OSR What Has Caused the OSR Revival?

[howandwhy99]

I getcha.

Thanks for clarifying!

Looking back at this thread I can see how it might appear I was first replying to your post. I saw people posting on the topic while reading and decided to post by page 6.

I like to think declining AC is harder for the one calculating it (the ref), but better for the design of the game overall. Of course that depends on the intent of the game design. Regardless, the players try and roll high to hit, try and obtain lower classes of armor to better defend themselves, and take note of which rolled numbers are hitting others and which aren't.

Like any math there are all sorts of shortcuts and mental reminder cheats. And the only person who ever needs to know or use the system in the ref anyways. Players can feel it all out recognizing what armors are more durable, defensive, lighter, what creatures are harder to hit due to quickness and agility, and make necessary judgements on how difficult a straight up fight may be. Of course there are plenty of other factors to be on the lookout for besides just AC...

 

[JeffB]

WOTC editions are too much work, and eat up gameplay time focusing on rules/combat.

As many of us are older now, and have precious little free time with family and work responsibilities, complicated games are a burden.

 

[TwoSix]

I never really got hostility towards older D&D from the 3rd ed players. It kind of spread via the 4vengers on the WoTC site though who generally belittled every other version of D&D that was not 4E. Back in 2001 on the WoTC forums 3rd ed was the new thing but I do not recal a large amount of negativity towards AD&D/BECMI.

You really don't like 4e, huh? Not only are we playing a bad game, we're responsible for the community being divisive?

 

[Minigiant]

Partly I see the OSR as similar to the "4e emergence" or the "Pathfinder migration."

Fans who like 80% of D&D but disliking the last 20%. Some even hating that last 20%.

OSR fans loving D&D but disliking the amount of rules of modern editions.
3.X/Pathfinder fans loving D&D but disliking the lack of options of earlier editions and the structure of 4e.
4e fans loving fans loving D&D but disliking the subsystems and mechanics of earlier editions.

And there are fans who love D&D but have major issues with every edition.

Basically people craving bacon cheeseburgers and restaurants all missing a key ingredient or adding stuff you don't want. D&D is like sandwiches and burgers. Everyone's got favorites and every shop doesn't offer it. Sometimes you gotta make your own. I like steak sauce on mine.

 

[Zardnaar]

You really don't like 4e, huh? Not only are we playing a bad game, we're responsible for the community being divisive?

No some of the extreme 3rd ed fans were just as bad. I did lurk on various 4th ed forums for a long time though and they were busy running down pre 4th ed usually 3rd ed. Back in 2001/2002 I do not recall the same hatred shown towards 2nd ed on 3rd ed boards.

 

[Meatboy]

Basically people craving bacon cheeseburgers and restaurants all missing a key ingredient or adding stuff you don't want. D&D is like sandwiches and burgers. Everyone's got favorites and every shop doesn't offer it. Sometimes you gotta make your own. I like steak sauce on mine.

I was thinking more like spaghetti sauce but hamburgers work too.

 

[fjw70]

No some of the extreme 3rd ed fans were just as bad. I did lurk on various 4th ed forums for a long time though and they were busy running down pre 4th ed usually 3rd ed. Back in 2001/2002 I do not recall the same hatred shown towards 2nd ed on 3rd ed boards.

When I first started getting back into D&D in 2007 (after playing last in 1989) all the edition warring and negativity I saw was coming from OSR fans and was directed at 3.5.

So just as people started going back to the older editions 4e was released and the 3.5/OSR rift that was already started (and was very ugly) accelerated and another rift was created with the 4e group and things got even uglier on every side.

 

[Zardnaar]

Well some OSR fans do not like 3rd ed but I did not see much negativity towards OSR from the 3rd ed fans as most of them seemed to have played OSR games. This was back in 2001/2002 though 2007/8 caused a mass splintering it seems.

 

[fjw70]

Well some OSR fans do not like 3rd ed but I did not see much negativity towards OSR from the 3rd ed fans as most of them seemed to have played OSR games. This was back in 2001/2002 though 2007/8 caused a mass splintering it seems.

Well back in 2001/2002 (for what I understand) there weren't a lot of people playing OSR games. There were some but it seems to have been in isolated groups. So for practical purposes there was one dominate D&D group: 3e.

When 4e came around the fracturing that had already begun widened into 3 main groups (OSR, 3.x, and 4e) and 4e started becoming bombarded from all sides and many 4e people lashed back with equal vitriol.

So what I am saying is that its not that the 4e people were nastier, but that 4e came out when everyone was getting nastier.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

When I first started getting back into D&D in 2007 (after playing last in 1989) all the edition warring and negativity I saw was coming from OSR fans and was directed at 3.5.

So just as people started going back to the older editions 4e was released and the 3.5/OSR rift that was already started (and was very ugly) accelerated and another rift was created with the 4e group and things got even uglier on every side.

Where was all this exactly? I've been going to the Wizards site since it was on AOL and I don't remember really any edition warring from 2nd edition to 3rd edition.