column: The Nerdery #10

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

reference: http://www.timewastersguide.com/view.php?id=955

Old school gaming is hack'n'slash using systems that you're playing for the system. Not because the system is streamlined or fast or easy, but because it hasa  lot of things to work at. It's an exercise in playing the system. Calculating bonuses, maximizing advantages, etc. Min/Max/Munchkining if you like, but that's what it is. I admit I enjoy this type of game ocassionally.

[Fellfrosch]

For me, Old School Gaming is pure nostalgia--I get together with friends from high school and we either play TMNT or WEG Star Wars. Good times.

[Eagle Prince]

I think oldschool will stay the same mostly for the new generation, cause I think its mostly about style.  And when you and your friends are just starting into RPGs, there's always going to be that certain style and feel to everything no matter the system or rules.  If anything changes what oldschool is like, then I think it will be mostly brought on by video games and movies.  Compare modern games to the old 8-bit (both graphics and story), and movies (Krull and Conan compared to LotR?)  Yeah.

[inscrutable]

Luke you lie!
Have you ever offered to run D&D out of the Cyclopedia? No.  I'd play.  Hell, Scott would probably play but I doubt you'd be able to get him to do anything other than completely goofy hack n slash.

As much as I hate 3rd ed, I love old D&D.

[Captain Morgan]

Ah old school. Ah how I miss those days? Umm not really. I think the way my group plays now a days shows how we've grown into better players. The system doesn't matter. We can whip out a copy of TMNT or Revised Palladium, or even d20 modern. All that matters is the way we play the game and if we get the mission accomplished without dying. Which for our group that is decidedly new school. Only the last two or three campaigns we have done have we actually completed. I think that is perferable than going to a new campaign or your character dying every other session.

[Eagle Prince]

Lol, now that you mention it, dying does seem pretty much oldschool rpg (namely oDnD and the old CRPGs).

[Captain Morgan]

I knew that we weren't the only group that had a diabolical GM that enjoyed killing us off instead of planning more for the story. My personal theory is that they had writters block for that particular campaign and thought up something else they wanted to do so they offed us. I do prefer the new school and actually have great storylines and making it to an end. We have grown as a gaming group. It's great. We even play the oldschool games from time to time to "change the pace" so to say.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

my old school runs in the direction of Traveller...