These seem like relatively accurate descriptions of most of my campaigns, and campaigns I mostly want to play in:

Quote from: estar;1040458... For example I would like to talk about setting formatted as a series of locations key to location on a hex map. Commonly known as the hexcrawl format.

Or I would like to talk about running a campaign where the setting has a life of it's own and while their larger event happening the focus is on the players driving the campaign by what they choose or not choose to do as their characters.

But as you wrote:

Quote from: estar;1040458Back when I first started publishing hexcrawl formatted setting and material on sandbox campaign, the most popular terms in use were known only by a handful. So to get anyway I had to refine a short description to describe what I was presenting. Even to this date I find that short description far more useful then trying to push sandbox campaigns or hex crawl formatted settings.

While some people might want to label my campaigns sandboxes and hex crawls, it seems like many people who use those terms seem to think they imply something a bit unlike what I tend to run, perhaps usually because they're familiar with campaigns where the GM has a story or plot arc in mind, and if there is a map, it's not really a very significant element of play.

Quote from: Mike the Mage;1040463Cheers! :cool:
Each to his own, but I think boxed text can be done well (concise, salient, evocative), so as to do what you mentioned.

OTOH it can be counter-productive if it is verbose, irrelevant, or just waffle.

True. I meant to indicate this when I indicated "room descriptions" as opposed to a wall of prose, but my coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

LOL
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2506[/ATTACH]

Ecco! Prego.

Quote from: CRKrueger;1040451Generally speaking:
Old School is Roleplaying characters in a world we're experiencing.
New School is Roleplaying characters in a story we're telling.

My personal experience is the other way around.  I started with characters using AD&D to tell a 'story'.

And frankly, it's a matter of taste.

Quote from: Mike the Mage;1040427Is this the official Goodrightfun now? Speak for yourself Kelly, my lad.

It's been the Official Goodrightfun at least since I wandered into the online hobby forums in 2003 or so.

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1040457As usual, I don't disagree in any way, but also don't feel particularly threatened or off-put but others wanting to do something different. Gygax & Arneson also made a game about warriors/fighters (mostly, plus some wizards, etc.) where the goals (if there could be said to be one) included doing as little fighting as possible, and managing scarce resources and no small number of people almost immediately said 'well good if you want to do that, but I'm going to take these rules, ignore encumbrance for the most part and fight every monster I run into.' I will not pretend I don't feel that they missed out on a really fun game. But if they had fun with hacking and slashing, more power to them. The only thing I want is separate, semi-formal names people understand to distinguish the two, such that I can find the peeps interested in the same experience. Old and New School (and moreso 'storygaming' and 'traditional RPG') are poor terms to have landed on, but they serve as long as everyone knows what we're talking about.

Yes, anybody can play the way they want.  But after 15 years of innumerable random peener-pullers on teh INTARwebs telling me I'm "doing it wrong" or "Those rules are objectively BAD" or "you only like that game for nostagia" (grrr!) I've just about fucking had it.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1040487Yes, anybody can play the way they want.  But after 15 years of innumerable random peener-pullers on teh INTARwebs telling me I'm "doing it wrong" or "Those rules are objectively BAD" or "you only like that game for nostagia" (grrr!) I've just about fucking had it.

Clearly. And that undoubtedly stinks. And the "you only like that game for nostagia" is just plain self-indulgent [strike]solipsistic[/strike] (possibly slight misuse of the term, just 'can't believe anyone would ever not have their own perspective') and insulting. That is horrible.

And I really don't mean to be insulting, but honestly, when not going out and chucking rocks at hornet's nests, how often does this really happen? Both you and Chris B on the other side of the line have undoubtedly-true senses of personal grievance at people telling you that this thing you like is bad that I am just amazed with. Is it really a constant thing? I mean, I get it, it's the internet. You get called a basement dwelling teenage neckbeard for voicing an opinion on the newest action movie in the wrong place. But stuff vaguely personally aimed?  

Maybe because I don't share as much, or because I genuinely don't have strong opinions on lots of issues others take very seriously, but I just don't have that experience and am amazed by both of yours'.

Quote from: Christopher Brady;1040479My personal experience is the other way around.  I started with characters using AD&D to tell a 'story'.

And frankly, it's a matter of taste.

As has been proven countless times (and will continue every time you post about it), anything you could possibly say about anything "Old School" is ridiculously incorrect.  In your posts, the inclusion of "AD&D" just tells readers to assume the exact opposite of what you're saying is true.

Quote from: Skarg;1040467While some people might want to label my campaigns sandboxes and hex crawls, it seems like many people who use those terms seem to think they imply something a bit unlike what I tend to run, perhaps usually because they're familiar with campaigns where the GM has a story or plot arc in mind, and if there is a map, it's not really a very significant element of play.

