tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149158411520408380.post7886871004965346217..comments2012-01-27T11:43:22.601-06:00Comments on RPG Diehard: Old School, New School, and Middle SchoolUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149158411520408380.post-18549176593468346132009-06-25T19:08:43.597-05:002009-06-25T19:08:43.597-05:00I've used (and still used - ran a game last ni...I've used (and still used - ran a game last night) AD&D 1st ed. for around 30 years. But it wasn't until this "old school" revolution that I realized how much my game had evolved over the decades. I moved away from constant dungeons, and put more emphasis on character development and more high fantasy adventure. Although using the old school rules (heavily house ruled) I'd say my games are pretty much middle school.Kevin Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14122665488285424578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149158411520408380.post-15135544911857007112009-06-25T10:56:16.721-05:002009-06-25T10:56:16.721-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.rainswepthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06165059567790555748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149158411520408380.post-66258352206105649542009-06-24T14:06:00.588-05:002009-06-24T14:06:00.588-05:00I started out with 2e AD&D, myself, so that...I started out with 2e AD&D, myself, so that's always been D&D to me. Consequently, the old school revival doesn't really do much for me, as I generally find most of the games to be too simplistic. I've also found that most of the 'ad-libbed' rules generated nowadays in such games tend to be exactly what are found in newer editions. For instance, in 2e waaay back in the day, my group and I house ruled a Concentration skill, based on Constitution, which showed up in 3e years later. <br /><br />I remember playing an OD&D game not too long ago, and as a thief, I wanted to flank an opponent. Alas, there were no rules for such an action. Personally, I'd prefer to have a specific benefit to a specific action rather than relying on the whims of the GM at any particular moment.<br /><br />That being said, there's a fine line between too many rules and too few, and I, too, miss the middle school gaming. I think that a lot of people nowadays have forgotten the golden rule(s) of gaming: <i>If your crew doesn't like a rule, don't use it. If mechanics are impeding game play, eschew 'em.</i> More robust systems just give us more options, freeing up the GM to focus on more important stuff like the story or plain ol' fun, instead of constantly having to assign a particular effect to an action that's already been figured out.Current Versionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16474434131355196875noreply@blogger.com