B/X Collection = My NES

One thing I love about my B/X game collection is the entire shelf feels like a classic NES system with tons of games waiting to be played. I have so many fantasy options, modern, sci-fi, horror, kingdom building, high adventure, pulp, gangsters, spies, and my choices are endless.

I want generic B/X? I got that. I want stripped down simple B/X? I got that. I want a more modern feeling game? Got that too. Kingdom building, hex crawls, horror, post-apocalypse, or gonzo fantasy? Got those. Games more Middle Ages than Renaissance that get me into reading history? Yep! More games come out, and I have more options every month. Everything sort of works together too, and the speed and ease of play mean I can jump right in.

I am not flipping through hundreds of pages of rules to look up the rules for hiding and stealth, referenced in two chapters hundreds of pages apart (which I saw on one Youtube video of a playthrough of a newer game, and I felt pained watching). I like systems that stop the rules at a certain point and say, "You come up with the right ruling, we trust you."

Where a generic system, such as GURPS or Champions, does all of the above as well, they do not do it as easily and as fun, and you still have the heavy rules framework. Yes, you do have the argument of having to "relearn a new game when you want to switch genres" but with B/X there is not really that much to re-learn, other than a few minor differences between games.

I have lost some interest in the current flagships in tabletop gaming, such as 5E. I did want to get in on 5E, but life got in the way and I never got a chance to play early. Right now it feels late to jump in with a new edition/revision coming, and I would rather focus on the games I know and grew up with. Now is not the right time for me, and props to everyone having fun with the current edition.

No system wars or belligerent advocacy here, I would rather be playing and writing.

I have a few other options too that aren't necessarily B/X, such as FrontierSpace or Covert Ops (d00 System from DWD is my Genesis), and a few other retroclones of other systems, such as Zweihander or Cepheus System, and a few high quality options from companies like Free League (TG-16), and those are my "other consoles" that have a few good games on them as well. Some of the games for my NES-like collection have built-in "expander packs" that enhance the game within the old-school framework with a modern feeling without needing a new console or platform, such as Castles & Crusades.

My B/X games remain the most compelling part of my game library, and it is such a vibrant, diverse, and imaginative community to be a part of and support.