Topic: What is Old School Gaming to you?

[markc]

 You you what does "Old School Gaming" mean?
MDC

[smug]

Some or all of:

Rule Zero.
Not having rules for everything.
Little tactical combat.
Quick character generation.
Quick combats.
Hirelings.
Dense rulebooks

[markc]

smug;
Dense Rulebooks? Do you mean in weight? (like the Classic Battle Tech books?)
MDC

[arcadayn]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14749369/Quick-Primer-for-Old-School-Gaming

[Witchking20k]

Linear plots.  few rules.  food stained character sheeets.

[smug]

smug;
Dense Rulebooks? Do you mean in weight? (like the Classic Battle Tech books?)
MDC

I'm mostly thinking of the formatting. My RM2 is way thinner than RMC despite basically containing the same rules (but more of them).

[frnchqrtr]

Original D&D
AD&D 1st edition (but mostly only the 3 core books)
Runequest 2nd ed (which many think is 1st ed)
ICE "Laws" and RM2
The Fantasy Trip

If I had to go real old school, then I wouldn't reference roleplaying games at all, and just list my favorite AH and SPI titles from the 60s and 70s.

[markc]

 Are the games better or are you remembering the times in the past that you played?
MDC

[Mordenkainen]

Rolemaster is Old School. So is Runequest, Tunnels and Trolls, Traveller  and TSR DnD. In fact, anything from before 1995 is Old School for me.

[TerryTee]

Old school is everything and nothing. It means so many different things to different people that the term is not easy to apply or define. It is especially difficult to apply to style of play or to games published before or after a date.

Many of the attributes that that are often assigned to Old School games (like rules light, and no skills) is not true for many games that often are called Old School (like RM2 or RuneQuest mentioned here).

Some of the attributes assigned to Old School games also tend to be true for newer indie games.

Gaming style differs so much from group to group that I believe it does not make much sense in define what syle is Old School and what is not.

 
Maybe not very productive, but that’s my view.
 
-Terry

[smug]

Are the games better or are you remembering the times in the past that you played?
MDC

For me, it's more a matter of the extra cost and effort and colour interiors of the newer games not being worth it for the additional benefits at the table; additionally, some of the Old School games I can get for free in pdf and very cheap in hard-copy.

There was a fair amount of adventure material in those days; barebones, but that was part of the Old Schopol vibe. Doesn't mean that the Paizo-style APs are bad, because they're not (they're great, in my opinion), but it's different.

[smug]

Also: White Dwarf was a big part of it, for me, back before they became a house gamng mag.

[Fornitus]

Some nights are all combat, but most are spent with few or no dice involved because the PCs are discussing the plot and putting things together. (almost always wrong )

[GrumpyOldFart]

...because the PCs are discussing the plot and putting things together. (almost always wrong )

That's where the fun happens, watching them go in ways you never imagined to solve a problem only tangentially related at best to the actual problem you set them to solve.... and sometimes in the process solving the problem you set them to solve without even realizing it or intending to.

If you don't railroad the players, but only give them clues to the real problem and let them figure things out as they go, that's an occupational hazard, it comes with the territory. But it's also where the most brilliance and the most hilarious ignorance is drawn from both the players and the GM, too.

[frnchqrtr]

There doesn't have to be a main problem or even a boss fight anywhere.  All that's needed is an environment with challenges.   In other words, no big picture needed. 

[Nortti]

Good question. For me it is gaming with just rulebooks, character sheets, dice, pencils & scrap paper on the table. Maybe some ambient music in the background. Story is self-made and it is important to have an involving story. Getting deep into character is an essential part of the experience. Interaction and co-operation are vital to groups success in reaching their goals.

Videogames with characters improving in skills after having killed some monsters is also called roleplaying. I guess thats the new school to me. It is more visual. Combat is fast and you can quickly skip the boring dialoque by pressing the button. Thats actually the only knowledge of RPGs that a lot of people have. Well to be fair I have to add that I have enjoyed computerized RPG "new school" too in form of FF7 and Fallout games.

[RandalThor]

For me Old-School means: Random, random, random. Everything is about the randomness, using the dice at each and every opportunity. Everything has to have a chance at failing, even jumping the small ditch in town. It is more about what story the dice tell as opposed to the characters.

Also, it is about things being a little more simple. (Or, maybe, that was just my young mind.) No uber-detailed, intricate plots, just bad things out there in need of some killin' - and their stuff in need of being taken, know what I mean?

[smug]

For me Old-School means: Random, random, random. Everything is about the randomness, using the dice at each and every opportunity. Everything has to have a chance at failing, even jumping the small ditch in town. It is more about what story the dice tell as opposed to the characters.

I don't think it was 'everything might fail'. OD&D had no skills, even, and nor did 1e for a fair while. It was much more, in my opinion, about player cleverness and performance.

[mocking bird]

Meet at friends house at 10 am Saturday.
Game until 1pm or so then head to convenience store for lunch of donuts, pop and Skittles.
Play various ad&d modules until dark - so we could ride our bikes home.  With perhaps come C64 gaming thrown in - like Bard's Tale 2.

Ironically at college some 10 years later this is pretty much the same schedule but we would stay up later in the dorm lobby and no computer games included.  Dinner would be delivered pizza and continue to 2 am.

[smug]

I actually spent eight hours DMing Castles and Crusades only yesterday, using an early 2e Greyhawk module. Was good fun. We hadmlots of beer and lasagna, although it's fairly often pizza. With beer.