I've noticed this come up in a number of discussions lately. Tradition in D&D is something I find really interesting. Sometimes, when changes are being made to D&D, one of the common arguments against change is the valuing of Tradition. For example, some folks may argue that Wizards of the Coast shouldn't change the name of something, stop using a rule, or publish a new setting instead of an old one because of Tradition.
For me, there are a few traditions that I think help define D&D, even if they don't make much sense. The six ability scores are a good example of this; if D&D were created now I doubt they would use such ambiguous names that can often define the same things, such as Intelligence and Wisdom. But without those six ability scores, D&D just doesn't feel like D&D.
On the other hand, tradition really doesn't hold much sway over me. Though I've been playing since 2e, I've really enjoyed seeing play restrictions (such as race/class restrictions, multiclass restrictions, etc) go by the wayside. I find changes really invigorating. And I've always used homebrewed campaign settings.
So I'm curious about those of you who really value Tradition in D&D. Why is it important to you? What value does it have?
Please keep in mind this is a + Thread. I honestly expect to disagree with a lot of folks who post here, but I'm not going to post those disagreements. Instead, I want to know more about perspectives that are different than mine!