Reddit OSR community is full of bots?

[Cathal]

I'm new to the hobby, as a beginner one of the first place I use to search for answer was reddit, specially the OSR community.

Something I found frustrating, they always recommend the same game (which is a clone actually and nothing more) even when I ask for something else, something unrelated they replay the same thing, the same game. Some of this people are stupid, or those accounts are bots?  It's very frustrating when they always recommend the same stupid clone, it damages the discovery of other role-playing games, real games...

• What old/modern no-dnd games do you recommend?
• There is a good list of OSR games somewhere?

[Wasteland Sniper]

From personal experience I can recommend Dungeon Crawl Classics. I had a great time playing that one at a con back in March.

I have picked up Old School Essentials, but haven't played it yet. I know it's very popular within the OSR community, so I'd imagine it's pretty good, and from what I've read it certainly seems like it will be fun when I can play it.

For Coin and Blood is one you might look into from a smaller publisher. Alan is a good guy (full disclosure: we're friends). It's very much in the vein of "you're not heroes; you're blackguards, thieves, assassins, and other unsavory folk just looking to make a buck."

[Naburimannu]

• What old/modern no-dnd games do you recommend?
• There is a good list of OSR games somewhere?

If by "no-dnd" you mean games that aren't derived from D&D, then many of the posters here will consider those to not be OSR games. It's not clear what you're asking for. Nor is it clear exactly what you were asking, or why you didn't like their answers; skimming back a few days in r/osr I can't easily guess who you are or which were your questions. But, guessing that your problem is with OSE, you'll find a lot of the public discourse dominated by OSE at the moment.

which is a clone actually and nothing more

You likely want to be looking at non-OSR games; even if you don't have a narrow definition of the OSR, most of the best OSR games in my experience are more clone than not.

https://unsoundmethodsblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/twenty-osr-systems-reviewed/ is a month-old post with capsule descriptions of 20 OSR systems... and you'll see commenters there unhelpfully spamming things like

"OSR" means "play compatible with TSR era Dungeons and Dragons"

edit:
Just three days ago somebody posted https://www.reddit.com/r/osr/comments/12dj5sw/need_advice_getting_into_osr/ and seems to be getting a huge variation of answers?

[Tasty_Wind]

Some OSR games for consideration:
Swords & Wizardry: a retroclone and restating of OD&D

Hyperborea: turn up the pulp influences of earlier D&D, specifically Robert E Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith, and tear the knob off, with a system built off 1E AD&D

Lamentations of the Flame Princess: built off B/X with a dark, gritty tone and a renaissance/ early modern setting

[GeekyBugle]

What old/modern no-dnd games do you recommend?

What does no-dnd mean?

There is a good list of OSR games somewhere?

Besides going to DTTRPG and searching for OSR: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?filters=45582_0_0_0_0

Fantasy: https://www.tenkarstavern.com/2022/05/updating-list-of-free-osr-games-with.html

Sci-Fi: https://www.tenkarstavern.com/p/free-osr-rulesets-scifi.html

Comprehensive list (Includes PbtA and other stuff not many consider OSR tho): https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2016/08/comprehensive-list-of-osr-games.html

Taxidermic Owlbear's list: http://taxidermicowlbear.weebly.com/dd-retroclones.html

[Vestragor]

I'm new to the hobby, as a beginner one of the first place I use to search for answer was reddit, specially the OSR community.

Something I found frustrating, they always recommend the same game (which is a clone actually and nothing more) even when I ask for something else, something unrelated they replay the same thing, the same game.

It's not specific of that sub, it's more or less a "feature" of reddit: once the general consensus has been reached (meaning: a sufficient number of users agrees with a specific answer) it's practically impossible to go against it.
For example, on the /rpg subreddit (which is literally infested by forgies) the general opionion is:

• Rules light = good
• Powered by the Apocalypse = good
• Blades in the Dark = good
• Modern = good
• Lancer = good
• D&D = bad
• D&D 4th edition = good
• Everything contrary to the above = bad

Ask for everything in /rpg and your answer will be one of the above (or a combination of two or more if you're lucky), with tons of upvotes from the supporting claque.

[jeff37923]

I'm new to the hobby, as a beginner one of the first place I use to search for answer was reddit, specially the OSR community.

Something I found frustrating, they always recommend the same game (which is a clone actually and nothing more) even when I ask for something else, something unrelated they replay the same thing, the same game. Some of this people are stupid, or those accounts are bots?  It's very frustrating when they always recommend the same stupid clone, it damages the discovery of other role-playing games, real games...

• What old/modern no-dnd games do you recommend?
• There is a good list of OSR games somewhere?

While Old-School Essentials is the latest hotness, I've gotten good play from Basic Fantasy and Advanced Labyrinth Lord.

[the crypt keeper]

I'm new to the hobby, as a beginner one of the first place I use to search for answer was reddit,

Answer to what?

[GhostNinja]

I'm new to the hobby, as a beginner one of the first place I use to search for answer was reddit,

Answer to what?

Agreed.   I have found reddit the worst place to find an answer.   Sites like TheRPGSite and the RPG Pub are the best places to go for answers.  The RPGSite is always the first stop.

[cavalier973]

OSE is so popular because it *is* Moldvay Basic/Cook & Marsh Expert.

It's a clone of a very good set of rules. The only reason to buy it instead of PDFs of B/X is because of art, and maybe the organization is easier.

