I fully realize that in doing so, I can expect to insult every active gamer in a slightly different fashion than Mssr. Hebert did. But this is hardly a fetish for nostalgia or a clinging to the outworn and lackluster rules of yesterday. Fantasy RPG fans also like Renaissance fairs, medieval weapons, and tales that lean toward sagas and hero-quests. Comes with the territory. Not at all, and to the contrary.
Most gamers are happy to recognize and embrace a core of functional, pleasurable, and workable rules, rather than chasing after every gaming fad and novelty. Yes, sometimes these are the core rules you learned as a teenager. Discard your d20 class-and-level chains! They are always moving from one system to another, and the search for novelty is never satisfied, because by definition, once you have found it, it is no longer new to you.
People enjoy games they understand, and once you have mastered a system, it takes a little work to change your rules and your play style. Not much work, though, and many gamers like nothing better than ripping into a new book of crunchy rules or a tome that brings new flavor to a setting we love. The exact same human instinct explains the sequels to books, comics, and movies we love.
Superman is 75 years old: The premise still works. In other words, a new or modern design is not always better. Treating newness with a little skepticism is the healthy sign of someone who has seen gaming fashions come and go: Remember all those crazy dice pools?
Diceless RPGs? The peculiar fascination of the Comeliness stat? Many gaming trends have done okay for a while. But many new ideas wither and die, and the wise designer learns from the history of the field, tracing the evolution of styles and mechanics.
