nos·tal·gia

/nstæld, -di, n-/ Show Spelled [no-stal-juh, -jee-uh, nuh-] Show IPA noun 1. a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time: a nostalgia for his college days.2. something that elicits or displays nostalgia.

Recently, I keep hearing those who say negative of these kickstarters using the word 'nostalgia'. There's something about this statement that really bothers me...Like those of us who funded such projects and Project Eternity or Wasteland 2 are pining for the Pacman Arcade style gigantic machines to come back when they went away for a dang good reason. They were a part of the times they existed in. Any attempt to bring back those gigantic hogs would be just ant attempt to relive a past that is long gone.

'Nostalgia', would be not being able to stop playing that old game. I haven't played Planescape Torment for years. I did replay Baldur's Gate recently as it was redone (rather lacklusterly) and I have to admit that there was Nostalgia involved in replaying it. Nostalgia is a feeling that happens because one is pining for a return to that era and furthermore one would be demanding a part 2 that is exactly the same as the old one just to bring back that feeling.

Nostalgia would be wanting something that went away for a reason...because time and life moved one. Time and life may have moved on...and I'm glad they did, but simple economics remain. I have been wanting to play games that fill my need for deep tacticle and role playing in a video game medium. The demand for more of these gamse was there when the other games came out and the demand for more is still there in me. It never went away or decreased!

This isn't about nostalgia. This is simple supply and demand. There is a demand for real tactical RPGs and someone is supplying this FINALLY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. There's been a CONSTANT demand since a stronger focus for FPSs have been in view but some idiot in publisherland thought that something else was what we wanted when we asked for an RPG. That something else has devolved into Dragon Age 2: a mindless button mashing excuse for dog dirt that has nothing to do with Role-Playing games.

The same role playing games that are based off PnP games that still get published every year and played by players new and old alike. They never went away. They keep coming out. Usually getting better and better as time goes on.

Some old favories get reinvented and sometimes the older systems (PnP speaking in this example) are better. Sometimes an industry needs to rethink the path they're on because they're not supplying the demand that they left vacant.

If I were the only one who still held that demand it would be a sign that I'm being nostalgic or attaching feelings to this that are unwarranted.

I'm not. Not by a longshot.