Why I Cover Classic Tabletop RPGs (and others don’t).

#rpgelite #classicttrpg

When I cover a classic TTRPG, they don’t get many views at all. So, why do I continue to do them? Here are four reasons why.

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VIDEO CHAPTERS:

1:38 Reason #1
5:09 Reason #2
7:54 Reason #3
9:56 Reason #4
14:05 Question of the Vid

[fragfeister]

After my son went into the U.S. Army, I broke out Top Secret S.I. and the Commando supplement to run scenarios with his buddies. We ran missions based on actual after action reports to specifically put them into moral quandaries and practice tactical knowledge. It was a teaching resource with some awesome moments of intrigue and damage control from unforeseen circumstances.

[samuelbastable]

I am very thankful for you covering classic tabletops! I sadly was not born during around the times of these classic ones were made so its very helpful to have someone such as the good man you are that can show me and others the difference in tabletops back then to now. it has also been useful hearing someone passionate as yourself talking about these games does warm my heart knowing someone still likes them, hell thanks to you I really wanna give top secret a good look into!

[kostasmanousakis]

Respect. This is most needed today! Keep up the goodvwork!!!

[FMD-FullMetalDragon]

I am hoping that you will cover Star Frontiers someday. It's one 80s rpg I am interested in.

[AxidentalDM]

One of the games I play regularly is Call of Cthulhu. I typically use 7e rules, but run modules from all eras. Right now I'm working through the Gaslight era book, Sacraments of Evil. Even though I'm using 7e, Chaosium has done a great job of making sure that there are still connections with its past. You can literally run something from 1st edition with the 7e rules with very easy conversion. That's 40 years of gaming, all available to use and enjoy today.

[derekmann]

Not only is there no respect, but there is no shame.

[davidlee]

I ran a six month campaign of Golden Heroes. It rocked! The system has some great aspects and some quality jank that I love. I am moving onto a bit more of a modern system for the next year, but I always return to the games that made me smile as a younger man. Looking forward to one day seeing you covering Cyborg Commando, Mutazoid, and Nightlife. Not major games but ones that I love.

[Yesbryn]

I'm all about Call of Cthulhu, Traveller and RuneQuest - those are the games that shine for me above all the ones I've played, they're all classics and they all came out either before I was born or when I was a baby!

[Ravencross]

I've been playing and running tabletop rpgs since 1983. I am a lifelong gamer with love for the many great games of the 80's (Marvel Superheroes, Gamma World, Top Secret, Gangbusters, Star Frontiers, etc). I love that you cover these topics with respect and love. Keep up the good work.

[jorgschumacher]

Thank you for the video. Over here in Germany we have a similar series "Alte Männer reden über alte Spiele" (Old guys talking old games). It got 128 episodes so far. Always love the journey down memory lane.
I currently play games that are around since like forever as "Das schwarze Auge" (The Dark Eye) and "Hero System". And I use material from all over the various editions of those games. My son, who is gamemastering himself, occasionally uses my old books himself.
Looking forward for the next classic TTRPG friday.

[RaymondRich]

It's kind of strange. My friend group is very acquainted with classic TTRPGS, and there's often a lot of nostalgia and good memories surrounding them, but when it comes time to bring a game to the table, they are extremely focused on "the new hotness." I've sadly come to the conclusion that many of them have grown comfortable complaining about the inadequacies of newer systems rather than revisiting what has worked before. Instead, I often get a "been there, done that" vibe or a wistful "yeah that would be great" and then no one shows for the session because it doesn't have that urgency of "new and now." It's something I hope to change in the year ahead by just projecting enthusiasm rather than malaise.

[ercerc]

wow, video uploaded 47 seconds ago, lol.

And to answer the question of the video...our group is currently playing Rifts and an older edition of the game that shall not be mentioned. So right now we are enjoying all kinds of classic goodness!

[eespinola]

I always got to respect the RPG classics.

[reports]

I feel a bit redundant saying this but another great video. As for your question, I would love to play some of the games I use to - Marvel, James Bond by Victory Games, FASA Star Trek, West End Games Star Wars, 2nd Ed. Warhammer Fantasy, etc. Unfortunately I lost them all when I relocated across country. My family didn't recogonzie their value or importance to me and they were damaged then discarded.

Now it's come down to the effort and cost of replacing them, as you said others have seen the value in those games and they are pricey. Thankfully I've found some new ones I truly enjoy.

[RodBatten]

Some folks always chalk appreciation of classic games to pure nostalgia. And some of it *is* nostalgia but most of it is just that D&D (for example) has not necessarily, objectively improved the rules with successive editions, but changed the feel and experience of the game. No set of rules is perfect, and "perfection" is a subjective thing anyway.

[iangrey]

I'm currently running 5e, but with a big dose of old-school flavor running three different groups in the same campaign/setting (in what folks seem to be calling the "West Marches" style these days). I've been enjoying using a lot of old dnd adventures scattered through my campaign map (Castle Amber & Sunken Citadel amongst the current locals being explored), and find a lot of older edition books have advice and rules that are still very applicable to whatever I'm currently running (I still dig out my tattered copies of the ADnD Dungeon Master's Design Kit & World Builder's Guide Books to tweak my games).

[torenatkinson]

I appreciate your passion for the classics!

[Tygertyger]

I haven't played any classic ttrpgs recently, alas (I don't count recent editions of The Game That Must Not Be Named), but I do still appreciate them. My favorite remains Mage: the Ascension (which I'd love to see you cover sometime), but as a major superhero fan I will always hold a special place in my heart for the original Marvel Superheroes. That game had a perfect combination of ease of learning and ease of play marred only by a character generation system that left much to be desired (Random rolls for powers? Srsly? How are you supposed to build a character with a consistent theme with that?). Which brings me to an answer to the complaint about the flaws in classic ttrpgs; you are always free to change, omit, or add rules at your own table. That random roll generation got thrown out immediately when I ran MSH, and I don't know of anyone who kept the death-during-chargen rule in Traveler.

[robertallen]

I am in agreement with you, Servant. I often prefer the older RPGs over the newer ones. If a new mechanic turns out to be an improvement, we can always Frankenstein together the parts we like best from each edition of a game.

[ottawamonsterpocalypse]

I'm actually re-reading Cyberpunk, Feng Shui, and a couple of other classics right now to see if I can come up with some campaign ideas for them. After that, the quest for people to play with me and my dumb ideas (like a co-op GMed Feng Shui game where the villains for each junction are controlled by a different person) will begin.

And I'm guilty as all get out of that RPG ADHD. I'm no longer as bad as I was in the 90s when I was discovering all kinds of systems but it is definitely something I have to watch out for.


Side question, which miniatures are those on your shelf in front of the Mutant RPG book?