That the tools are there for you to show how the rest of us are doing it wrong (in a good way). Coupled with the low barriers enabled by digital technology, you can share as little or as much as you want in the matter you think best. Whether it is a comment, a text file, a full color hardback or god help you a boxed set.
6 comments:
Hooray for the OSR... and freedom!
No... I'm pretty sure it's what I say it is.
Makes things simpler that way. ;-)
Totally agree
Just to play the devil's advocate, I do get rather annoyed whenever I see someone promoting their "OSR PtbA/Fate game!!!XDlol" on a general RPG forum.
Do I have permission to say that they aren't really part of the OSR, so much as using it to whatever end?
In general what I say, that promoting it something not based on classic D&D as part of the OSR isn't going to gain much in terms of marketing. The OSR is centered around the people playing, publishing, and promoting classic D&D and its variants. It more than classic D&D because the people have other interests and those get roped in. For example Dan Proctor and the Pacesetter games.
But there obviously nothing that can stop them from doing so.
There are OSR folks like Goodman Games with Dungeon Crawl Classic and Mutant Crawl Classics that successfully promoted RPGs not based on classic D&D. The reason they are successful is that they went to game stores, conventions, and other folks involved and asked for help or commentary. So there is a lot of overlap and mutual aid with the OSR in general.
The term OSR is a shorthand term not a magical marketing wand.
All the fighting about what the OSR is or isn't is sort of silly.
To me, it is two things:
1. An interest in the original RPGs, with of course the most focus on D&D, but love for the other early games.
2. Leveraging open content, particularly energized by the OGL and SRDs, to publish without fear of legal action material compatible with those early games, or to even envision an entirely new game that draws on those original games.
Because I see it as a philosophical statement, I choose to NOT limit it to D&D. And I also include those who never stopped playing the original games, or just choose to pick up the original games and ignore or mostly ignore the recent publications.
Frank
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