Quote from: cranebump;966769Define the OSR? Um, gee that's, um, like this.

love it

Quote from: estar;966655It about people playing, promoting, and publishing for classic editions of D&D and anything else that interests them. It is a kaleidoscope because of it low barrier to entry due to the use of open content and digital technology for distribution. The only thing that prevents you reading this from distributing your own work is the time you have for your hobby and your interest in going the extra mile to polish your work.

The kaleidoscope that is the OSR defies and confuses a lot of people. For example people forget that many where making stuff for classic D&D prior to the release was of OSRIC and Basic Fantasy. The initial spurt of clones allowed many of the authors of these works to use the clones as a safe harbor to go further and releasing their ideas as polished, more or less, commericial works.

Which is I view the ideas of any waves other than the expanding use of open content as hogwash. In short the OSR is what you want it to be no less and no more.

Late to the game here, but for me OSR really is about playing and appreciating the early RPGs, whether that is playing using a physical or digital version of one of those early games, or a game that was published using open content. There is no question my interest in those early games is fueled by the open content publications, but I really don't use much of that material. I have physical AND digital versions of the three early RPGs of interest to me (OD&D, Traveller, and RuneQuest - you could also add AD&D to the list though it is currently no on my play list). Yea, I've borrowed stuff from the open content publications, and I've purchased a fair bit of stuff.

But that's just me.

What is OSR?

It is a glorious wellspring of new material that I can pick and choose from at my leisure, written with rules that I already understand.

The OSR is a framework, founded on design concepts from pre-2e D&D, that allows one to create almost any kind of rules or settings to suit their tastes.

So as a follow on why pre 2nd edition?

1e and 2e weren't that fundamentally different, what makes 1e the cutoff point?

Quote from: HorusArisen;968389...what makes 1e the cutoff point?

Caprice.

Quote from: HorusArisen;966625What 3-5 things define OSR in your eyes?

*) Minimalistic rules based off D&D that would be labeled "broken" or "incomplete" if they didn't have the OSR tag.
*) Cheap production values from a visual design/art stance.
*) A way for people to claim their D&D supplement/adventure/etc. can be used in any version of D&D, without having to actually make it work in any version themselves.
*) Some actually good and surprising ideas

I'll be honest, I don't like the OSR.  I remember when they were called "Fantasy Heartbreakers", and we made fun of them for being D&D clones that thought the world needed a whole new game so elves could have a d8 for Hit Dice instead of a d6 (and whatever other house rules the author felt important).  I like and respect BECMI D&D, I just don't see why the world needs people to make derivatives of it.

That said, while I'd never buy or play Lamentations of the Flame Princess (I liked it better when it was called the D&D Rules Compendium), I make it a point to look at most of the adventures that come out for LotFP.  Likewise, I find Kevin Crawford to have done some neat things with Godbound and Silent Legions that push the OSR idea into some new territory.  

So if other people are having fun, more power to them.  For me I don't see the appeal in using a knock-off when I can play the original.

Quote from: Dumarest;968541Caprice.

Wasn't a sudden change of interest. A fair amount of folks were playing classic D&D between the time they went out of print to when the OSR start to ramp up.

Quote from: ffilz;966976Late to the game here, but for me OSR really is about playing and appreciating the early RPGs, whether that is playing using a physical or digital version of one of those early games, or a game that was published using open content. There is no question my interest in those early games is fueled by the open content publications, but I really don't use much of that material. I have physical AND digital versions of the three early RPGs of interest to me (OD&D, Traveller, and RuneQuest - you could also add AD&D to the list though it is currently no on my play list). Yea, I've borrowed stuff from the open content publications, and I've purchased a fair bit of stuff.

But that's just me.

Sounds great. Open content as a philosophy is about freedom to share or to do what one wants with the material. What you describe sounds like entirely reasonable way to go.

Quote from: HorusArisen;968389So as a follow on why pre 2nd edition?

1e and 2e weren't that fundamentally different, what makes 1e the cutoff point?

Nothing. It just an observation of what people elect to do with the available open content. The solution is for somebody, like you, to write some material, or encourage others to write some material targeting AD&D 2e.

One problem with 2e isn't the rules but part of it what makes it distinct was the various settings. So there is an issue there in making something to appeal to 2e fans.

Quote from: estar;968566Nothing. It just an observation of what people elect to do with the available open content. The solution is for somebody, like you, to write some material, or encourage others to write some material targeting AD&D 2e.

One problem with 2e isn't the rules but part of it what makes it distinct was the various settings. So there is an issue there in making something to appeal to 2e fans.

That makes sense.

Quote from: estar;968563Wasn't a sudden change of interest. A fair amount of folks were playing classic D&D between the time they went out of print to when the OSR start to ramp up.

Go back and re-read what I responded to as you clearly misunderstood the question and thus the answer.

Edit: I'm assuming you know what caprice means.

Quote from: estar;968566Nothing. It just an observation of what people elect to do with the available open content. The solution is for somebody, like you, to write some material, or encourage others to write some material targeting AD&D 2e.

One problem with 2e isn't the rules but part of it what makes it distinct was the various settings. So there is an issue there in making something to appeal to 2e fans.

Yeah and although some are loathe to admit it 2e is so close to 1e a clone would hardly have that many changes to the core rules. Ironically one of the main justifications for the 1e clone is that it presents the rules in a clearer and more easy to reference way. Which is exactly what the 2e core books do.

It's a meaningless term that tries to rename the Edition Wars by couching it in BadWrongFun terminology.  It's all D&D, whether it was created in 1974 or 2014, it's all D&D.  Go have fun playing it.

Quote from: Christopher Brady;968725It's a meaningless term that tries to rename the Edition Wars by couching it in BadWrongFun terminology.  It's all D&D, whether it was created in 1974 or 2014, it's all D&D.  Go have fun playing it.

No it's not meaningless. OD&D, AD&D, D&D 3.x, D&D 4, and D&D 5 are all different games. Sure, they all are derivations from OD&D, but it is useful to distinguish games.

OSR to those who are interested in it implies either OD&D, AD&D, or a game that for the most part looks like one of those games, and to many it implies using a play style that was more common in the 70s than a play style that was more common in the 90s or later.

Categorization is useful. To some folks, D&D is used interchangeably with RPG, and I guess that's ok, but if I'm looking to play with some folks playing a specific game, genre, and play style, I want to know what they're playing. I don't want to be invited to a D&D game and roll 2d6 for Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social, and then enlist in the Scouts and die in my first term of service. Now if I was invited to play Classic Traveller, I would be all over that...

And it's not about edition wars. While I have little interest in playing D&D 4 or D&D 5, I'm not going to have a fight with someone because one of those is their chosen game.

Frank