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Author Topic: One opinion of the OSR  (Read 2881 times)

RPGObjects_chuck

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One opinion of the OSR
« on: August 22, 2009, 06:00:32 PM »
So lately the Pundit has been talking a lot of unadulterated bullshit about the OSR, in his desperate, flailing attempts to find a new enemy that gives him the same afterglow as his hate-on for the "swine" gave him and he seems to have settled on the OSR because it has a name!

*gasp*

Sorry, had the vapors for a minute there, had to fan myself.

Never mind that this "name" is someone taking the first three letters of OSRIC and changing what the R meant, effectively adopting the name of the flagship product as shorthand.

In contrast to this alarming development of people wanting a short-hand for their forum posts, I'd like to relate my experiences with this movement.

First, I think I'm a perfect person to tell this story because I'm not really a part of the movement.

My first exposure to OSRIC, was when Phil Reed released the first OSRIC PDF on RPGNow. He and I had been talking about a product we could do together and after doing a True20 book together, I pitched him an "OSRIC version of Unearthed Arcana" and an "OSRIC version of Oriental Adventures".

He countered with "just make it one big book" and we were off.

I wrote the book and then moved on, beyond some forum posts at one of the forums (I think it was Dragonsfoot?) I moved on. I'm a freelance writer. I had other assignments waiting.

Fast forward like a year and I discovered grognardia, a blog I liked, written from a standpoint I definitely understood. I was more interested in looking back at 1e than forward to 4e.

I sent James OSRIC Unearthed, he reviewed it and also encouraged me to do other things for OSRIC.

At every turn (the limited forum exposure I had and grognardia) I was surprised at how receptive folks were to the little book I had done.

I had riffed on two books with Gary Gygax's name on the cover, and had blatantly disagreed with many of the choices he and Zeb Cook had made in those books in a number of key areas.

In short, I wasn't recreating my source material. I used by own design sense and my own playtesting to balance things.

I expected dismissal, or outright hostility but got a warm reception at almost every turn.

Now fast forward another year to uh, now, and I had decided to take my AD&D world and turn it into a product.

Again, I enrolled at an old-school forum, in this case K&K Alehouse and let out the word about my product and also asked some very pointed questions such as "how much detail do NPCs need" and "how do you feel about humanoids having classes".

In every case, to the product in general, as well as to my questions, I received nothing but positive comments and helpful responses.

In short, this isn't a movement looking to condemn or exclude.

In fact, as someone who has dabbled in it, I have to say its one of the more receptive and inclusive internet communities I've ever spent time in.

Akrasia

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One opinion of the OSR
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2009, 06:52:53 PM »
Quote from: RPGObjects_chuck;322858
...
In short, this isn't a movement looking to condemn or exclude.

In fact, as someone who has dabbled in it, I have to say its one of the more receptive and inclusive internet communities I've ever spent time in.

As a fellow dabbler in the OSR, all I can say is: :thanx:

(The ironic thing is that the Pundit's own game could easily be considered part of the OSR.)
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« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2009, 05:19:16 AM »
More proof the OSR is all about hatred.

Hatred...and writing cool stuff that's fun to read and play, but the OSR is mostly about hatred.  

Well, maybe not all hatred.   We got lots of Groupthink too and everyone agreeing on everything takes up some of our hatred time.   And then there's the writing the cool stuff which is a real bitch because that REALLY eats into quality time spent on the necessary hatred.

Some people even play OSR games and those fuckers are WAY behind on their hatred quotas and if it wasn't for my total devotion to Groupthink (as mandated by membership in the OSR), I would call these guys slackers!

Kyle Aaron

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One opinion of the OSR
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2009, 05:55:39 AM »
Shut the fuck up and roll the dice.
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Premier

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One opinion of the OSR
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2009, 08:42:11 AM »
Quote from: Spinachcat;323021
More proof the OSR is all about hatred.


Almost, but not quote. Like everything else in roleplaying, it's all about being edgy. You see, nerds want to be edgy because they think it makes them less nerdy. Just consider specific examples:

- White Wolf fans become edgy by putting on bad makeup an doing bad drama. It's meant to be a goth (well, emo, really) kind of edgy, but of course they end up ridiculous.

- Swine become edgy by being very serious about the science of roleplaying. It's meant to be a real academic kind of edgy, but of course they end up ridiculous.

- Warhammer 40k fans become edgy by deliberately missing the fucking point of it being a satire and raving about how totally cool the over-the-top skull decorated grimviolent fascism is. It's meant to be a... I dunno, maybe gun crazy Montana survivalists on LSD kind of edgy, but of course they end up ridiculous.

