Retro Post: In the Beginning

[While I was frustrated and locked out of the blog, I kept writing anyway.  So this is dated (not quite sure when), but perhaps somewhat interesting.] 


Old School D&D: The characters are all generic and fragile. Environments are big dungeons filled with monsters and treasure. Characters survived by caution, wits, and luck. The rules were vague and houseruled for each group. Player choices involved picking which dungeon passage to go down next. It’s the DM’s world. Role-playing happened, even though unsupported by the rules.

Around Second Edition: Characters are more personalized. The rules were better organized, more concise, with more options. The environment consists of pre-plotted story adventures. There is heavy Role-playing, though still unsupported by the rules. (Even Gygax penned an article in Dungeon once about “pushing the pendulum the other way” on getting too into character.) Characters survived by following the script. Not a whole lot of player choices as it’s even more the DM’s world.

Third Edition: The rules are now really detailed and complex in practice. Characters are no longer rolled, but built. Complex, highly personalized, and tougher. Of course, so are the monsters and NPC’s. Characters survived by being built well. Role-playing happened between encounters, with story linking the encounters. Player choices are very involved insofar as character creation and advancement. In game, either face the DM’s pre-planned encounters or get railroaded into them. It’s still the DM’s world, but he seems terribly overworked building encounters. Random encounters and improvisation are a thing of the past.

Indy games: Perhaps in reaction, or as an alternative, or perhaps finally to create an RPG where the Role-playing is supported by the rules, non-D&D games flourish (critically, not financially). Highly character centered. Conflict is more personality oriented than martially. The motivations, build up, and hype is more important than the fight itself. The players dictate the adventure.

Fourth Edition: Characters have more options than ever and are now indestructible. It is a computer encouraged (if not demanded) environment for creation. The game centers on tactical combat encounters. Survival is not really a problem. The rules are precise. Houserules are dead. Role-playing is there solely to kill time while setting up the next combat encounter. Players now willingly submit to the DM’s world, otherwise there’s no adventure. The DM is now more of an observer and a programmer of sorts.

Pathfinder: It’s Third Edition with better grappling rules. Cool default game world with interesting Adventure Paths, though.

OSR: Much like Old School, but the rules are better organized and streamlined. Sandbox play is encouraged to give players the maximum choice in adventuring. (Though I suspect this is not really used in practice. Settings are actually built through improvisation and actual play.)

The Future?: Fifth Edition features Pokemon-style gladiator-like tournaments in game stores using computers, minis, and collectible cards. The D&D name may even be scrapped at some point, since it has so much negative baggage attached to it. Pathfinder’s rules will crush under their own weight due to too many supplements. They will be forced to come out with a new edition and death spiral will begin. Indy? Are they still publishing? OSR fades into the background until it is rediscovered again. Perhaps the D&D name is bought by some company who comes out with a nice, simple, open-ended fantasy game that everyone, hobbyist and casual player, can enjoy.

[Don't laugh about that Fifth Edition prediction crack.  It came damn close to coming true.  4th edition (and even Pathfinder) were experimenting with making collectible cards and on-line content part of the game just before the new edition was announced.  I don't know what brought them back from the edge, but thank heavens.]