tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7861221607496452067..comments2024-03-29T00:32:33.920-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Myth BustingJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12059447505057678352009-03-28T17:33:00.000-04:002009-03-28T17:33:00.000-04:00This is how it was for me:1. I don’t like that gam...This is how it was for me:<BR/><BR/>1. I don’t like that game; it’s hopelessly obsolete<BR/>2. Ergo, nobody could like that game<BR/>3. I read someone say that they like that game<BR/>4. Obviously, they aren’t actually playing it, or they would realize how awful it is<BR/>5. Ergo, they’re only spouting nostalgia seen through rose-colored glasses<BR/><BR/>When I realized I was wrong, I just had to try to understand how people could <I>actually</I> like those obsolete games. Which led me to a renewed appreciation for them. Which led to actually playing them again and having a lot of fun doing so.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16733274876782876659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1978736115691568432009-03-26T11:39:00.000-04:002009-03-26T11:39:00.000-04:00Here's a nice bookend for the 65+ comments so far:...Here's a nice bookend for the 65+ comments so far: I'm playing in Chgowiz's old-school OSRIC game. He's commenter #1 in this thread.<BR/><BR/>I'm also GMing my own sandbox campaign via Savage Worlds. While this group is not being particularly slavish to the old school method of gaming, it's certainly informing our shared philosophy whenever we sit down around the gaming table. I'm very glad for this input, and I think we're becoming more faithful to the old school approach as we go along, mainly because it's freakin' fun!<BR/><BR/>I'm blogging it to:<BR/><BR/>rpgdiehard.blogspot.comPatrick W. Rollenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832604648690667589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-39666315136843578582009-03-25T16:05:00.000-04:002009-03-25T16:05:00.000-04:00That might be my fault. When RPG Bloggers was star...<I>That might be my fault. When RPG Bloggers was starting up I sorta campaigned for an easy way to get to the old school crap but I wasn't forceful in pushing for a specific set of terminology.</I><BR/><BR/>I think having tags of that sort is a very good idea; I just object to the way the old school stuff is characterized. The general tenor of the Network is very rah-rah WotC as it is and "Legacy D&D" makes it all the worse for me.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-17973698765580318752009-03-25T14:31:00.000-04:002009-03-25T14:31:00.000-04:00I just started up a Call of Cthulhu game last week...<I>I just started up a Call of Cthulhu game last week</I><BR/>Of course! Even with all the talk of it around here of late, I hadn't counted my on/off <I>CoC</I> game. I've been uploading the play reports for that "campaign" at the blog I mention above.thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-14289161155744561012009-03-25T13:59:00.000-04:002009-03-25T13:59:00.000-04:00I'm a little late to this but I've been running an...I'm a little late to this but I've been running an old school 4e game and it's going well.<BR/><BR/>I'm working on starting up a blog about the campaign and the house rules I use to play. I've still got a couple of weeks of work left before launching the site since I've been working on it when the families asleep but the games are going pretty well. <BR/><BR/>There were some problems such as the point buy method and slow combat but I think I've figured good solutions that worked for my group so far. <BR/><BR/>All in all I think it's very possible to run an old school 4e game. At least in the way that I think old school is since I've learned to play dnd in an area that up til the last 5 or 6 years was practically void of gamers. <BR/><BR/>Just for starters, there are three ways that I let the players generate characters. They get to pick one and only one and the first method that everyone seems to like begins with "roll 3d6 for each ability score in order."<BR/><BR/>Also the adventure we are playinga to launch the campaign is the Ruined Monastery from fight on #1.Nopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02743719179352388875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16838663443131273722009-03-25T11:17:00.000-04:002009-03-25T11:17:00.000-04:00I've been running a 1e/OSRIC game with five pl...I've been running a 1e/OSRIC game with five players. Our specific intention is to play an old school sandbox campaign with a tent pole mega-dungeon. And we are having a good time! Although I don't update my blog as often as I should, I just made a new entry today.<BR/><BR/>Thanks to this old school renaissance, many people are re-examining what playing RPGs is all about. As for myself, I can't credit the various grognard blogs for my renewed interest in old school-styled game play. Actually, I give thanks to Knights of the Dinner Table for sparking nostalgia that prompted me to find a gaming group. Eventually, when I tried forming my own group, I started to really think about the nature of the D&D campaign. Finally, the death of Gygax and the homogenized fourth edition really sparked an epiphany. It was only after I realized what kind of campaign that I really wanted to run did I find these blogs. It was several years after I picked up my first KotD comic that I finally found these old school blogs.Xevenintihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14609390831891414670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69237965337180763522009-03-25T11:02:00.000-04:002009-03-25T11:02:00.000-04:00I've been running a Labyrinth Lord campaign, every...I've been running a Labyrinth Lord campaign, every sunday without fail and sometimes twice a week, since October last year. I blog about various aspects of the game.Pete Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03438651595079082035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-89071598722231593232009-03-25T09:56:00.000-04:002009-03-25T09:56:00.000-04:00I was annoyed when I saw one of the categories lin...<B>I was annoyed when I saw one of the categories linked from the RPG Bloggers main page: Legacy D&D.</B><BR/><BR/>That might be my fault. When RPG Bloggers was starting up I sorta campaigned for an easy way to get to the old school crap but I wasn't forceful in pushing for a specific set of terminology.<BR/><BR/>Sorry!Jeff Rientshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17493878980535235896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-15034071703533756242009-03-25T09:32:00.000-04:002009-03-25T09:32:00.000-04:00I'm running a 3.5 game. To some that's old school ...I'm running a 3.5 game. To some that's old school now. I try to run it with a 0e / 1e feel but I like having some 3.x rules to back me up in a pinch. