Will we ever see AD&D Third Edition

[Keldryn]

Wasn't the "Advanced" prefix mainly just a sneaky way for TSR to get out of giving credit to and paying Dave Arneson royalties for the "Dungeons & Dragons" brand?

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

Original poster's claim is at odds with reality since about 2001. The "A" was consciously dropped (as it was mostly a marketing label to begin with), but the 3rd edition version is intended to follow on the "AD&D" line.

"Intended to be perceived as following on the AD&D line" might be more accurate, here.

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

Wasn't the "Advanced" prefix mainly just a sneaky way for TSR to get out of giving credit to and paying Dave Arneson royalties for the "Dungeons & Dragons" brand?

That's certainly a popular perception - and it may have even been the intent, originally - but Dungeons & Dragons flourished as a game in its own right for years, culminating in the Rules Cyclopedia (which, for some reason or other, has been getting a lot of attention both here and at rpg.net lately). AD&D was based on an entirely different gaming philosophy than the D&D line ended up embracing, but the two still managed to maintain a great deal of compatibility.

 

[Treebore]

That's certainly a popular perception - and it may have even been the intent, originally - but Dungeons & Dragons flourished as a game in its own right for years, culminating in the Rules Cyclopedia (which, for some reason or other, has been getting a lot of attention both here and at rpg.net lately). AD&D was based on an entirely different gaming philosophy than the D&D line ended up embracing, but the two still managed to maintain a great deal of compatibility.

I think its resurgence is due to more people realizing that "simple and does the job" is all the RPG they need. (bolding in the quote is my doing)

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Just conjecturing here: What if someone buys off the AD&D liscense and tries to revive that line? So we could have AD&D third edition. Maybe DarkSun could be the core setting, or dragonlance.

Thoughts on how that would play out?

I think there is a better chance of turning a profit with that ice water stand you've always wanted to open up in Siberia.

 

[Sitara]

Well, see, that IS bashing and it is sneakily inferring something, because you're presenting your opinion as objective fact.

Whether or not you think WotC did a good job of it, 3E is based on 2E, and in quite direct ways. That it isn't the direction you would have gone with it doesn't change that.

The fact that so many of your threads end up in a different place than you apparently intended them to go suggests that your posts may not be as clear as you think they are.

No it is not.Please stop putting words into my mouth. 3E is based on 2e, the game system however is heavily restructured and rebuilt from the ground up to be run on a singular mechanic (aka the 'd20' system). AC goes up, not down. There are skills which have points and ranks. There are feats. Etc etc.

3e is a well designed game that has revitilized the rpg genre. However, I am wondering, given the desire among so many gamers now for something less crunchy, simpler and more fluffier, what if someone bought the Ad&d brand name, and started publishing material with it. I think something like that would not only cause quite a stir, but sell rather well, at least as well as cnc, hackmaster and HARP are selling.

 

[Nikosandros]

On its way. Let me know if it doesn't want to get there or something.

I would also be very interested in this...

Or is that the file from the C&C page linked above?

 

[Glyfair]

I wouldn't say it was a marketing label - it was there because it was more complex and ADVANCED than the Basic version of D&D which was being sold at the same time.

Not so. Yes, there was a "Basic D&D" when AD&D was first released, but it was a set specifically designed to introduce players to D&D and lead them either into OD&D or AD&D. The Basic D&D line didn't really start until the early 80s, and didn't really take off until the mid-80s.

The intent of Advanced D&D was to distinguish it from OD&D, which had become fractured with house rules. Gary felt that was a barrier to the growth of the game because players could not easily assimilate when sitting at a table (conventions and tournaments being particularly troublesome). The idea was to come up with a new edition that was a bit more standardized. When you went to a tournament you would have to worry about pages of house rules before you started playing. (Yes, there are also rumors that it was to cut Dave Arneson out of the picture as well. As far as I know they are still rumors.)

 

[Nellisir]

I would also be very interested in this...

Or is that the file from the C&C page linked above?

Ditto

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

... what if someone bought the Ad&d brand name, and started publishing material with it.

I don't think WotC would ever allow that to happen. They'd be creating competition for themselves.

It would be like Microsoft selling off Windows XP once Vista came out and allowing a competitor to steal away their potential market share.