Why some publishers don't want to be part of the OSR

The reason some people don't want to be labeled as part of the OSR is because the OSR is a reactionary mindset. Many of it's members get pissed off if you change something from 1975, or say ascending AC is an improvement over the old way. This is not true for many people, but enough bloggers and message board members push this view that I suspect it colors everyone outside the inner circles perception.

I know I'd be frustrated if I was making a game where I started with an OSR product, and then consciously added in the good stuff from 3e and had people saying that I was "betraying" the OSR. Heck, even suggesting that 3e added in good things to D&D is not even allowed on Dragonsfoot. 3e itself is referred to as "the edition that shall not be named". Talk about pompous bullshit. I'm glad that some publishers are moving away from straight clones of old games, and I hope more continue to do so. Hopefully, they will gain enough followers that the old grognards get shouted down when they start whining.

Video game influences on pen and paper rpgs

I love video games, especially fantasy mmo's. Naturally, this leads to me including stuff from mmo's I like into my games. The easiest stuff to steal is place names. Just wandering around WoW will net you a ton of towns and mountain ranges and rivers. I also like to convert the occasional monster into my games. They can be fun, and my friends love seeing something like a murloc pop up, as long as I don't overdo it.

While I have no interest in playing a game set completely in the World of Warcraft, I see no reason why I shouldn't use the cool stuff. Where I will have issues with it, is when it affects the actual rules of a game. Having power slots that can be upgraded, tank/dps/healer roles spelled out, etc., irritates me. Yes, I can see how it would actually be helpful if I was just learning D&D or something similar on my own. But I'm old and cranky, so I don't need that in my games. It's my own little bit of curmudgeonism. :)

Why I prefer Ascending AC in my "clone" games

It seems to me that many old-school gamers feel that the retro-clones should be put in some kind of straitjacket, where as little deviation as possible is allowed. While I support the games being 95% the same, I really prefer the ascending Armor Class as introduced by DnD 3e.

Ascending AC is much easier to use in game, and very easy to explain to new players. It also is very friendly to math-averse players, as they can see the number they need without having to look at a table. It also takes up a lot less space in the rulebook, as you just need to add the Base-to-hit number in each class chart, and don't need another half to full page chart for players. In addition, just having monster BtH equal their HD will save an additional chart in the game, and makes it even easier for the DM.

I understand that many DMs want the old style, as then they won't have to do any conversions of older modules. But at least a few of them are fairly strident in saying that Ascending AC should not even be included in the retro games. It's the "Stay off my lawn!" syndrome. And it seems to be fairly prevalent in older gamers. I believe that having Ascending AC as the default, or at least as an option, will help bring in newer ex-3e players, as it's something they are already familiar with.

And like it or not, I think the Old School Revival needs at least a small influx of new players as time goes on, or it will sputter out and die in a few years, which would be very unfortunate. The current grognards aren't getting any younger, and to maintain at least some type of player base, new people, preferably younger, will be needed. Of course, this is looking at it from a publisher viewpoint, and not a gamer viewpoint, so many grognards will happily say they need no new blood, as long as they get their 4 or 5 new modules every year.