A different set of rules that is OSR-adjacent is "Dungeon World". It was recommended by "Old Geezer" on enworld; Old Geezer is (I'm pretty sure) Mike Mornard, who was one of Gary Gygax's original players.

[jeff37923]

OSE is so popular because it *is* Moldvay Basic/Cook & Marsh Expert.

It's a clone of a very good set of rules. The only reason to buy it instead of PDFs of B/X is because of art, and maybe the organization is easier.

A different set of rules that is OSR-adjacent is "Dungeon World". It was recommended by "Old Geezer" on enworld; Old Geezer is (I'm pretty sure) Mike Mornard, who was one of Gary Gygax's original players.

Fuck "Dungeon World" and its bullshit.
While we are at it, fuck "Old Geezer" and his low-calorie communism.

[GhostNinja]

OSE is so popular because it *is* Moldvay Basic/Cook & Marsh Expert.

It's a clone of a very good set of rules. The only reason to buy it instead of PDFs of B/X is because of art, and maybe the organization is easier.

Yep.  I am moving over to OSR and Old School Essentials because I read a bunch of different OSR products and it was OSE that really checked all the boxes.

[Hzilong]

I don't really consider myself an OSR player/GM, so I don't have much to offer there.

For non-D&D the two games I recommend now are Shadow of the Demon Lord and Savage Worlds. SotDL is a better d20 system than 5e and Savage Worlds is a very different game that is not d20 based at all, but is very flexible in terms of setting and style.

[weirdguy564]

A bit contradictory requirements in the original post.  OSR that isn't D&D based isn't possible.  OSR games are mostly people's D&D modified with their house rules.

But, if you want alternates, then I'll do my best.

1.   Palladium Fantasy 1E.  It's old, from the 1980's. It's mostly different because it use an opposed roll system of 1D20 strike vs 1D20 parry.  Armor is extra hit points, and armor class (called armor rating) is to see if a hit is on the armor or person inside.  Armor will degrade in its own hit points and armor rating as it gets wrecked. 

Example.  I roll a 11 to strike, the orc rolls a 7 to parry, so I hit.  However, the orc is wearing armor with a rating of 12.  I hit the orc's armor, dropping it below 50% of its starting hit points.  The orc's armor rating drops by 2, and is now A.R.:10. 

2.  Pocket Fantasy.  An entire RPG in four pages.   It also uses only 1D6 for all rolls.  Hit points never change, but re-rolls do.  The more you play, the more re-rolls you can use.  Like Palladium Fantasy the combat is opposed rolls.  This time it's damage vs damage blocked.  I roll a 5 to hit, the orc rolls a 3 to block, I do 2 damage to the orc.  There are also a couple of supplements to add more classes and gear.

It's also totally free. 

[Cathal]

Thank you everyone! Sorry for the late response, I was busy.

From personal experience I can recommend Dungeon Crawl Classics. I had a great time playing that one at a con back in March.

I have picked up Old School Essentials, but haven't played it yet. I know it's very popular within the OSR community, so I'd imagine it's pretty good, and from what I've read it certainly seems like it will be fun when I can play it.

For Coin and Blood is one you might look into from a smaller publisher. Alan is a good guy (full disclosure: we're friends). It's very much in the vein of "you're not heroes; you're blackguards, thieves, assassins, and other unsavory folk just looking to make a buck."

Thank you never hear of Coin and Blood. Dungeon Crawl Classic is on my list OSE Is the game I was referring in my post haha I don't want a clone of existent game.

If by "no-dnd" you mean games that aren't derived from D&D, then many of the posters here will consider those to not be OSR games. It's not clear what you're asking for. Nor is it clear exactly what you were asking, or why you didn't like their answers; skimming back a few days in r/osr I can't easily guess who you are or which were your questions. But, guessing that your problem is with OSE, you'll find a lot of the public discourse dominated by OSE at the moment.

which is a clone actually and nothing more

You likely want to be looking at non-OSR games; even if you don't have a narrow definition of the OSR, most of the best OSR games in my experience are more clone than not.

https://unsoundmethodsblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/twenty-osr-systems-reviewed/ is a month-old post with capsule descriptions of 20 OSR systems... and you'll see commenters there unhelpfully spamming things like

"OSR" means "play compatible with TSR era Dungeons and Dragons"

edit:
Just three days ago somebody posted https://www.reddit.com/r/osr/comments/12dj5sw/need_advice_getting_into_osr/ and seems to be getting a huge variation of answers?

Haha exactly OSE is the issue, and sorry for the rant. The situation is if I ask for whatever recommendation, the majority will say OSE, even when the question is something different. Let me see... I ask for a space game, someone replies "I don't play space game, but you should try OSE", or I ask for original D&D and some cool setting, someone replies "Did you try OSE with ABC adventure?" come on... is very annoying that people recommend a clone endless of times, is exahausting. When I asked a game for a beginner, because I never played an RPG, people recommend OSE. Anyone with 0 knowledge how to play an RPG, OSE is the worst.

Some OSR games for consideration:
Swords & Wizardry: a retroclone and restating of OD&D

Hyperborea: turn up the pulp influences of earlier D&D, specifically Robert E Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith, and tear the knob off, with a system built off 1E AD&D

Lamentations of the Flame Princess: built off B/X with a dark, gritty tone and a renaissance/ early modern setting

Thank you for the Hyperborea recomendation.