Obviously it would help if I were to *read* a PBtA ig. Any recommendations for PBtA rulesets that actually explain how to read them would be welcomed.

This is really beautiful!

Had to look up the word cruft.

I read somewhere that the weapon list order in the equipment lists corresponds to chainmail weapon length; thus in all editions of basic D&D (up to 1991) preserved this increasingly irrelevant presentation. Personally, I love it. But I get finding it tedious.

The more I read, the more I think OSR is a complete misnomer. A kind of taxinomical waste bin that is either so broad as to be a useless analytical tool; or so narrow as to be misapplied to works that are at best iterative, but not in any way revivalist.

I am in the midst of writing an essay about OD&D and Nomic, and I think both force the participants to constantly reassess and alter how the written rules text related to the game that's currently being played.

An incremental community understanding at play

Oh, I think I see what you're saying now. like a group tendency to move between following a written text and making moves in kind of a roleplay-consensus mode.

But as a group decision, not a solely Ref one, which is really crucial and underemphasized in OSR theory

hmm, I supposed one form of that might be allowing characters power to alter the rules of the game in which they are?

moves player motivations onto the characters, but also the ramifications of the ruleset might constrict the relationship between player and character

What's interesting to me about Nomic is that it establishes specific interpretation structures for its own rules. I feel like with TTRPGs the norm is "GM interprets rules", so there would have to be some separation from that norm for a vote system to work, imo.

Very possible! But some work to do.

I have not read the full of b/x, but from what I know 1) it makes sense that it was widely played when it was, and 2) I'm surprised it has been subject for so many re-hashings.

Nomic?

OD&D sometimes makes this explicit by offering multiple possible rules-procedures for resolving the same situation. The "pick and choose" approach to rule mutability. I hope this is the same thing that you're describing.

I'm always bewildered when players say that and the encounter in question was one I did not at all intend to be scary whatsoever.

terrifying