Tenkar's Tavern: I Wonder How Close the Current Poll Mirrors Current Games Played Trends

Friday, September 7, 2012

I Wonder How Close the Current Poll Mirrors Current Games Played Trends

For the poll asking folks to vote on "Which OSR game system they would want me to run on G+ Hangouts for them" I gave 16 choices and allow folks to vote for more than one choice.

About 12 hours later, there are 70 votes (!), and already a pattern can be seen:

Labyrinth Lord (21 votes) and Swords & Wizardry Complete (19 votes) are practically neck n' neck. They also have been around the longest - they are pretty much the "OSR Name Brands".

Blood & Treasure (14 votes) and Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (12 votes) and very recent releases and have gotten good feedback and word of mouth.

Crypts & Things and LotFP Weird Fantasy both have 11 votes. Both take classic assumptions and about FRPGs and make them something else.

Interesting results so far. The should only get more interesting over the next week of the poll.

(As an asides, the supporters of AS&SH have been the most vocal in the comments section of the post linked to the poll)

4 comments:

Tori BergquistSeptember 7, 2012 at 12:38 PM
I'd love to see Blood & Treasure played, although I haven't gotten it yet; it's the new thing on the block that intrigues me the most!
ReplyDelete
Replies
Erik TenkarSeptember 7, 2012 at 1:43 PM
It reads well.

I guess we'll see how the final results play out
ReplyDelete
Replies
Digital OrcSeptember 7, 2012 at 3:15 PM
I'm impressed with the large range.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Keith DaviesSeptember 7, 2012 at 6:06 PM
Blood & Treasure for sure, and I'd like to see AS&SH (and get my copy...).
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

RPGNow

Friday, September 7, 2012

I Wonder How Close the Current Poll Mirrors Current Games Played Trends

4 comments:

Blogs of Inspiration & Erudition