Still Waiting On That Basic RPG

The year 2007 offered a dream come true opportunity for me. I got to attend Gen Con and experience all of the excitement. I got to meet some of the greats of the RPG industry. I wrote about this extensively elsewhere on this blog and included some pictures. It was the culmination of a dream I had when I was a child playing that Moldvay Basic D&D game. I remember looking at the ad in the book and thinking how fun it would be to attend.

I also wrote about my frustrations in 2007 of not finding that basic game. This led me to begin forming a simple set of rules anybody could use for the six sided dice game I call Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl. As the rules came together, I discovered that Goblinoid Games was retro cloning that old game I played when I was younger. The movement started by OSRIC was growing.

Now, my game may have that familiar feeling, but I used different dice mechanics to make it work. I felt and still feel it is unique, which is why I completed the Basic Charts Edition to allow anybody to play. Dozens have downloaded it. though I doubt anybody has played. Why didn't I finish the fully fleshed out rule book? I opted to end it there as Goblinoid Games had done an excellent job with Labyrinth Lord.

I'm mixed about this. I'm happy that the revival is here, but I can't help but think that we're sort of pilfering the Wizards garbage bin. Then again, it was Wizards who started this in the first place. Even now, they face a challenge from Paizo's Pathfinder essentially using the OGL for D&D's 3.5 rules. It's legal as far as I know, but I can't help thinking The Wizards may be kicking themselves for allowing it to happen. Now, Pathfinder is not a Retro Clone, so let's not lump it in with the others, but they have run with the OGL further than any of the other companies.

If there is a threat to D&D, it's Pathfinder. I said if. The Retro Clones out there, while not in the intended spirit of OGL, are not a threat to the new games. Kids today don't seem to care for the old way of playing. They like the video game feel with all the bells and whistles, and miniatures. This is probably why there have been no lawsuits. But, believe me, with the OGL and OGC, the guys at OSRIC did their homework well. OSRIC was not intended to be a game, so much as a resource to allow people to legally make 1e compatible products and sell them. Labyrinth Lord, on the other hand, is a brand. A game that was billed as a retro clone game from the start. It is also available at some game shops. I've seen it.

I give them credit for putting LL out there and making a go of it. It's pretty amazing when you think of it. Like I said, this old school revival is not being crushed because it's not making a huge amount of money, is not seen as a threat and Wizards would get bad publicity for going after them. Mind you, they could just as easily make the old books available for print on demand or license the old stuff to another company minus the IP or start a Retro D&D division. As far as I can tell, it's not worth the money so they turn a blind eye to the Retro Clone thing.

But they still don't get the idea of a Basic game. Whether TSR did what they did to ace Dave Arneson out of the picture or not (as some have suggested), they were right to make a toned down version of the game that allowed people to play that way for months and years. They made money with Moldvay and Mentzer's versions according to Gary Gygax and it brought new people to the game.

See, it's very simple. Either that red box went off the shelf to somebody who never played it. Still it was a buyer. Or. it went to somebody who played and moved up to the blue box. Or, as many can attest, it led them to the AD&D game. In short, it worked. Yes, it got people into the advanced game, but many people were content with Basic and Expert. All the rules, if it was Moldvay/Cook in two books and some mods. Many of those, such as I, took the BECMI ride with Mentzer and bought the mods. Sure, it wasn't the gazillion hard cover books, but it was still money made by TSR.

Not everybody wants or needs the feats, skills and all the other b.s. associated with the new games of today. I wonder how many people have looked at modern D&D, didn't like the convoluted rules and apparent money grab and headed straight for WoW or some other MMO? I'd bet quite a few. Guess what? Money lost. Bye bye.

I like some of the things I see from Wizards. Even if they are incredibly stupid to have ever started the OGL thing, and they are. You want to make a new game? Make up the rules yourself. When I walk into a game store and see a shelf just as big for Pathfinder as for D&D, knowing where the Pathfinder rules came from, yes, Wizards is stupid. The 3.5 fans, unlike previous editions, are lucky, because their game just shifted from one company to another, but it's still supported by a known company.

