Apparently, The RPG Pundit has taken offense to my series of posts about The OSR for the Lapsed Gamer. Somehow, I'm involved in revising history and defining the OSR in lieu of his own definition of it.
I figured I'd explain my thought process for those like the Pundit that feel it's necessary to assign me motivations that aren't my own.
Lapsed gamers from the "golden age" of gaming, roughly prior to 2000, the year D&D 3e released, are most likely (not all, obviously, but those that have found The Tavern after years away from gaming aren't likely to have been VtM players) to have been players of 2e or earlier. These are the editions covered by the basic "retroclones." Strangely enough, this is what I blog about.
The retroclones are generally rewrites of the originals that are, at the very least (and IMHO), better organized and easier to digest. Initially, I'm highlighting the retroclones of the various D&D editions that are free in PDF. Afterwards, I'll mention "other old school" RPGs that are free in PDF, like the free Tunnels & Trolls quickstart, Stars Without Number, Legends (Fantasy Trip) and similar titles.
After the free in PDF RPGs, we move on to the clones that are only available at some sort of cost, like ACKS and DCC. Then, we'll move on to the other clones and / or still in print RPGs, like Tunnels & Trolls, Traveller, Runequest, OpenQuest and others.
As for Encounter Critical and Mazes & Monsters, they would fall into the "other old school RPGs."
Why am I doing this? Because there is an interest in it and I enjoy doing it.
For those that aren't interested in this series of posts and find it offensive that I may leave out your favorite but obscure game, so be it. It's not for everyone and it is not intended to be a history lesson of the OSR. It's more like individual snapshots in time and space.
Tower in the Wasteland v2
-
I recently asked my patrons what posts deserved a sequel and Tower in the
Wasteland was one of the first replies. So here's an updated version of
that d...
3 hours ago
Your first mistake was thinking that anyone else on the planet has a thought process quite like the Pundit.
ReplyDeleteYou offended the Pundit? Isn't he usually the subject of that sentence?
ReplyDeleteAcks is available for free... sort of..
ReplyDeleteI've got a text SRD up at https://github.com/capheind/ACKS_SRD
It still needs some polishing before being slapped up on a wiki or suchlike. Sadly my current job has eaten all my time. I used to be a person who did things, now I'm an employee who does one thing over and over.
We know you like to stir the shit....
ReplyDeleteI just assume, given his self-appointed title, that he's channeling the spirit of Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh. He needs to manufacture controversy & outrage because there's not much left without it.
ReplyDeleteYou're providing your readers with more information about all the gaming resources that are available to them and that they might enjoy. I think that's great! How could this offend anybody? I just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteSuch is the nature of Pundit. He is a very important person you know, the true voice of D&D and all of the OSR.
ReplyDeleteOK - I think the RPG Pundit had some good points. Those of us who played D&D in the good ol' days didn't object to the lack of clones of the original games - it was the style of the older games that was attractive. However, I only took his argument as saying that there is more than just a retrospective on the clones to give the whole picture, and I think you said the same thing to start with - that you'd cover them. No harm, no foul...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm an avid reader of both of the blogs, and will continue to be one...
Is there a link to the Pundit's criticism? I feel like I'm missing half the conversation here.
ReplyDeletei'm not going to link to the blog, as I refuse to give him traffic
ReplyDeleteif you want to see some of the fireworks on G+:
https://plus.google.com/116753362008267799901/posts/TfrBqeAsVs1
I think respect in as loose collection as OSR is gained by creating content. Pundit's only specialty is being blowhard and that won't get him far.
ReplyDelete*reads G+ link*
ReplyDeleteYikes. All the talk about undercutting and controlling a movement is just weird. I play games to get away from that kind of thinking.
Always such drama .
ReplyDeleteI thought you were pretty clear on where you were coming from with this whole series, but what do I know.
Given your intention to talk about _clones_ in regards to the OSR, then OSRIC seemed the right place to start. It might not have been the first "OSR" game, but it was pretty much the first one (between it and BFRPG right?) to build off of the OGL/SRD and thus test the legal waters to see how WotC would react.
It was much later that I heard of M&M, and I still haven't ever looked for or at it since the Greek angle doesn't interest me. I recall Reints getting on about EC on his blog back in the day. The ONLY mention of the game I remember ever seeing.
Oh well, we all have our own histories with the OSR, and thus our own definitions.
I'd rather be an enjoyer than a gatekeeper.
ReplyDelete