More and more, this place is all about Old School Gaming, and I have less and less to post about. So - in an effort to keep involved here - what is New School Gaming? What are some good examples? What are some *bad* examples? What is New School Gaming better at that Old School gaming? What is it not as good at?

-clash

You're not going to get any hard & fast definitions, of course. It may seem like "New school" ought to be the opposite of "old school" but that'd be like saying No Doubt is the opposite of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Put another way, GURPS doesn't strike me as "old school", nor does Jovian Chronicles. But they aren't "new school" either even if they were at one time.

Furthermore it's tempting to suggest that "new school" is more diverse than "old school", but it's possible that only stands up if you take an ahistorical "line of development" view. That is, pretty much all "modern" games trace their history back to D&D, ergo, one might think that as you go back in time, there are fewer and fewer styles of game until you get to Blackmoor circa 1972. But from a fairly early date, there were a bunch of diverging games, such as En Garde. They just didn't contribute their genes to the main line of rpg evolution.

Give me a minute to think, though, and I might be able to come up with some contemporary non-mainstream games that I'd like to talk about.

Well, you seem to have some definition of old school gaming and what it's about.  What's your definition?  And you apparently like "new school."  What do you consider new school?

Personally, I only tend to think new vs. old school in terms of D&D.

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;376422Well, you seem to have some definition of old school gaming and what it's about.  What's your definition?  And you apparently like "new school."  What do you consider new school?

Personally, I only tend to think new vs. old school in terms of D&D.

Old School Gaming? AFAICS, it's all about playing early editions of D&D and certain D&D-like games, like Metamorphosis Alpha and old Gamma World, and the clones thereof. As for New School Gaming, I have no idea. That's why I asked. Seems like there should logically be such a thing.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;376415More and more, this place is all about Old School Gaming, and I have less and less to post about. So - in an effort to keep involved here - what is New School Gaming? What are some good examples? What are some *bad* examples? What is New School Gaming better at that Old School gaming? What is it not as good at?

-clash

Well, when 'Old School' is referenced, it talks about rules-lite, roleplay heavy, with little regard for game balance.  I seem to remember a comment about, 'Heroic vs superheroic' I liked, as well as 'player skill over character skills'.

On the other hand, many people (normally myself included) include traveller, tunnells and trolls, and Runequest into Old School.  SO I guess you need your definition, first.

I'd tell you, to some degree, if Old School = Vancian magic, that many gmaes of the progressive age are much more flexible than the Vancian Straightjacket.
I would also say many progressive games are better at 'out-of-adventure' gaming, and at creating a grittier game.

point of information: this place isn't really about "old school" gaming either.  The rare posts that actually focus on any sort of gaming at all drop down the page.
What we're really doing now is three fold:
1. Determining who is us and who is them.
2. Exploring butthurt.
3. Giving every fucking dead horse in the world the beating it fucking well deserves; and then beating it again because we mistook the postmortem bloating  for signs of life, and then beating it one last time for being dead, after all. Fucking dead horses. They make me fucking mad.

Quote from: flyingmice;376415More and more, this place is all about Old School Gaming, and I have less and less to post about. So - in an effort to keep involved here - what is New School Gaming? What are some good examples? What are some *bad* examples? What is New School Gaming better at that Old School gaming? What is it not as good at?

-clash

Well, you could always start directing people over to the Citadel in a mock irritated tone, you know.  

Quote from: LordVreeg;376425Well, when 'Old School' is referenced, it talks about rules-lite, roleplay heavy, with little regard for game balance.

Where would rules-heavy games like "Chivalry & Sorcery" (1977) and "DragonQuest" (1980) fit into, with respect to 'Old School'?

Quote from: Aos;376426point of information: this place isn't really about "old school" gaming either.  The rare posts that actually focus on any sort of gaming at all drop down the page.
What we're really doing now is three fold:
1. Determining who is us and who is them.
2. Exploring butthurt.
3. Giving every fucking dead horse in the world the beating it fucking well deserves; and then beating it again because we mistook the postmortem bloating  for signs of life, and then beating it one last time for being dead, after all. Fucking dead horses. They make me fucking mad.

and your comments on the horses were kind and gentle compared to what we really do to them here.

Quote from: ggroy;376431Where would rules-heavy games like "Chivalry & Sorcery" (1977) and "DragonQuest" (1980) fit into, with respect to 'Old School'?

Well, now we are getting into the personal side of it.
I consider OS more of a game style and feel, because I left D&D decades ago and made a pretty rules-heavy, social-heavy, non-vancian, skill based system.  But the net effect is still what I would consider the OS feel, in terms of many of the guidelines I mentioned.

But the requirements of
1) Rules lite
2) player skill over character skill

give lie to my opinion.  

It's no cognitive dissonance, I am aware of all of this.

Based on the full set of qualifications, C&S and Dragonquest don't pass, though I am aware of their age.  I'd be curious about other's opinions, as well as Clash's opinion and where he wants this thread to go.  I think, ultimately, that is going to get a good result.

Quote from: Aos;376426point of information: this place isn't really about "old school" gaming either.  The rare posts that actually focus on any sort of gaming at all drop down the page.
What we're really doing now is three fold:
1. Determining who is us and who is them.
2. Exploring butthurt.
3. Giving every fucking dead horse in the world the beating it fucking well deserves; and then beating it again because we mistook the postmortem bloating  for signs of life, and then beating it one last time for being dead, after all. Fucking dead horses. They make me fucking mad.

Ummm, Ok - I didn't think I was doing that...

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;376434Ummm, Ok - I didn't think I was doing that...

-clash

I wasn't speaking about you. I was commenting on the forum in general- much as you were in the OP.

Quote from: StormBringer;376428Well, you could always start directing people over to the Citadel in a mock irritated tone, you know.  

Dagnab Old Schoolers! Why don't you all take your gol dang hides over to the Citadel! They like your kind there!

How was that? :O

-clash

Quote from: Aos;376435I wasn't speaking about you. I was commenting on the forum in general- much as you were in the OP.

OK! I was a bit confused, I guess!

-clash

I'd be curious about other's opinions, as well as Clash's opinion and where he wants this thread to go.  I think, ultimately, that is going to get a good result.[/QUOTE]

I wasn't thinking any direction in particular. I was just curious, LV. Whatever way people want to take it is fine with me.

-clash