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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rogueattorney" data-source="post: 5828384" data-attributes="member: 17551">I've written a number of places that the delineation of D&D into two lumps of "old school" and "new school" is far, far too simplistic.The content and aesthetics of the products and assumed play style therein varies wildly from 1976 to 1986 to 1996.  I would argue that the style of the products - which sometimes would push the zeitgeist of playing public, and was sometimes pushed by the zeitgeist of the playing public - can broadly be lumped as follows:Formative years: 1974-1977Peak years and plateau:  1978-1983Decadent silver age:  1984-19922e crash:  1993-19993e rebirth:  2000-20074e reinvention:  2008-These phases don't necessarily track with edition.  For example, I'd say the 1e of 1986 had a lot more in common with the 2e of 1990 than the 2e of 1994.  Also, there have clearly been forerunner and retro products in each of the phases which make for exceptions.I'd also say that the flow of D&D's style would sometimes go with that of the greater rpg world and be completely at odds with the greater rpg world at others.  Which makes it hard to track D&D's "schools" with other games.And once again...  I'm talking about products, not playstyles, and sometimes playstyle followed the products and other times products followed the playstyles.</blockquote>