I'm just so exhausted from all the masoning that I lack the strength to write up a full blog entry. For that matter, I lack the time, since my duties include attending a Masonic lunch today, and later I'll be paganing it up a notch with a solstice ritual with The Wench (who was for some reason unimpressed at the suggestion she would now have to call me "worshipful master").
So for today a brief thought that's come out of the whole "OSR Taliban" conflict; you know, the one where people who have themselves proudly proclaimed themselves "OSR Taliban" in the past, or adore and support those who have, are suddenly outraged that I would point out that an OSR Taliban exists.
Here's my thought for the day: The OSR I love is not the OSR that is a "reaction AGAINST" modern play but a "reaction FOR" old-school play.
I think, actually, that sums up the key difference between groups of the OSR, between the enthusiastic and creative OSR, and the OSR-Taliban.
RPGPundit
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I still prefer old school Basic D&D to any other version so far and share many opinions with the OSR crowd, but would never describe myself as an OSR person because I don't want to sound like those assholes. So I agree, I'm for old-school style, not against modern games. In fact I might be a progress OSR type, if there is such a thing. If 5e is what I'd like it to be, Basic D&D style but with modern simplicity, I'll be a happy camper.
ReplyDeleteRobert: I describe myself as OSR, these days. I think most of the OSR has moved beyond the fundamentalists (and there were a few who were never on board with that "anti" perspective), which only highlights the extremism further. Anything that has produced games with the level of innovation and awesomeness as LotFP, DCC, Machinations of the Space Princess, Stars Without Number, Hulks & Horrors, Vornheim, Majestic Wilderlands, and many many others (including, dare I say, Arrows of Indra), cannot be a bad movement.
Deleteprogressive not progress. damn autocorrect.
ReplyDeleteI think that with PoD and easy and cheap PDF purchases, the distinction between "old school" and "new school" is somewhat moot. There are SO MANY commercial-quality games available for very easy and cheap purchase online, so everyone can find a game which will hit his or her "sweet spot" exactly. There are dozens of games bridging the gap between "old school" and "new school".
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'm pretty happy with ACKS (oldish-school inspired by B/X with some modern elements) and SWN (oldish-school Classic Traveller/OD&D hybrid with a distinct "new school" feel to it). I also play D&D 3.5E and enjoy playing it very much, though I don't like running it as a DM (too much paperwork and prep feels to me like a chore). As long as D&D 5E does not do ACKS' job better than ACKS or 3.5E's job better than 3.5E, I'll stick with these games, unless 5E will become a go-to game for gamers in my area. I'll purchase 5E core (starter box and 3 main rulebooks) regardless for collection and for game design inspiration, and maybe play it as well.
Yeah; I'll also note that, contrary to what some are suggesting, I'm in no way saying "you're just a dinosaur if you don't start making 5e your main game from now on". I'm running DCC and LotFP right now, and there's about a 0% chance I'll be quitting either of these in favor of 5e. But what will happen is that I'll appreciate that there's finally an edition of D&D again that overlaps a hell of a lot more to my own sensibilities than the last two editions did. And I will likely play 5e, but without ever giving up my OSR games; shit, I am currently working on releasing an OSR product, remember, and will be working on yet another after that, in all likelihood, so it seems pretty ridiculous to try to paint me as some kind of OSR-hater.
DeleteI am not painting you as an OSR hater in any way. Just pointing out that the advent of cheap and accessible online publishing offers such a wealth of games that make edition wars obsolete. There is a game for everyone.
DeleteNo one else has said it yet, so I'll just add a quick congratulations on your installation in the East, Brother. One more yeaar in yhe the West for me, then it's my turn in the big chair as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm "old-school" in my gamist leanings, and consider myself OSR too, but not to any extreme, I hope. I'll draw from games old and new as I please.
Thank you very much! It's going to be a busy year for me.
DeleteAs long as a game is fun to play, I don't really see why anyone would care whether it's "OSR" or not, or whether a self-proclaimed judge of what is "OSR" agrees if a game is "OSR" or not.
ReplyDeleteYes, I always put it in quotes because I think it's that silly a term.