> Post-1974, however, D&D has been extremely reactive in its design. It largely does not innovate, but its massive gravity means anything it refines is reflecte

> Post-1974, however, D&D has been extremely reactive in its design. It largely does not innovate, but its massive gravity means anything it refines is reflected back into the industry in a massively disproportionate way D&D is in an interesting position where if it innovates too much in its game design and mechanics (4E?) then (some) people complain that it's not D&D anymore, but if it doesn't innovate enough then (other) people complain that it's stale and old-fashioned. Which is a bit like complaining that Shakespeare is full of cliches. Personally I'm happy with 5E+ being similar enough to other versions of D&D to be familiar, but with some clarified and refined rules, along with lots of options and classic flavor. Many of D&D's most wonderful contributions aren't necessarily in rules proper, but in flavor and world-building. I have spent a lot of my RPG life, both computer and tabletop, in the Forgotten Realms. (And to open a can of worms, I would also say that the original d20 System SRD and OGL, which spawned an ecosystem of compatible RPGs from multiple companies, was an important innovation – at least until Hasbro/WoTC sabotaged themselves multiple times.)