What Versions of TSR D&D have you played?

[randalls]

We made things more complex.  We were horrible that way, piling on detail after detail, until the games just became hideously unwieldy.

I went through that phase with OD&D. My players were not amused and were not afraid to let me know. 

[brianm]

I went through that phase with OD&D. My players were not amused and were not afraid to let me know. 

My players were willing and eager accomplices.  We came up with a gazillion different races, classes, and spells, each a hoarier mess than the last.  It was glorious fun, until it came time to actually play the game. 

- Brian

[King_Barrowclaw]

If you add 3e to Philotomy's list that about sums me up!

And, by the way, I owe this current wave of nostalgia for earlier version gaming to Philotomy's site. That and 3e burnout! 

Thanks, Philotomy! Are you still updating your campaign notes?

[Philotomy]

And, by the way, I owe this current wave of nostalgia for earlier version gaming to Philotomy's site. That and 3e burnout! 

Thanks, Philotomy! Are you still updating your campaign notes?

You're welcome; I'm glad the site was inspiring to you.  I'm still keeping notes on the B4 campaign, I'm just way behind converting them to something readable.  I'm working on another game-related project right now that had a deadline, and it is getting most of my attention.

[Sham]

We made things more complex.  We were horrible that way, piling on detail after detail, until the games just became hideously unwieldy.

You'd think we would have learned... 

- Brian

Seems a lot of us have a common D&D history.

Me, in order:

Holmes - DM
OD&D - Player
1e - DM and Player
Crazy cross-breed 1e, Arduin, Dragon Magazine, cool stuff from books and movies thingy that encompassed reams of hand written home brew notes and was totally over the top and ended up in an ever escalating power game. Vorpal weapons and Raise Deads were commonplace. Fun? You bet...unwieldy and infused with numbers and dice, yep. Clunky. - DM and Player
Home Brew 1e with lots of 2e supplements (Planescape, Al-Qadim, Forgotten Realms) - DM
Nothing but the three hard covers 1e - DM
Moldvay Basic (really LL retro-clone) - DM
and now back trying OD&D - DM (1st session soon!)

[Ork Captain]

Let's see here...

I started with the black box when I was a wee lad, and quickly adopted the Rules Cyclopedia after that. I had a go at B/X too, although because I was so young I really couldn't tell much of a difference between the various editions of CD&D.

Moved on to 2nd edition AD&D, then went back to try 1st edition AD&D. I like them both, despite their differences. Played with many, many of the 2nd edition campaign settings: Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Dark Sun, Al-Qadim, and my favorite -- Ravenloft.

Never bothered with anything past 2nd edition. I've glanced at the 3rd edition rules, but I have no interest.

Recently got invovled in a Labyrinth Lord game, which is for all intents and purposes, the Moldvay B/X version in disguise.

[randalls]

Recently got invovled in a Labyrinth Lord game, which is for all intents and purposes, the Moldvay B/X version in disguise.

It's an amazingly good clone.

[TheGameMaster]

In this order I've DMed them;  1978 AD&D, 1989 AD&D 2nd Edition, 1996 Basic D&D (RC), 2000 3E, 2003 3.5E, 2003 HackMaster, 2004 Castles & Crusades, 2008 4E.   (okay, 3E, HackMaster, and C&C don't count for the question, but they are D&D!).  I currently DM an ongoing long term AD&D 2nd Edition game with critical hit and fumble tables from Crusader Magazine, Piety from Dragon Magazine, Comeliness from 1st Edition UA,  and "luck points" from Fudge.  I'm a big fan of Core Rules 2.0 Expantion.  I can't tell you how that's helped to speed up the game.  But for 1st Edition you can't beat the DM's Assistant for DOS from SSI, from way back in the day.  I still use that program A LOT when I run 1st Edition.  It's an invaluable tool!   

http://free-game-downloads.mosw.com/abandonware/pc/utilities/dungeon_master_s_assistant_volume_i.html
http://free-game-downloads.mosw.com/abandonware/pc/utilities/dungeon_master_s_assistant_volume_ii.html

Peace,

Rod

[randalls]

But for 1st Edition you can't beat the DM's Assistant for DOS from SSI, from way back in the day.  I still use that program A LOT when I run 1st Edition.  It's an invaluable tool!

I haven't thought of this program in ages, but I used to use it a lot. I'll have to see if it runs in DOSBox or DOSEmu. Welcome, BTW!

[QuadriplegicMonkey]

I started playing D&D around around '85 when the Oriental Adventures book came out.  My cousins visited one day and told me about this awesome game they were playing back home.  We didn't have any of the books, so we played using the rules they remembered from their games, which amazingly were spot on. 

I stopped playing for a while but got back into it in the 90s and played / DMed a lot of 2e.

[randalls]

We didn't have any of the books, so we played using the rules they remembered from their games, which amazingly were spot on.

I can, and have, run early versions of D&D without anything but dice. I'd need a set of tables to do it today as I haven't played regularly enough to still remember them all. That was one of the things I considered great about early D&D. Simple rules that one could remember well enough to play if one played a lot (and gave rules lawyer players the boot).

[driver]

Long version:
Moldvay/Cook B/X,
followed by AD&D 1e -- or, more accurately, B/X with all the cool classes, monsters, and items from AD&D,
followed by AD&D 2e,
followed by gradual disenchantment and putting the game to the side,
followed by D&D 3e,
followed by gradual disenchantment and putting the game to the side,
followed by AD&D 1e,
followed by B/X,
and ending with OD&D.

[randalls]

followed by AD&D 1e -- or, more accurately, B/X with all the cool classes, monsters, and items from AD&D,

LOL. My AD&D 1e was more accurately OD&D "with all the cool classes, monsters, and items from AD&D." We just added AD&D stuff to our campaign as the books came out. Ignoring all the stuff we did not like, of course.