I saw some recent reviews of the 5e Basic PDF yesterday so I thought I would finally take a look at it, seeing as it's a free download and all.
I saw a couple of interesting things in it. Not enough to make me want to play it. One thing struck me as I "flipped" through it. It assumes a lot of influence over character creation and details.
They make it clear you are playing in "their"world. That was all I need to see to know I want to have nothing at all to do with it.
All throughout the character creation section they insert references to WotC owned gaming content such as Dragonlance and other generalized specifics. the racial descriptions also make much reference to WotC provided content.
I bring this up in contrast to say 1E books which leave much of the background and behavior, etc.. up to the Player and DM.
I get the notion that they are influencing the reader to think of it as playing a character the way they intend it to be played as opposed to how the DM and Player might creatively decide.
In short, they provide too many details. It's more like playing a "Choose Your Own Ending" story where the Player is simply running a mostly pre-defined gamepiece and choosing from their offerings as opposed to self, DM or group determined details.
Like I said, it's like they are making it known in advance, we are playing in their world, not our own.
I am far too much of a home brewer to go along with that. It's an instant turn off to read that in the PDF.
Some well known things are conspicuously missing. They don't have gnomes listed as a PC racial option. Nor do they list Orc or the half breeds either.
Others out there might like this, I have no doubt of that. As for me, it comes off as stifling individual creativity and seems opposed to home brewing.
I'll stick with my 1E/OSRIC thank you very much.
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