So, no matter where I go, blogs, forums, game stores, or conventions, there seems to be this horrible divide in the gamer community. 2nd editon or 3rd edition. 3rd edition gets complaints that it's "D&D for dummies" or is't not the same game. There are too many books, and it's become commercialized. ( which is a rose colored glasses situation to be sure) I  spent a lot of time playing 2nd edition from, I maintain that it saved my life. ( different story but open to anyone who asks). I play 3.5 now, and I I think I see where the divide comes into play.

I still use the rule books as a framework, but when you start living by them to the letter, things lose their fun. Thats why the older crowds loved Second so much. There weren't a lot of rules, and the books were ambiguous and open to interpretation. Due to that, we had to make things up, there was no other option. When 3rd came out, Wizards of the coast didn't grasp the concept of imagination, bu they were at the mercy of the old developers/testers/writers. So third had  a lot more rules. EVERYTHING was laid out. and they added the grid. Old school players saw it as the death of the imagination and freedom that they enjoyed in years past while newer players found it easier to grasp the system. Unfortunately, there's this divide now between old and new that sparks fierce loyalty to one side or the other because nobody looks at the heart of the issue, and that's still an RPG ... in the purest sense of the term. ( and fuck you to Final fantasy and Fable for taking that away from us). When we sit down at the table, you're allowed to break the rules, you're allowed to make things up, and, more importantly than anything else, always take the books as suggestion and guidance and never as law. Innovation and creativity

The pitfall of 3rd edition is that, when someone is presented with so many options and rules and material, it's easy to just take that and run with it. At its core, THAT is what second edition gamers hated about 3rd. It allowed for the imagination to die. For conformity and monotony to become the norm. And even worse, new gamers didn't even realize they had a choice. But, for those willing and able to look past the confines fo the book, the system lends itself fantastically to new worlds, games, and adventures.

So if your'e an old school gamer who hates 3rd, don't spend time hating it, spend time warping it, shaping it to YOUR design. It's still the same old game, just with new cloths. Share your passion of the game with those who have yet to unlock the full scope of it and the game we love will never die.