Lord Dynel wrote:
I'm with you. With respect to the players and publishers of retro-clones that visit this board, I personally am tired of clones. That's my personal opinion I do not intend that to come off as a C&C elitist standpoint in the least. The above statement has nothing to do with C&C being my game of choice...I just want to state that for the record in case it's interpreted that I am bias against clones in favor of C&C. I'd be bias against clones whether I played C&C or not.
I've said before, in the beginning I agreed with the concept of clones - to provide a means of publishing older edition material in the present day. Somewhere along the line, that changed to, "reprint the original rules, change a few things I don't like, and call it done." I don't know, I just don't agree with that reasoning. I understand JG's point about playing an older game (such as OD&D) that is getting harder to acquire. Maybe that's enough justification for some. For me, if I really wanted to play the OD&D rules and to me, thats the only system that really needs to have a clone from an I cant afford it standpoint - I'd acquire them...somehow.
As far as clones and derivatives go, I agree with DD about C&C. From what I've read of clones (and I've read through a few) C&C is nowhere near the clone status. It removes huge swaths of d20, replaces them with a whole new, and original, mechanic. They worked purposely at streamlining the system to bring back the focus of role-playing. I wouldn't even call it a derivative, but if it's between the two words I'll go with derivative. Sure it's rooted in d20 and the SRD, as was the purpose of the license. But the Trolls didn't reprint the rules wholesale, change a few things they didn't like, and call it done. They used the OGL and the SRD (which, at that point, if someone wants to call their work "unoriginal" then I guess you can) to make something all their own. And with their rsum of modules and accessories, their intention wasn't even in the retro-clone ballpark.
Hmph...I was tired of simulacra from the beginning. It's why I tend to stay away from discussions of the accursed things. Nobody wants to hear cranky ole me rail on about how these games are a solution in search of a problem.
Acquiring a copy of OD&D does cost money if you want a dead tree copy. Currently the 6th printing, aka the Original Collector's Edition of OD&D by itself is about $100 for a decent copy. The copy I own was given to me, but the person who actually won the ebay auction for it a few years ago (thanks Dave!) spent $50, and that was with a damaged box and a torn back cover on the first book. I ended up spending $60 total on Supplements I-III. I don't have Supplement IV, Chainmail, or Swords & Spells in dead tree (have them in PDF though).
The simulacrum games are simply the 21st Century equivalent of what people did in the days before the Internet. I have an AD&D simulacrum game from 1985. Printed and spiral bound, it had some interesting tweaks along with a few copyright infringing races (Vulcans, Hobbits, Andorians). It can't have sold well, as the gaming store in the area was the only one to have it and people ignored it until I bought it in a bargain bin.
Gamers in the pre-Internet days and the gamers of today will continue to create D&D simulacra and will continue to try to make some money from them. Don't expect to buy a house with the profits however. There may be enough though to buy a pot to pee in.
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