JB of B/X Blackrazor fame coined the term "D&D Mine" last year, after D&D Next ("5th Edition") was announced. JB put forth the opinion that gamers can create their own "version" of D&D, without the need for WotC or anybody else to help things along.
Now, if you're like me, you've seen the occasional discussions/disagreements regarding the question: "What is the OSR?" And I got to thinking (as an extension of what JB put forth): if one can create their own custom version of D&D, why not create your own conception of what the OSR is to you? Let's call it "MyOSR"!
I suppose the folks in the blogosphere have already been working under their own understandings of what the OSR means to them. I say, keep on truckin', folks! This is just another debate that really serves no purpose.
I don't care if you've been with the movement since the beginning, or just getting into the scene. Your OSR is just as valid as anyone else's OSR, whether you think it stands for Old School Revival, Old School Renaissance, Old School Revolution, or whatever. What matters, what holds us old-school RPG types together, is our love for the older systems and styles of play. And that connection persists no matter what the acronym means to you.
So screw the labels, and game on!
I used the term "MyD&D" to describe my very stripped down version of AD&D. As for the term OSR...this lost all meaning because there are brand new games out there that play in this older style. There is no reason to call something like Labyrinth Lord "old" as human nature would translate that to "no longer good". I prefer "Open Source Roleplaying" because we can take these games and do whatever in the hell we want with them. That is where this online world makes it more fun...is the many people giving you hacks, patches, and expansions to these games because the rules are open source.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...Open Source Roleplaying! Cool! That's exactly what I mean! You took it and made it your own "personal movement!" I guess I'm also having more of issue with the term "old school" as time goes on. It seems, I don't know...childish? Maybe I'm just getting up there in years, but using that term at my age seems sort of, well, dumb?
DeleteOur group has been running games for years and have plenty of experience with older systems. We have the same spirit and enthusiasm for games as anyone. We play older and contemporary games.
ReplyDeleteI find the whole OSR strange. I support playing the games you like to play, no matter what time or age they come from. Slapping labels on ourselves just splits the hobby further.
I do think that "open source roleplaying" is a great way to put it though. To me it's the core of the game. Take your inspiration from anywhere, worry about the rules later.
The term "OSR" was simply a convenient description of something that began to happen several years ago (although its roots go back further), that being the bringing back into print of TSR D&D, largely through the various retro-clones. Before that, although there was a sizable old school scene the rules themselves were only available as out of print, secondhand copies. When they legally came back into print the scene saw a revival of interest, publishing and creativity that rapidly expanded beyond the handful of forums that made up the old school scene online.
DeleteThe label was just a convenient descriptor that seemed quite apt.