- Pundit and his posse become edgy by hating on everyone with different tastes and spouting uninformed bullshit. It's meant to be a "typical American high school jock" kind of edgy, but of course they end up ridiculous.
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RPGPundit

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« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2009, 12:11:47 PM »
The last one doesn't fit with the others, Premier. But you left out the OSR-crowd do become "edgy" by pretending they're the BTO or something, doing Gene Weigel Drunken Youtube videos and bitching about how none of the kids these days ("kids these days" aparently including youngsters like Frank Mentzer and Jim Ward) are as hardcore as them or know how you're "really supposed to play" RPGs.

My edgy is more a Gonzo Journalist kind of edgy, and its not about hating as much as it is about telling radical truths. The hate is just a bonus!

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« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2009, 12:54:50 PM »
Quote from: RPGPundit;323068
... But you left out the OSR-crowd do become "edgy" by pretending they're the BTO or something, doing Gene Weigel Drunken Youtube videos and bitching about how none of the kids these days ("kids these days" aparently including youngsters like Frank Mentzer and Jim Ward) are as hardcore as them or know how you're "really supposed to play" RPGs.

:rolleyes:
Heh.  That certainly doesn't even vaguely resemble anything claimed (or done) by Mythmere, Dan Proctor, Jeff Rients, Calithena, P&P, estar, Stormbringer, Melan, Coleston, Spinachcat, et al.  You know, the folks who are actually involved with the OSR, producing and publishing new 'old school' stuff.  (Gene Weigel, as far as I can tell, has absolutely nothing to do with the OSR.)

But heaven forbid that the facts should ever get in the way of one of your irrational rants.  :D

Quote from: RPGPundit;323068
...My edgy is more a Gonzo Journalist kind of edgy, and its not about hating as much as it is about telling radical truths...


By 'radical truths' you obviously mean 'fictions' and/or 'gross distortions' (the 'truth' is simply the 'truth', it's never 'radical' or 'timid' or whatever).  

Anyhow, it's good to see that the absurd-yet-hilarious megalomaniacal self-delusion continues.  Keep it up! :popcorn:
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T. Foster

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One opinion of the OSR
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2009, 12:55:37 PM »
BTO = Bachman Turner Overdrive? :confused:
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« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2009, 12:56:25 PM »
Quote from: Spinachcat;323021
More proof the OSR is all about hatred.

Hatred...and writing cool stuff that's fun to read and play, but the OSR is mostly about hatred.  

Well, maybe not all hatred.   We got lots of Groupthink too and everyone agreeing on everything takes up some of our hatred time.   And then there's the writing the cool stuff which is a real bitch because that REALLY eats into quality time spent on the necessary hatred.

Some people even play OSR games and those fuckers are WAY behind on their hatred quotas and if it wasn't for my total devotion to Groupthink (as mandated by membership in the OSR), I would call these guys slackers!
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J Arcane

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One opinion of the OSR
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2009, 01:14:23 PM »
Quote from: Spinachcat;323021
More proof the OSR is all about hatred.

Hatred...and writing cool stuff that's fun to read and play, but the OSR is mostly about hatred.  

Well, maybe not all hatred.   We got lots of Groupthink too and everyone agreeing on everything takes up some of our hatred time.   And then there's the writing the cool stuff which is a real bitch because that REALLY eats into quality time spent on the necessary hatred.

Some people even play OSR games and those fuckers are WAY behind on their hatred quotas and if it wasn't for my total devotion to Groupthink (as mandated by membership in the OSR), I would call these guys slackers!
Ahh, spinachcat, ever the hypocritical mouthbreathing douchebag.
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« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2009, 03:06:25 PM »
RPGPundit, I generally agree with your thinking and like it very much, but you are really very uninformed in the subject of the OSR.

And don't have much more to add, cause Akrasia explained everything very well in this and other posts, but RPGPundit has ignored most of Akrasia's "truth bullet points" about the OSR.

It is said that hate usually arises from what you don't understand...

Philotomy Jurament

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« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2009, 03:42:34 PM »
Quote from: RPGPundit;323068
My edgy is more a Gonzo Journalist kind of edgy…

You should change your avatar to Hunter Thompson (find one of the pipe smoking pics, instead of the cigarette pics).
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« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2009, 04:18:07 PM »


Yes, that's it...give in to your anger...3d6 in order...
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« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2009, 04:26:19 PM »
Quote from: Spinachcat;323021
Some people even play OSR games and those fuckers are WAY behind on their hatred quotas and if it wasn't for my total devotion to Groupthink (as mandated by membership in the OSR), I would call these guys slackers!

 
I play me some OSR; I don't find that it cuts into my hating quotas at all.  The emo kids make it so easy I don't really have to try very hard.

Aos

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One opinion of the OSR
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2009, 04:32:15 PM »
Welcome, Angry Douchebag!
You are posting in a troll thread.

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