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, I don't blog about my game though I do occasionally mention something about it on Necromancer Games' board.MtbDMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03308561716045085035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-88080922512409624172009-03-25T09:13:00.000-04:002009-03-25T09:13:00.000-04:00I ran OD&D at the last con I went to and have ...I ran OD&D at the last con I went to and have converted my home game back to (my house ruled version of) OD&D (which went OD&D-AD&D-homebrew-3e-homebrew-OD&D, over the last 30 years of play).Calithenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14783899060873651832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-8568162379388876412009-03-25T08:34:00.000-04:002009-03-25T08:34:00.000-04:00I currently run a Traveller campaign, using the LB...I currently run a Traveller campaign, using the LBBs. I blog about it over at Livejournal. I know you're a fan of classic Traveller so perhaps my ramblings will be of some interest.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the fantastic work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-42148626482852453162009-03-24T23:29:00.000-04:002009-03-24T23:29:00.000-04:00We've started a new campaign using the '83 Basic r...We've started a new campaign using the '83 Basic rules and posting the recording of the game as a podcast on <A HREF="http://robertsongames.com/" REL="nofollow">my site</A>. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13457050225967190052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-43733376118194791452009-03-24T18:43:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:43:00.000-04:00We're taking a "catholic" approach t...<I>We're taking a "catholic" approach to the D&D rules, I suppose.</I><BR/><BR/>That sounds awesome.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40934551708420699922009-03-24T18:42:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:42:00.000-04:00My current focus is on designing a system in the v...<I>My current focus is on designing a system in the vein of Gamma World, Empire of the Petal Throne, and Skyrealms of Jorune, based upon the setting I have used since 1985.</I><BR/><BR/>That sounds really intriguing!James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-79443026864139037502009-03-24T18:41:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:41:00.000-04:00I doubt 4e will leave a legacy. Let alone be clone...<I>I doubt 4e will leave a legacy. Let alone be cloned for preservation.</I><BR/><BR/>I'm inclined to agree with you, but then I didn't think 3e would have a legacy either and it clearly does, at least in the short term, so who can say for certain?James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46860584018913160532009-03-24T18:39:00.001-04:002009-03-24T18:39:00.001-04:00On my blog, the Moldy Vale,What a great name for a...<I>On my blog, the Moldy Vale,</I><BR/><BR/>What a great name for a blog!James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-51194222727327922392009-03-24T18:39:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:39:00.000-04:00The thing about old school gaming is that it survi...<I>The thing about old school gaming is that it survived through play. That's why it is still around today. I'll bet that proportionally the talk-only/play ratio is actually relatively high in the old school D&D community when compared to other fan groups.</I><BR/><BR/>Not surprisingly, I agree with you.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-49692725321310981212009-03-24T18:38:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:38:00.000-04:00How long until someone determines, by counting the...<I>How long until someone determines, by counting the responses to this post, that the "old school" crowd has exactly 137 players or something?</I><BR/><BR/>It's funny because it's true.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-34020879709422958552009-03-24T18:37:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:37:00.000-04:00Let gamers physically observe and experience actua...<I>Let gamers physically observe and experience actual old-school play as challenging, exciting, and fun, and not just some kind of outlet for grumpy old guys living in the past.</I><BR/><BR/>That's why it's such a pity there aren't more game stores around my way where I might be able to run demos or pick-up games.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-14458541274214993322009-03-24T18:35:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:35:00.000-04:00No, I don't know where they get the idea that old ...<I>No, I don't know where they get the idea that old schoolers don't actually play, but then again, there are plenty who play 4e who honestly don't understand where we've gotten the idea that any who play 4e are mindless, drooling, dribbeling children.</I><BR/><BR/>See, I don't mind if someone wants to make fun of our preferred gaming style or thinks we're all a bunch of uptight, sticks in the mud who haven't had an original thought since 1982. Those are at least stereotypes that make sense to me, even if they're utterly wrong. What baffles me is this notion that we're all talk and no action, when, from where I'm sitting, there's probably a lot more old school gaming going on now as a percentage of our total numbers than there is among the devotees of the WotC editions.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46113312763881461862009-03-24T18:33:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:33:00.000-04:00[Now back to the comments - sorry for the hijack, ...<I>[Now back to the comments - sorry for the hijack, James.]</I><BR/><BR/>No need to apologize; it's all pertinent from my perspective.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-84591944447988330152009-03-24T18:32:00.001-04:002009-03-24T18:32:00.001-04:00I don't we can underestimate the power of a bunch ...<I>I don't we can underestimate the power of a bunch of "crazy people" to bring interest back to our niche of a niche. :)</I><BR/><BR/>Here's hoping.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26929268382619709342009-03-24T18:32:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:32:00.000-04:00Why so sensitive about what they're doing, saying,...<I>Why so sensitive about what they're doing, saying, or thinking?</I><BR/><BR/>In my case, I check my web stats every day and follow links to places that look out of the ordinary. Many of them are new school sites that are talking about our pursuits as if we really were stuffed exhibits in a museum somewhere. A lot of it is simple ignorance, so I brush it off, but the one "criticism" that made no sense to me was the claim grognards don't game.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64957152431884751692009-03-24T18:30:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:30:00.000-04:00I tend to think of Old School gaming as radical ga...<I>I tend to think of Old School gaming as radical gaming, in the original meaning of the word. Of the root.</I><BR/><BR/>Someone after my own heart!James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10976955910938350582009-03-24T18:06:00.000-04:002009-03-24T18:06:00.000-04:00My group has been playing 1e for a couple of years...My group has been playing 1e for a couple of years now. When we finish this current campaign, we'll probably be playing Labyrinth Lord.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com