Yup, which is why if I use terms like sandbox campaigns I follow it by an explanatory paragraph and move on.

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1040490Maybe because I don't share as much, or because I genuinely don't have strong opinions on lots of issues others take very seriously, but I just don't have that experience and am amazed by both of yours'.

It is easy to get into a bubble. When I started blogging and publishing I got a lot more contrary opinions than I do now. And to be honest even when I was it was rare I got an outright argument about how I was doing it wrong. Most negative responses either ignored what I had to say, or just give the stare of incomprehension as some of the concepts I talk about were atypical to the experience of most hobbyists. They are still not common because the idea got spread around. Just like the number of people grew who played older editions of D&D grew. And the Internet has only gotten better at keeping people in touch.

Again it easy to get into a bubble.

As an aside the the final word on any of this stuff is what happens at an actual table. If a hobbyist gives me some of this time playing at my time, it far easier for me to show than write what I am talking about. Whether sandbox campaign, playing GURPS, playing OD&D, or whatever. But I only have so many hours in a day.

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1040490Clearly. And that undoubtedly stinks. And the "you only like that game for nostagia" is just plain elf-indulgent [strike]solipsistic[/strike] (possibly slight misuse of the term, just 'can't believe anyone would ever not have their own perspective') and insulting. That is horrible.

And I really don't mean to be insulting, but honestly, when not going out and chucking rocks at hornet's nests, how often does this really happen? Both you and Chris B on the other side of the line have undoubtedly-true senses of personal grievance at people telling you that this thing you like is bad that I am just amazed with. Is it really a constant thing? I mean, I get it, it's the internet. You get called a basement dwelling teenage neckbeard for voicing an opinion on the newest action movie in the wrong place. But stuff vaguely personally aimed?  

Maybe because I don't share as much, or because I genuinely don't have strong opinions on lots of issues others take very seriously, but I just don't have that experience and am amazed by both of yours'.

It doesn't happen here much.  In the past and at other forums, it has happened a lot.  Usually in the form of

"Old Game Stinks"
"Hey, I like Old Game"
"You're stupid and you smell bad!  Only stupid smelly people like Old Game!"

That's not as much an exaggeration as you might think.  And several years of that sort of shit, frankly, has put me in a bad temper.

Made worse by the fact that I now live in the fucking middle of nowhere with all my friends several hundred miles away.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1040496Made worse by the fact that I now live in the fucking middle of nowhere with all my friends several hundred miles away.

I realize I may sticking my hand in the shredder here But have you tried or consider something like Roll20 and VoIP app like Discord? That and Fantasy Ground earlier kept my original high school group gaming together since 2000 despite moves and overseas deployments.

Face to face is preferred but keeping geographically separate hobbyists together gaming is where the tech excels.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1040496It doesn't happen here much.  In the past and at other forums, it has happened a lot.  Usually in the form of

"Old Game Stinks"
"Hey, I like Old Game"
"You're stupid and you smell bad!  Only stupid smelly people like Old Game!"

Change that to 'New School' and you have a lot of this forum.  And Ottawa.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1040496That's not as much an exaggeration as you might think.  And several years of that sort of shit, frankly, has put me in a bad temper.

Getting old sucks.  I don't recommend it for anyone.

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1040496Made worse by the fact that I now live in the fucking middle of nowhere with all my friends several hundred miles away.

Which is surprising to me, as buttfuck middle of nowhere tends to be the most conservative (as in they don't get new stuff as often as a major city, like where I live) is so against the 'tried and true'.  If anything, I've seen (as I've moved way too much in my life) small towns and villages double down on the older stuff, because it's what they know.  Unless, your town is relatively new, as in it's got a lot of young families.

Which is why the 'OLDER IS BETTER' attitude among gamers over here, in Canada's Capital, is exceedingly shocking to me.  You'd think a city with the amount of wealth we have they'd want to try the something new, for novelty's sake.  But nope.  It's all about Rules Cyclopedia at the youngest over here.  Anything else is New School and sucks donkey balls, and if you like anything past that, you're a donkey ball sucker.

Quote from: Christopher Brady;1040503It's all about Rules Cyclopedia at the oldest over here.

Sounds awesome.:eek: You have it good.:cool:

Quote from: Mike the Mage;1040505Sounds awesome.:eek: You have it good.:cool:

Not really.  I mean, I've never actually played it more than a session (and I meant latest game, woe betide if you started with AD&D 1e or later.)  Thus that makes me, as per Gronan's tongue in cheek statement, 'A Stupid Smelly Person' around this forum and my town.  It's a little tiresome, but it's also 'You're doing it WRONG' insult that people say is bad, but label me all the time with.  One gets used to it.