Numbers of quality AD&D Posters

[AxeMental]

I asked this in another thread but it wasn't addressed. Does anyone have any idea how many pro AD&D posters are actively posting on different web sites (actually partisipating in AD&D talk, not C&C etc.).

This seems to be an incredibly small pool of people, undoubtedly there are more of us "out there", but where?

Oh, and has anyone seen StormCrow around?

[PapersAndPaychecks]

I'm not quite sure how you'd figure out how many pro-AD&D posters there are, because it's quite a subjective measure. I mean, there's a spectrum from Algolei through ThothAmon to Serleran - where do you draw the "pro-AD&D" line?

[AxeMental]

Anyone who has never said or hinted that some other version of D&D was better (or D20 sys). They also could never have come down on an AD&D supporter (Scotty G and Sieg I'd make an exception for). It would also have to only include those actively talking about AD&D, not only C&C. Though I'd also make exceptions for LA since some of those guys seem to be loyal Gygaxians just trying to be supportive (but not really thinking it a better system then AD&D...hell even Gygax doesn't likely believe that).

[northrundicandus]

Well, you'd have to start by compiling a list of all boards discussing AD&D.

From that list, you would then track down all the users on those boards who meet the above criteria. But given the nature of the Internet, I can't but believe such an effort would be ultimately futile. Do you really want to sort through every single post someone has made to a D&D board to determine their level of "AD&Dness"? My eyes would become scaly crusts just trying to read a 10,000th of the all drivel on the 'Net.

[Jerry Mapes]

Then figure in all those that love AD&D and it is still thier game of choice, but to play must play other game systems, so they spend most of the time talking/asking questions about the games they actually are able to play.

I think compiling such a list of hard core AD&D only types would be difficult at best and a very short list when its all said and done.

Take me for example. I love AD&D, but OD&D is my true deep down game of choice. But I also range from like to love at least a half dozen other RPGs and at times will even toss over OD&D for a good game of one of my favorite board war games. In other words, I think one would find that few people are "game-centric". They have varying preferences but remain open to liking and playing a broad spectrum of games.

[AxeMental]

Q: I think compiling such a list of hard core AD&D only types would be difficult at best and a very short list when its all said and done."


Thats what I think as well. Fewer then a 100 people I bet.

Yes, I realize it would be an impossible list, what I'm looking for is a very gross estimate: 100, 500, 1000, 10,000, that sort of thing.

I only ask because some of you guys make the rounds, while I do not.

[northrundicandus]

The number is probably more like 50. :-(

[AxeMental]

From it's hieght of millions to 50 die hard fans of the game willing to post (in the freakin' world). Sad.

[PapersAndPaychecks]

There's a hell of a lot more people than 50 who still play AD&D.

[BonesMcCoy]

Cheer up Axe, it's not that bad. Remember what P&P said recently: "there are adventures hosted on DF that have achieved well in excess of 25,000 downloads to date." So right there is 25,000 AD&D DMs still playing the game and looking for new adventure material. Plus, don't forget that for every active poster there are many lurkers interested in the same subject that just don't post.

Consider: How many people visit DF for new AD&D material but never go to the forums? (probably a lot. perhaps one heck of a lot) And how many of those that do go to the forums actually register? Probably not that many. So with 1500 registered members there's undoubtedly many times that number actually browsing the boards.

Taking all these factors into account I'd say there's still many thousands of active AD&D fans out in the world looking for new material on the net. Probably many tens of thousands. Now how many more are out there that don't peruse the net for new stuff? Or that just don't go to DF? Or, as Jerry said, are forced to play a different version just so they can keep gaming? Even our own Wheggi was a 3E guy for a while.

IMO the total number of AD&D fans still playing the game out there in the world somewhere is easily 100,000 or more. Of course they're not all quality posters so that doesn't address your initial question but it's not so depressing as you seem to think.

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Yeah. My gaming group still plays AD&D (we've spent more overall time on RM but it's been AD&D lately) - but the only one who'll post on messageboards, even a little bit, is Andy/Poppy.

[northrundicandus]

There's a big difference between 50 or so Quality Posters and gamers who play AD&D. None of my group participates in online discussions.

I have no idea how many AD&D gamers are left, but the aforementioned 100,000 sounds reasonable.

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Welp, there have been over 80,000 downloads of the Dragonsfoot 1e character sheet since the site went up. That was what, three years ago?

80,000 downloads says one heck of a lot more than 100,000 players to me.

[northrundicandus]

Okay. Maybe a quarter million. ;D

[foster1941]

I know I've downloaded the DF 1E character sheet about a half dozen separate times, and I suspect I'm not the only one. Plus I'm very sure there are people (like me again) who've downloaded the sheet who aren't actively playing 1E.

I'd be VERY surprised if there were more than 10,000 people worldwide actually involved in active 1E AD&D campaigns. That puts the 100 or so active online posters as ~1% of the total population, which sounds about right.