/tg/ there's something I'm wondering and I'd like it if you could clear it up for me.
Why are there so many different OSR/retroclone games?
I don't mean that in the sense of "don't like what I don't like", but - they're all based on basic D&D, right? Isn't that too limited a base for there to be so many clones of it? It's like if there were 20 remakes of A New Hope. Yeah, it's a good movie, but surely you eventually run out of ways to remake it.
Am I missing something? Is there actually a huge world of difference between different retroclones that I'm just not seeing?
It's the system that most people are the most familiar with so they'll try to fit a game into the system rather than learn a new system.
>>43604685
I get that, but you'd only need a handful of retroclones for that. What difference between them necessitates having so many?
I feel the same way OP, though I've never done more than flick through retroclone pdfs.
Seems to me they just like juggling around the stats and modifiers. So you could probably just do it as a setting\modification of most any d20 system BUT you're much more likely to get noticed if you publish as your own system, so there's that.
>>43604580
Think of retroclones as house rules. D&D used to pretty much be the only game around, so there are plenty of people who have played and tweaked it. But I think the key to understanding them is not to view them as different games, but just different versions of the same game. And the choice of which retroclone to go with can come down to choosing an approach / edition of D&D and fine tuning your selection.
So let's say you're looking for something fairly simple. That puts us in the area of Basic D&D (and some OD&D stuff). So what now? Well, would you prefer to split race and class? Check out Basic Fantasy RPG. Do you want ascending AC? Basic Fantasy does that as well, as does Lamentations of the Flame Princess, which also has a d6 skill system and its own, simplified encumbrance system.
Of course, there's nothing to keep you from mixing and matching rules, but it's helpful to have a base system to refer to. So maybe you run Labyrinth Lord, which sticks pretty close to Moldvay Basic, but with LotFP's skill system.
>>43604882
So if the difference between all of them is a little houseruling, why not houserule? Why does every asshole with a taste for OSR have to publish his houserules as part of a document that, to the best of my knowledge, is 90% identical to everyone else's OSR rulebook?
>>43604954
Having gone through the trouble of creating something, why wouldn't you want to share it with others? And once your familiar with the base system, it's really easy to glance over a retroclone and see what it does differently (and/or just ask folks). I fully support house ruling shit, but it can be helpful to see how others have house ruled shit too. They might give you ideas.
>>43604580
>It's like if there were 20 remakes of A New Hope
It's funny because the story of A New Hope was repeated thousands of times before and after it.
>>43604580
>Am I missing something?
You are missing "Das Kapital" by K.Marx. Just like any modern industry, RPGs require investment.
Even if you got a good rulebook, players will still need lots of quality content to play with.
If you make some "Unique System #3051" you'll need to spend tons of money making usable content for the game to be playable. And most of this content will not be quality content. On the other hand, OSR have 40 years worth of compatible materials to choose from and quality is much more reliable.
Basically, if you don't have lots of money to invest, your best bet of making a game (not modules/supplements) people will play is getting into OSR.
> Is there actually a huge world of difference between different retroclones that I'm just not seeing?
Somewhat. Most successful retroclones have a specific niche.
Beyond the Wall - has a nice lifepath chargen and an overall "young adventurers" vibe other games seems to lack. Spells are not even diffirentiated by levels, but by being either cantrips, spells or rituals.
LotFP is decidedly grimdark "we are all gonna die and it will not be nice" with survival being the grandest prize. The only reason you are not spending 90% of the session rolling new characters is because chargen is so streamlined.
DCC is gonzo dungeoncrawl taken up to eleven, with wild magic being the norm and PCs not even pretending to be heroes.
ACKS (with all the expansions) is middle-to-high level play DnD 3-4-5 never managed to get right.
Currently being made Godbound is essentially Exalted without excess dice and dumb rules.
>>43604954
>So if the difference between all of them is a little houseruling, why not houserule?
Why people use pre-made adventures and campaign settings? Why don't they just make it all themselves?
The same is here - you can spend many weeks fine-tuning and inventing your houserules, or you can grab an OSR. Or, you know, several. And concoct The Perfect DnD you always dreamed of.
OSR/retroclone?
>>43606550
This. Nice answer, man.
>>43604580
>Why do so many musicians make pop music when there are so many genres of music?
>>43606645
You should ask your Internet provider to allow you to access Google.
>>43606844
Can't. Court order.
>>43606858
What about Yahoo or that duck one?
>>43604685
This
