audience may be larger than the original audience, it may be smaller.

This is true of anything creative. You don't even need different authors - the same author can lose an audience with a change of style, or that author can gain an audience!

Or the audience can change in tastes. Don't believe me? Reread some of the books you read when you were 10 and see if you still like them in the same way - if at all. At school, I studied The Quiet American (the book) and did not enjoy it much... a couple of years ago I read it again and loved it.

Although I loved playing AD&D, I don't really miss it. Elements of it, yes, but I prefer DMing 3.5E. However, I don't think I would have enjoyed 3.5E as much if I'd been introduced to it 'cold' in 1982...

As I've mentioned once or twice , I love the World of Greyhawk. I most enjoy a blend of the 1983 boxed set with additional detail from the LGG - I don't really like what I find in From the Ashes. Very well.

I believe (as do others) that Gary Gygax's version of Greyhawk was wonderful.

However... if Gary wrote new Greyhawk material today, would I like it so much? Or would it be similar to the reaction of many people to Episode I and II in the Star Wars series? I suspect I'd still enjoy it - I really like the Star Wars prequels - but I can't tell you for certain.

"Too many cooks" is a somewhat misleading title to this thread, by the way. Perhaps it would be better as "Too many cooks?": that better indicates the ambiguity of this matter.

Cheers!

 

[diaglo]

Or would it be similar to the reaction of many people to Episode I and II in the Star Wars series? I suspect I'd still enjoy it - I really like the Star Wars prequels - but I can't tell you for certain.

i always knew you were a Jar Jar fan...

the problem is when the original creator loses vision and starts listening to the hacks/reviewers just like George Lucas did.

edit: and Gary did with the creation of Advanced.