I am Embarrassed
Created: 2025-05-21
A dividing line that was circulated quite early on was the idea that whereas OSR gamers were wedded to modern releases being tonally and mechanically compatible with TSR-era D&D, NSR gamers were happier retaining a more nebulous commitment to ‘old school’ sensibilities and using these to fuel the creation of both weird settings and mechanics that were considerably lighter than anything previously associated with D&D.
See in context at I am Embarrassed
Created: 2025-05-21
What changed is that games like Knave, Shadowdark (and to some extent Dungeon Crawl Classics) ran across the Gygaxian minefield resulting in the persistent demands for compatibility with TSR-era D&D products being replaced by more inclusive and accommodating expectations with regards to tone, imagery, and subject matter.
See in context at I am Embarrassed
Created: 2025-05-21
By the time Yochai Gal was getting hounded off of Bluesky for sharing a link to someone with truly depressing politics, the distinction between NSR and OSR was nothing but a historical footnote: If you were engaged with the NSR, you were engaged with the OSR