But, what Wizards has done right is the DDI. Computers are a part of our lives and coming up with the software to allow people to play table top stye on a computer is clever. Plus, though they are leaving money, and lots of it, on the table via Pathfinder and the OGL they are grabbing it right back via monthly fees for the DDI. So, not as stupid as you might think.

The fact that they brought Monte Cook back into the fold has the 5e people proclaiming the sky is falling on 4e. What do I think? It'll happen sooner than later, but they know they have to handle this idea with care. People are pissed with the 3e, 3.5, 4e, Essentials line taking up the last yen years. That's a lot of books. People will NOT continue to put up with this, and they know it. What I expect is rumors will get loud, Gencon 2012 will yield rumors, perhaps unofficial rumors from Wizards themselves. The real date to watch is 2014, the 40th anniversary.

But where is the basic game? They all know people want this game. No, most of the hard core 4e people don't care one way or the other, but there are people who do. My opinion of the idea of basic is not a game with a session or two and then move up, but one that takes you 10-14 levels up. This probably requires two sets. Stripped down rules without a lot of the features of the core rules and without all but the "traditional" classes and races. This is the game that is needed to bring people in, and Wizards is the company that needs to make it.

Why? People who think about this game see all the books, the miniatures, all the details that go into playing and they get confused. Looks like a money grab. That MMO, that by the way is free to play depending on the game, looks more tempting and they walk away. It's not that hard. Monte Cook, Mike Mearls or whomever needs to look at two sources, Moldvay/Cook or Mentzer Basic/Expert. Make THAT game, but in the modern sense. I prefer the old AC system, but I'm willing to admit that ship has sailed. Fine, do it modern, but keep it simple.

You know what was cool about the old game. All of 5 minutes, if that, and you've got a character. Yes, I know the flaws, Character death was easy back then, but so was character creation. Another cool thing about Basic back then. No miniatures, Graph paper and an imagination. Let's play. This is the game that needs to hit the shelves, not the one with the box that plays a few sessions and says buy the core three books and this book and that book and that book and...

Make the simple game and the expansion (Basic-Expert), let people enjoy that game without feeling the gun to their heads saying now you HAVE to go here. Let them make that choice themselves, and you will see people move up. Others will be content with the simple game you can throw together on the fly quickly and play when you have time. There is money here if you do it right. It's been done before, and it brought people into the hobby by the thousands back then.

Wizards made it's best effort yet with the Starter Set. Levels 1-3 there, two or three, maybe four adventures, now get the core books. Okay, that was better, but using the Mentzer cover was a slap in the face to those who remember THAT game. I don't think it was meant as an insult, so I didn't take offense. So, Wizards, you are getting closer. I believe Monte will be involved in 5e, so hopefully he knows people are interested. Too be clear, I'm not saying go 36 levels with this. 10-14 is plenty. A good DM will make that into a solid campaign.

Not to be outdone, like THAT is gonna happen, Pathfinder upped the ante with the Beginner Box. Stripped down rules for levels 1-5, then go get the core books. Better. Looks impressive, but still not enough. In fact, people are asking for another 5-9 levels from an expansion set. It doesn't sound like that is the plan, but you never know. As Pathfinder now has equal shelf space these days, they could make a huge statement. I'm not encouraged, though, by the CEO's comments about "mistakes from the past". Basic-Expert D&D was not a mistake, and only a fool would think otherwise. Basic was ended before the trouble hit TSR. Now, the bloat of campaign settings back then is another story.

The Computer game RPG Dragon Age seems to be taking the Basic-Expert approach with their stuff, but there is no buzz out there from Green Ronin that I've seen. Goodman Games is about to step into the fray with Dungeon Crawl Classics the RPG, and there is good buzz associated with it. Problem is, can this concept even get attention from a #3 or #4 company when Wizards and Paizo are the ones grabbing the shelf space? I guess we will see.

So, I asked where that Basic game was over four years ago. The answer at this point seems to be it's still not here. Two things I'm encouraged by, however, is that they have taken a few steps closer and the two bigger companies are hearing the requests. Time will tell what is gonna happen but the MMO's will gladly take the money that the lack of a real basic game leaves on the table if this void isn't filled.