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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GreyLord" data-source="post: 5708635" data-attributes="member: 4348">People say that WotC saved Dungeons and Dragons, that it would be gone if they hadn't swooped in and picked it up, but I don't think that's necessarily true.I think they killed and Buried AD&D and the D&D system as it was known and replaced it with the D20/Pathfinder system that we now know.Why do I say that?AD&D probably would have gone out of print.  It would no longer be printed if TSR had gone bankrupt.  The same would apply to D&D of all editions, that's 1st (OD&D), 2nd (debatable, you could say Greyhawk...but most will agree it was more the B/X), 3rd (BECMI...and hence why the moniker...3e is actually sort of confusing...especially if you count prints as editions in which case BECMI was FAR more than 3rd edition, it was further along the line), and 2e AD&D.Think about that.  It would have gone out of print.Is it in print today?IF WotC hadn't made 3e I would wager AD&D WOULD be in print today.  Why do I say that, because it was the biggest system of the time, and nostalgia does strange things to people.  Books that have not seen print in ages are now being reprinted.  I would wager the AD&D books would be picked up by a publisher, or would have been, in the past 5 years to be published.Furthermore I'd say that it would be on the Kindle and Ebook format, and probably be available in hardcopy.It's happening with all sorts of books that have not seen the light for decades, much less a few years.It's not that hard to see it being picked up and published in both hardcopy print on demand and via the Kindle/ebook format, probably on sale for something like $20 USD.However, it isn't being done today.  Why not?  Because WotC pulled the PDFs and refused to print a hardcopy.Games that Hasbro owns are being reprinted out of nostalgia.  Titan, Republic of Rome, and others that were more niche than AD&D are being reprinted by game companies.  If those are reprinted, I'd be willing to be it a surefire count that someone would have wanted to reprint AD&D.But they can't.  The rights aren't released by WotC.The creators of 3e ensured that no one could reprint AD&D under the moniker of D&D...but that OGL and D20 would be free reign.  In many ways 3.X is now Pathfinder (in my opinion).  Some would say OSRIC is AD&D...but is it really?  Or is it more just a collection so that you can use the facade of AD&D for modules and adventures?A reprint by one of the Print on Demand publishers would probably have much of the same art, tables, and wording of the originals (1e or 2e, which ever they went with) and be transferred onto the ebook format as well.A reprint may have different wording, maybe more flavor text than the originals, but keep the rules closer.But that didn't happen.  AD&D is NOT in print, neither is any of the D&D's prior to 3.X and WotC releases in any form (though 3.5 is available via OGL/SRD and Pathfinder).You could view that WotC basically not only killed AD&D, but then after 4e buried it as well.Then again, financially, maybe this was for the best?Most people weren't buying AD&D material or D&D material near the end of TSR, they were buying other RPG materials.3e/D20 Fantasy, the system that they replaced D&D with got all those who had discarded AD&D and brought them back to the fold...enthusiastically in many cases.  I'd say it was FAR more successful than any reprint of AD&D would have done.I'd even go so far as to say 4e sold more than a reprint of AD&D would have.An interest in retrogaming has come about in recent years, but I'm not so certain it's as strong as the internet makes it appear.Financially, killing and burying the old system in order for a new system with the same trademark makes sense.  At the same time you have a bunch of people that still want the AD&D versions reprinted...The best hope I think is the anniversary of AD&D.So, do what do you think WotC did to D&D?Don't flame each other over the editions of which is better or which is worse.  This is more an analytical of what would have happened if WotC hadn't gotten AD&D, and how the situation would be different, better, or worse than it is now.I personally think AD&D would be in print at this time if it weren't for WotC, in hardcopy.  I think it would also be in ebook format (as that's what I see as driving a lot of this older book regeneration of prints in both ebook and hardcopy form).I don't think it necessarily would do as well as 4e has done, and definately think for the time it was released that 3e sold a LOT more than a rewritten AD&D would have done.That's my opinion.PS: There are multiple choices allowed, so you CAN choose multiple options if you feel that more than one choice applies, but please explain it below just as if you choose other).  Also consider that you can utilize that it was 4e that put the final nail in the coffin, also feel free to extrapolate and explain that in a post.  Finally, remember, try to keep this as an analytical of what would have happened and logical follow on...do not flame each other over it.</blockquote>

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