Let me begin with a little administrative stuff. You’ll notice our pictures for who is writing change, as noted by the picture of me on the left there. Also, our new web site is near ready, but still under construction. If you are an expert at CSS, HTML, and/or WordPress, contact me, I could use some help.
If you checked out the latest RPG Circus podcast (and you really should), my co-host Jeff interviewed Michael of Old Guy RPG Blog about old-school gaming. In the interview, the two discuss what old-school means.
A few points they hit on were: 1. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things; 2. You are not defined by your character-sheet; and 3: Rulings, not rules. They mentioned the Quick Primer of Old-School Gaming, which can be found here.
Now, Michael, in the interview, said that old-school is defined both my attitude and rules, in that the rules should support the feel of an old-school game. I agree, but I think that attitude is much more important.
I run a 4e game of D&D, set in Eberron. One thing to note is that the heroes are involved in maybe one combat per session, have to figure out things through their own intellect, not their characters and, I believe, have to play ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances. When we play, it’s not about combat (though some of my players want nothing more). If we have a rules question, I make a ruling, and we move on. We can look it up later.
In other words, I think I’m kind of an old-school gamer.
What about you? Do you think that you can make anything old-school with the right attitude? Let me know!
5 comments
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September 9, 2009 at 9:45 am
Joshua
No, there are some games that just aren’t intended to be played in any way resembling Old School, no matter how you define it. My Life With Master, for instance.
September 9, 2009 at 9:58 am
Stuart
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things
Just to play devils advocate…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness – 1985
Marvel Superheroes – 1984
Champions – 1981
and perhaps even
Gamma World – 1978
Do you think that you can make anything old-school with the right attitude?
No. Old School means Old Games (or Old Music depending on what you’re saying is “old school”). New games, even if they have something that “feels” Old School to some people (and probably not to others) isn’t really Old School. Daft Punk might be sampling old school funk/disco, but they’re not in themselves old school.
Old School: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3AKrwna2C8
Not Old School: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYD_-A_X5E
So 4th edition D&D can “feel” old school depending on your outlook. So can Swords & Wizardry or Mutant Future… but none of them is actually an old school game. They’re all new.
So if you like old games/music you like old school. If you just like newer games/music that’s inspired by old school you’d be better saying you like old school influences or something.
September 9, 2009 at 8:15 pm
dicemonkey
First off, thanks for the great comments, guys. I’m a big fan of both your blogs.
Stuart: Yes, but part of the Old School movement is supposed to be about coming out with new games that feel like the old school games, including things like Encounter Critical and, as you pointed out, Swords & Wizardry. They are considered by a large group of the gaming population, “Old-School”, even if they aren’t by your standards.
Joshua, I’ll agree that something like Life With Master would be neigh-impossible to old-schoolize.
Thanks for the comments, guys! I always appreciate the discussion.
September 9, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Thasmodious
“Old School means Old Games”
Not necessarily. It could mean old gamers. As in my group. 6 people, all playing since the early 80s, some of us since the 70s. We play current games but are definitely old school. Playing a game style that has evolved slowly over the years since we were but children.
And I agree, dicemonkey, it’s all attitude. That said, some of the things the OSR crew defines as old school attitude is definitely not for me and mine (extreme lethality, player skill over character skill, among a few others).
September 10, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Stuart
@dicemonkey: By “large group of the gaming population” you probably mean “large number of the Old School bloggers and podcasters”… who we could probably fit in a single room. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn I was a full 1-2% of that group.
@Thasmodious: Very good points.