Stocking The Dungeon: Let me make this clear,

14 January 2012

Let me make this clear,

I will not be discussing D&DNext/5th edition D&D here.

I will not be entertaining ridiculous notions that "osr" products that have sales in the low 4 digits forced Wizards of the Coast into changing their business plan.

I will not be entertaining unsubstantiated claims that the Pathfinder RPG outsells D&D in any way, shape or form. The two games have vastly different business models, and neither company releases sales data.

I will not humor people who want to engage in "edition wars" or carry out a derogatory crusade against any edition or variant of the game.

This blog is about Classic D&D and Mystara campaigns, that's what I will talk about.

13 comments:

Zak S said...: Well ok then!

(though if you're a Mentzer fan there's some interesting news for you in the near future); 14 January, 2012 16:46
Darva Shriver said...: Zak, let me clarify and say that most of the time, I enjoy reading your blog, there's a lot of interesting ideas, but honestly, some of the more "adult" topics and art turn me off sometimes. I'm a grade school librarian, and working with young kids, I have different ideas about the tone of the game. I just find the "type whatever" bit to be silly, and it spread all over the community.

I hope you're teasing about something coming finally from Frank's announcements a year or two ago about getting back into game publishing, I'd definitely check out whatever he put out.; 14 January, 2012 16:57
Darva Shriver said...: I think the essence of my dislike of "type roman numeral" is the sense that a lot of people mean it in a derogatory way. I have no idea what your intent was in coining the term, but that seems to be the trend among people who picked up on it.

I stick with Mentzer BECMI Basic D&D, but I avoid edition wars if possible, every edition before and after "mine" has things to offer, and no edition is perfect. Same goes for the 3rd party stuff, whether new-school like Blue Rose or Pathfinder, or OSR stuff like LL or LOTFP.; 14 January, 2012 17:01
Zak S said...: Adult topic issues are common, apparently, though I never claimed adult content should be a feature of versions of the game marketed to kids & I don't know what that has to do with any adult reading or not reading the blog.

Anyway, I wrote a long post on Type Whatever right here if you're curious:
http://www.dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2011/12/type-iv-hypersensitivity-ask-questions.html

As for Mentzer, stay tuned.; 14 January, 2012 18:06
minitrue said...: Thanks for sticking to BECMI, I'm just getting back into it and it's nice to have someplace to go. Plenty of sites talking about OST, Pathfinder, 4th and Next; 14 January, 2012 20:12
Darva Shriver said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 14 January, 2012 20:28
Darva Shriver said...: I didn't come into gaming till I was in college, and by then, the general scope of my tastes had been formed. I lean toward what most people would consider "children's fantasy", stuff like the Hobbit, Narnia, etc. I'm not trying to censor anyone or impose my standards, I just read what interests me and ignore what doesn't. And it hasn't escaped my notice that you (as well as James Raggi) are upfront about your content, using the blogger adult content warning to ward off the easily offended.

After reading your post about "type x" D&D, I think we have a similar idea about editions and edition wars, but correctly or not, I admit to being one who read negativity into some people's use of "type iv" to refer to 4th edition. I've amended my original post here to reflect that and not sound like a specific attack on D&DwPS.; 14 January, 2012 20:30
Christopher B said...: Yeah, the whole "Type I/II/III/IV" thing - taken out of Zak's apparent context - ends up being unnecessarily inflammatory. Those who don't know that context can be excused for thinking that the "Type IV" reference is yet another sly OSR dig at 4E. (Hell, I thought that the first time I saw the reference - and I'm not a 4E fan, or otherwise predisposed to be defensive about such a thing.)

It's nice to see a fellow blogger who doesn't feel the need to get swept up by 5E fever. I have no interest in it myself (it will be what it will be) and I'm finding myself becoming more and more frustrated that my daily reading has been usurped by a topic in which I have zero interest...

[Word verification: "flogr" - if that's not relevant to this comment, I don't know what is. :P]; 14 January, 2012 20:35
Darva Shriver said...: Minitrue, welcome back to classic gaming!; 14 January, 2012 20:40
Gabriel Harley said...: My quick take on the "Types" issue--

The reason Zak's nomenclature rang a bell with me was that, like he and many others, I want to actually distance myself from the edition wars crowd. I mean, 3.x wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean I don't think it's not "real" D&D or people who play it aren't "true" D&D players, etc. And I know f---all about 4th edition. What it does mean is that I just. don't. care. It's kind of like saying 5 card draw is "real" poker and Texas hold 'em and/or stud are not. Who cares? If you're having fun, go with it.

See my own post on "why I play D&D but am not a gamer". http://evenoria.blogspot.com/2012/01/types-iv-v-beyond-and-meh-or-i-may-play.html; 14 January, 2012 23:33
Random Wizard said...: Pure speculation here on my part (maybe more like wishful thinking). I would be very interested in the next edition of D&D if they have been consulting with Mentzer about what made the Basic D&D line so great, and are trying to incorporate that into the game.

Keep up the good work with Mystara.; 15 January, 2012 00:19
Beedo said...: I have many fond memories of Mystara, and love Glantri. Found your place from Gothridge Manor, glad to find it.; 16 January, 2012 17:02
Riley Moonrigger said...: I like 3.5, and I like DDO, and I think Eberron and Spelljammer and Pathfinder are all nifty-keen.

But in my gut, REAL FANTASY starts in the region between Specularum and Kelvin.

Thanks for writing. :); 02 March, 2012 10:48